The Impact of Efficient Particle Acceleration on the Evolution of Supernova Remnants in the Sedov-Taylor Phase

TL;DR

This paper models how efficient cosmic ray acceleration influences supernova remnant evolution during the Sedov-Taylor phase, affecting observable X-ray spectra and shock properties, with implications for interpreting astrophysical data.

Contribution

It introduces a coupled hydrodynamic and nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration model to study SNR evolution and emission signatures, highlighting differences from test particle assumptions.

Findings

Efficient DSA results in smaller shock radius and speed.

Thermal X-ray emission is reduced with efficient DSA.

Non-thermal emission signatures are identified from particle acceleration.

Abstract

We investigate the effects of the efficient production of cosmic rays on the evolution of supernova remnants (SNRs) in the adiabatic Sedov-Taylor phase. We model the SNR by coupling the hydrodynamic evolution with nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (DSA), and track self-consistently the ionization state of the shock-heated plasma. Using a plasma emissivity code and the results of the model, we predict the thermal X-ray emission and combine it with the non-thermal component in order to obtain the complete spectrum in this energy range. Hence, we study how the interpretation of thermal X-ray observations is affected by the efficiency of the DSA process, and find that, compared to test particle cases, the efficient DSA example yields a smaller shock radius and speed, a larger compression ratio, and lower intensity X-ray thermal emission. We also find that a model where the shock is not assumed to produce CRs can fit the X-ray observational properties of an example with efficient particle acceleration, with a different set of input parameters, and in particular a much lower explosion energy. Additionally, we model the broadband non-thermal emission, and investigate what signatures result from the acceleration of particles.