Radio continuum and polarization study of SNR G57.2+0.8 associated with magnetar SGR1935+2154

TL;DR

This study investigates the radio continuum and polarization properties of SNR G57.2+0.8, revealing its magnetic field structure, age, distance, and potential association with magnetar SGR1935+2154, including evidence for a pulsar wind nebula.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed radio polarization analysis of G57.2+0.8 and establishes its physical connection with the magnetar SGR1935+2154.

Findings

Spectral index of -0.55 indicating a mature SNR

Detection of a possible pulsar wind nebula

Estimated age of about 41,000 years

Abstract

We present a radio continuum and linear polarization study of the Galactic supernova remnant G57.2+0.8, which may host the recently discovered magnetar SGR1935+2154. The radio SNR shows the typical radio continuum spectrum of a mature supernova remnant with a spectral index of $\alpha = -0.55 \pm 0.02$ and moderate polarized intensity. Magnetic field vectors indicate a tangential magnetic field, expected for an evolved SNR, in one part of the SNR and a radial magnetic field in the other. The latter can be explained by an overlapping arc-like feature, perhaps a pulsar wind nebula, emanating from the magnetar. The presence of a pulsar wind nebula is supported by the low average braking index of 1.2, we extrapolated for the magnetar, and the detection of diffuse X-ray emission around it. We found a distance of 12.5 kpc for the SNR, which identifies G57.2+0.8 as a resident of the Outer spiral arm of the Milky Way. The SNR has a radius of about 20 pc and could be as old as 41,000 years. The SNR has already entered the radiative or pressure-driven snowplow phase of its evolution. We compared independently determined characteristics like age and distance for both, the SNR and SGR1935+2154, and conclude that they are physically related.