Areas of Interest
Dr. Reynolds studies high-energy processes in supernova remnants, active galaxies, and other locales, in particular the acceleration of particles in strong shock waves. The recent discovery of nonthermal X-ray emission in several shell remnants has revived earlier work (Reynolds and Chevalier 1981) and has led to new calculations and simulations of synchrotron X-ray emission from electrons accelerated to 100 TeV in supernova-remnant blast waves. Reynolds tests these predictions with observations of radio emission with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array (NRAO's VLA), and X-ray emission with satellites such as ROSAT and ASCA. Sharp edges in radio images of supernova remnants indicate the presence of high levels of magnetic turbulence ahead of the shock wave, inhibiting electron diffusion as predicted by shock acceleration theory. Calculations of the turbulence inside the remnants have been adapted to produce predictions of their appearance in radio observations, under various assumptions about the behavior of magnetic fields. High-resolution radio observations of remnants have produced evidence of highly disordered magnetic fields, and of the interaction of one remnant with a nearby molecular cloud. The population of cosmic-ray particles in young supernova remnants should also produce gamma-ray emission due to several processes. Reynolds is modeling these processes to make predictions of gamma-ray images and spectra in time for the launch of new gamma-ray observatories such as INTEGRAL and GLAST.
Recent Publications
"Evidence for Enhanced MHD Turbulence Outside Sharp-Rimmed Supernova Remnants,"
A&A
281.
A. Achterberg, R. D. Blandford, and S. P. Reynolds.
(1994). p. 220--230.
"Model Images of Radio Halos Around Supernova Remnants,"
ApJS
90.
S. P. Reynolds.
(1994). p. 845 - 856.
"Multifrequency Studies of Bright Radio Supernova Remnants. I.~3C 391,"
ApJ
425.
D. A. Moffett and S. P. Reynolds.
(1994). p. 668 - 686.
"X-ray Evidence for the Association of G11.2--0.3 with the Supernova of 386 AD,"
MNRAS
271.
S. P. Reynolds, R. D. Blandford, M. Lyutikov, and F. D. Seward.
(1994). p. L1-L4.
"Multifrequency Studies of Bright Radio Supernova Remnants. II.~W49 B,"
ApJ
437.
D. A. Moffett and S. P. Reynolds.
(1994). p. 705-726.
"Synchrotron Models for X-rays from the Supernova Remnant SN 1006,"
ApJ
459.
S.P. Reynolds.
(1996). p. L13-L16.
"A VLA Study of the Expansion of Tycho's Supernova Remnant,"
ApJ
491.
E.M. Reynoso, D.A. Moffett, W.M. Goss, G.M. Dubner, J.R. Dickel, S.P. Reynolds, and E.B. Giacani.
(1997). p. 816-828.
"Models of Synchrotron X-rays from Shell Supernova Remnants,"
ApJ
493.
S.P. Reynolds.
(1998). p. 375-396.
"CO Observations of the 3C391 Supernova Remnant,"
AJ
115.
D.J. Wilner, S.P. Reynolds, and D.A. Moffett.
(1998). p. 247-251.
"Transition to the Radiative Phase in Supernova Remnants,"
ApJ
500.
J.M. Blondin, E.B. Wright, K.J. Borkowski, and S.P. Reynolds.
(1998). p. 342-354.
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