HFPK 334: An unusual Supernova Remnant in the Small Magellanic Cloud

Abstract

We present new Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) radio-continuum and XMM-Newton/Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) observations of the unusual supernova remnant HFPK 334 in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The remnant follows a shell type morphology in the radio-continuum and has a size of $\sim$20~pc at the SMC distance. The X-ray morphology is similar, however, we detect a prominent point source close to the center of the SNR exhibiting a spectrum with a best fit powerlaw with a photon index of $\Gamma =2.7\pm 0.5$. This central point source is most likely a background object and cannot be directly associated with the remnant. The high temperature, nonequilibrium conditions in the diffuse region suggest that this gas has been recently shocked and point toward a younger SNR with an age of $\lesssim 1800$ years. With an average radio spectral index of $\alpha =-0.59\pm 0.09$ we find that an equipartition magnetic field for the remnant is $\sim$90~$\mu$G, a value typical of younger SNRs in low-density environments. Also, we report detection of scattered radio polarisation across the remnant at 20~cm, with a peak fractional polarisation level of 25$\pm$5\%.

19 pages, 6-figures, submitted to AJ

References in corpus (8)

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• The ASKAP-EMU Early Science Project:Radio Continuum Survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud
• Discovery of a Pulsar-powered Bow Shock Nebula in the Small Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnant DEMS5
• Targeted search for young radio pulsars in the SMC: Discovery of two new pulsars
• Radio Emission from Interstellar Shocks: Young Type Ia Supernova Remnants and the Case of N 103B in the Large Magellanic Cloud
• Spitzer and Herschel studies of dust in supernova remnants in the Small Magellanic Cloud
• On the Determination of the Evolutionary Status of Supernova Remnants from Radio Observation Data