Open AccessSimulations of mixed‐morphology supernova remnants with anisotropic thermal conduction
Author(s) -
Tilley David A.,
Balsara Dinshaw S.,
Howk J. Christopher
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10747.x
Subject(s) - physics , supernova , astrophysics , thermal conduction , interstellar medium , supernova remnant , observable , anisotropy , thermal , molecular cloud , range (aeronautics) , stars , optics , galaxy , thermodynamics , materials science , quantum mechanics , composite material
We explore the role of anisotropic thermal conduction on the evolution of supernova remnants (SNRs) through interstellar media with a range of densities via numerical simulations. We find that a remnant expanding in a dense environment can produce centre‐bright hard X‐ray emission within 20 kyr, and centre‐bright soft X‐ray emission within 60 kyr of the supernova event. In a more tenuous environment, the appearance of a centre‐bright structure in hard X‐rays is delayed until about 60 kyr. The soft X‐ray emission from such a remnant may not become centre bright during its observable lifetime. This can explain the observations that show that mixed‐morphology SNRs preferentially occur close to denser, molecular environments. Remnants expanding into denser environments tend to be smaller, making it easier for thermal conduction to make large changes in the temperatures of their hot gas bubbles. We show that the lower temperatures make it very favourable to use high‐stage ions as diagnostics of the hot gas bubbles in SNRs. In particular, the distribution of O viii transitions from shell bright at early epochs to centre bright at later epochs in the evolution of an SNR expanding in a dense interstellar medium when the physics of thermal conduction is included.