More Images of Tycho's Supernova Remnant
1
Illustration Explaining the Arc in Tycho
This is an artist's impression showing an explanation from scientists for
the origin of an X-ray arc in Tycho's supernova remnant. It is believed
that material was stripped off the companion star by the explosion of the
white dwarf in the Type Ia supernova explosion, forming the shock wave seen
in the arc. The arc has blocked debris from the explosion, creating a
"shadow" behind the arc. The force of the explosion imparted a kick to the
companion star, and this combined with the orbital velocity of the
companion before the explosion to give the "observed" motion of the
companion. Previously, studies with optical telescopes have revealed a star
within the remnant that is moving much more quickly than its neighbors,
showing that it could be the companion to the supernova. The size of the
companion's orbit is not shown to scale here: the separation between it and
the white dwarf before the explosion is estimated to have only been about a
millionth of a light year, while the full scale of the illustration is over
10 light years.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss)
2
Image Showing the "Shadow" of the Arc
This image shows iron debris in Tycho's supernova remnant. The site of the
supernova explosion is shown, as inferred from the motion of the possible
companion to the exploded white dwarf. The position of material stripped
off the companion star by the explosion, and forming an X-ray arc, is shown
by the white dotted line. This structure is most easily seen in an image
showing X-rays from the arc's shock wave. Finally, the arc has blocked debris
from the explosion creating a "shadow" in the debris between the red dotted
lines, extending from the arc to the edge of the remnant.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/Chinese Academy of Sciences/F. Lu et al)
3
X-ray Images of Tycho's Supernova Remnant
This Chandra image of the Tycho supernova remnant contains new evidence for what triggered the original supernova explosion. Tycho was formed by a Type Ia supernova, a category of stellar explosion used in measuring astronomical distances because of their reliable brightness. In the lower left region of Tycho is a blue arc of X-ray emission. Several lines of evidence support the conclusion that this arc is due to a shock wave created when a white dwarf exploded and blew material off the surface of a nearby companion star. This supports one popular scenario for the trigger of a Type Ia supernova. Understanding the origin of Type Ia supernovas is important because they have been used to determine that the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/Chinese Academy of Sciences/F. Lu et al)
4
Tycho's Supernova Remnant with Scale Bar
(Credit: NASA/CXC/Chinese Academy of Sciences/F. Lu et al
Tycho's Supernova Remnant (April 26, 2011)