Radio spectral properties and the magnetic field of the SNR S147^*

¹ National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jia-20 DaTun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012, PR China e-mail: [xl;hjl]@bao.ac.cn
² Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany e-mail: [efuerst;wreich]@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de

Received: 10 August 2007
Accepted: 29 January 2008

Abstract

Context. S147 is a large faint shell-type supernova remnant (SNR) known for its remarkable spectral break at cm-wavelength, which is an important physical property to characterize SNR evolution. However, the spectral break is based on radio observations with limited precision.

Aims. New sensitive observations at high frequencies are required for a detailed study of the spectral properties and the magnetic field structure of S147.

Methods. We conducted new radio continuum and polarization observations of S147 at λ11 cm and at λ6 cm with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope and the Urumqi 25-m telescope, respectively. We combined these new data with published lower-frequency data from the Effelsberg 100-m telescope, and with very high-frequency data from WMAP to investigate the spectral turnover and polarization properties of S147.

Results. S147 consists of numerous filaments embedded in diffuse emission. We found that the integrated flux densities of S147 are 34.8 ± 4.0 Jy at λ11 cm and 15.4 ± 3.0 Jy at λ6 cm. These new measurements confirm the known spectral turnover at ~1.5 GHz, which can be entirely attributed to the diffuse emission component. The spectral index above the turnover is α = -1.35 ± 0.20 (S). The filamentary emission component has a constant spectral index over the entire wavelength range up to 40.7 GHz of α = -0.35 ± 0.15. The weak polarized emission of S147 is at the same level as the ambient diffuse Galactic polarization. The rotation measure of the eastern filamentary shell is about -70 rad m^-2.

Conclusions. The filamentary and diffuse emission components of S147 have different physical properties, which make S147 outstanding among shell type SNRs. We attribute the weak polarization of S147 at λ11 cm and at λ6 cm to a section of the S147 shell showing a tangetial magnetic field direction.