Integral Field Spectroscopy of Balmer-Dominated Shocks in the Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnant N103B

We present results of integral field spectroscopy of Balmer-dominated shocks in the LMC supernova remnant (SNR) N103B, carried out using the Wide Field Integral Spectrograph (WiFeS) on the 2.3 m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia. Existing X-ray studies of N103B have indicated a Type Ia supernova origin. Radiative shock emission from clumpy material surrounding the SNR may result from interaction of the forward shock with relic stellar wind material, possibly implicating a thermonuclear explosion in a single-degenerate binary system. The recently discovered Balmer-dominated shocks mark the impact of the forward shock with low density, partially neutral CSM gas, and form a partial shell encircling clumps of material exhibiting radiative shocks. The WiFeS spectra of N103B cover the range 3500 - 7000 Angstroms and reveal broad Halpha profiles up to 2360 km/s in width along the northern rim, and both Halpha and Hbeta broad profiles approximately 1300 km/s in width along the southern rim. Our fits to the Halpha line profiles indicate that in addition to from the usual broad and narrow emission components, a third component of intermediate width exists in the Balmer-dominated shocks, ranging from around 125 km/s up to 225 km/s in width. Recent Balmer-dominated shock models have predicted such an intermediate-width component will be generated in a fast neutral precursor. We derive a Sedov age of approximately 685 years for N103B from the Balmer-dominated spectra, consistent with the young age of 380 - 860 years estimated from light echo studies.