How to create Sgr A East: Where did the supernova explode?

Sgr A East is the supernova remnant closest to the centre of the Milky Way. Its age has been estimated to be either very young, around 1-2 kyr, or about 10 kyr, and its exact origin remains unclear. We aspire to create a simple model of a supernova explosion that reproduces the shape, size, and loca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2022-11
Main Authors: Ehlerová, S, Palouš, J, Morris, M R, R W\" unsch, Barna, B, Vermot, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Milky Way
Molecular clouds
Space telescopes
Star clusters
Stellar evolution
Supernova remnants
Supernovae
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Sgr A East is the supernova remnant closest to the centre of the Milky Way. Its age has been estimated to be either very young, around 1-2 kyr, or about 10 kyr, and its exact origin remains unclear. We aspire to create a simple model of a supernova explosion that reproduces the shape, size, and location of Sgr A East. Using a simplified hydrodynamical code, we simulated the evolution of a supernova remnant in the medium around the Galactic centre. The latter consists of a nearby massive molecular cloud with which Sgr A East is known to be interacting and a wind from the nuclear star cluster. Our preferred models of the Sgr A East remnant are compatible with an age of around 10 kyr. We also find suitable solutions for older ages, but not for ages younger than 5 kyr. Our simulations predict that the supernova exploded at a distance of about 3.5 pc from the Galactic centre, below the Galactic plane, slightly eastwards from the centre and 3 pc behind it.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.2211.04232