A Far-Ultraviolet Spectrum of the Puppis A Supernova Remnant Using the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

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Abstract
We report the first successful far-ultraviolet spectroscopic observation of a filament in the Puppis A supernova remnant. We observed a position on the eastern side of the remnant near the brightest X-ray region using the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope during the Astro-2 space shuttle mission in 1995 March. The spectrum covers the 820-1840 Å spectral range with ~3 Å resolution and shows numerous lines of C, N, O, Ne, He, and possibly Si. Comparison of this spectrum to solar abundance shock models indicates a shock velocity of approximately 160-180 km s-1. A slight overabundance of N is possible for this position, consistent with a shocked interstellar medium picture for the observed filament. This is at odds with the much larger overabundance of N indicated by optical data from other regions of the outer shell in Puppis A. Comparison with optical CCD images obtained at Las Campanas Observatory and with Einstein HRI data indicates that the region observed corresponds to a very recent encounter between the blast wave and an interstellar cloud. The interaction of the shock wave with this cloud is responsible for the bright X-ray emission in this region.