EXPANSION OF THE YOUNGEST GALACTIC SUPERNOVA REMNANT G1.9+0.3

We present a measurement of the expansion and brightening of G1.9 + 0.3, the youngest Galactic supernova remnant (SNR), comparing Chandra X-ray images obtained in 2007 and 2009. A simple uniform-expansion model describes the data well, giving an expansion rate of 0.642% +/- 0.049% yr(-1) and a flux increase of 1.7% +/- 1.0% yr(-1). Without deceleration, the remnant age would then be 156 +/- 11 yr, consistent with earlier results. Since deceleration must have occurred, this age is an upper limit; we estimate an age of about 110 yr or an explosion date of about 1900. The flux increase is comparable to reported increases at radio wavelengths. G1.9+0.3 is the only Galactic SNR increasing in flux, with implications for the physics of electron acceleration in shock waves.