4.6 Article

Internal dynamics and particle acceleration in Tycho's SNR

Journal

ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Volume 483, Issue 2, Pages 529-535

Publisher

EDP SCIENCES S A
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20079337

Keywords

ISM : cosmic rays; acceleration of particles; shock waves; stars : supernovae : individual : Tycho's SNR; radiation mechanisms : non-thermal; gamma-rays : theory

Ask authors/readers for more resources

Aims. The consequences of a newly suggested value for the SN explosion energy E-sn = 1.2 x 10(51) erg are explored for the case of Tycho's supernova remnant (SNR). Methods. A nonlinear kinetic theory of cosmic ray (CR) acceleration in supernova remnants (SNRs) is employed to investigate the properties of Tycho's SNR and their correspondence to the existing experimental data. Results. It is demonstrated that the high mean ratio between the radii of the contact discontinuity and the forward shock is consistent with the very effective acceleration of nuclear energetic particles at the forward shock. It is also argued that consistency of the value Esn = 1.2 x 10(51) erg with the gas dynamics, acceleration theory, and the existing gamma-ray measurements requires the source distance d to be greater than 3.3 kpc. The corresponding ambient gas number density is lower than 0.4 cm(-3). Since the expected gamma-ray flux strongly depends on the source distance, F-gamma alpha d(-7), a future experimental determination of the actual gamma-ray flux from Tycho's SNR will make it possible to determine the values of the source distance d and of the mean ambient gas density. A simple inverse Compton model without a dominant population of nuclear CRs is not compatible with the present upper limit for the gamma-ray emission for any reasonable ambient interstellar B-field. Conclusions. Given the consistency between acceleration theory and overall, as well as internal, gas dynamics, a future gamma-ray detection would make the case for nuclear particle acceleration in Tycho's SNR incontrovertible in our view.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.6
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available