On the environments and progenitors of supernova remnants associated with highly magnetized neutron stars

TL;DR

This paper investigates the environments and progenitors of supernova remnants linked to highly magnetized neutron stars, aiming to understand their origins and the factors influencing their magnetic and spin properties.

Contribution

It introduces a method combining X-ray spectroscopy and environmental analysis to infer progenitor masses and characteristics of SNRs associated with magnetized neutron stars.

Findings

Progenitor mass estimates suggest diverse origins for these neutron stars.

Environmental properties of SNRs provide clues about the progenitors' nature.

Case studies of specific SNRs reveal insights into the progenitor-supernova-neutron star connection.

Abstract

The distinction between the high-magnetic field pulsars (HBPs, thought to be mainly rotation-powered) and magnetars (commonly believed to be powered by their super-strong magnetic fields) has been recently blurred with the discovery of magnetar-like activity from the HBP J1846-0258 in the Supernova Remnant (SNR) Kes 75. What determines the spin properties of a neutron star at birth and its manifestation as a magnetar-like or more classical pulsar is still not clear. Furthermore, although a few studies have suggested very massive progenitors for magnetars, there is currently no consensus on the progenitors of these objects. To address these questions, we examine their environments by studying or revisiting their securely associated SNRs. Our approach is by: 1) inferring the mass of their progenitor stars through X-ray spectroscopic studies of the thermally emitting supernova ejecta, and 2) investigating the physical properties of their hosting SNRs and ambient conditions. We here highlight our detailed studies of two SNRs: G292.2-0.5 associated with the HBP J1119-6127 and Kes 73 associated with the AXP 1E 1841-045, and summarize the current view of the other (handful) HBP/magnetar-SNR associations.