Earnshaw Medal
Earnshaw 2008 Nominees: Eoin Carley
The expansion of the Galactic Supernove Remnant Cassiopeia A
Optical observations of the supernova remnant (SNR) Cassiopeia A were made with the 1.2-m telescope at the Observatoire d’Haute Provence, France during September 2007. The data were calibrated and reduced using the standard Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) software package. Emission knots were identified in narrow-band filter (Ha, SII) images of Cas A and their current positions determined. By comparing these positions with earlier, published observations, the proper motions of the knots, a good tracer for the forward-propagating SNR shock-front, were found. The velocities calculated agreed well with previous values found in the literature. The proper motions can be used to find an expansion centre and dynamical age for Cas A.
Supervisor: Dr. Créidhe O’Sullivan
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