Far-UV and Optical Emissions from Three Very Large Supernova Remnants Located at Unusually High Galactic Latitudes

Autor: Bhagya M. Subrayan, Robert A. Fesen, Xavier Strottner, Marcel Drechsler, Dennis di Cicco, Kathryn E. Weil, John C. Raymond, David Mittelman, Sean Walker, Mathew Ludgate, Dan Milisavljevic, Justin D. Rupert
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: The Astrophysical Journal. 920:90
ISSN: 1538-4357
0004-637X
Popis: Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) with angular dimensions greater than a few degrees are relatively rare, as are remnants located more than ten degrees off the Galactic plane. Here we report a UV and optical investigation of two previously suspected SNRs more than ten degrees in both angular diameter and Galactic latitude. One is a proposed remnant discovered in 2008 through 1420 MHz polarization maps near Galactic coordinates $l$ = 353, $b$ = $-$34. GALEX far UV (FUV) and H$\alpha$ emission mosaics show the object's radio emission coincident with a 11 x 14 degree shell of UV filaments surrounding a diffuse H$\alpha$ emission ring. Another proposed high latitude SNR is the 20 x 26 degree Antlia nebula (G275.5+18.4) discovered in 2002 through low-resolution all-sky H$\alpha$ and ROSAT soft X-ray emissions. GALEX UV and H$\alpha$ mosaics along with optical spectra indicate the presence of shocks throughout the Antlia nebula with estimated shock velocities of 70 to over 100 km s$^{-1}$. We also present evidence that it has collided with the northeast rim of the Gum Nebula. We find both of these nebulae are bona fide SNRs with ages less than 10$^{5}$ yr despite their unusually large angular dimensions. We also present FUV and optical images along with optical spectra of a new high-latitude SNR (G249.7+24.7) some 4.5 degrees in diameter which has also been independently discovered in X-rays and radio (Becker at al. 2021). We find this remnant's distance to be $\leq$400 pc based on the detection of red and blue shifted Na I absorption features in the spectra of two background stars.
Comment: 32 pages, 21 figures, 4 tables; Revised to match published version in the Astrophysical Journal
Databáze: OpenAIRE