Supernova Remnants and the Interstellar Medium of M83: Imaging & Photometry with WFC3 on HST

We present Wide Field Camera 3 images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope within a single field in the southern grand design star-forming galaxy M83. Based on their size, morphology and photometry in continuum-subtracted H\(\alpha\), [\SII], H\(\beta\), [\OIII] and [\OII] filters, we have identifi...

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Published in:arXiv.org 2010-01
Main Authors: Dopita, Michael A, Blair, William P, Long, Knox S, Mutchler, Max, Whitmore, Bradley C, Kuntz, Kip D, Balick, Bruce, Bond, Howard E, Calzetti, Daniela, Carollo, Marcella, Disney, Michael, Frogel, Jay A, O'Connell, Robert, Hall, Donald, Holtzman, Jon A, Kimble, Randy A, MacKenty, John, McCarthy, Patrick, Paresce, Francesco, Saha, Abhijit, Silk, Joe, Sirianni, Marco, Trauger, John, Walker, Alistair R, Windhorst, Rogier, Young, Erick
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Alpha rays
Density
Ejecta
Field cameras
Fluxes
Galaxies
Hubble Space Telescope
Interstellar matter
Morphology
Photometry
Porosity
Space telescopes
Star formation
Supernova remnants
Supernovae
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Summary:We present Wide Field Camera 3 images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope within a single field in the southern grand design star-forming galaxy M83. Based on their size, morphology and photometry in continuum-subtracted H\(\alpha\), [\SII], H\(\beta\), [\OIII] and [\OII] filters, we have identified 60 supernova remnant candidates, as well as a handful of young ejecta-dominated candidates. A catalog of these remnants, their sizes and, where possible their H\(\alpha\) fluxes are given. Radiative ages and pre-shock densities are derived from those SNR which have good photometry. The ages lie in the range \(2.62 < log(\tau_{\rm rad}/{\rm yr}) < 5.0\), and the pre-shock densities at the blast wave range over \(0.56 < n_0/{\rm cm^{-3}} < 1680\). Two populations of SNR have been discovered. These divide into a nuclear and spiral arm group and an inter-arm population. We infer an arm to inter-arm density contrast of 4. The surface flux in diffuse X-rays is correlated with the inferred pre-shock density, indicating that the warm interstellar medium is pressurised by the hot X-ray plasma. We also find that the interstellar medium in the nuclear region of M83 is characterized by a very high porosity and pressure and infer a SNR rate of one per 70-150 yr for the nuclear (\(R
ISSN:2331-8422