Speaker
Description
N132D is the most X-ray luminous supernova remnant (SNR) in the Local Group
with a luminosity of $\mathrm{L_x} $ (0.3-10.0 keV) $= 1.0\times10^{38}$ ergs/s. Given its location
in the Large Magellanic Cloud, it is a prime target for detailed X-ray studies
with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The existing 87 ks Chandra observation of
N132D has revealed the complicated spatial and spectral structure of this SNR,
but the depth of this observation limits the spatial scale on which detailed
spectroscopy may be performed. We successfully proposed for a Chandra legacy
observation (900 ks) of N132D that will permit an unprecedented look at the
spatial distribution of iron and other heavy elements in the ejecta from this
prototypical core-collapse supernova. Combined with supporting
multiwavelength data (from radio to gamma rays), these data will inform
many areas of active research, including late stages of massive star evolution,
explosion mechanisms and dynamics, and physical mechanisms for the interaction
of shocks with molecular clouds and cavities. As models of massive stars and
their supernovae improve, observations such as the one proposed are the only
way to constrain models of massive stars and their supernovae. We will present
preliminary results from the observations performed to date.
| Affiliation | Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics |
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