TY - JOUR
T1 - Diprotodon on the sky. The Large Galactic Supernova Remnant (SNR) G278.94+1.35
AU - Filipović, Miroslav D.
AU - Lazarević, Sanja
AU - Araya, Miguel
AU - Hurley-Walker, Natasha
AU - Kothes, Roland
AU - Sano, Hidetoshi
AU - Rowell, Gavin
AU - Martin, Pierrick
AU - Fukui, Yasuo
AU - Alsaberi, Rami Z.E.
AU - Arbutina, Bojan
AU - Ball, Brianna
AU - Bordiu, Cristobal
AU - Brose, Robert
AU - Bufano, Filomena
AU - Burger-Scheidlin, Christopher
AU - Anne Collins, Tiffany
AU - Crawford, Evan J.
AU - Dai, Shi
AU - William Duchesne, Stefan
AU - Fuller, Robert
AU - Hopkins, Andrew
AU - Ingallinera, Adriano
AU - Inoue, Haruto
AU - Jarrett, Thomas
AU - Silvia Koribalski, Bärbel
AU - Leahy, Denis
AU - Luken, Kieran
AU - Mackey, Jonathan
AU - Macgregor, Peter
AU - Norris, Ray
AU - Payne, Jeffrey
AU - Riggi, Simone
AU - Riseley, Christopher
AU - Sasaki, Manami
AU - Smeaton, Zachary
AU - Sushch, Iurii
AU - Stupar, Milorad
AU - Umana, Grazia
AU - Urošević, Dejan
AU - Velović, Velibor
AU - Vernstrom, Tessa
AU - Vukotić, Branislav
AU - West, Jennifer
PY - 2024/12/30
Y1 - 2024/12/30
N2 - We present a re-discovery of G278.94+1.35a as possibly one of the largest known Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) - that we name Diprotodon. While previously established as a Galactic SNR, Diprotodon is visible in our new Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) and GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA (GLEAM) radio continuum images at an angular size of, much larger than previously measured. At the previously suggested distance of 2.7 kpc, this implies a diameter of 157 152 pc. This size would qualify Diprotodon as the largest known SNR and pushes our estimates of SNR sizes to the upper limits. We investigate the environment in which the SNR is located and examine various scenarios that might explain such a large and relatively bright SNR appearance. We find that Diprotodon is most likely at a much closer distance of 1 kpc, implying its diameter is 58 56 pc and it is in the radiative evolutionary phase. We also present a new Fermi-LAT data analysis that confirms the angular extent of the SNR in gamma rays. The origin of the high-energy emission remains somewhat puzzling, and the scenarios we explore reveal new puzzles, given this unexpected and unique observation of a seemingly evolved SNR having a hard GeV spectrum with no breaks. We explore both leptonic and hadronic scenarios, as well as the possibility that the high-energy emission arises from the leftover particle population of a historic pulsar wind nebula.
AB - We present a re-discovery of G278.94+1.35a as possibly one of the largest known Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) - that we name Diprotodon. While previously established as a Galactic SNR, Diprotodon is visible in our new Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) and GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA (GLEAM) radio continuum images at an angular size of, much larger than previously measured. At the previously suggested distance of 2.7 kpc, this implies a diameter of 157 152 pc. This size would qualify Diprotodon as the largest known SNR and pushes our estimates of SNR sizes to the upper limits. We investigate the environment in which the SNR is located and examine various scenarios that might explain such a large and relatively bright SNR appearance. We find that Diprotodon is most likely at a much closer distance of 1 kpc, implying its diameter is 58 56 pc and it is in the radiative evolutionary phase. We also present a new Fermi-LAT data analysis that confirms the angular extent of the SNR in gamma rays. The origin of the high-energy emission remains somewhat puzzling, and the scenarios we explore reveal new puzzles, given this unexpected and unique observation of a seemingly evolved SNR having a hard GeV spectrum with no breaks. We explore both leptonic and hadronic scenarios, as well as the possibility that the high-energy emission arises from the leftover particle population of a historic pulsar wind nebula.
KW - gamma rays: gammaray sources
KW - HI line emission: ISM
KW - radiation mechanism: non-thermal
KW - radio continuum: ISM
KW - radio continuum: radio sources
KW - SNR: individual (Diprotodon)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85214393338&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/pasa.2024.93
DO - 10.1017/pasa.2024.93
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85214393338
SN - 1323-3580
VL - 41
JO - Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
JF - Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
M1 - e112
ER -