Single vs. Binary Origin: The Diversity of Stripped-Envelope Supernova Remnants

TL;DR

This study uses self-consistent simulations to compare the evolution of supernova remnants from single and binary progenitors, revealing key differences in circumstellar medium structures and spectral features, and introducing a new timescale for analysis.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive models connecting progenitor binary status to supernova remnant evolution, highlighting the impact of binary evolution on SNR characteristics.

Findings

Binary progenitors produce smoother shock dynamics.

Binary-stripped SNRs have less pronounced X-ray peaks.

The new timescale $t_{\rm CSM}$ scales SNR evolution in complex environments.

Abstract

Core-collapse supernova remnants (CCSNRs) are crucial for understanding the final stages of massive star evolution, as they reflect the imprints of their progenitors' pre-explosion activities. However, the evolution of CCSNRs, particularly those originating from progenitors with high mass-loss rates -- known as stripped-envelope SNRs (SESNRs) -- remains poorly understood. This is largely due to the lack of comprehensive numerical models connecting progenitor stars to their remnants, especially in the context of binarity. In this study, we perform self-consistent simulations of CCSNRs from both single and binary progenitors, utilizing mass-loss histories and supernova ejecta profiles directly derived from stellar evolution and explosion calculations. Our models reveal significant differences in the circumstellar medium (CSM) structures between single and binary progenitors, which drive distinct SNR dynamics and spectral characteristics. We find that binary-stripped progenitors tend to produce SNRs with more monotonic CSM profiles, resulting in smoother shock dynamics and less pronounced X-ray luminosity peaks compared to their single-star counterparts. Additionally, we introduce a new characteristic timescale, $t_{\rm CSM}$, defined by the total mass lost by the progenitor. This timescale effectively scales the evolutionary phases of CCSNRs in complex CSM environments, thereby facilitating the comparison of SESNRs. Given that observed elemental abundances in SNRs reflect the nucleosynthesis yields of the progenitor, our results highlight the importance of considering the dynamical state of SNRs when interpreting observed abundances. This work provides a fiducial framework for future observational and theoretical studies of CCSNRs, particularly regarding the impact of binary evolution.