Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
May 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995apj...445..173d&link_type=abstract
The Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 445, no. 1, p. 173-181
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
35
Galactic Evolution, Interstellar Matter, Particle Acceleration, Radio Spectra, Relativistic Plasmas, Spiral Galaxies, Supernova Remnants, Data Correlation, Energy Distribution, Flux Density, Relativistic Particles, Shock Fronts, Spectrum Analysis
Scientific paper
The role of supernova remnants in producing and maintaining the relativistic interstellar medium is investigated for the case of the nearby galaxy M33. Analysis of a radio continuum sample of supernova remnants (SNRs) has led to the following results. (1) The SNRs use roughly 1%-10% of their blast energy to produce relativistic particles. (2) The currently observed SNR population contains between 0.1% and 1% of the relativistic particle energy of the entire interstellar medium of M33, which leads to reasonable values of the particle residence time in the disk. (3) The distribution of synchrotron spectral indices indicates that the particle populations of the observed SNRs have energy spectra with power-law indices of 2.2 +/- 0.4, consistent with values predicted by diffusive shock acceleration theory. Taken together, the three results favor the hypothesis that SNRs account for the bulk of M33's relativistic medium. It is further shown that, as a consequence of these results, the predicted SN rate is 1 per 140-250 yr, in general agreement with independent estimates of the SN rate and the absence of historical supernovae.
Duric Neb
Gordon Michael S.
Goss William Miller
Lacey Cedric
Viallefond Francois
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