Shocked molecular gas towards the SNR G359.1-0.5 and the Snake

J. S. Lazendic1,2, M. Wardle1, M. G. Burton3, F. Yusef-Zadeh4, J. B. Whiteoak2, A. J. Green1, M. C. B. Ashley3

1 School of Physics A28, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia, 2 Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, PO Box 76, Epping NSW 1710, Australia, 3 School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia, 4 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Dearborn Observatory, 2131 North Sheridan Road, Evanston,, IL 60201-2900

Paper: MNRAS, in press

EPrint Server: astro-ph/0112410

Abstract:

We have found a bar of shocked molecular hydrogen (H2) towards the OH(1720 MHz) maser located at the projected intersection of supernova remnant (SNR) G359.1-0.5 and the nonthermal radio filament, known as the Snake. The H2 bar is well aligned with the SNR shell and almost perpendicular to the Snake. The OH(1720 MHz) maser is located inside the sharp western edge of the H2 emission, which is consistent with the scenario in which the SNR drives a shock into a molecular cloud at that location. The spectral-line profiles of 12CO, HCO+, and CS towards the maser show broad-line absorption, which is absent in the 13C0 spectra and most probably originates from the pre-shock gas. A density gradient is present across the region and is consistent with the passage of the SNR shock while the H2 filament is located at the boundary between the pre-shocked and post-shock regions.

Preprints available from the authors at lazendic@head-cfa.harvard.edu , or the raw TeX (no figures) if you click here.

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