JWST observations of a planetary nebula support jet-driven explosion of core-collapse supernova remnant RCW 103

TL;DR

This study compares JWST IR images of a planetary nebula and a supernova remnant, supporting the jet-driven explosion mechanism involving multiple jet pairs in core-collapse supernovae.

Contribution

It provides observational evidence linking jet-shaped planetary nebulae morphology to supernova remnants, supporting the jittering-jets explosion mechanism (JJEM).

Findings

RCW 103 morphology resembles that of planetary nebula PMR 1.

Two pairs of energetic jets likely shaped the supernova remnant.

Faint ears in RCW 103 suggest dispersed jet features.

Abstract

We show that the morphology of the core-collapse supernova (CCSN) remnant RCW 103 is very similar to the morphology of the brightest regions in the recently released JWST IR images of the jet-shaped planetary nebula (PN) PMR 1, and conclude that two energetic pairs of jets shaped RCW 103, compatible with the jittering-jets explosion mechanism (JJEM). The PN PMR 1 IR image exhibits two opposite, large, and prominent ears with a narrow, faint region connecting them through the center, a pipe. Observations and simulations have shown that a pair of jets inflates such a pair of ears in PNe. The brightest regions of PN PMR 1 form two clumpy sectors, each shaped like a wide pizza slice, with a faint region between them; the CCSN remnant RCW 103 has a very similar morphology. We identify two shells in the X-ray image of RCW 103 and suggest that two close pairs of energetic jets shaped this CCSN remnant. We find only traces of two of the four expected ears in RCW 103. The ears in RCW 103 were already dispersed and are very faint. Deeper X-ray observations might detect them. Such energetically misaligned pairs of jets are compatible with the JJEM, which predicts that a few to about 20 pairs of jets are responsible for most CCSN explosions.