Optical detection and spectroscopic confirmation of supernova remnant G213.0-0.6 (now re-designated as G213.3-0.4)

TL;DR

This study reports the optical detection and spectroscopic confirmation of supernova remnant G213.3-0.4, integrating optical, radio, and X-ray data to refine its identification and location.

Contribution

It provides the first optical detection and spectroscopic confirmation of G213.3-0.4, leading to a redefinition of its coordinates and improved understanding of its multi-wavelength properties.

Findings

Optical HAlpha filaments match radio emission morphology.

Spectroscopy confirms shock excitation typical of SNRs.

Reassignment of the SNR's coordinates to G213.3-0.4.

Abstract

During a detailed search for optical counterparts of known Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) using the Anglo Australian Observatory/United Kingdom Schmidt Telescope (AAO/UKST) HAlpha survey of the southern Galactic plane we have found characteristic optical HAlpha filaments and associated emission in the area of SNR G213.0-0.6. Although this remnant was previously detected in the radio as a non-thermal source, we also confirm emission at 4850 MHz in the Parkes-MIT-NRAO (PMN) survey and at 1400 MHz in the NRAO/VLA Sky Survey (NVSS). There is an excellent match in morphological structure between the optical (HAlpha) and radio emission. We subsequently obtained optical spectroscopy of selected HAlpha filaments using the South African Astronomical Observatory 1.9-m telescope which confirmed shock excitation typical of supernova remnants. Our discovery of HAlpha emission and the positional match with several radio frequency maps led us to reassign G213.0-0.6 as G213.3-0.4 as these co-ordinates more accurately reflect the actual centre of the SNR shell and hence the most probable place of the original supernova explosion. Support for this new SNR ID comes from the fact that the X-ray source 1RXS J065049.7-003220 is situated in the centre of this new remnant and could be connected with the supernova explosion.