What is the key observational characteristic used to differentiate a Thermal composite remnant from a true Crab-like (Plerion) remnant in X-rays?
Answer
Thermal composites show spectral lines in their X-ray spectra, indicating hot, shocked gas.
A key differentiator for Thermal composites is that their X-ray spectra contain spectral lines, which signify the presence of hot, shocked gas, a feature absent in the featureless spectra characteristic of true Crab-like remnants.
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