FUSE Observations of the Cygnus Loop : O VI Emission from a Nonradiative Shock 1

We present Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) observations of a Balmer filament in the northeast region of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. The data consist of one spectrum obtained through the 30 × 30 (LWRS) aperture and three spectra at adjacent positions obtained through the 4 × 20 (MDRS) aperture. The nonradiative shocks in the region giving rise to these faint optical filaments produce strong O VI λλ1032,1038 emission, which is detected in all the spectra. The O VI emission is resolved by FUSE into a strong component centered at 0 km s, and weaker components centered at ± 140 km s. The MDRS spectra allow us to study the variation of O VI emission in the post-shock structure. We find that the zero velocity emission is associated directly with the Balmer filament shock, while the high velocity emission comes from a more uniformly distributed component elsewhere along the line of sight. We also find that the shocks producing the emission at ± 140 km s have velocities between 180 km s and 220 km s, if we assume that the ram pressure driving them is the same as for the zero velocity component shock. In the context of the cavity model for the Cygnus Loop, the interaction of the blast wave with the spherical shell that forms most of the cavity wall can naturally give rise to the similar red and blue-shifted components that are observed. Subject headings: ISM: individual (Cygnus Loop) — ISM: supernova remnants — shock waves Based on data obtained for the Guaranteed Time Team by the NASA-CNES FUSE mission operated by the Johns Hopkins University. Financial support to U.S. participants has been provided by NASA contract NAS5-32985.