Dusty Blastwaves of Two Young LMC Supernova Remnants: Constraints on Postshock Compression

TL;DR

This study uses mid-IR and X-ray observations of two young LMC supernova remnants to constrain postshock gas density, dust properties, and shock compression ratios, revealing insights into shock interactions and cosmic-ray acceleration.

Contribution

It provides the first combined IR and X-ray analysis of these remnants, exploring dust grain porosity effects and shock compression ratios, advancing understanding of supernova remnant shock physics.

Findings

Porous dust grains reduce ejecta line strength in X-ray spectra.

Higher than standard shock compression ratio (~12) suggests efficient cosmic-ray acceleration.

Ambient dust-to-gas ratio is lower than typical ISM values.

Abstract

We present results from mid-IR spectroscopic observations of two young supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) done with the {\it Spitzer Space Telescope}. We imaged SNRs B0509-67.5 and B0519-69.0 with {\it Spitzer} in 2005, and follow-up spectroscopy presented here confirms the presence of warm, shock heated dust, with no lines present in the spectrum. We use model fits to {\it Spitzer} IRS data to estimate the density of the postshock gas. Both remnants show asymmetries in the infrared images, and we interpret bright spots as places where the forward shock is running into material that is several times denser than elsewhere. The densities we infer for these objects depend on the grain omposition assumed, and we explore the effects of differing grain porosity on the model fits. We also analyze archival {\it XMM-Newton} RGS spectroscopic data, where both SNRs show strong lines of both Fe and Si, coming from ejecta, as well as strong O lines, which may come from ejecta or shocked ambient medium. We use model fits to IRS spectra to predict X-ray O line strengths for various grain models and values of the shock compression ratio. For 0509-67.5, we find that compact (solid) grain models require nearly all O lines in X-ray spectra to originate in reverse-shocked ejecta. Porous dust grains would lower the strength of ejecta lines relative to those arising in the shocked ambient medium. In 0519-69.0, we find significant evidence for a higher than standard compression ratio of 12, implying efficient cosmic-ray acceleration by the blast wave. A compact grain model is favored over porous grain models. We find that the dust-to-gas mass ratio of the ambient medium is significantly lower than what is expected in the ISM.