Kinematics of Supernova Remnants: Status of X-Ray Observations

Abstract

A supernova (SN) explosion drives stellar debris into the circumstellar material (CSM) filling a region on a scale of parsecs with X-ray emitting plasma. The velocities involved in supernova remnants (SNRs), thousands of km/s, can be directly measured with medium and high-resolution X-ray spectrometers and add an important dimension to our understanding of the last stages of the progenitor, the explosion mechanism, and the physics of strong shocks. After touching on the ingredients of SNR kinematics, I present a summary of the still-growing measurement results from SNR X-ray observations. Given the advances in 2D/3D hydrodynamics, data analysis techniques, and especially X-ray instrumentation, it is clear that our view of SNRs will continue to deepen in the decades ahead.

20 pages, 5 figures. Invited talk at the "High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy: past, present, and future" conference, Utrecht, March 15-17 2010. Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews; the final publication will be available at www.springerlink.com

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• Measurements of the Expansion Velocities of Ionized-Gas Superbubbles in Nearby Galaxies Based on Integral Field Spectroscopy Data
• Applied Nanofabrication for X-ray Grating Spectroscopy