Thanks to Chandra and XMM-Newton, spatially resolved spectroscopy of SNRs
in the X-ray band has become a reality. Several impressive data sets for
ejecta-dominated SNRs can now be found in the archives, the Cas A VLP just
being one (albeit probably the most spectacular) example. However, it is
often hard to establish quantitative, unambiguous connections between the
X-ray observations of SNRs and the dramatic events involved in a core
collapse or thermonuclear SN explosion. The reason for this is that the
very high quality of the data sets generated by Chandra and XMM for the
likes of Cas A, SNR 292.0+1.8, Tycho, and SN 1006 has surpassed our ability
to analyze them. The core of the problem is in the transient nature of the
plasmas in SNRs, which results in anintimate relationship between the structure of the ejecta and AM, the SNR
dynamics arising from their interaction, and the ensuing X-ray
emission. Thus, the ONLY way to understand the X-ray observations of
ejecta-dominated SNRs at all levels, from the spatially integrated spectra
to the subarcsecond scales that can be resolved by Chandra, is to couple
hydrodynamic simulations to nonequilibrium ionization (NEI) calculations
and X-ray spectral codes. I will review the basic ingredients that enter
this kind of calculations, and what are the prospects for using them to
understand the X-ray emission from the shocked ejecta in young SNRs. This
understanding (when it is possible), can turn SNRs into veritable time
machines, revealing the secrets of the titanic explosions that generated
them hundreds of years ago.
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