X-ray Emitting Ejecta in Puppis A Observed with Suzaku

TL;DR

This study uses Suzaku X-ray observations to identify and analyze the distribution of ejecta in the supernova remnant Puppis A, revealing element enrichment patterns and their relation to remnant features.

Contribution

First detailed X-ray mapping of ejecta element distribution in Puppis A, highlighting spatial variations and correlations with remnant structures.

Findings

Ejecta enriched in Si and other elements in specific regions.

No strong element enhancement except for possible O and Ne in the south.

Variation in column density and ionization age across the remnant.

Abstract

We report the detection and localization of X-ray emitting ejecta in the middle-aged Galactic supernova remnant Puppis A using five observations with the Suzaku X-ray Imaging Spectrometer to survey the eastern and middle portions of the remnant. A roughly 3' by 5', double-peaked region in the north center is found to be highly enriched in Si and other elements relative to the rest of the remnant. The X-ray fitted abundances are otherwise well below the solar values. While the ejecta-enhanced regions show some variation of relative element abundances, there is little evidence for a very strong enhancement of one element over the others in the imaged portion of the remnant, except possibly for a region of O and Ne enhancement in the remnant's south center. There is no spatial correlation between the compact [O III] emitting ejecta knots seen optically and the abundance enhancements seen in X-rays, although they are located in the same vicinity. The map of fitted column density shows strong variations across the remnant that echo earlier X-ray spectral hardness maps. The ionization age (as fitted for single temperature models) is sharply higher in a ridge behind the northeast-east boundary of the remnant, and is probably related to the strong molecular cloud interaction along that boundary. The temperature map, by comparison, shows relatively weak variations.