A Radio continuum study of supernova remnants and their environment in the Magellanic Cloud Galaxies

Abstract

A supernova remnant (SNR) is the visible remnant of a stellar explosion known as a supernova (SN). When a massive star (M ≥ 8M⊙) reaches the end of its life, it undergoes a cataclysmic explosion, expelling a tremendous amount of energy and material into space. The explosion creates a shockwave that propagates outward, sweeping up surrounding interstellar gas and dust. As the shockwave expands, it heats the surrounding medium, causing it to glow brightly in various wavelengths of light, such as optical, infrared, radio, and X-rays. This glowing shell of material is what we observe as an SNR. Type Ia SNRs are the remnants of a speci c type of SN known as a Type Ia supernovae (SNe). Unlike other types of SNe that result from the collapse of massive stars, Type Ia SNe occurs in binary star systems. This thesis focuses on examining the radio continuum characteristics of MC SNR s, including features such as radio morphology, polarisation, spectral index, RM , and magnetic  eld strength. Furthermore, it involves comparing these properties with data obtained from other wavelengths, such as optical and X-ray, and also exploring the surroundings of these SNR s, such as Hi and CO clouds. A variety of SNR types, including CC and Type Ia, were selected for investigation, encompassing a range of ages from young to old as well as unusual SNR. To carry out this analysis, the primary data source utilised was radio continuum data, with a focus on the information provided by the ATCA , which includes both personal observations and archival data.

Date of Award	2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Supervisor	Miroslav Filipovic (Supervisor)