Note: this is an archived version which has been superseded. The current SNR catalogue is at http://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/surveys/snrs/

A Catalogue of Galactic Supernova Remnants

(Version VI, 1996 August)

D.A. Green
Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory
Cavendish Laboratory
Madingley Road
Cambridge CB3 0HE
UNITED KINGDOM

Contents. Links from here.

1. The Catalogue Format

This catalogue of Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) is an updated version of those presented in detail in Green (1984, 1988), in summary form in Green (1991, 1996) - hereafter Versions I, II, III and IV respectively - and on the World-Wide-Web (Version V, 1995 July). (Note that Version IV, although published in 1996, was produced in 1993.)

This, the 1996 August version of the catalogue contains 215 SNRs (which is 21 more than in Version V), with about thousand references in the detailed listings, plus notes on several dozen possible or probable remnants. For each remnant in the catalogue the following parameters are given.

In the detailed listings, for each remnant, notes on a variety of topics are given. First, it is noted if other Galactic coordinates have at times been used to label it (usually before good observations have revealed the full extent of the object), if the SNR is thought to be the remnant of a historical SN, or if the nature of the source as an SNR has been questioned (in which case an appropriate reference is usually given later in the entry). Brief descriptions of the remnant from the available radio, optical and X-ray observations as applicable are then given, together with notes on available distance determinations, and any point sources or pulsars in the field of the object (although they may not necessarily be related to the remnant). Finally, appropriate references to observations are given for each remnant, complete with journal, volume, page, and a short description of what information each paper contains (for radio observations these include the telescopes used, the observing frequencies and resolutions, together with any flux density determinations). These references are not complete, but cover representative and recent observations of the remnant, and they should themselves include references to earlier work. The references do not generally include large observational surveys - of particular interest in this respect are: the Effelsberg 100-m survey at 2.7 GHz of the Galactic plane 358° < l < 240°, |b| < 5° by Reich et al. (1990) and Fürst et al. (1990); reviews of the radio spectra of some SNRs by Kassim (1989) and by Kovalenko, Pynzar' & Udal'tsov (1994); the Parkes 64-m survey at 2.4 GHz of the Galactic plane 238° < l < 365°, |b| < 5° by Duncan et al. (1995); reviews of Einstein X-ray imaging and FPCS observations of Galactic SNRs by Seward (1990) and Lum et al. (1992) respectively; surveys of IRAS observations of SNRs and their immediate surroundings by Arendt (1989) and by Saken, Fesen & Shull (1992); and the survey of HI emission towards SNRs by Koo & Heiles (1991).

The catalogue is available as a summary listing of the parameters for each remnant, and as detailed listings (with references) for each object. Also see the list of other names used for these SNRs, and the list of abbreviations for journals, proceedings and telescopes (both radio and X-ray) used in the detailed listings.

2. Revisions and Notes

2.1 Objects no longer thought to be SNRs

The following objects, which were listed in Version I of the catalogue were removed because they were no longer thought to be remnants, or are poorly observed (see Version II for references and further details): G2.4+1.4 (see also Gray 1994a; Goss & Lozinskaya 1995; Polcaro et al. 1995), G41.9-4.1 (=CTB 73, PKS 1920+06), G47.6+6.1 (=CTB 63), G53.9+0.3 (part of HC40), G93.4+1.8 (=NRAO 655), G123.2+2.9, G194.7+0.4 (the Origem Loop), G287.8-0.5 (see below), G322.3-1.2 (=Kes 24) and G343.0-6.0 (see below).

G350.1-0.3, which was listed in Version II of the catalogue, was removed as it is no longer thought to be a SNR (see Version III for details).

G358.4-1.9, which was listed in Version IV of the catalogue, was removed, as following the discussion of Gray (1994a), as it is not clear that this is a SNR.

In this version of the catalogue the following have been removed:

The following objects, which have been reported as SNRs, but have not been included in any of SNR catalogues, have subsequently been shown not to be SNRs. Some entries in the catalogue have been renamed, due to improved observations revealing a larger true extent for the object (G5.3-1.0 is now G5.4-1.2; G193.3-1.5 is now G192.8-1.1; G308.7+0.0 is now incorporated into G308.8-0.1).

2.2 New SNRs

The following remnants were added to Version II of the catalogue: G0.9+0.1, G1.9+0.3, G5.9+3.1, G6.4+4.0, G8.7-0.1, G16.8-1.1, G18.9-1.1, G20.0-0.2, G27.8+0.6, G30.7+1.0, G31.5-0.6, G36.6-0.7, G42.8+0.6, G45.7-0.4, G54.1+0.3, G73.9+0.9, G179.0+2.6, G312.4-0.4, G357.7+0.3 and G359.1-0.9.

The following remnants were added to Version III of the catalogue: G4.2-3.5, G5.2-2.6, G6.1+1.2, G8.7-5.0, G13.5+0.2, G15.1-1.6, G16.7+0.1, G17.4-2.3, G17.8-2.6, G30.7-2.0, G36.6+2.6, G43.9+1.6, G59.8+1.2, G65.1+0.6, G68.6-1.2, G69.7+1.0, G279.0+1.1, G284.3-1.8 (=MSH 10-53), G358.4-1.9 and G359.0-0.9.

The following remnants were added to Version IV of the catalogue: G59.5+0.1, G67.7+1.8, G84.9+0.5, G156.2+5.7, G318.9+0.4, G322.5-0.1, G343.1-2.3, and G348.5-0.0.

The following remnants were added to Version V of the catalogue: G1.0-0.1, G1.4-0.1, G3.7-0.2, G3.8+0.3, G28.8+1.5, G76.9+1.0, G272.2-3.2, G341.2+0.9, G354.1+0.1, G355.6-0.0, G356.3-0.3, G356.3-1.5 and G359.1+0.9. The following remnants have been added to this version of the catalogue:

2.3 Possible and probable SNRs not listed in the catalogue

The following are possible or probable SNRs for which further observations are required to confirm their nature or parameters, or for which observations are not yet in the published literature.

2.3.1 Radio

2.3.1 Optical/Infra-red

2.3.3 X-ray

2.3.4 Other

Finally, it should be noted that some radio loops in the Galactic plane (see Berkhuijsen 1973) may be parts of very large, old SNRs, but they have not been included in the catalogue (see also Combi et al. 1995).

2.4 Questionable SNRs listed in the catalogue

As noted in Versions II and IV of the catalogue, the following sources are listed as SNRs, although, as discussed in each case, the identifications are not certain: G5.4-1.2, G39.7-2.0 (=W50), G65.7+1.2 (=DA 495), G69.0+2.7 (=CTB 80), G318.9+0.4 and G357.7-0.1. The nature of G76.9+1.0 (an unusual radio source similar to G65.7+1.2 (=DA 495)), and of G354.1+0.1 (which appears may be similar to G357.7-0.1 (=MHS 17-39)) are also uncertain (see Landecker, Higgs & Wendker 1993 and Frail, Goss & Whiteoak 1994 respectively).

There are also some objects that have been identified as SNRs and are listed in the catalogue, although they have been barely resolved in the available observations, or are faint, and have not been well separated from confusing background or nearby thermal emission, and their identification as SNRs, or at least their parameters remain uncertain.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the many colleagues who have commented on the errors and omissions in previous versions of the catalogue. No doubt errors remain in this version, and I am always happy to receive feedback from users of the catalogue.

This research has made use of the Bath Information & Data Services (BIDS) ISI databse, NASA's Astrophysics Data System (ADS) Abstract Service, and the SIMBAD database, operated by CDS, Strasbourg, France.

References


Dave Green/MRAO, Cambridge, UK/D.A.Green@mrao.cam.ac.uk