Featured Image: A Supernova Remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud

N49 is a supernova remnant located about 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud. As the dramatic three-color Chandra X-ray image of N49 shows above, the interactions between the supernova shock wave and the surrounding interstellar medium have led to the formation of complex structure. In a new publication led by Yumiko Yamane and Hidetoshi Sano (Nagoya University), a team of scientists details a study using radio-continuum observations from a host of telescopes (Mopra, ASTE, ALMA, and ATCA) to complement prior X-ray observations of N49. The 1.42-GHz observations are shown in contours overlaid on the Chandra image above. The study reveals clumps of carbon monoxide on the outer edge of the N49 bubble, providing evidence for dynamical interactions between the gas and the supernova remnant shock wave. To read more about what the authors found, check out the paper below.

Citation

“ALMA Observations of Supernova Remnant N49 in the LMC. I. Discovery of CO Clumps Associated with X-Ray and Radio Continuum Shells,” Y. Yamane et al 2018 ApJ 863 55. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aacfff