Probing Ejecta Asymmetries in Core-Collapse Supernova Remnants

Supernova remnants (SNRs) offer the means to study supernovae (SNe) long after the original explosion and provide a unique insight into the mechanism that governs these energetic events. In particular, the deviations from spherical symmetry observed in many SNRs can be compared to predictions from recent 3D simulations to further our understanding of SN physics. In this dissertation talk, I will discuss using X-ray imaging and spatially resolved spectra of SNRs to probe ejecta metals synthesized in SNe and provide insights to explosion mechanisms. My findings show that neutron stars are preferentially kicked in a direction opposite to the heaviest elements (e.g., Ar, Ca, Ti, and Fe), and these elements exhibit more asymmetric morphologies than lighter elements (e.g., O, Si, S). These results are consistent with neutron star kicks arising from conservation of momentum with asymmetric ejecta rather than anisotropic neutrino emission and match the results of recent 3D SN simulations. In the near future, X-ray microcalorimeters will revolutionize SNR science, revealing the three-dimensional distribution of ejecta metals for direct comparison to hydrodynamical simulations.