Natal molecular cloud of SNR Kes 41. Complete characterisation

TL;DR

This study characterizes the giant molecular cloud associated with supernova remnant Kes 41 using multi-wavelength data, revealing its mass, size, and high-density environment, and linking it to gamma-ray emission.

Contribution

First comprehensive identification and characterization of the entire parent molecular cloud of SNR Kes 41 using combined CO, HI, and infrared data.

Findings

Identified the parent cloud of Kes 41 at 12 kpc distance.

Estimated the cloud's mass as 10-30 x 10^5 solar masses.

Found high proton density of 500-1000 cm^-3 in the cloud.

Abstract

Using high-resolution data of the $^{12}$CO and $^{13}$CO ($J$=1-0}) line emission from The Mopra Southern Galactic Plane CO Survey in conjunction with neutral hydrogen observations from the Southern Galactic Plane Survey (SGPS) and mid-infrared Spitzer data, we have explored the large-scale environment of the supernova remnant Kes 41. On the basis of these data, we identified for the first time the parent cloud of Kes 41 in its whole extension and surveyed the HII regions, masers, and the population of massive young stellar objects in the cloud. The whole unveiled giant cloud, located at the kinematic distance of 12.0 $\pm$ 3.6 kpc, whose average total mass and size are $\sim$10-30 $\times10^5$ M$_\odot$ and $\sim$$26^{\prime}$, also shines in $\gamma$-rays, as revealed by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi satellite. We determined a high average proton density $\sim$500-1000~cm$^{-3}$ in the large molecular complex, of which protons from the neutral atomic and ionised gases comprise only $\sim$15%.