November 23, 2024

SN 1006 Unveiled: Chandra and IXPE’s New Insights Into a Millennium-Old Supernova

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO (Chandra); NASA/MSFC/Nanjing Univ./ P. Zhou et al. (IXPE); IR: NASA/JPL/CalTech/ Spitzer; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/ J.SchmidtSN 1006, a supernova observed over a millennium earlier, has been thoroughly studied utilizing NASAs Chandra and IXPE telescopes, revealing important details about its magnetic field and particle acceleration, contributing to our understanding of cosmic rays.When the object now called SN 1006 first appeared on May 1, 1006 A.D., it was far brighter than Venus and noticeable throughout the daytime for weeks. The remains of SN 1006 was one of the faintest X-ray sources discovered by the very first generation of X-ray satellites.Recent Observations With NASAs X-ray TelescopesThis brand-new image reveals SN 1006 from 2 of NASAs existing X-ray telescopes, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). Those speeding high-energy particles, in turn, transfer energy to keep the magnetic fields strong and turbulent.A paper describing these outcomes was published on October 27, 2023, in The Astrophysical Journal.For more on this breakthrough, see NASAs IXPE Untangles Theories Surrounding Historic Supernova Remnant.Reference: “Magnetic Structures and Turbulence in SN 1006 Revealed with Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry” by Ping Zhou, Dmitry Prokhorov, Riccardo Ferrazzoli, Yi-Jung Yang, Patrick Slane, Jacco Vink, Stefano Silvestri, Niccolò Bucciantini, Estela Reynoso, David Moffett, Paolo Soffitta, Doug Swartz, Philip Kaaret, Luca Baldini, Enrico Costa, C.-Y.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO (Chandra); NASA/MSFC/Nanjing Univ./ P. Zhou et al. (IXPE); IR: NASA/JPL/CalTech/ Spitzer; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/ J.SchmidtSN 1006, a supernova observed over a millennium back, has been thoroughly studied using NASAs Chandra and IXPE telescopes, exposing crucial information about its magnetic field and particle velocity, contributing to our understanding of cosmic rays.When the item now called SN 1006 first appeared on May 1, 1006 A.D., it was far brighter than Venus and noticeable throughout the daytime for weeks. The remains of SN 1006 was one of the faintest X-ray sources discovered by the first generation of X-ray satellites.Recent Observations With NASAs X-ray TelescopesThis brand-new image shows SN 1006 from 2 of NASAs current X-ray telescopes, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). Those speeding high-energy particles, in turn, transfer energy to keep the magnetic fields strong and turbulent.A paper describing these outcomes was released on October 27, 2023, in The Astrophysical Journal.For more on this breakthrough, see NASAs IXPE Untangles Theories Surrounding Historic Supernova Remnant.Reference: “Magnetic Structures and Turbulence in SN 1006 Revealed with Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry” by Ping Zhou, Dmitry Prokhorov, Riccardo Ferrazzoli, Yi-Jung Yang, Patrick Slane, Jacco Vink, Stefano Silvestri, Niccolò Bucciantini, Estela Reynoso, David Moffett, Paolo Soffitta, Doug Swartz, Philip Kaaret, Luca Baldini, Enrico Costa, C.-Y.