An X-ray study of the SNR G344.7-0.1 and the central object CXOU J170357.8-414302

Abstract

Aims. We report results of an X-ray study of the supernova remnant (SNR) G344.7-0.1 and the point-like X-ray source located at the geometrical center of the SNR radio structure. Methods. The morphology and spectral properties of the remnant and the central X-ray point-like source were studied using data from the XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites. Archival radio data and infrared Spitzer observations at 8 and 24 $\mu$m were used to compare and study its multi-band properties at different wavelengths. Results. The XMM-Newton and Chandra observations reveal that the overall X-ray emission of G344.7-0.1 is extended and correlates very well with regions of bright radio and infrared emission. The X-ray spectrum is dominated by prominent atomic emission lines. These characteristics suggest that the X-ray emission originated in a thin thermal plasma, whose radiation is represented well by a plane-parallel shock plasma model (PSHOCK). Our study favors the scenario in which G344.7-0.1 is a 6 x 10^3 year old SNR expanding in a medium with a high density gradient and is most likely encountering a molecular cloud on the western side. In addition, we report the discovery of a soft point-like X-ray source located at the geometrical center of the radio SNR structure. The object presents some characteristics of the so-called compact central objects (CCO). However, its neutral hydrogen absorption column (N_{H}) is inconsistent with that of the SNR. Coincident with the position of the source, we found infrared and optical objects with typical early-K star characteristics. The X-ray source may be a foreground star or the CCO associated with the SNR. If this latter possibility were confirmed, the point-like source would be the farthest CCO detected so far and the eighth member of the new population of isolated and weakly magnetized neutron stars.

9 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Higher resolution figures can be seen on A&A

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Cited by in corpus (12)

• A Catalogue of Galactic Supernova Remnants in the far-infrared: revealing ejecta dust in pulsar wind nebulae
• Elemental Abundances in the Possible Type Ia Supernova Remnant G344.7-0.1
• The Metal-enriched Thermal Composite Supernova Remnant Kesteven 41 (G337.8-0.1) in a Molecular Environment
• A Complete Catalogue of Dusty Supernova Remnants
• Cr-K Emission Line as a Constraint on the Progenitor Properties of Supernova Remnants
• Evidence of 100 TeV $\gamma$-ray emission from HESS J1702-420: A new PeVatron candidate
• Chasing the Identification of ASCA Galactic Objects (ChIcAGO) - An X-ray Survey of Unidentified Sources in the Galactic Plane I: Source Sample and Initial Results
• A multiwavelength study of the supernova remnant G296.8-0.3
• Fe K and ejecta emission in SNR G15.9+0.2 with XMM-Newton
• Element Stratification in the Middle-Aged Type Ia Supernova Remnant G344.7-0.1
• Gamma-ray emission revealed at the western edge of SNR G344.7-0.1
• An Exploration of X-ray Supernova Remnants in the Milky Way and Nearby Galaxies