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Session 37 - New Light on Supernovae Remnants.
Oral session, Wednesday, June 11
North Main Hall F/G,
Recent significant advances in infrared, X-ray and gamma-ray observational astronomy have opened new horizons in the supernova remnant (SNR) research, greatly adding to the conventional radio and optical studies of these objects. This new exploration is just beginning, but a number of discoveries have been already reported, including unambiguous detection of nonthermal X-rays and association of gamma-ray sources with several SNRs. The observed radiation is associated either with collisionless shocks and the shock-heated plasmas or with neutron stars. The focus of this special session is on shocks: I will introduce the audience to the physics of strong collisionless shocks and discuss how physical processes in these shocks lead to the generation of the observed radiation throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. I will then sketch our current ideas about the evolution of SNRs, starting with young, ejecta-dominated remnants and ending with old, momentum-driven SNRs, and discuss the observational implications. The strong interrelation between observations throughout the electromagnetic spectrum is noted, reflecting the common underlying physics of collisionless shocks. Effects of dust grains on X-ray spectra, their thermal infrared emission, and their role in the process of cosmic ray acceleration will be highlighted.
