Supernova Ejecta in the Youngest Galactic Supernova Remnant G1.9+0.3

TL;DR

This study uses deep Chandra X-ray observations to analyze the asymmetric distribution of heavy elements in the youngest Galactic supernova remnant G1.9+0.3, revealing high-velocity iron-group elements indicative of an asymmetric Type Ia explosion.

Contribution

It provides the first spatially-resolved spectroscopy of heavy-element ejecta in G1.9+0.3, demonstrating extreme asymmetry and high-velocity Fe-group elements, supporting a 3D asymmetric explosion model.

Findings

Asymmetric distribution of ejecta with strongest emission in the northern rim.

Detection of high-velocity Fe-group elements with oversolar Fe abundances.

Presence of Si- and S-rich ejecta without Fe in the inner west rim.

Abstract

G1.9+0.3 is the youngest known Galactic supernova remnant (SNR), with an estimated supernova (SN) explosion date of about 1900, and most likely located near the Galactic Center. Only the outermost ejecta layers with free-expansion velocities larger than about 18,000 km/s have been shocked so far in this dynamically young, likely Type Ia SNR. A long (980 ks) Chandra observation in 2011 allowed spatially-resolved spectroscopy of heavy-element ejecta. We denoised Chandra data with the spatio-spectral method of Krishnamurthy et al., and used a wavelet-based technique to spatially localize thermal emission produced by intermediate-mass elements (IMEs: Si and S) and iron. The spatial distribution of both IMEs and Fe is extremely asymmetric, with the strongest ejecta emission in the northern rim. Fe Kalpha emission is particularly prominent there, and fits with thermal models indicate strongly oversolar Fe abundances. In a localized, outlying region in the northern rim, IMEs are less abundant than Fe, indicating that undiluted Fe-group elements (including 56Ni) with velocities larger than 18,000 km/s were ejected by this SN. But in the inner west rim, we find Si- and S-rich ejecta without any traces of Fe, so high-velocity products of O-burning were also ejected. G1.9+0.3 appears similar to energetic Type Ia SNe such as SN 2010jn where iron-group elements at such high free-expansion velocities have been recently detected. The pronounced asymmetry in the ejecta distribution and abundance inhomogeneities are best explained by a strongly asymmetric SN explosion, similar to those produced in some recent 3D delayed-detonation Type Ia models.