DEM L316: Supernova Remnants Deconstructed (Forwarded)
- From: Andrew Yee <ayee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 16:27:53 -0500 (EST)
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Massachusetts
November 15, 2005
DEM L316: Supernova Remnants Deconstructed
[http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2005/d316/]
This composite X-ray (red and green)/optical (blue) image reveals a
cat-shaped image produced by the remnants of two exploded stars in the
Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy. Although the shells of hot gas appear to be
colliding, this may be an illusion.
Chandra X-ray spectra show that the hot gas shell on the upper left
contains considerably more iron than the one on the lower right. The high
abundance of iron implies that this supernova remnant is the product of a
Type Ia supernova triggered by the infall of matter from a companion star
onto a white dwarf star.
In contrast, the much lower abundance of iron in the lower supernova
remnant indicates that it was a Type II supernova produced by the
explosion of a young, massive star. It takes billions of years to form a
white dwarf star, whereas a massive young star will explode in a few
million years. The disparity of ages in the progenitor stars means that it
is very unlikely that they exploded very close to each other. The apparent
proximity of the remnants is probably the result of a chance alignment.
.
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