A new study of the Supernova Remnant G344.7-0.1 located in the vicinity of the unidentified TeV source HESS J1702-420

GIACANI, E.; SMITH, M.; DUBNER, G.; LOISEAU, N.

ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS. SUPPLEMENT SERIES (PRINT)

EDP Science

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2011 vol. 531 p. 138 - 148

0365-0138

Context. The identification of counterparts of dark gamma-ray sources adds greatly toour understanding of their underlying astrophysical processes.Aims. We investigate the physical properties of the supernova remnant (SNR)G344.7−0.1, to clarify whether it hosts a pulsar wind nebula (PWN), and the possiblephysical relationship between the SNR and the gamma-ray source HESS J1702−420.Methods. The research was carried out based on new high-resolution radio images pro-duced from archival ATCA and VLA data in combination with X-ray archival XMM-Newton data. The ambient interstellar medium was investigated in HI, 12CO and midIR ( 24 μm) with data from the public SGPS, CfA CO and MIPSGAL surveys, re-spectively.Results. Based on the radio images and the comparison with X-ray and IR observa-tions, we confirm that there is no PWN within G344.7−0.1, but the observed nebulahighlights sites where the SN blast wave is encountering dense material . No radiocounterpart is found for the X-ray object CXOU J170357.8-414302. The X-ray radia-tion completely fills in the interior of the SNR, being thermal in nature and originatingin heated ejecta. From the spectral analysis it is inferred that G344.7−0.1 is the resultof a core-collapse SN that exploded about 3000 yrs ago. On the basis of HI absorptionand emission we redetermined its distance in (6.3 ± 0.1) kpc. From the study of thesurrounding gas, we conclude that G344.7−0.1 has evolved within an HI bubble createdby the SN precursor. This bubble is, in turn, part of a larger HI/IR ring created by thestellar wind of prior-generation stars, about 2.6 × 106 yrs ago. A second generation ofstars formed in this compressed gas and about 3000 yrs ago one of these stars exploded,creating the SNR G344.7−0.1. This study suggests that G344.7−0.1 and its turbulentenvironment is a plausible counterpart for HESS J1702−420.