Suzaku and XMM-Newton Observations of Diffuse X-Ray Emission from the Eastern Tip Region of the Carina Nebula

Abstract

The eastern tip region of the Carina Nebula was observed with the Suzaku XIS for 77ks to conduct a high-precision spectral study of extended X-ray emission. XMM-Newton EPIC data of this region were also utilized to detect point sources. The XIS detected strong extended X-ray emission from the entire field-of-view with a 0.2--5keV flux of 0.7--4 × 10^-14erg s^-1arcmin^-2. The emission has a blob-like structure that coincides with an ionized gas filament observed in mid-infrared images. Contributions of astrophysical backgrounds and the detected point sources were insignificant. Thus the emission is diffuse in nature. The X-ray spectrum of the diffuse emission was represented by a two-temperature plasma model with temperatures of 0.3 and 0.6keV and an absorption column density of 2 × 10²¹cm^-1. The X-ray emission showed normal nitrogen-to-oxygen abundance ratios and a high iron-to-oxygen abundance ratio. The spectrally deduced parameters, such as temperatures and column densities, are common to the diffuse X-ray emission near η Car. Thus, the diffuse X-ray emission in these two fields may have the same origin. The spectral fitting results are discussed to constrain the origin in the context of stellar winds and supernovae.