The Interaction of Supernova Remnant G357.7+0.3 with the Interstellar Medium

TL;DR

This study investigates how supernova remnant G357.7+0.3 interacts with the interstellar medium, causing cloud fragmentation, shock excitation, and possibly triggering star formation, using multi-wavelength infrared observations and modeling.

Contribution

It provides detailed analysis of cloud structures, extinction properties, and young stellar objects associated with the supernova remnant, revealing new insights into SNR-ISM interactions.

Findings

Detection of shock-excited H2 emission in cloud rims

Identification of dark extinction cores with high densities

Evidence of star formation triggered by SNR interaction

Abstract

The supernova remnant (SNR) G357.7+0.3 appears to have caused considerable shredding of the local interstellar medium (ISM), leading to the formation of multiple cloud fragments having bright rims and cometary structures. We investigate five of these regions using mid-infrared (MIR) imaging and photometry deriving from the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST), as well as photometry deriving from the 2MASS near-infrared all sky survey, the Mid-Course Science Experiment (MSX), and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPSGAL) survey of the Galactic plane. It is noted that two of the rims show evidence for emission by shock excited H2 transitions, whilst the centres of the clouds also show evidence for dark extinction cores, observed in silhouette against the bright emission rims. Levels of extinction for these cores are determined to be of order AV ~ 17-26 mag, whilst densities n(HI) are of order ~ 10^4 cm^(-3), and masses in the region of ~40-100 Msun. It is shown that the wavelength dependence of extinction is probably similar to that of Cardelli et al. and Martin & Whittet, but differs from the MIR extinction trends of Indebetouw et al. The distributions of Class I young stellar objects (YSOs) implies that many of them are physically associated with the clouds, and were likely formed as a result of interaction between the clouds and SN winds. A determination of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these stars, together with 2-D radiative transfer modelling of their continua is used to place constraints upon their properties.