2012MNRAS.423.1215G

In this paper, we present the analysis of a deep (99.6 ks) observation of G304.6+0.1 with the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer on board the Suzaku satellite. The X-ray spectral data are well fitted with a plasma model consisting of a thermal component, in collisional ionization equilibrium, and a non-thermal component. The thermal emission is well fitted with the VMEKAL model with an electron temperature of kT_e ∼ 0.75 keV, a high absorbing column density of N_H ∼ 3.9 {x} 10²²/cm2 and near/lower solar abundances, which indicate that the X-ray emitting plasma of G304.6+0.1 is dominated by a swept-up ambient medium. The non-thermal component is well fitted with a power-law model with a photon index of Γ ∼ 1.4. We have found a relatively high electron density n_e ∼ 2.3f^–1/2/cm3, an age t ∼ 1.4 {x} 10⁴f^1/2 yr and an X-ray emitting mass M_x ∼ 380f^1/2 M_☉ at an adopted distance of d= 10 kpc. Using the morphological and spectral X-ray data, we confirm that the remnant is a new member of the mixed-morphology supernova remnants.