Discovery of a Shock-compressed Magnetic Field in the Northwestern Rim of the Young Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7–3946 with X-Ray Polarimetry
Authors: Ferrazzoli Riccardo , Prokhorov Dmitry , Bucciantini Niccolò , Slane Patrick , Vink Jacco , Cardillo Martina , Yang Yi-Jung , Silvestri Stefano , Zhou Ping , Costa Enrico , Omodei Nicola , Ng C.-Y. , Soffitta Paolo , Weisskopf Martin C. , Baldini Luca , Di Marco Alessandro , Doroshenko Victor , Heyl Jeremy , Kaaret Philip , Kim Dawoon E. , Marin Frédéric , Mizuno Tsunefumi , Pesce-Rollins Melissa , Sgrò Carmelo , Swartz Douglas A. , Tamagawa Toru , Xie Fei , Agudo Iván , Antonelli Lucio A. , Bachetti Matteo , Baumgartner Wayne H. , Bellazzini Ronaldo , Bianchi Stefano , Bongiorno Stephen D. , Bonino Raffaella , Brez Alessandro , Capitanio Fiamma , Castellano Simone , Cavazzuti Elisabetta , Chen Chien-Ting , Ciprini Stefano , De Rosa Alessandra , Del Monte Ettore , Di Gesu Laura , Di Lalla Niccolò , Donnarumma Immacolata , Dovčiak Michal , Ehlert Steven R. , Enoto Teruaki , Evangelista Yuri , Fabiani Sergio , Garcia Javier A. , Gunji Shuichi , Hayashida Kiyoshi , Iwakiri Wataru , Jorstad Svetlana G. , Karas Vladimir , Kislat Fabian , Kitaguchi Takao , Kolodziejczak Jeffery J. , Krawczynski Henric , La Monaca Fabio , Latronico Luca , Liodakis Ioannis , Maldera Simone , Manfreda Alberto , Marinucci Andrea , Marscher Alan P. , Marshall Herman L. , Massaro Francesco , Matt Giorgio , Mitsuishi Ikuyuki , Muleri Fabio , Negro Michela , O’Dell Stephen L. , Oppedisano Chiara , Papitto Alessandro , Pavlov George G. , Peirson Abel L. , Perri Matteo , Petrucci Pierre-Olivier , Pilia Maura , Possenti Andrea , Poutanen Juri , Puccetti Simonetta , Ramsey Brian D. , Rankin John , Ratheesh Ajay , Roberts Oliver J. , Romani Roger W. , Spandre Gloria , Tavecchio Fabrizio , Taverna Roberto , Tawara Yuzuru , Tennant Allyn F. , Thomas Nicholas E. , Tombesi Francesco , Trois Alessio , Tsygankov Sergey S. , Turolla Roberto , Wu Kinwah , Zane Silvia 
Published: May 2024

Supernova remnants (SNRs) provide insights into cosmic-ray acceleration and magnetic field dynamics at shock fronts. Recent X-ray polarimetric measurements by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) have revealed radial magnetic fields near particle acceleration sites in young SNRs, including Cassiopeia A, Tycho, and SN 1006. We present here the spatially resolved IXPE X-ray polarimetric observation of the northwestern rim of SNR RX J1713.7–3946. For the first time, our analysis shows that the magnetic field in the particle acceleration sites of this SNR is oriented tangentially with respect to the shock front. Because of the lack of precise Faraday rotation measurements in the radio band, this was not possible before. The average measured polarization degree (PD) of the synchrotron emission is 12.5% ± 3.3%, lower than the one measured by IXPE in SN 1006, comparable to the Tycho one, but notably higher than the one in Cassiopeia A. On subparsec scales, localized patches within RX J1713.7–3946 display a PD of up to 41.5% ± 9.5%. These results are compatible with a shock-compressed magnetic field. However, in order to explain the observed PD, either the presence of a radial net magnetic field upstream of the shock or partial reisotropization of the turbulence downstream by radial magnetohydrodynamical instabilities can be invoked. From comparison of PD and magnetic field distribution with γ-rays and 12CO data, our results provide new inputs in favor of a leptonic origin of the γ-ray emission.