Typing Supernova Remnants Using X-ray Line Emission Morphologies

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new X-ray morphology analysis method to classify supernova remnants, effectively distinguishing between core-collapse and Type Ia explosions based on asymmetry measurements.

Contribution

The study develops a multipole expansion technique to classify SNRs by their X-ray line emission morphology, linking morphology to explosion type and circumstellar environment.

Findings

Core-collapse SNRs are more asymmetric than Type Ia SNRs.

X-ray line morphologies can naturally separate supernova explosion types.

Results align with spectropolarimetry indicating higher asymmetry in core-collapse supernovae.

Abstract

We present a new observational method to type the explosions of young supernova remnants (SNRs). By measuring the morphology of the Chandra X-ray line emission in seventeen Galactic and Large Magellanic Cloud SNRs with a multipole expansion analysis (using power ratios), we find that the core-collapse SNRs are statistically more asymmetric than the Type Ia SNRs. We show that the two classes of supernovae can be separated naturally using this technique because X-ray line morphologies reflect the distinct explosion mechanisms and structure of the circumstellar material. These findings are consistent with recent spectropolarimetry results showing that core-collapse SNe are intrinsically more asymmetric.