# Optical tomography of chemical elements synthesized in Type Ia supernovae

## TL;DR

This study uses optical emission observations to analyze the internal structure and explosion mechanisms of three young Type Ia supernova remnants, revealing shock speeds and explosion types through a novel tomography technique.

## Contribution

Introduces supernova remnant tomography, a new method for visualizing explosion layers and constraining supernova explosion models using optical emission data.

## Key findings

- Reverse shock speeds measured for the first time.
- SNR 0519-69.0 likely from a near-Chandrasekhar mass explosion.
- SNR 0509-67.5 likely from a sub-Chandrasekhar mass explosion.

## Abstract

We report the discovery of optical emission from the non-radiative shocked ejecta of three young Type Ia supernova remnants (SNRs): SNR 0519-69.0, SNR 0509-67.5, and N103B. Deep integral field spectroscopic observations reveal broad and spatially resolved [Fe XIV] 5303{\AA} emission. The width of the broad line reveals, for the first time, the reverse shock speeds. For two of the remnants we can constrain the underlying supernova explosions with evolutionary models. SNR 0519-69.0 is well explained by a standard near-Chandrasekhar mass explosion, whereas for SNR 0509-67.5 our analysis suggests an energetic sub-Chandrasekhar mass explosion. With [S XII], [Fe IX], and [Fe XV] also detected, we can uniquely visualize different layers of the explosion. We refer to this new analysis technique as "supernova remnant tomography".