Progenitors and explosion properties of supernova remnants hosting central compact objects: I. RCW 103 associated with the peculiar source 1E 161348-5055

We present a Chandra and XMM-Newton imaging and spectroscopic study of the supernova remnant (SNR) RCW103 (G332.4-00.4) containing the central compact object 1E 161348-5055. The high-resolution Chandra X-ray images reveal enhanced emission in the south-eastern and north-western regions. Equivalent width line images of Fe L, Mg, Si, and S using XMM-Newton data were used to map the distribution of ejecta. The SNR was sectioned into 56 regions best characterized by two-component thermal models. The harder component (kT similar to 0.6 keV) is adequately fitted by the VPSHOCK non-equilibrium ionization model with an ionization time-scale n(e)t similar to 10(11)-10(12) cm(-3) s, and slightly enhanced abundances over solar values. The soft component (kT similar to 0.2 keV), fitted by the APEC model, is well described by plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium with abundances consistent with solar values. Assuming a distance of 3.1 kpc and a Sedov phase of expansion into a uniform medium, we estimate an SNR age of 4.4 kyr, a swept-up mass M-sw = 16f(s)(-1/2) (D3.1M circle dot)-M-5/2, and a low explosion energy E-* = 3.7 x 10(49) f(s)(-1/2) D-3.1(5/2) erg. This energy could be an order of magnitude higher if we relax the Sedov assumption, the plasma has a low filling factor, the plasma temperature is underestimated, or if the SNR is expanding into the progenitor's wind-blown bubble. Standard explosion models did not match the ejecta yields. By comparing the fitted abundances to the most recent core-collapse nucleosynthesis models, our best estimate yields a low-mass progenitor of around 12-13 M-circle dot, lower than previously reported. We discuss degeneracies in the model fitting, particularly the effect of altering the explosion energy on the progenitor mass estimate.