The Evolution of CTB-109

Abstract

The objectives of the proposal were to conduct spatially-resolved spectroscopy in order to constrain the evolutionary parameters of the supernova remnant (SNR) and to understand the nature of the emission from a bright central feature. We were very successful on both accounts. of the SNR to be t = 8.8 +/- 0.9 x l0(exp 3) yr, the initial explosion energy to be E(sub 0) = 7.4 +/- 2. x l0(exp 5) ergs, and the initial ambient density to be n(sub 0) = 0.16 +/- 0.02/ cc, assuming a distance of 3.0 kpc. central emission is completely thermal in nature and therefore most likely the result of a shock-cloud interaction. Our analysis also produces the deepest X-ray image yet acquired of this SNR and the data were used to produce a "true-color" X-ray image of the object. Our complete results are contained in the Astrophysical Journal paper referenced above.