Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik Abteilung Astronomie Sand 1, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Preprint 06/12

Supernova remnants and candidates detected in the XMM-Newton M31 large survey

Sasaki, M. (1); Pietsch, W. (2); Haberl, F. (2); Hatzidimitriou, D. (3); Stiele, H. (4); Williams, B. (5); Kong, A. (6); Kolb, U. (7)

(1) Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Universität Tübingen, Sand 1, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
(2) Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstraße, D-85748 Garching, Germany
(3) Department of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, Faculty of Physics, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Zografos, Athens, Greece
(4) INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via E. Bianchi 46, I-23807 Merate (LC), Italy
(5) Department of Astronomy, Box 351580, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
(6) Institute of Astronomy and Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
(7) Dept of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

To be published in: A&A

Abstract. Context. We present the analysis of supernova remnants (SNRs) and candidates in M31 identified in the XMM-Newton large programme survey of M31. Supernova remnants are among the brightest X-ray sources in a galaxy. They are good indicators of the recent star-formation activities of galaxies and the interstellar environment in which they evolve.
Aims. By combining the X-ray data of sources in M31 with optical data as well as optical and radio catalogues, we aim to compile a complete, revised list of SNRs emitting X-rays in M31 detected with XMM-Newton, study their luminosity and spatial distributions, and understand the X-ray spectra of the brightest SNRs.
Methods. We analysed the X-ray spectra of the 12 brightest SNRs and candidates that have been observed with XMM-Newton. Our study of the four brightest sources allowed us to perform a more detailed spectral analysis and compare different models to describe their spectrum. For all M31 large programme sources, we searched for their optical counterparts in the Hα, [S ii], and [Oiii] images of the Local Group Galaxy Survey.
Results. We confirm 21 X-ray sources as counterparts to known SNRs. In addition, we identify 5 new X-ray sources as X-ray and optically emitting SNRs. Seventeen sources are no longer considered as SNR candidates. We thus create a list of 26 X-ray SNRs and 20 X-ray SNR candidates in M31 based on their X-ray, optical, and radio emission, which is the most recent complete list of X-ray SNRs in M31. The brightest SNRs have X-ray luminosities of up to 8 × 10^36 erg s^−1 in the 0.35 – 2.0 keV band.
 
Key words: ISM: supernova remnants; Galaxies: ISM; Galaxies: M31; X-rays: galaxies; X-rays: ISM

Astrophysics (astro-ph): 1206.4789

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