44Ti nucleosynthesis gamma-ray lines with SIMBOL-X

TL;DR

This paper discusses the potential of SIMBOL-X to detect and analyze 44Ti gamma-ray lines from young supernova remnants, providing insights into nucleosynthesis and supernova explosion mechanisms.

Contribution

It presents simulations of SIMBOL-X's capabilities to observe 44Ti gamma-ray lines, aiming to improve understanding of supernova nucleosynthesis and identify hidden remnants.

Findings

Simulations show SIMBOL-X can detect 44Ti lines in young supernova remnants.

Expected measurements will constrain supernova explosion models.

Potential to discover previously undetected remnants using 44Ti gamma-ray observations.

Abstract

In this contribution we discuss the 44Ti nucleosynthesis gamma-ray lines and their visibility with SIMBOL-X from simulations based on its expected sensitivity and spectro-imaging capabilities. The 44Ti radioactive nucleus can provide invaluable information on the details of supernova explosions. Its lifetime of about 85 yrs makes it the best indicator of the youth of these stellar explosions through its three gamma-ray lines at 67.9, 78.4 keV and 1.157 MeV. We focus on the youngest Galactic supernova remnants, namely: Cassiopeia A, for which the location and Doppler-velocity estimates of the 44Ti-emitting regions in the remnant would offer for the first time a unique view of nucleosynthesis processes which occurred in the innermost layers of the supernova; SN 1987A, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, whose progenitor is known, and for which the expected measurement of these lines would greatly constrain the stellar evolution models; Tycho and Kepler SNRs for which 44Ti lines have never been detected so far. The issue of the "young, missing and hidden" supernova remnants in the Galaxy will also be addressed using SIMBOL-X observations at the position of the 44Ti excesses that wide-field instruments like those onboard INTEGRAL and SWIFT/BAT should be able to reveal.