A Morphological Study of the Supernova Remnant Rx J0852.0–4622 (Vela Jr.)

We conduct a multiwavelength morphological study of the Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) RX J0852.0-4622 (also known as Vela Jr., Vela Z, and G266.2-1.2). RX J0852.0-4622 is coincident with the edge of the larger Vela SNR causing confusion in the attribution of some filamentary structures to either RX J0852.0-4622 or its larger sibling. We find that the RX J0852.0-4622 radio-continuum emission can be characterized by a two-dimensional shell with a radius of 0 degrees.90 +/- 0 degrees.01 (or 11.8 +/- 0.6 pc at an assumed distance of 750 pc) centered at (l, b) = (133 degrees.08 +/- 0 degrees.01,-46 degrees.34 +/- 0 degrees.01) (or R.A. = 8(h)52(m)19(s).2, decl. = -46 degrees 20'24 ".0, J2000), consistent with X-ray and gamma-ray emission. Although [O III] emission features are generally associated with the Vela SNR, one particular [ O III] emission feature, which we denote as "the Vela Claw," morphologically matches a molecular clump that is thought to have been stripped by the stellar progenitor of the RX J0852.0-4622 SNR. We argue that the Vela Claw feature is possibly associated with RX J0852.0-4622. Toward the northwestern edge of RX J0852.0-4622, we find a flattening of the radio spectral index toward another molecular clump also thought to be associated with RX J0852.0-4622. It is currently unclear whether this feature and the Vela Claw result from interactions between the RX J0852.0-4622 shock and interstellar medium gas.