RCW 103
The supernova remnant RCW 103, located about 6.5 Kpc away (a parsec is
3.26 light years and a kilo parsec is 1000 light years) is thought
to be one of the most powerful SNR sources of
infrared line emission. RCW 103 is also a soft X-ray source with a flux
of 1.8 x 10^-10 ergs cm^2 s^-1 within energies of 0.6 Kev to 2.0 KeV.
There is evidence that plasma at temperatures of 2x10^6 K is present.
In 1980, astrophysicists Tuohy and Garmire found a compact
x-ray source at the center of this SNR, although
optically, on source has not been identified.
However, the x-ray emission from this object is consistant with
the expected blackbody radiation from a neutron star which indicates
that there may be one hidden within SNR RCW103.
Get the high resolution (300 dpi) TIFF format version.
Curator:
HEASARC Guest Observer Facility
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