Abstract

Contributed Talk - Plenary

X-ray and Analytical Modeling of Supernova Remnants

Vaibhav Shukla
Dr. Karl Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, ECAP, FAU

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are extended structures of shock-heated gas/plasma formed after supernovae (SNe) eject stellar matter with immense energy into the interstellar medium (ISM). Emitting strongly in X-rays (∼0.2–5 keV), SNRs are essential diagnostics of the evolution of stars, ISM and galaxies. Our galactic neighbor, Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), owing to its well-constrained distance, low foreground absorption, and extensive multiwavelength coverage, serves as an exceptional laboratory for studying SNRs. In this talk, I discuss the XMM-Newton observation of a MCSNR, confirmed as such after X-ray imaging and spectral analysis—deriving its plasma properties. We then employ analytical models—implemented via the Python software SNRPy—to estimate evolutionary parameters such as shock radii, velocities, temperatures, and emission measures. We show how deviations from the Sedov-Taylor phase, particularly in older, radiative remnants, necessitate more sophisticated modeling frameworks. Finally, drawing from the latest consolidated catalog of LMC SNRs, we explore global population trends using statistical tools, including maximum-likelihood estimation and kernel smoothing. Our results probe correlations between remnant size, age, and ISM density, and investigate morphological asymmetries across the sample. Together, these methods highlight the power of combining targeted observations with analytical modeling and statistical inference to understand the lifecycle of supernovae and their role in shaping galaxies.