RXTE, ROSAT and ASCA Observations of G347.3-0.5 (RX J1713.7-3946): Probing Cosmic Ray Acceleration by a Galactic Shell-Type Supernova Remnant

Abstract

(Abridged) We present an analysis of the X-ray spectrum of the Galactic shell-type supernova remnant (SNR) G347.3-0.5 (RX J1713.7-3946). By performing a joint spectral analysis of data from observations made of G347.3-0.5 using the ROSAT PSPC, the ASCA GIS and the RXTE PCA, we have fit the spectra of particular regions of this SNR (including the bright northwestern and southwestern rims, the northeastern rim and the interior diffuse emission) over the approximate energy range of 0.5 through 30 keV. Based on the parameters of the best fit to the spectra using the SRCUT model, we estimate the maximum energy of cosmic-ray electrons accelerated by the rims of G347.3-0.5 to be 19-25 TeV, assuming a magnetic field strength of 10 microGauss. We present a broadband (radio to gamma-ray) photon energy flux-spectrum for the northwestern rim of the SNR, using a synchrotron-inverse Compton model with a variable magnetic field strength to fit the spectrum. Our fit derived from this model yields a maximum energy of only 8.8 TeV for the accelerated cosmic-ray electrons and a magnetic field strength of 150 microGauss. However, our derived ratio of volumes for TeV emission and X-ray emission (approximately 1000) is too large to be physically acceptable. We argue that neither non-thermal bremsstrahlung nor neutral pion decay can adequately describe the TeV emission from this rim, and therefore the physical process responsible for this emission is currently uncertain. Finally, we compare the gross properties of G347.3-0.5 with other SNRs known to possess X-ray spectra dominated by non-thermal emission.

46 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (Volume 593, 10 August 2003 Issue)

References in corpus (6)

• On the magnetic fields and particle acceleration in Cas A
• The SN 1006 Remnant: Optical Proper Motions, Deep Imaging, Distance, and Brightness at Maximum
• Fine-structure in the nonthermal X-ray emission of SNR RX J1713.7-3946 revealed by Chandra
• No evidence yet for hadronic TeV gamma-ray emission from SNR RX J1713.7-3946
• Supernova-Remnant Origin of Cosmic Rays?
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Cited by in corpus (28)

• Magnetic Field Amplification in Tycho and other Shell-type Supernova Remnants
• A detailed spectral and morphological study of the gamma-ray supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 with H.E.S.S
• The 511 keV emission from positron annihilation in the Galaxy
• The 1st Fermi Lat Supernova Remnant Catalog
• Inverse Compton Emission from Galactic Supernova Remnants: Effect of the Interstellar Radiation Field
• XMM-Newton observations of the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 and its central source
• A High-Resolution Study of Nonthermal Radio and X-Ray Emission from SNR G347.3-0.5
• TeV Gamma-Rays from Old Supernova Remnants
• A Detailed Study of Molecular Clouds toward the TeV Gamma-Ray SNR G347.3-0.5
• In which shell-type SNRs should we look for gamma-rays and neutrinos from p-p collisions?
• Imprint of Intergalactic Shocks on the Radio Sky
• A joint spectro-imaging analysis of the XMM-Newton and HESS observations of the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946
• Cosmic ray diffusion near the Bohm limit in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant
• Expected neutrino signal from supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 and flavor oscillations
• Measuring the Broad-band X-Ray Spectrum from 400 eV to 40 keV in the Southwest Part of the Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7-3946
• X-ray observations of the compact central object in supernova remnant G347.3-0.5
• On the gamma-ray spectra radiated by protons accelerated in SNR shocks near molecular clouds: The case of SNR RX J1713.7-3946
• Spectral properties of nonthermal X-ray emission from the shell-type SNR RX J1713.7-3946 as revealed by XMM-Newton
• Gamma-Rays Produced in Cosmic-Ray Interactions and the TeV-band Spectrum of RX J1713-3946
• X-Ray Observation of Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Source, HESS J1745-303, with Suzaku
• Suzaku Observations of HESS J1616-508: Evidence for a Dark Particle Accelerator
• Non-Thermal X-ray Emission from the Northwestern Rim of the Galactic Supernova Remnant G266.2-1.2 (RX J0852.0-4622)
• Non-thermal emission from old supernova remnants
• Hard X-ray Emission Clumps in the gamma-Cygni Supernova Remnant: an INTEGRAL-ISGRI View
• The origin of non-thermal X-ray filaments and TeV emission in young SNRs
• Models for Nonthermal Photon Spectra
• A two-zone model for the emission from RX J1713.7-3946
• ASCA and RXTE Observations of Non-Thermal X-ray Emission from Galactic Supernova Remnants: G156.2+5.7