SNR Analysis using ds9

an assessment activity

Purpose: To compare and contrast two or more supernova remnants (SNR) on the basis of ds9 analysis and present your findings in a Power Point to the class.

Benchmarks:

1b. Investigations are conducted for different reasons, including to explore new phenomena, to check on previous results, to test how well a theory predicts, and to compare different theories.

Hypotheses are widely used in science for choosing what data to pay attention to and what additional data to seek, and for guiding the interpretation of the data (both new and previously available).

4a. Increasingly sophisticated technology is used to learn about the universe. Visual, radio, and x-ray telescopes collect information from across the entire spectrum of electromagnetic waves; computers handle an avalanche of data and increasingly complicated computations to interpret them; space probes send back data and materials from the remote parts of the solar system; and accelerators give subatomic particles energies that simulate conditions in the stars and in the early history of the universe before stars formed.

Maine Learning Results:

G1. Describe how scientists gather data about the universe.

J2. Verify, evaluate, and use results in a purposeful way. This includes analyzing and interpreting data, making predictions based on observed patterns, testing solutions against the original problem conditions, and formulating additional questions.

L7. Use computers to organize data, generate models, and do research for problem solving.

General background information:

Supernovas & Supernova Remnants (Chandra)

Chandra Photo Gallery - Supernovas & Supernova Remnants

Supernovae (Imagine the Universe!)

Supernova Remnants (Imagine the Universe!)

X-ray Spectroscopy of Young SNR (Imagine the Universe!)

Elemental Composition and Distribution in SNRs: X-Ray Spectroscopy

Project

Read the background information above to make sure you are familiar with supernovae and SNR and what X-rays can tell you about SNR and then choose your SNR(s) from this list (you may work in groups of one or two).

Your final project will be a Power Point presentation that should include:

Introduction – Include such things as images, historical information about the discovery of your supernovae, the constellation they are located in and perhaps the mythology of those constellations, and/or anything else you can think of. “Hook” your audience!

Hypothesis – You have done ds9 analysis of a Type Ia supernova remnant (Tycho's SNR). From a brief initial examination, does your SNR appear to be of the same type or different? Explain. Look for similarities and differences in shape, the presence or absence of a central source, etc.

Data Analysis – Use the ds9 tools you are familiar with (and play with some new ones! – read learning ds9) to analyze the features of your SNRs (x-ray spectra of the whole remnant and smaller regions, element distribution, structure, periodicity of the central source if possible, etc.). Include screen shots of your ds9 analysis. Label these screen shots so your audience will know what they are looking at. Don’t forget to identify the elements.

Conclusions – Explain what your ds9 analysis tells you about each SNR (what elements are present, can the type of supernova be determined, is there a central source, how are the elements distributed, what is the structure of the SNR, can you tell anything about its age, are there any unusual or interesting features and what do they tell you, etc) and then compare and contrast your SNRs (how are they alike and different). Be sure to cite any outside sources (for format, read this.)

Further research & investigation – Google current scientific articles to see what is known or hypothesized about your SNRs. You may also find links to articles at the bottom of the Chandra Supernova Remnant Catalog page that you first linked to when getting the Obs ID number.  Describe this research. How does this research support or not support your conclusions? What new information have you learned? What further ds9 analysis should you do? If you have time, conduct more analysis and include this in your presentation. Again, be sure to cite any outside sources.

Bibliography or Works Cited - include all references, refer to this page for format.