Fine-structure in the nonthermal X-ray emission of SNR RX J1713.7-3946 revealed by Chandra

¹ Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan and Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan e-mail: takahasi@astro.isas.ac.jp
² Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Postfach 103980, 69029 Heidelberg, Germany e-mail: Felix.Aharonian@mpi-hd.mpg.de

Corresponding author: Y. Uchiyama, uchiyama@astro.isas.ac.jp

Received: 10 September 2002
Accepted: 9 December 2002

Abstract

We present morphological and spectroscopic studies of the northwest rim of the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 based on observations by the Chandra X-ray observatory. We found a complex network of nonthermal (synchrotron) X-ray filaments, as well as a “void” type structure – a dim region of a circular shape – in the northwest rim. It is remarkable that despite distinct brightness variations, the X-ray spectra everywhere in this region can be well fitted with a power-law model with photon index ranging 2.1–2.5. We briefly discuss some implications of these results and argue that the resolved X-ray features in the northwest rim may challenge the perceptions of the standard diffusive shock-acceleration models concerning the production, propagation and radiation of relativistic particles in supernova remnants.