Evidence of X-ray Synchrotron Emission from Electrons Accelerated to 10(13) eV in the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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The 2-60 keV X-ray spectrum of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant has been measured using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. This spectrum clearly reveals a nonthermal high-energy X-ray ``tail.'' A timing analysis of this data does not show evidence of pulsations at frequencies between about 10(-3) Hz and 1024 Hz. Of the possible nonthermal continuum emission mechanisms---a pulsar, inverse Compton scattering, nonthermal bremsstrahlung emission, and synchrotron radiation---an analysis of the spectrum suggests (1) that the high-energy X-ray emission is dominated by synchrotron emission between about 10 keV and 60 keV and (2) that a significant fraction of the 2-10 keV emission spectrum is synchrotron radiation. If Cassiopeia A does emit such X-ray synchrotron radiation, these results support the hypothesis that Galactic cosmic rays are accelerated predominantly in supernova remnants.

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