A High-Resolution Radio Survey of the Vela Supernova Remnant

Abstract

This paper presents a high-resolution radio continuum (843MHz) survey of the Vela supernova remnant. The contrast between thestructures in the central pulsar-powered nebula of the remnant andthe synchrotron radiation shell allows the remnant to be identifiedmorphologically as a member of the composite class. The data arethe first of a composite remnant at spatial scales comparable withthose available for the Cygnus Loop and the Crab Nebula, and makepossible a comparison of radio, optical, and soft X-ray emission fromthe resolved shell filaments. The survey, made with the MolongloObservatory Synthesis Telescope, covers an area of 50 deg^2 at aresolution of 43" x 60", while imaging structures on scales up to 30'.