X-Ray Polarization in SN 1006 Southwest Shows Spatial Variations and Differences in the Radio Band

We report the detection of a spatial variation of X-ray polarization in the southwestern (SW) shell of supernova remnant SN 1006 (SN 1006 SW) using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). The shell has an average X-ray polarization degree (PD) of 21.6% ± 4.5% and polarization angle of −48 ^∘...

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Main Authors: Ping Zhou, Patrick Slane, Dmitry Prokhorov, Jacco Vink, Riccardo Ferrazzoli, William Cotton, Niccolò Bucciantini, Yi-Jung Yang, Stefano Silvestri, Douglas A. Swartz, Philip Kaaret, Enrico Costa, C.-Y. Ng, Estela Reynoso, Paolo Soffitta, Allyn F. Tennant, Wenlang He, David Moffett
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/add532
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author Ping Zhou
Patrick Slane
Dmitry Prokhorov
Jacco Vink
Riccardo Ferrazzoli
William Cotton
Niccolò Bucciantini
Yi-Jung Yang
Stefano Silvestri
Douglas A. Swartz
Philip Kaaret
Enrico Costa
C.-Y. Ng
Estela Reynoso
Paolo Soffitta
Allyn F. Tennant
Wenlang He
David Moffett
author_facet Ping Zhou
Patrick Slane
Dmitry Prokhorov
Jacco Vink
Riccardo Ferrazzoli
William Cotton
Niccolò Bucciantini
Yi-Jung Yang
Stefano Silvestri
Douglas A. Swartz
Philip Kaaret
Enrico Costa
C.-Y. Ng
Estela Reynoso
Paolo Soffitta
Allyn F. Tennant
Wenlang He
David Moffett
author_sort Ping Zhou
collection DOAJ
description We report the detection of a spatial variation of X-ray polarization in the southwestern (SW) shell of supernova remnant SN 1006 (SN 1006 SW) using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). The shell has an average X-ray polarization degree (PD) of 21.6% ± 4.5% and polarization angle of −48 ^∘  ± 5 ^∘ in the 2–4 keV energy band, similar to those in the northeastern shell. The PD varies along SN 1006 SW, with a peak PD = 40% ± 8% in the south and a significantly lower PD ≲ 27% (99% upper limit) in the west, where the shell has been proposed to be interacting with an interstellar cloud. The correlation between the PD, which reflects the magnetic orderliness, and the preshock density provides observational evidence that magnetic turbulence and amplification are environment-dependent. The high PD detected in the southern region of the shell constrains the magnetic turbulence scale to ≲0.1 pc. Moreover, by comparing the IXPE X-ray and MeerKAT radio polarization measurements for SN 1006 SW, we found that magnetic fields traced by X-ray polarization are nearly radially distributed, whereas those traced by radio polarization tend to follow a direction parallel to the Galactic plane. This suggests that the X-ray polarization probes freshly amplified magnetic fields from small-scale structures in the immediate postshock region, while the radio traces more extended regions influenced by the preexisting ambient magnetic fields.
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spelling doaj-art-5df53ca189cc441bbe8eebcb711b59e42025-08-20T03:47:20ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-01986221010.3847/1538-4357/add532X-Ray Polarization in SN 1006 Southwest Shows Spatial Variations and Differences in the Radio BandPing Zhou0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5683-822XPatrick Slane1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6986-6756Dmitry Prokhorov2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6511-4330Jacco Vink3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4708-4219Riccardo Ferrazzoli4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1074-8605William Cotton5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7363-6489Niccolò Bucciantini6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8848-1392Yi-Jung Yang7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9108-573XStefano Silvestri8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8665-0105Douglas A. Swartz9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2954-4461Philip Kaaret10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3638-0637Enrico Costa11https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4925-8523C.-Y. Ng12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5847-2612Estela Reynoso13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1875-7701Paolo Soffitta14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7781-4104Allyn F. Tennant15https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9443-6774Wenlang He16https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4427-6976David Moffett17School of Astronomy & Space Science, Nanjing University , 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, People’s Republic of China ; pingzhou@nju.edu.cn; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210023, People’s Republic of ChinaCenter for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAFakultät für Physik und Astronomie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg , Emil-Fischer-Str. 31, 97074 Würzburg, GermanyAnton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy & GRAPPA, University of Amsterdam , Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The NetherlandsINAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali , Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, ItalyNational Radio Astronomy Observatory , 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA; South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , 2 Fir Street, Cape Town, 7925, South AfricaINAF Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri , Largo Enrico Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy; Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Firenze , Via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare , Sezione di Firenze, Via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), ItalyGraduate Institute of Astronomy, National Central University , 300 Zhongda Road, Zhongli, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan; Laboratory for Space Research, The University of Hong Kong , Cyberport 4, Hong KongIstituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare , Sezione di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, ItalyScience and Technology Institute, Universities Space Research Association , Huntsville, AL 35805, USANASA Marshall Space Flight Center , Huntsville, AL 35812, USAINAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali , Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, ItalyDepartment of Physics, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam, Hong KongInstituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE) , Av. Int. Guiraldes 2620, Pabellón IAFE, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, ArgentinaINAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali , Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, ItalyNASA Marshall Space Flight Center , Huntsville, AL 35812, USASchool of Astronomy & Space Science, Nanjing University , 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, People’s Republic of China ; pingzhou@nju.edu.cnDepartment of Physics, Furman University , Greenville, SC 29613, USAWe report the detection of a spatial variation of X-ray polarization in the southwestern (SW) shell of supernova remnant SN 1006 (SN 1006 SW) using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). The shell has an average X-ray polarization degree (PD) of 21.6% ± 4.5% and polarization angle of −48 ^∘  ± 5 ^∘ in the 2–4 keV energy band, similar to those in the northeastern shell. The PD varies along SN 1006 SW, with a peak PD = 40% ± 8% in the south and a significantly lower PD ≲ 27% (99% upper limit) in the west, where the shell has been proposed to be interacting with an interstellar cloud. The correlation between the PD, which reflects the magnetic orderliness, and the preshock density provides observational evidence that magnetic turbulence and amplification are environment-dependent. The high PD detected in the southern region of the shell constrains the magnetic turbulence scale to ≲0.1 pc. Moreover, by comparing the IXPE X-ray and MeerKAT radio polarization measurements for SN 1006 SW, we found that magnetic fields traced by X-ray polarization are nearly radially distributed, whereas those traced by radio polarization tend to follow a direction parallel to the Galactic plane. This suggests that the X-ray polarization probes freshly amplified magnetic fields from small-scale structures in the immediate postshock region, while the radio traces more extended regions influenced by the preexisting ambient magnetic fields.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/add532Supernova remnantsPolarimetryCosmic raysShocksMagnetic fields
spellingShingle Ping Zhou
Patrick Slane
Dmitry Prokhorov
Jacco Vink
Riccardo Ferrazzoli
William Cotton
Niccolò Bucciantini
Yi-Jung Yang
Stefano Silvestri
Douglas A. Swartz
Philip Kaaret
Enrico Costa
C.-Y. Ng
Estela Reynoso
Paolo Soffitta
Allyn F. Tennant
Wenlang He
David Moffett
X-Ray Polarization in SN 1006 Southwest Shows Spatial Variations and Differences in the Radio Band
The Astrophysical Journal
Supernova remnants
Polarimetry
Cosmic rays
Shocks
Magnetic fields
title X-Ray Polarization in SN 1006 Southwest Shows Spatial Variations and Differences in the Radio Band
title_full X-Ray Polarization in SN 1006 Southwest Shows Spatial Variations and Differences in the Radio Band
title_fullStr X-Ray Polarization in SN 1006 Southwest Shows Spatial Variations and Differences in the Radio Band
title_full_unstemmed X-Ray Polarization in SN 1006 Southwest Shows Spatial Variations and Differences in the Radio Band
title_short X-Ray Polarization in SN 1006 Southwest Shows Spatial Variations and Differences in the Radio Band
title_sort x ray polarization in sn 1006 southwest shows spatial variations and differences in the radio band
topic Supernova remnants
Polarimetry
Cosmic rays
Shocks
Magnetic fields
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/add532
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