Element Distributions In The Crab Nebula

TL;DR

This paper presents detailed element abundance maps of the Crab Nebula derived from imaging data and extensive photoionization modeling, revealing nucleosynthesis stages and aiding understanding of stellar evolution and supernova processes.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive method combining imaging and pixel-by-pixel modeling to map element distributions in the Crab Nebula for the first time.

Findings

Distinctive element distribution maps show nucleosynthesis regions.

Evidence of various stellar burning stages in the nebula.

Calibrated data aids understanding of supernova and star evolution.

Abstract

Images of the Crab Nebula have been obtained through custom interference filters which transmit emission from the expanding supernova remnant in HI, HeI, HeII, [CI], [NII], [OI], [SII], and [SIII] emission lines. We present both raw and flux-calibrated data. Arrays of 19,440 photoionization models, with extensive input abundance ranges, were matched pixel by pixel to the calibrated data in order to derive corresponding element abundance or mass-fraction distributions for helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. These maps show distinctive structure, and they illustrate regions of gas in which various stages of nucleosynthesis have apparently occurred, including the CNO-cycle, helium-burning, carbon-burning, and oxygen-burning. It is hoped that the calibrated observations and chemical abundance distribution maps will be useful for developing a better understanding of the precursor star evolution and the supernova explosive process.