Searching for an interstellar medium association for HESS J1534-571

TL;DR

This study investigates the environment and distance of the supernova remnant HESS J1534-571 using multi-wavelength data, suggesting it is approximately 3.5 kpc away and likely resulted from a core-collapse supernova about 8-24 kyr ago.

Contribution

The paper provides the first detailed analysis linking HESS J1534-571 to a specific interstellar medium structure and estimates its distance and age using molecular and HI data.

Findings

HESS J1534-571 is associated with a molecular cloud near the Scutum-Crux arm.

The remnant is approximately 3.5 kpc away based on HI and radio data.

Estimated age of the remnant is between 8 and 24 thousand years.

Abstract

The Galactic supernova remnant HESS J1534-571 (also known as G323.7-1.0) has a shell-like morphology in TeV gamma-ray emission and is a key object in the study of cosmic ray origin. Little is known about its distance and local environment. We examine Mopra $^{12}$CO/$^{13}$CO(1-0) data, Australian Telescope Compact Array HI, and Parkes HI data towards HESS J1534-571. We trace molecular clouds in at least five velocity ranges, including clumpy interstellar medium structures near a dip in HI emission at a kinematic velocity consistent with the Scutum-Crux arm at ~3.5 kpc. This feature may be a cavity blown-out by the progenitor star, a scenario that suggests HESS J1534-571 resulted from a core-collapse event. By employing parametrisations fitted to a sample of supernova remnants of known distance, we find that the radio continuum brightness of HESS J1534-571 is consistent with the ~3.5 kpc kinematic distance of the Scutum-Crux arm HI dip. Modelling of the supernova evolution suggests an ~8-24 kyr age for HESS J1534-571 at this distance.