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U. Hwang (NASA GSFC and University of Maryland)
Since its launch more than two years ago, the Chandra Observatory has been providing exquisite new X-ray images and spectra of supernova remnants. The unsurpassed clarity of the images has unveiled the true complexity of remnants, while also resolving long-standing puzzles, such as the apparent absence of a compact stellar remnant in Cassiopeia A. Chandra’s simultaneous capability to perform moderate resolution spectroscopy on spatial scales as small as an arcsecond represents a tremendous increase in the detail of data available, and opens the way to studying the nucleosynthesis and dynamics of individual ejecta components, and the emission associated with the forward shock. In this talk, I will present some of the early highlights from the Chandra Observatory, emphasizing young supernova remnants whose emission is dominated by their ejecta.