Journal
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Volume 648, Issue 1, Pages L33-L37Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.1086/507628
Keywords
shock waves; supernova remnants; X-rays : individual (RCW 86)
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We report X-ray imaging spectroscopy observations of the northeastern shell of the supernova remnant RCW 86 using Chandra and XMM-Newton. Along this part of the shell, the dominant X-ray radiation mechanism changes from thermal to synchrotron emission. We argue that both the presence of X-ray synchrotron radiation and the width of the synchrotron-emitting region suggest a locally higher shock velocity of V-s approximate to 2700 km s(-1) and a magnetic field of B approximate to 24 +/- 5 mu G. Moreover, we also show that a simple power-law cosmic-ray electron B approximate to 24 +/- 5 spectrum with an exponential cutoff cannot explain the broadband synchrotron emission. Instead, a concave electron spectrum is needed, as predicted by nonlinear shock acceleration models. Finally, we show that the derived shock velocity strengthens the case that RCW 86 is the remnant of SN 185.
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