FUSE Observations of the Cygnus Loop: OVI Emission from a Nonradiative Shock

We present Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) observations of a Balmer filament in the northeast region of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. The data consist of one spectrum obtained through the 30"x30" (LWRS) aperture and three spectra at adjacent positions obtained through the 4"x20" (MDRS) aperture. The nonradiative shocks in the region giving rise to these faint optical filaments produce strong OVI 1032,1038 emission, which is detected in all the spectra. The OVI emission is resolved by FUSE into a strong component centered at 0 km/s, and weaker components centered at +/- 140 km/s. The MDRS spectra allow us to study the variation of OVI emission in the post-shock structure. We find that the zero velocity emission is associated directly with the Balmer filament shock, while the high velocity emission comes from a more uniformly distributed component elsewhere along the line of sight. We also find that the shocks producing the emission at +/- 140 km/s have velocities between 180 km/s and 220 km/s, if we assume that the ram pressure driving them is the same as for the zero velocity component shock. In the context of the cavity model for the Cygnus Loop, the interaction of the blast wave with the spherical shell that forms most of the cavity wall can naturally give rise to the similar red and blue-shifted components that are observed.Comment: LaTeX uses aaspp4.sty, 18 pages + 5 PostScript figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Resonance Line Scattering in Supernova Remnant Shocks

We present a three dimensional radiative transfer model to examine the effects of resonance line scattering in the post-shock flow behind a non-radiative supernova remnant shock. For a rippled shock front viewed edge-on, line scattering significantly reduces the observed flux of CIV 1549 and NV 1240, two important diagnostic lines in the ultraviolet spectra of supernova remnants. The correction factor (defined to be the ratio of the line flux that would be observed neglecting scattering, to the actual observed line flux) is a function of position within the filament. For sufficiently large regions that include crisp edges as well as more diffuse regions of the filament structure, the CIV and NV correction factors are between about 1.5 and 3.5 (and the CIV correction factor is invariably larger than the NV correction factor). The correction factors have a larger range when smaller regions are considered. The CIV correction factor is about 6 at the filament edges, while the NV correction factor is about 4. These simulations of resonance line scattering will be useful for the analysis of supernova remnant shock spectra.Comment: LaTeX uses aaspp4.sty, 12 pages + 5 PostScript figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

An Extended FUSE Survey of Diffuse O VI Emission in the Interstellar Medium

We present a survey of diffuse O VI emission in the interstellar medium obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Spanning 5.5 years of FUSE observations, from launch through 2004 December, our data set consists of 2925 exposures along 183 sight lines, including all of those with previously-published O VI detections. The data were processed using an implementation of CalFUSE v3.1 modified to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio and velocity scale of spectra from an aperture-filling source. Of our 183 sight lines, 73 show O VI 1032 emission, 29 at > 3-sigma significance. Six of the 3-sigma features have velocities |v_LSR| > 120 km/s, while the others have |v_LSR| < 50 km/s. Measured intensities range from 1800 to 9100 LU, with a median of 3300 LU. Combining our results with published O VI absorption data, we find that an O VI-bearing interface in the local ISM yields an electron density n_e = 0.2--0.3 cm^-3^ and a path length of 0.1 pc, while O VI-emitting regions associated with high-velocity clouds in the Galactic halo have densities an order of magnitude lower and path lengths two orders of magnitude longer. Though the O VI intensities along these sight lines are similar, the emission is produced by gas with very different properties.Comment: 27 pages, 16 figures, accepted by Ap

Discovery of an OVI Emitting Nebula around the Hot White Dwarf KPD 0005+5106

A survey of diffuse interstellar sight lines observed with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer has led to the serendipitous discovery of a high-ionization nebula around the hot white dwarf KPD 0005+5106. The nebula has an OVI 1032A surface brightness of up to 25,000 photons/s/cm^2/sr, making it the brightest region of extended OVI emission in our survey. Photoionization models using the incident white dwarf continuum successfully reproduce the observed OVI intensity. The OVI emission arises in the highly ionized inner region of a planetary nebula around KPD 0005+5106. This newly discovered nebula may be one member of a class of high-ionization planetary nebulae that are difficult to detect in the optical, but which can be easily identified in the ultraviolet.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJL, 11 pages including 2 figure

FUSE Detection of Galactic OVI Emission in the Halo above the Perseus Arm

Background observations obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) toward l=95.4, b=36.1 show OVI 1032,1038 in emission. This sight line probes a region of stronger-than-average soft X-ray emission in the direction of high-velocity cloud Complex C above a part of the disk where Halpha filaments rise into the halo. The OVI intensities, 1600+/-300 ph/s/cm^2/sr (1032A) and 800+/-300 ph/s/cm^2/sr (1038A), are the lowest detected in emission in the Milky Way to date. A second sight line nearby (l=99.3, b=43.3) also shows OVI 1032 emission, but with too low a signal-to-noise ratio to obtain reliable measurements. The measured intensities, velocities, and FWHMs of the OVI doublet and the CII* line at 1037A are consistent with a model in which the observed emission is produced in the Galactic halo by hot gas ejected by supernovae in the Perseus arm. An association of the observed gas with Complex C appears unlikely.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJL, 11 pages including 3 figure

Dust in a Type Ia Supernova Progenitor: Spitzer Spectroscopy of Kepler's Supernova Remnant

Characterization of the relatively poorly-understood progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae is of great importance in astrophysics, particularly given the important cosmological role that these supernovae play. Kepler's Supernova Remnant, the result of a Type Ia supernova, shows evidence for an interaction with a dense circumstellar medium (CSM), suggesting a single-degenerate progenitor system. We present 7.5-38 $\mu$m infrared (IR) spectra of the remnant, obtained with the {\it Spitzer Space Telescope}, dominated by emission from warm dust. Broad spectral features at 10 and 18 $\mu$m, consistent with various silicate particles, are seen throughout. These silicates were likely formed in the stellar outflow from the progenitor system during the AGB stage of evolution, and imply an oxygen-rich chemistry. In addition to silicate dust, a second component, possibly carbonaceous dust, is necessary to account for the short-wavelength IRS and IRAC data. This could imply a mixed chemistry in the atmosphere of the progenitor system. However, non-spherical metallic iron inclusions within silicate grains provide an alternative solution. Models of collisionally-heated dust emission from fast shocks ($>$ 1000 km s$^{-1}$) propagating into the CSM can reproduce the majority of the emission associated with non-radiative filaments, where dust temperatures are $\sim 80-100$ K, but fail to account for the highest temperatures detected, in excess of 150 K. We find that slower shocks (a few hundred km s$^{-1}$) into moderate density material ($n_{0} \sim 50-250$ cm$^{-3}$) are the only viable source of heating for this hottest dust. We confirm the finding of an overall density gradient, with densities in the north being an order of magnitude greater than those in the south.Comment: Accepted by ApJ. 11 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Produced using emulateapj forma