The Hot and Energetic Universe: The astrophysics of supernova remnants and the interstellar medium. (arXiv:1306.2335v1 [astro-ph.HE])

The Hot and Energetic Universe: The astrophysics of supernova remnants and the interstellar medium. (arXiv:1306.2335v1 [astro-ph.HE]):
The study of both supernova remnants and the hot and cold phases of the
interstellar medium are essential for understanding the final stages of stellar
evolution and their feedback on the evolution of galaxies through injection of
energy and heavy elements. These studies are also crucial for understanding the
physics of supernovae, their cosmological implication, and the origin of
galactic cosmic rays. The unique capabilities of Athena+ will allow us to
explore a new parameter space. Spatially-resolved high-resolution spectroscopy
using Athena+ X-IFU of young remnants will allow to characterize individual
parcels of ejected material in the line of sight in terms of kinematics,
ionization and composition, providing access to the three dimensional geometry
of the explosion. Athena+ will also allow studying shock physics and particle
acceleration in supernova remnants, as well as their interaction with their
environment. Athena+ X-IFU will also characterize the ionization mechanisms
competing in forming the complex structures of the hot interstellar medium,
likely to keep the echo of past star formation activity, both in our Galaxy and
nearby ones. For the first time the dust and gas of the densest cold medium,
like in the Galactic Centre environment, will be studied. Athena+ X-IFU will
observe, along with the Mg K and Si K edges, which are the main tracers of the
silicates content of the ISM, the Fe K edge with unprecedented sensitivity and
energy-resolution. This will allow us to study for the first time the nature of
Fe-bearing dust in such regions.