RX J1713.7-3946 is a supernova remnant in Scorpius that shines in X-rays and very high-energy gamma rays, a natural particle accelerator mapped from the ground.
At a glance
| type | supernova remnant |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 3,260 light-years (1 kpc) |
| its light left it | 3,260 years ago |
| size in the piece | about 61 light-years acrossmodel |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with. Model marks a property of the piece’s galaxy model rather than a measurement.
About RX J1713.7-3946
RX J1713.7-3946 was discovered by the ROSAT X-ray satellite, from whose survey it takes its name. Its X-rays come not from hot gas but from electrons spiralling at nearly the speed of light in the shock’s magnetic field, a sign that the shock is accelerating particles to extreme energies.
It was one of the first sources whose shape could be mapped in very high-energy gamma rays, by the H.E.S.S. telescopes in Namibia, which showed a shell matching the X-ray one. It sits among molecular clouds, and their interaction with the shock is central to the argument over what produces the gamma rays.
What you see in the piece
It is drawn as a hollow shell of shocked gas, almost invisible in visible light; the radio and gamma bands show where such remnants shine.
Measured or modelled
Whether its gamma rays come mainly from accelerated electrons or from protons hitting gas is debated. Its link to a guest star in Chinese records is a proposal, not established. The drawn extent is modelled.
Questions
Why is RX J1713.7-3946 important?
It was one of the first supernova remnants whose shell was imaged in very high-energy gamma rays, showing directly that remnant shocks accelerate particles to extreme energies.
How far away is RX J1713.7-3946?
RX J1713.7-3946 is about 3,260 light-years (1 kpc) from the Sun.