Study of explosion mechanism of supernovae with X-ray spectroscopic imaging

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K03908
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 16010:Astronomy-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Bamba Aya 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 准教授 (70392082)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 超新星残骸 / X線天文学 / 超新星爆発 / 元素組成 / 特性X線 / 宇宙線加速

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Supernova remnants, the remnant of the explosions when stars die, are a source of diversity in the universe, providing heat energy, kinetic energy, heavy elements, and cosmic rays to interstellar space. The purpose of this study is to explore the diversity of supernova explosions through observations of supernova remnants. We measured the anisotropy of the expansion of the source by drawing Doppler maps of characteristic X-rays emitted from the plasma at tens of millions of degrees in supernova remnants. As a result, anisotropic expansion was measured in several Type Ia supernova remnants. This is well explained by assuming an anisotropically distributed circumstellar material, indicating the possibility of the existence of circumstellar material in any Type Ia explosion with various explosion mechanisms.

Free Research Field

X線天文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

超新星爆発とその残骸は、宇宙空間に熱エネルギーや重元素、宇宙線などを供給する宇宙の多様性の源であるだけでなく、宇宙膨張測定の標準光源に使用されるなど、宇宙理解に極めて重要な天体である。本研究はその多様性に焦点を当てたものである。超新星残骸近辺に星周物質が普遍的に存在する可能性を示した本研究は、超新星残骸進化や星周物質からの爆発起源特定の研究可能性に一石を投じたことになる。