  We present a multiwavelength analysis of the supernova remnant N49 in the
Large Magellanic Cloud. Using high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2
images of H-alpha, [S II] and [O III] emission, we study the morphology of the
remnant and calculate the rms electron densities in different regions. We
detect an offset of [O III] and H-alpha emission of about 0.5 arcsec, and
discuss possible scenarios that could give rise to such high values. The
kinematics of the remnant is analyzed by matching individual filaments to the
echelle spectra obtained at CTIO. We detect narrow H-alpha emission component
which we identify as the diffuse post-shock recombination radiation, and
discrete broad emission features that correspond to the shocked gas in
filaments. The overall expansion of the remnant is about 250 km/s. The dense
clouds are shocked up to line-of-sight velocities of 250 km/s and the less
dense gas up to 300 km/s. A few cloudlets have even higher radial velocities,
reaching up to 350 km/s. We confirm the presence of the cavity in the remnant,
and identify the center of explosion. Using archival Chandra and XMM-Newton
data, we observe the same trends in surface brightness distribution for the
optical and X-ray images. We carry out the spectral analysis of three regions
that represent the most significant optical features.
