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Accepted manuscript

Supernova remnant candidates identified using MWA Galactic Plane Monitoring over 285° < l < 70° and |b| < 16°

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2025

S. Mantovanini*
Affiliation:
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University, Bentley WA 6102, Australia
N. Hurley-Walker
Affiliation:
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University, Bentley WA 6102, Australia
G. E. Anderson
Affiliation:
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University, Bentley WA 6102, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: S. Mantovanini, Email: silvia.mantovanini@postgrad.curtin.edu.au.

Abstract

Observations of Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) are crucial to understanding supernova explosion mechanisms and their impact on our Galaxy’s evolution. SNRs are usually identified by searching for extended, circular structures in all-sky surveys. However, the resolution and sensitivity of any given survey results in selection biases related to the brightness and angular scale of a subset of the total SNR population. As a result, we have only identified 1/3 of the expected number of SNRs in our Galaxy. We used data collected by the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) to perform a visual search for SNR candidates over 285° < l < 70° and |b| < 16°. We then used the Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer to eliminate likely HII regions from our SNR candidate sample. By exploiting the resolution and sensitivity of MWA data, we have successfully detected 10 new candidates using our proposed method. In addition, our method has also enabled us to detect and verify 10 previously known but unconfirmed candidates. The 20 SNR candidates described in the paper will increase the known SNR population in the Galaxy by 7%.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Astronomical Society of Australia

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