Modeling supernova remnants: effects of diffusive cosmic-ray acceleration on the evolution and application to observations

¹ Astronomical Institute Utrecht, Utrecht University, PO Box 80000, 3508TA Utrecht, The Netherlands
e-mail: D.Kosenko@uu.nl
² ITEP, Moscow, 117218, Russia
³ SAI, Moscow, 119992, Russia
⁴ IPMU, Tokyo Universiy, Kashiwa 277-8583, Japan

Received: 2 February 2011
Accepted: 21 May 2011

Abstract

We present numerical models for supernova remnant evolution, using a new version of the hydrodynamical code SUPREMNA. We added a cosmic-ray diffusion equation to the code scheme, employing a two-fluid approximation. We investigate the dynamics of the simulated supernova remnants with different values of the cosmic-ray acceleration efficiency and the diffusion coefficient. We compare the numerical models with observational data of Tycho’s and SN1006 supernova remnants. We find models that reproduce the observed locations of the blast wave, contact discontinuity, and reverse shock for both remnants, thus allowing us to estimate the contribution of cosmic-ray particles to total pressure and cosmic-ray energy losses in these supernova remnants. We evaluate the energy losses due to cosmic rays escape in Tycho’s supernova remnant to be 10 − 20% of the kinetic energy flux and 20 − 50% in SN1006.