Study of a giant Large Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnant, Veliki (J0450.4-7050)
Study of a giant Large Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnant, Veliki (J0450.4-7050)
Z. J. Smeaton, M. D. Filipović, R. Z. E. Alsaberi, B. Arbutina, W. D. Cotton, E. J. Crawford, A. M. Hopkins, R. Kothes, D. Leahy, J. L. Payne, N. Rajabpour, H. Sano, M. Sasaki, D. Urošević, J. Th. van Loon
AbstractWe present a high-resolution radio-continuum view and a multi-frequency analysis of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) Supernova Remnant (SNR) J0450.4-7050, which we give the nickname Veliki. These high-resolution observations reveal a larger extent than previously measured, making J0450.4-7050 one of the largest SNRs that we know of. Additionally, we observe a higher than expected radio surface brightness and an unusually flat spectral index ($\alpha = -0.26 \pm 0.02$), with little spectral variation over the remnant. We observe a bright H$\alpha$ shell indicating significant cooling over the remnant, but also an excess of [Oiii] on the eastern shock front. We investigate several theoretical scenarios to explain the emission and radio evolution of J0450.4-7050 in the context of the LMC environment, and determine that this is most likely an older, predominantly radiative, SNR with a higher shock compression ratio, which gives a flatter non-thermal spectrum, in combination with a thermal (bremsstrahlung) emission contribution.