# Investigating Galactic supernova remnant candidates with LOFAR

## TL;DR

This study uses LOFAR, WSRT, and VGPS data to evaluate six galactic supernova remnant candidates, confirming one as a new SNR based on multi-wavelength analysis and spectral characteristics.

## Contribution

The paper identifies and confirms a new supernova remnant, G53.41+0.03, using combined radio and X-ray observations, providing detailed spectral and morphological analysis.

## Key findings

- G52.37-0.70, G53.84-0.75, and the shell around G54.1+0.3 are unlikely SNRs.
- G53.07+0.49 remains a candidate SNR.
- G53.41+0.03 is confirmed as a new SNR with shell morphology and X-ray characteristics.

## Abstract

We investigate six supernova remnant (SNR) candidates --- G51.21+0.11, G52.37-0.70, G53.07+0.49, G53.41+0.03, G53.84-0.75, and the possible shell around G54.1-0.3 --- in the Galactic Plane using newly acquired LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) High-Band Antenna (HBA) observations, as well as archival Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) and Very Large Array Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS) mosaics. We find that G52.37-0.70, G53.84-0.75, and the possible shell around pulsar wind nebula G54.1+0.3 are unlikely to be SNRs, while G53.07+0.49 remains a candidate SNR. G51.21+0.11 has a spectral index of $\alpha=-0.7\pm0.21$, but lacks X-ray observations and as such requires further investigation to confirm its nature. We confirm one candidate, G53.41+0.03, as a new SNR because it has a shell-like morphology, a radio spectral index of $\alpha=-0.6\pm0.2$ and it has the X-ray spectral characteristics of a 1000-8000 year old SNR. The X-ray analysis was performed using archival XMM-Newton observations, which show that G53.41+0.03 has strong emission lines and is best characterized by a non-equilibrium ionization model, consistent with an SNR interpretation. Deep Arecibo radio telescope searches for a pulsar associated with G53.41+0.03 resulted in no detection, but place stringent upper limits on the flux density of such a source if it is beamed towards Earth.