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Register a new userThe Density and Mass of Unshocked Ejecta in Cassiopeia A through Low Frequency Radio Absorption
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Characterizing the ejecta in young supernova remnants is a requisite step towards a better understanding of stellar evolution. In Cassiopeia A the density and total mass remaining in the unshocked ejecta are important parameters for modeling its explosion and subsequent evolution. Low frequency (<100 MHz) radio observations of sufficient angular resolution offer a unique probe of unshocked ejecta revealed via free-free absorption against the synchrotron emitting shell. We have used the Very Large Array plus Pie Town Link extension to probe this cool, ionized absorber at 9 arcseconds and 18.5 arcseconds resolution at 74 MHz. Together with higher frequency data we estimate an electron density of 4.2 electrons per cubic centimeters and a total mass of 0.39 Solar masses with uncertainties of a factor of about 2. This is a significant improvement over the 100 electrons per cubic centimeter upper limit offered by infrared [S III] line ratios from the Spitzer Space Telescope. Our estimates are sensitive to a number of factors including temperature and geometry. However using reasonable values for each, our unshocked mass estimate agrees with predictions from dynamical models. We also consider the presence, or absence, of cold iron- and carbon-rich ejecta and how these affect our calculations. Finally we reconcile the intrinsic absorption from unshocked ejecta with the turnover in Cas As integrated spectrum documented decades ago at much lower frequencies. These and other recent observations below 100 MHz confirm that spatially resolved thermal absorption, when extended to lower frequencies and higher resolution, will offer a powerful new tool for low frequency astrophysics.
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The supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is one of the few remnants in which it is possible to observe unshocked ejecta. A deep 1.64 micron image of Cas A shows a patch of diffuse emission from unshocked ejecta, as well as brighter emission from Fast-Moving Knots and Quasi-Stationary Flocculi. Emission at 1.64 micron is usually interpreted as [Fe II] emission, and spectra of the bright knots confirm this by showing the expected emission in other [Fe II] lines. We performed NIR spectroscopy on the diffuse emission region and found that the unshocked ejecta emission does not show those lines, but rather the [Si I] 1.607 micron line. This means that the 1.64 micron line from the unshocked ejecta may be the [Si I] 1.645 line from the same upper level, rather than [Fe II]. We find that the [Si I] line is formed by recombination, and we use the [Si I] to [Si II] ratio to infer a temperature about 100 K, close to the value assumed for analysis of low frequency radio absorption and that inferred from emission by cool dust. Our results constrain estimates of Cas As total mass of unshocked ejecta that are extremely sensitive to temperature assumptions, but they do not resolve the ambiguity due to clumping.
Cassiopeia A was observed using the Low-Band Antennas of the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) with high spectral resolution. This allowed a search for radio recombination lines (RRLs) along the line-of-sight to this source. Five carbon-alpha RRLs were detected in absorption between 40 and 50 MHz with a signal-to-noise ratio of > 5 from two independent LOFAR datasets. The derived line velocities (v_LSR ~ -50 km/s) and integrated optical depths (~ 13 s^-1) of the RRLs in our spectra, extracted over the whole supernova remnant, are consistent within each LOFAR dataset and with those previously reported. For the first time, we are able to extract spectra against the brightest hotspot of the remnant at frequencies below 330 MHz. These spectra show significantly higher (15-80 %) integrated optical depths, indicating that there is small-scale angular structure on the order of ~1 pc in the absorbing gas distribution over the face of the remnant. We also place an upper limit of 3 x 10^-4 on the peak optical depths of hydrogen and helium RRLs. These results demonstrate that LOFAR has the desired spectral stability and sensitivity to study faint recombination lines in the decameter band.
The radio light curves of novae rise and fall over the course of months to years, allowing for detailed observations of the evolution of the nova shell. However, the main parameter determined by radio models of nova explosions - the mass of the ejecta - often seems to exceed theoretical expectations by an order of magnitude. With the recent technological improvements on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), new observations can test the assumptions upon which ejecta mass estimates are based. Early observations of the classical nova V1723 Aql showed an unexpectedly rapid rise in radio flux density and a distinct bump in the radio light curve on the rise to radio maximum, which is inconsistent with the simple model of spherical ejecta expelled in a single discrete event. This initial bump appears to indicate the presence of shocked material in the outer region of the ejected shell, with the emission from the shocks fading over time. We explore possible origins for this emission and its relation to the mass loss history of the nova. The evolution of the radio spectrum also reveals the density profile, the mass of the ejected shell, and other properties of the ejecta. These observations comprise one of the most complete, longterm set of multi-wavelength radio observations for any classical nova to date.
Quantitative understanding of the interstellar medium requires knowledge of its physical conditions. Low frequency carbon radio recombination lines (CRRLs) trace cold interstellar gas, and can be used to determine its physical conditions (e.g., electron temperature and density). In this work we present spatially resolved observations of the low frequency ($leq390$ MHz) CRRLs centered around C$268alpha$, C$357alpha$, C$494alpha$ and C$539alpha$ towards Cassiopeia A on scales of $leq1.2$ pc. We compare the spatial distribution of CRRLs with other ISM tracers. This comparison reveals a spatial offset between the peak of the CRRLs and other tracers, which is very characteristic for photodissociation regions and that we take as evidence for CRRLs being preferentially detected from the surfaces of molecular clouds. Using the CRRLs we constrain the gas electron temperature and density. These constraints on the gas conditions suggest variations of less than a factor of two in pressure over $sim1$ pc scales, and an average hydrogen density of $200$-$470$ cm$^{-3}$. From the electron temperature and density maps we also constrain the ionized carbon emission measure, column density and path length. Based on these, the hydrogen column density is larger than $10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$, with a peak of $sim4times10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$ towards the South of Cassiopeia A. Towards the southern peak the line of sight length is $sim40$ pc over a $sim2$ pc wide structure, which implies that the gas is a thin surface layer on a large (molecular) cloud that is only partially intersected by Cassiopeia A. These observations highlight the utility of CRRLs as tracers of low density extended HI and CO-dark gas halos around molecular clouds.
We present the first high-resolution 230-470 MHz map of the Perseus cluster obtained with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. The high dynamic range and resolution achieved has allowed the identification of previously-unknown structures in this nearby galaxy cluster. New hints of sub-structures appear in the inner radio lobes of the brightest cluster galaxy NGC 1275. The spurs of radio emission extending into the outer X-ray cavities, inflated by past nuclear outbursts, are seen for the first time at these frequencies, consistent with spectral aging. Beyond NGC 1275, we also analyze complex radio sources harbored in the cluster. Two new distinct, narrowly-collimated jets are visible in IC 310, consistent with a highly-projected narrow-angle tail radio galaxy infalling into the cluster. We show how this is in agreement with its blazar-like behavior, implying that blazars and bent-jet radio galaxies are not mutually exclusive. We report the presence of filamentary structures across the entire tail of NGC 1265, including two new pairs of long filaments in the faintest bent extension of the tail. Such filaments have been seen in other cluster radio sources such as relics and radio lobes, indicating that there may be a fundamental connection between all these radio structures. We resolve the very narrow and straight tail of CR 15 without indication of double jets, so that the interpretation of such head-tail sources is yet unclear. Finally, we note that only the brightest western parts of the mini-halo remain, near NGC 1272 and its bent double jets.
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