The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton telescope has uncovered two previously unknown supernova remnants in the outskirts of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy to our own Milky Way. The discovery, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, challenges our understanding of the environment surrounding galaxies.
The two objects, designated J0624-6948 and J0614-7251, were initially identified as unidentified sources of light. However, XMM-Newton's observations revealed their true nature as supernova remnants, the expanding shells of gas and dust created by the explosive deaths of stars.
The presence of these remnants in the outer regions of the Large Magellanic Cloud is surprising. Supernova remnants typically form in denser environments rich in ionized gas, which is not usually found in the outskirts of galaxies. This discovery suggests that the environment surrounding the Large Magellanic Cloud is more electrically charged than previously thought.
The interaction between the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way, and the Small Magellanic Cloud likely contributes to this unexpected abundance of ionized gas. The study of these supernova remnants provides valuable insights into the dynamics of our galactic neighborhood.
XMM-Newton's observations of the remnants in three different types of X-ray light have revealed the chemical composition of these objects. For example, the dominance of iron in the center of J0614-7251 has allowed scientists to classify it as a Type-Ia supernova remnant. This classification is possible due to the detailed images provided by XMM-Newton, which clearly distinguish the inner circle and outer ring of the remnant.