We present a radio continuum and linear polarization study of the Galactic
supernova remnant G57.2+0.8, which may host the recently discovered magnetar
SGR1935+2154. The radio SNR shows the typical radio continuum spectrum of a
mature supernova remnant with a spectral index of α=−0.55±0.02 and
moderate polarized intensity. Magnetic field vectors indicate a tangential
magnetic field, expected for an evolved SNR, in one part of the SNR and a
radial magnetic field in the other. The latter can be explained by an
overlapping arc-like feature, perhaps a pulsar wind nebula, emanating from the
magnetar. The presence of a pulsar wind nebula is supported by the low average
braking index of 1.2, we extrapolated for the magnetar, and the detection of
diffuse X-ray emission around it. We found a distance of 12.5 kpc for the SNR,
which identifies G57.2+0.8 as a resident of the Outer spiral arm of the Milky
Way. The SNR has a radius of about 20 pc and could be as old as 41,000 years.
The SNR has already entered the radiative or pressure-driven snowplow phase of
its evolution. We compared independently determined characteristics like age
and distance for both, the SNR and SGR1935+2154, and conclude that they are
physically related.Comment: accepted by The Astrophysical Journal, 16 pages, 10 figure
