English

A Novel Parameterization for Rapid Cooling in Supernova Remnants, with applications to the Pa 30 nebula

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 2026-04-29 v2

Abstract

We systematically study how cooling creates structural changes in supernova remnants as they evolve. Inspired by the peculiar morphology of the Pa 30 nebula, we adopt a framework in which to characterize supernova remnants under different degrees of cooling. Our cooling framework characterizes remnants with a singular parameter called β\beta that sets how rapidly the system's thermal energy is radiated or emitted away. A continuum of morphologies is created by the implementation of different cooling timescales. For β400\beta \gtrsim 400, or when the cooling timescale is shorter than 1400\approx \frac{1}{400} of the Sedov time, the ejecta is shaped into a filamentary structure similar to Pa 30. We explain the filament creation by the formation of Rayleigh-Taylor Instability fingers where cooling has prevented the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability from overturning and mixing out the tips. The ejecta in these filaments have not decelerated and are moving almost completely ballistically at 95100%\approx 95-100\% their free expansion speed. In this rapid cooling regime, an explosion energy 3.5×1047\approx 3.5 \times 10^{47} erg is inferred. We also propose the cooling mechanism required to create these structures necessitates removing energy at a rate of 2%2\% of Eej/tE_{\rm ej}/t, which implies a cooling luminosity of 1036\approx 10^{36} erg/s.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2511.08519,
  title  = {A Novel Parameterization for Rapid Cooling in Supernova Remnants, with applications to the Pa 30 nebula},
  author = {Miranda Pikus and Paul Duffell and Soham Mandal and Abigail Polin},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.08519},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

updated version including additional figures and analysis; accepted to The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)