The Magellan/IMACS Catalog of Optical Supernova Remnant Candidates in M83

TL;DR

This study presents a comprehensive optical survey of supernova remnants in M83, confirming and expanding the candidate list, and correlating with X-ray data to identify strong SNR candidates and potential ejecta-dominated remnants.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new, extensive optical imaging survey of M83's supernova remnants, tripling previous candidate numbers and integrating X-ray data for candidate validation.

Findings

Confirmed 68 of 71 previous SNR candidates

Expanded the candidate list to 225 objects

Identified 61 X-ray counterparts among candidates

Abstract

We present a new optical imaging survey of supernova remnants in M83, using data obtained with the Magellan I 6.5m telescope and IMACS instrument under conditions of excellent seeing. Using the criterion of strong [S II] emission relative to Halpha, we confirm all but three of the 71 SNR candidates listed in our previous survey, and expand the SNR candidate list to 225 objects, more than tripling the earlier sample. Comparing the optical survey with a new deep X-ray survey of M83 with Chandra, we find 61 of these SNR candidates to have X-ray counterparts. We also identify an additional list of 46 [O III] -selected nebulae for follow-up as potential ejecta-dominated remnants, seven of which have associated X-ray emission that makes them strong candidates. Some of the other [O III]-bright objects could also be normal ISM-dominated supernova remnants with shocks fast enough to doubly ionize oxygen, but with Halpha and [S II] emission faint enough to have been missed. A few of these objects may also be H II regions with abnormally high [O III] emission compared with the majority of M83 H II regions, compact nebulae excited by young Wolf-Rayet stars, or even background AGN. The supernova remnant Halpha luminosity function in M83 is shifted a factor of ~ 4.5x higher than for M33 supernova remnants, indicative of a higher mean ISM density in M83. We describe the search technique used to identify the supernova remnant candidates and provide basic information and finder charts for the objects.