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Context
Supernovae
and their remnants play an important role in our Galaxy as they
contribute both in terms of kinetic energy and in terms of enriching
the interstellar medium in heavy elements (nucleosynthesis).
During their lifetime, stars are the main factory of heavy elements
which are then diffused into the interstellar medium only during the
supernova phase.
From a kinetic point of view, the supernova explosion produces a strong
shock wave that will heat, as it propagates, the stellar ejecta and the
ambient medium up to keV temperatures. This shock wave can also
accelerate particles along the way which makes supernova remnants one
of the prime candidate for galactic cosmic ray acceleration.
Through the thermal emission from the hot gas and the synchrotron
radiation from accelerated electrons, X-rays are a key wavelength to
study the aspects of nucleosynthesis, heating of the interstellar
medium and particle acceleration in supernova remnants.
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Bibliography
- Caprioli,
D., "Cosmic-ray acceleration in SNRs: non-linear theory revised",
2012, JCAP 07, 038C - ADS
- Vink, J., "Supernova
remnants: the X-ray perspective", 2012, ARA&A 20, 49 - ADS
- Reynolds, S.P.,
"Supernova Remnants at high energy", 2008, ARA&A 46, 89 - ADS
- Ballet, J., "X-ray
synchrotron emission from supernova remnants", 2006, AdSpR 37,
1902B - ADS
Fabio
Acero is an astrophysicist at the AIM/CEA-Saclay laboratory where he
studies the sources of galactic cosmic-ray such as supernova remnants,
pulsar wind nebulae and pulsars. After a PhD studying supernova
remnants in X-rays, he joined the HESS collaboration to combine X and
TeV gamma-ray observations of galactic sources. He then worked with the
Fermi space satellite at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. |
