An ASCA Study of the W51 Complex
Abstract
We present the analysis of ASCA archival data from the Galactic source W51. The ASCA spectra show that the soft (kT<= 2.5 keV) X-rays are of thermal origin and are compatible with W51C being a single, isothermal (kT~0.3 keV) supernova remnant at the far-side of the Sagittarius arm. The ASCA images reveal hard (kT>=2.5 keV) X-ray sources which were not seen in previous X-ray observations. Some of these sources are coincident with massive star-forming regions and the spectra are used to derive X-ray parameters. By comparing the X-ray absorbing column density with atomic hydrogen column density, we infer the location of star-forming regions relative to molecular clouds. There are unidentified hard X-ray sources superposed on the supernova remnant and we discuss the possibility of their association.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0112367,
title = {An ASCA Study of the W51 Complex},
author = {Bon-Chul Koo and Jae-Joon Lee and Frederick D. Seward},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0112367},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
13 pages, 11 figures, to be published in Astronomical Journal