The most complete and detailed X-ray view of the SNR Puppis A
  With the purpose of producing the first detailed full view of Puppis A in
X-rays, we carried out new XMM-Newton observations covering the missing regions
in the southern half of the supernova remnant (SNR) and combined them with
existing XMM-Newton and Chandra data. The new images were produced in the
0.3-0.7, 0.7-1.0 and 1.0-8.0 energy bands. We investigated the SNR morphology
in detail, carried out a multi-wavelength analysis and estimated the flux
density and luminosity of the whole SNR. The complex structure observed across
the remnant confirms that Puppis A evolves in an inhomogeneous, probably knotty
interstellar medium. The southwestern corner includes filaments that perfectly
correlate with radio features suggested to be associated with shock/cloud
interaction. In the northern half of Puppis A the comparison with Spitzer
infrared images shows an excellent correspondence between X-rays and 24 and 70
microns emission features, while to the south there are some matched and other
unmatched features. X-ray flux densities of 12.6 X 10^-9, 6.2 X 10^-9, and 2.8
X 10^-9 erg cm^-2 s^-1 were derived for the 0.3-0.7, 0.7-1.0 and 1.0-8.0 keV
bands, respectively. At the assumed distance of 2.2 kpc, the total X-ray
luminosity between 0.3 and 8.0 keV is 1.2 X 10^37 erg s^-1. We also collected
and updated the broad-band data of Puppis A between radio and GeV gamma-ray
range, producing its spectral energy distribution. To provide constraints to
the high-energy emission models, we re-analyzed radio data, estimating the
energy content in accelerated particles to be Umin=4.8 X 10^49 erg and the
magnetic field strength B=26 muG.
