Integral Field Spectroscopy of Supernova Remnant 1E0102-7219 Reveals Fast-moving Hydrogen and Sulfur-rich Ejecta

TL;DR

This study uses integral field spectroscopy to analyze the supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219, revealing fast-moving, sulfur-rich ejecta and hydrogen emission, indicating a Type IIb supernova origin.

Contribution

First detailed optical integral field spectroscopic analysis of 1E 0102, uncovering hydrogen and sulfur-rich ejecta and their asymmetric distribution, providing new insights into the remnant's composition and progenitor.

Findings

Detection of fast-moving sulfur-rich ejecta in multiple ionization states.

Discovery of hydrogen emission indicating incomplete envelope shedding.

Asymmetric distribution of sulfur-rich ejecta compared to oxygen or neon.

Abstract

We study the optical emission from heavy element ejecta in the oxygen-rich young supernova remnant (SNR) 1E 0102.2-7219 (1E 0102) in the Small Magellanic Cloud. We have used the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) optical integral field spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) on Cerro Paranal and the wide field spectrograph (WiFeS) at the ANU 2.3 m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory to obtain deep observations of 1E 0102. Our observations cover the entire extent of the remnant from below 3500{\AA} to 9350{\AA}. Our observations unambiguously reveal the presence of fast-moving ejecta emitting in [S II], [S III], [Ar III], and [Cl II]. The sulfur-rich ejecta appear more asymmetrically distributed compared to oxygen or neon, a product of carbon-burning. In addition to the forbidden line emission from products of oxygen burning (S, Ar, Cl), we have also discovered H{\alpha} and H{\beta} emission from several knots of low surface brightness, fast-moving ejecta. The presence of fast-moving hydrogen points towards a progenitor that had not entirely shed its hydrogen envelope prior to the supernova. The explosion that gave rise to 1E 0102 is therefore commensurate with a Type IIb supernova.