Search for thermal X-ray features from the Crab nebula with the Hitomi soft X-ray spectrometer
Authors: Aharonian Hitomi Collaboration, Felix , Akamatsu Hiroki , Akimoto Fumie , Allen Steven W , Angelini Lorella , Audard Marc , Awaki Hisamitsu , Axelsson Magnus , Bamba Aya , Bautz Marshall W , Blandford Roger , Brenneman Laura W , Brown Gregory V , Bulbul Esra , Cackett Edward M , Chernyakova Maria , Chiao Meng P , Coppi Paolo S , Costantini Elisa , de Plaa Jelle , de Vries Cor P , den Herder Jan-Willem , Done Chris , Dotani Tadayasu , Ebisawa Ken , Eckart Megan E , Enoto Teruaki , Ezoe Yuichiro , Fabian Andrew C , Ferrigno Carlo , Foster Adam R , Fujimoto Ryuichi , Fukazawa Yasushi , Furuzawa Akihiro , Galeazzi Massimiliano , Gallo Luigi C , Gandhi Poshak , Giustini Margherita , Goldwurm Andrea , Gu Liyi , Guainazzi Matteo , Haba Yoshito , Hagino Kouichi , Hamaguchi Kenji , Harrus Ilana M , Hatsukade Isamu , Hayashi Katsuhiro , Hayashi Takayuki , Hayashida Kiyoshi , Hiraga Junko S , Hornschemeier Ann , Hoshino Akio , Hughes John P , Ichinohe Yuto , Iizuka Ryo , Inoue Hajime , Inoue Yoshiyuki , Ishida Manabu , Ishikawa Kumi , Ishisaki Yoshitaka , Kaastra Jelle , Kallman Tim , Kamae Tsuneyoshi , Kataoka Jun , Katsuda Satoru , Kawai Nobuyuki , Kelley Richard L , Kilbourne Caroline A , Kitaguchi Takao , Kitamoto Shunji , Kitayama Tetsu , Kohmura Takayoshi , Kokubun Motohide , Koyama Katsuji , Koyama Shu , Kretschmar Peter , Krimm Hans A , Kubota Aya , Kunieda Hideyo , Laurent Philippe , Lee Shiu-Hang , Leutenegger Maurice A , Limousin Olivier , Loewenstein Michael , Long Knox S , Lumb David , Madejski Greg , Maeda Yoshitomo , Maier Daniel , Makishima Kazuo , Markevitch Maxim , Matsumoto Hironori , Matsushita Kyoko , McCammon Dan , McNamara Brian R , Mehdipour Missagh , Miller Eric D , Miller Jon M , Mineshige Shin , Mitsuda Kazuhisa , Mitsuishi Ikuyuki , Miyazawa Takuya , Mizuno Tsunefumi , Mori Hideyuki , Mori Koji , Mukai Koji , Murakami Hiroshi , Mushotzky Richard F , Nakagawa Takao , Nakajima Hiroshi , Nakamori Takeshi , Nakashima Shinya , Nakazawa Kazuhiro , Nobukawa Kumiko K , Nobukawa Masayoshi , Noda Hirofumi , Odaka Hirokazu , Ohashi Takaya , Ohno Masanori , Okajima Takashi , Ota Naomi , Ozaki Masanobu , Paerels Frits , Paltani Stéphane , Petre Robert , Pinto Ciro , Porter Frederick S , Pottschmidt Katja , Reynolds Christopher S , Safi-Harb Samar , Saito Shinya , Sakai Kazuhiro , Sasaki Toru , Sato Goro , Sato Kosuke , Sato Rie , Sato Toshiki , Sawada Makoto , Schartel Norbert , Serlemtsos Peter J , Seta Hiromi , Shidatsu Megumi , Simionescu Aurora , Smith Randall K , Soong Yang , Stawarz Łukasz , Sugawara Yasuharu , Sugita Satoshi , Szymkowiak Andrew , Tajima Hiroyasu , Takahashi Hiromitsu , Takahashi Tadayuki , Takeda Shin΄ichiro , Takei Yoh , Tamagawa Toru , Tamura Takayuki , Tanaka Takaaki , Tanaka Yasuo , Tanaka Yasuyuki T , Tashiro Makoto S , Tawara Yuzuru , Terada Yukikatsu , Terashima Yuichi , Tombesi Francesco , Tomida Hiroshi , Tsuboi Yohko , Tsujimoto Masahiro , Tsunemi Hiroshi , Tsuru Takeshi Go , Uchida Hiroyuki , Uchiyama Hideki , Uchiyama Yasunobu , Ueda Shutaro , Ueda Yoshihiro , Uno Shin΄ichiro , Urry C Megan , Ursino Eugenio , Watanabe Shin , Werner Norbert , Wilkins Dan R , Williams Brian J , Yamada Shinya , Yamaguchi Hiroya , Yamaoka Kazutaka , Yamasaki Noriko Y , Yamauchi Makoto , Yamauchi Shigeo , Yaqoob Tahir , Yatsu Yoichi , Yonetoku Daisuke , Zhuravleva Irina , Zoghbi Abderahmen , Tominaga Nozomu , Moriya Takashi J 
Published: August 2017

The Crab nebula originated from a core-collapse supernova (SN) explosion observed in 1054 ad. When viewed as a supernova remnant (SNR), it has an anomalously low observed ejecta mass and kinetic energy for an Fe-core-collapse SN. Intensive searches have been made for a massive shell that solves this discrepancy, but none has been detected. An alternative idea is that SN 1054 is an electron-capture (EC) explosion with a lower explosion energy by an order of magnitude than Fe-core-collapse SNe. X-ray imaging searches were performed for the plasma emission from the shell in the Crab outskirts to set a stringent upper limit on the X-ray emitting mass. However, the extreme brightness of the source hampers access to its vicinity. We thus employed spectroscopic technique using the X-ray micro-calorimeter on board the Hitomi satellite. By exploiting its superb energy resolution, we set an upper limit for emission or absorption features from as yet undetected thermal plasma in the 2–12 keV range. We also re-evaluated the existing Chandra and XMM-Newton data. By assembling these results, a new upper limit was obtained for the X-ray plasma mass of ≲ 1 M⊙ for a wide range of assumed shell radius, size, and plasma temperature values both in and out of collisional equilibrium. To compare with the observation, we further performed hydrodynamic simulations of the Crab SNR for two SN models (Fe-core versus EC) under two SN environments (uniform interstellar medium versus progenitor wind). We found that the observed mass limit can be compatible with both SN models if the SN environment has a low density of ≲ 0.03 cm−3 (Fe core) or ≲ 0.1 cm−3 (EC) for the uniform density, or a progenitor wind density somewhat less than that provided by a mass loss rate of 10−5 M⊙ yr−1 at 20 km s−1 for the wind environment.