The Search for Faint Radio Supernova Remnants in the Outer Galaxy: Five New Discoveries

TL;DR

This study systematically analyzed large-scale radio survey data to discover five new faint supernova remnants in the outer Galaxy, addressing the missing SNR problem by identifying previously undetected low surface brightness objects.

Contribution

It presents the first systematic deep data-mining approach using the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey to identify five new faint SNR candidates in the outer Galaxy.

Findings

Five new SNR candidates identified in the outer Galaxy.

Enhanced understanding of the Galactic SNR population.

Demonstrated effectiveness of multi-frequency and polarization analysis for SNR detection.

Abstract

High resolution and sensitivity large-scale radio surveys of the Milky Way are critical in the discovery of very low surface brightness supernova remnants (SNRs), which may constitute a significant portion of the Galactic SNRs still unaccounted for (ostensibly the Missing SNR problem). The overall purpose here is to present the results of a systematic, deep data-mining of the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) for faint, extended non-thermal and polarized emission structures that are likely the shells of uncatalogued supernova remnants. We examine 5$\times$5 degree mosaics from the entire 1420 MHz continuum and polarization dataset of the CGPS after removing unresolved point sources and subsequently smoothing them. Newly revealed extended emission objects are compared to similarly-prepared CGPS 408 MHz continuum mosaics, as well as to source-removed mosaics from various existing radio surveys at 4.8 GHz, 2.7 GHz, and 327 MHz, to identify candidates with non-thermal emission characteristics. We integrate flux densities at each frequency to characterise the radio spectra behaviour of these candidates. We further look for mid- and high-frequency (1420 MHz, 4.8 GHz) ordered polarized emission from the limb brightened shell-like continuum features that the candidates sport. Finally, we use IR and optical maps to provide additional backing evidence. Here we present evidence that five new objects, identified as filling all or some of the criteria above, are strong candidates for new SNRs. These five are designated by their Galactic coordinate names G108.5+11.0, G128.5+2.6, G149.5+3.2, G150.8+3.8, and G160.1$-$1.1. These discoveries represent a significant increase in the number of SNRs known in the outer Galaxy second quadrant of longitude (90$^{\circ} \leq \ell \leq $180$^{\circ}$).