Discovery of thermal X-ray emission in the Supernova Remnant G337.8-0.1 (Kes 41)

TL;DR

This paper reports the first detection of thermal X-ray emission from the supernova remnant G337.8-0.1 using XMM-Newton, revealing its morphology, spectral properties, and classification as a mixed-morphology SNR.

Contribution

It presents the first X-ray detection and analysis of G337.8-0.1, establishing its thermal plasma nature and classification as a mixed-morphology supernova remnant.

Findings

X-ray emission is from a thin thermal plasma with NEI characteristics.

The remnant has a high column density indicating a distance over 7 kpc.

G337.8-0.1 is classified as a mixed-morphology SNR.

Abstract

We report here on the first detection at X-ray wavelengths of the Supernova Remnant (SNR) G337.8-0.1, carried out with the XMM-Newton Observatory. Using the X-ray observations, we studied the X-ray morphology of the remnant at different energy ranges, analysed the spectral properties and investigated a possible variable behavior. The SNR shows a diffuse filled-center structure in the X-ray region with an absence of a compact source in its center. We find a high column density of N_H > 6.9 * 10^{22} cm^{-2}, which supports a relatively distant location (d > 7 kpc). The X-ray spectrum exhibits emission lines, indicating that the X-ray emission has a thin thermal plasma origin, and is well represented by a non-equilibrium ionization (NEI) plasma model. The X-ray characteristics and well-known radio parameters show that G337.8-0.1 belongs to the emerging class of mixed-morphology (MM) SNRs.