Searching for Surviving Companion in the Young SMC Supernova Remnant 1E 0102.2-7219

TL;DR

This study searches for a surviving companion star in the young SMC supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219 using HST and VLT data, finding no conclusive candidate but identifying a potential B3 V star if the explosion site is near the ejecta's center.

Contribution

The paper combines photometric, spectroscopic, and proper motion analyses to search for surviving companions in E0102, providing new constraints on the progenitor system and explosion dynamics.

Findings

No plausible companion near the NS if explosion site is at the NS

B3 V star 34a may be a candidate if explosion site is at ejecta center

A potential high-velocity runaway NS would imply an asymmetric explosion

Abstract

1E 0102.2--7219 (hereafter E0102) is a young supernova remnant (SNR) in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). It contains oxygen-rich SN ejecta, a possible neutron star (NS), and a small amount of fast-moving H-rich ejecta material. These properties are also seen in Cas A, it has thus been suggested that E0102 is also a Type IIb SNR, whose SN progenitor's hydrogen envelope was stripped off possibly via interactions with a companion star. To search for a surviving companion of E0102's SN progenitor, we have used archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) continuum images to make photometric measurements of stars projected in the SNR to construct color-magnitude diagrams and compare the stars with those expected from surviving companions of Type IIb SNe. We have also used the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer observations taken with the Very Large Telescope to perform spectroscopic analyses of stars and search for peculiar radial velocities as diagnostics of surviving companions. We further use the HST and Gaia data to inspect proper motions of stars for complementary kinetic studies. No plausible companion candidates are found if the SN explosion site was near the NS, while the B3 V star 34a may be a plausible companion candidate if the SN explosion site is near the SN ejecta's expansion center. If the NS is real and associated with E0102, it needs a ~1000 km/s runaway velocity, which has been observed in other SNRs and can be acquired from an asymmetric SN explosion or a kick by the SN explosion of a massive companion.