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Title:
A Near-Infrared and X-Ray Study of W49 B: A Wind Cavity Explosion
Authors:
Keohane, Jonathan W.; Reach, William T.; Rho, Jeonghee; Jarrett, Thomas H.
Affiliation:
AA(Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden Sydney, VA.; Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.), AB(Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.), AC(Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.), AD(Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 654, Issue 2, pp. 938-944. (ApJ Homepage)
Publication Date:
01/2007
Origin:
UCP
ApJ Keywords:
Stars: Circumstellar Matter, Gamma Rays: Bursts, Infrared: ISM, ISM: Supernova Remnants, supernovae: individual (W49 B), X-Rays: ISM
DOI:
10.1086/509311
Bibliographic Code:
2007ApJ...654..938K

Abstract

We present near-infrared narrowband images of the supernova remnant W49 B, taken with the WIRC instrument on the Hale 200 inch (5 m) telescope on Mount Palomar. The 1.64 μm [Fe II] image reveals a barrel-shaped structure with coaxial rings, which is suggestive of bipolar wind structures surrounding massive stars. The 2.12 μm shocked molecular hydrogen image extends 1.9 pc outside of the [Fe II] emission to the southeast. We also present archival Chandra data, which show an X-ray jetlike structure along the axis of the [Fe II] barrel, flaring at each end. Fitting single-temperature X-ray emission models reveals an enhancement of heavy elements, with particularly high abundances of hot Fe and Ni, and relatively metal-rich core and jet regions. We interpret these findings as evidence that W49 B originated inside a wind-blown bubble (R~5 pc) inside a dense molecular cloud. This suggests that W49 B's progenitor was a supermassive star that could significantly shape its surrounding environment. We also suggest two interpretations for the jet morphology, abundance variations, and molecular hydrogen emission: (1) the explosion may have been jet driven, interacting with the molecular cavity (i.e., a gamma-ray burst); or (2) the explosion could have been a traditional supernova, with the jet structure being the result of interactions between the shock and an enriched interstellar cloud.
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