The Early Evolution of Supernova Remnants

Abstract The density distribution of the supernova ejecta and that of the surrounding medium are the most important parameters for the early evolution of supernova remnants. The distribution of the ejecta depends on the detailed hydrodynamics of the explosion, but the outer parts of a supernova can probably be represented by a steep power law density distribution with radius. Self-similar solutions are especially useful for modeling the interaction of a supernova with its surrounding. The supernova first interacts with mass loss from the progenitor star. Evidence for circumstellar interaction is present in a number of extragalactic supernovae, including SN1987a. The explosions of massive stars probably interact with circumstellar gas for a considerable time while Type Ia supernovae interact more directly with the interstellar medium. X-ray spectroscopy is a good diagnostic for the physical conditions in young supernova remnants and for the composition of the supernova gas.