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arXiv · 2303.16497

He abundance of Dense Circumstellar Clumps in the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant

Bon-Chul Koo·Dongkok Kim·Sung-Chul Yoon·John C. Raymond
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Abstract

We report on the result of He abundance analysis of dense circumstellar clumps in the young supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. These clumps, which are called quasi-stationary flocculi (QSFs), are known from previous optical studies to be enriched in He along with N, but the degree of He overabundance relative to H has remained uncertain. For several QSFs with near-infrared spectroscopic data, we have analyzed their He I 1.083 $\mu$m/Pa$\gamma$ ratios together with the ratios of [Fe II] lines by using the Raymond shock code. According to our analysis, He is overabundant relative to H by a factor of $\lesssim 3$ in most of these QSFs. This He abundance of QSFs is consistent with the previous conclusion from the N overabundance that QSFs were ejected when a substantial amount of the H envelope of the progenitor star had been stripped off. We discuss the mass-loss history of the progenitor star and the origin of QSFs.

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Bon-Chul Koo, Dongkok Kim, Sung-Chul Yoon, John C. Raymond. 2023-03-29. He abundance of Dense Circumstellar Clumps in the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357%2Facb7e7

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