Discovery of a Shock-compressed Magnetic Field in the Northwestern Rim of the Young Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7–3946 with X-Ray Polarimetry
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Published:2024-05-30
Issue:2
Volume:967
Page:L38
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ISSN:2041-8205
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Container-title:The Astrophysical Journal Letters
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language:
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Short-container-title:ApJL
Author:
Ferrazzoli RiccardoORCID, Prokhorov Dmitry, Bucciantini NiccolòORCID, Slane PatrickORCID, Vink JaccoORCID, Cardillo MartinaORCID, Yang Yi-JungORCID, Silvestri StefanoORCID, Zhou PingORCID, Costa EnricoORCID, Omodei NicolaORCID, Ng C.-Y.ORCID, Soffitta PaoloORCID, Weisskopf Martin C.ORCID, Baldini LucaORCID, Di Marco AlessandroORCID, Doroshenko VictorORCID, Heyl JeremyORCID, Kaaret PhilipORCID, Kim Dawoon E.ORCID, Marin FrédéricORCID, Mizuno TsunefumiORCID, Pesce-Rollins MelissaORCID, Sgrò CarmeloORCID, Swartz Douglas A.ORCID, Tamagawa ToruORCID, Xie FeiORCID, Agudo IvánORCID, Antonelli Lucio A.ORCID, Bachetti MatteoORCID, Baumgartner Wayne H.ORCID, Bellazzini RonaldoORCID, Bianchi StefanoORCID, Bongiorno Stephen D.ORCID, Bonino RaffaellaORCID, Brez AlessandroORCID, Capitanio FiammaORCID, Castellano SimoneORCID, Cavazzuti ElisabettaORCID, Chen Chien-TingORCID, Ciprini StefanoORCID, De Rosa AlessandraORCID, Del Monte EttoreORCID, Di Gesu LauraORCID, Di Lalla NiccolòORCID, Donnarumma ImmacolataORCID, Dovčiak MichalORCID, Ehlert Steven R.ORCID, Enoto TeruakiORCID, Evangelista YuriORCID, Fabiani SergioORCID, Garcia Javier A.ORCID, Gunji ShuichiORCID, Hayashida Kiyoshi, Iwakiri WataruORCID, Jorstad Svetlana G.ORCID, Karas VladimirORCID, Kislat FabianORCID, Kitaguchi Takao, Kolodziejczak Jeffery J.ORCID, Krawczynski HenricORCID, La Monaca FabioORCID, Latronico LucaORCID, Liodakis IoannisORCID, Maldera SimoneORCID, Manfreda AlbertoORCID, Marinucci AndreaORCID, Marscher Alan P.ORCID, Marshall Herman L.ORCID, Massaro FrancescoORCID, Matt GiorgioORCID, Mitsuishi Ikuyuki, Muleri FabioORCID, Negro MichelaORCID, O’Dell Stephen L.ORCID, Oppedisano ChiaraORCID, Papitto AlessandroORCID, Pavlov George G.ORCID, Peirson Abel L.ORCID, Perri MatteoORCID, Petrucci Pierre-OlivierORCID, Pilia MauraORCID, Possenti AndreaORCID, Poutanen JuriORCID, Puccetti SimonettaORCID, Ramsey Brian D.ORCID, Rankin JohnORCID, Ratheesh AjayORCID, Roberts Oliver J.ORCID, Romani Roger W.ORCID, Spandre GloriaORCID, Tavecchio FabrizioORCID, Taverna RobertoORCID, Tawara Yuzuru, Tennant Allyn F.ORCID, Thomas Nicholas E.ORCID, Tombesi FrancescoORCID, Trois AlessioORCID, Tsygankov Sergey S.ORCID, Turolla RobertoORCID, Wu KinwahORCID, Zane SilviaORCID
Abstract
Abstract
Supernova remnants (SNRs) provide insights into cosmic-ray acceleration and magnetic field dynamics at shock fronts. Recent X-ray polarimetric measurements by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) have revealed radial magnetic fields near particle acceleration sites in young SNRs, including Cassiopeia A, Tycho, and SN 1006. We present here the spatially resolved IXPE X-ray polarimetric observation of the northwestern rim of SNR RX J1713.7–3946. For the first time, our analysis shows that the magnetic field in the particle acceleration sites of this SNR is oriented tangentially with respect to the shock front. Because of the lack of precise Faraday rotation measurements in the radio band, this was not possible before. The average measured polarization degree (PD) of the synchrotron emission is 12.5% ± 3.3%, lower than the one measured by IXPE in SN 1006, comparable to the Tycho one, but notably higher than the one in Cassiopeia A. On subparsec scales, localized patches within RX J1713.7–3946 display a PD of up to 41.5% ± 9.5%. These results are compatible with a shock-compressed magnetic field. However, in order to explain the observed PD, either the presence of a radial net magnetic field upstream of the shock or partial reisotropization of the turbulence downstream by radial magnetohydrodynamical instabilities can be invoked. From comparison of PD and magnetic field distribution with γ-rays and 12CO data, our results provide new inputs in favor of a leptonic origin of the γ-ray emission.
Funder
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Agenzia Spaziale Italiana Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale Hong Kong Government
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
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