An INTEGRAL/IBIS view of young Galactic SNRs through the 44Ti gamma-ray lines

Abstract

We present preliminary results of INTEGRAL/IBIS observations on Cas A, Tycho and Vela Junior supernova remnants in the line emission of 44Ti. This radioactive nucleus is thought to be exclusively produced in supernovae during the first stages of the explosion. It has a lifetime of about 87 yr and is then the best indicator of young SNRs, as exemplified by the detection of 44Ti in the youngest known Galactic supernova remnant Cas A with GRO/COMPTEL and latter with BeppoSAX. In this paper, we will focus on this SNR for which we confirm the detection of 44Ti and point out the importance to know the nature of the hard X-ray continuum, the Tycho SNR, for which no indication of 44Ti was ever reported, and Vela Junior, for which the claimed detection of 44Ti with COMPTEL is still controversial. The INTEGRAL/IBIS observations bring new constraints on the nature of these SNRs and on the nucleosynthesis which took place during the explosions.