Supernovae of this class, Type Ia, are believed to be the result of thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs in a binary system. Since the maximum luminosity in the optical part of the spectrum is nearly uniform between these bursts, they can be used as distance indicators in cosmology.
X-ray viewing of supernova remnants offers scientists a unique way to address relevant open-ended questions by measuring the composition and distribution of heavy elements that were synthesized during the stellar explosion.
"We estimate that SNR G344.7-0.1 is between 3,000 and 6,000 years old in Earth's time frame, " explains astronomer Kotaro Fukushima of the Tokyo University of Science. "On the other hand, the best-known and widely observed Type Ia remnants, including Kepler, Tycho and SN 1006, have exploded in the last millennium or so as seen from Earth."
"The Chandra image of SNR G344.7-0.1 shows that the region with the highest iron density is surrounded by arc-shaped structures containing silicon," the astronomers said. "Arc-like structures are found for sulfur, argon, and calcium."
Reference: Kotaro Fukushima et al. 2020. Element Stratification in the Middle-aged SN Ia Remnant G344.7-0.1. ApJ 897, 62; doi: 10.3847 / 1538-4357 / ab94a6
