Kinematics of the Molecular Hydrogen Associated with the Supernova Remnant IC 443

Abstract

We present high angular resolution (0.86") observations of the kinematics of the molecular hydrogen in one of the zones of interaction of a molecular cloud with the Galactic supernova remnant IC 443. This has been done using a scanning Fabry-PÈrot interferometer at the near-IR line at 2.12 mum of molecular hydrogen. The kinematics derived from the Fabry-PÈrot velocity cubes thus obtained allows us to have a better insight into the type of motions (and thereby shocks) of molecular gas at smaller scales in this zone of interaction, taking into account the complex morphology and kinematics of the knots, diffuse gas, and filaments that comprise the molecular clumps. A combination of J-type and C-type shocks seems to explain the kinematics, in agreement with the conclusions of Snell et al. based on the large amount of data gathered on the line ratios and abundances of several neutral and molecular species.