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Register a new userDiscovery of VHE $gamma$-ray emission from the SNR G54.1+0.3
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We report the discovery of very high energy gamma-ray emission from the direction of the SNR G54.1+0.3 using the VERITAS ground-based gamma-ray observatory. The TeV signal has an overall significance of 6.8$sigma$ and appears point-like given the 5$^{arcminute}$ resolution of the instrument. The integral flux above 1 TeV is 2.5% of the Crab Nebula flux and significant emission is measured between 250 GeV and 4 TeV, well described by a power-law energy spectrum dN/dE $sim$ E$^{-Gamma}$ with a photon index $Gamma= 2.39pm0.23_{stat}pm0.30_{sys}$. We find no evidence of time variability among observations spanning almost two years. Based on the location, the morphology, the measured spectrum, the lack of variability and a comparison with similar systems previously detected in the TeV band, the most likely counterpart of this new VHE gamma-ray source is the PWN in the SNR G54.1+0.3. The measured X-ray to VHE gamma-ray luminosity ratio is the lowest among all the nebulae supposedly driven by young rotation-powered pulsars, which could indicate a particle-dominated PWN.
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Supernova remnants (SNRs) have emerged as one of the largest source classes in very-high-energy (VHE; E>0.1,TeV) astronomy. Many of the now known VHE gamma-ray emitting SNRs have been discovered by the H.E.S.S. imaging Cherenkov telescope array, thanks to its unique access to the inner galaxy. Statistically-significant emission of VHE gamma rays has now been detected from the direction of the supernova remnant G15.4+0.1. While the centroids of the H.E.S.S. source and the shell-type SNR are compatible, the VHE morphology suggests a center-dominated source at TeV energies, something which is at odds with the shell-like morphology observed at radio frequencies. This suggests that H.E.S.S. may be observing TeV emission from a previously unknown pulsar wind nebula (PWN) located within the boundaries of the radio shell. If this interpretation is correct, G15.4+0.1 would in fact be a composite SNR, the first case in which an SNR is identified as a composite on the basis of VHE gamma-ray observations. Archival data from MAGPIS gives exciting hints that there is radio emission from the central parts of the remnant, giving support to this hypothesis. Unfortunately, image artefacts from a nearby strong radio source produce considerable uncertainties in the radio analysis. Additional observations in both the radio and X-ray are needed to confirm the composite nature of G15.4+0.1 suggested by H.E.S.S.
The W49 region hosts two bright radio sources: the star forming region W49A and the supernova remnant W49B. The 10^6 M_odot Giant Molecular Cloud W49A is one of the most luminous giant radio HII regions in our Galaxy and hosts several active, high-mass star formation sites. The mixed-morphology supernova remnant W49B has one of the highest surface brightness in radio of all the SNRs of this class in our Galaxy and is one of the brightest ejecta-dominated SNRs in X-rays. Infrared observations evidenced that W49B is interacting with molecular clouds and Fermi recently reported the detection of a coincident bright, high-energy gamma-ray source. Observations by the H.E.S.S. telescope array resulted in the significant detection of VHE gamma-ray emission from the W49 region, compatible with VHE emission from the SNR W49B. The results, the morphology and the origin of the VHE emission are presented in the multi-wavelength context and the implications on the origin of the signal are discussed.
Recently, the $gamma$-ray emission at MeV and GeV energies from the object LMC P3 in the Large Magellanic Cloud has been discovered to be modulated with a 10.3-days period, making it the first extra-galactic $gamma$-ray binary. This work aims at the detection of TeV $gamma$-ray and the search for modulation of the signal with the orbital period of the binary system. The H.E.S.S. data set has been folded with the known orbital period of the system in order to test for variability of the emission. Energy spectra are obtained for the orbit-averaged data set and for orbital phases in which the TeV flux is found at its maximum. TeV $gamma$-ray emission is detected with a statistical significance of 6.4,$sigma$. The data clearly show variability which is phase-locked to the orbital period of the system. Periodicity cannot be deduced from the H.E.S.S. data set alone. The orbit-averaged luminosity in the 1-10 TeV energy range is $(1.4 pm 0.2) times 10^{35},mathrm{erg,s}^{-1}$. A luminosity of $(5 pm 1) times 10^{35},mathrm{erg,s}^{-1}$ is reached during 20% of the orbit, when the MeV/GeV emission is at its minimum.
Re-observations with the H.E.S.S. telescope array of the very-high-energy (VHE) source HESS J1018-589 A coincident with the Fermi-LAT $gamma$-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 have resulted in a source detection significance of more than 9$sigma$, and the detection of variability ($chi^2$/$ u$ of 238.3/155) in the emitted $gamma$-ray flux. This variability confirms the association of HESS J1018-589 A with the high-energy $gamma$-ray binary detected by Fermi-LAT, and also confirms the point-like source as a new very-high-energy binary system. The spectrum of HESS J1018-589 A is best fit with a power-law function with photon index $Gamma = 2.20 pm 0.14_{rm stat} pm 0.2_{rm sys}$. Emission is detected up to ~20 TeV. The mean differential flux level is $(2.9 pm 0.4)times10^{-13}$ TeV$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ at 1 TeV, equivalent to ~1% of the flux from the Crab Nebula at the same energy. Variability is clearly detected in the night-by-night lightcurve. When folded on the orbital period of 16.58 days, the rebinned lightcurve peaks in phase with the observed X-ray and high-energy phaseograms. The fit of the H.E.S.S. phaseogram to a constant flux provides evidence of periodicity at the level of 3$sigma$. The shape of the VHE phaseogram and measured spectrum suggest a low inclination, low eccentricity system with a modest impact from VHE $gamma$-ray absorption due to pair production ($tau$ < 1 at 300 GeV).
We report the detection of GeV gamma-ray emission from the molecular cloud complex that surrounds the supernova remnant (SNR) W44 using the Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard Fermi. While the previously reported gamma-ray emission from SNR W44 is likely to arise from the dense radio-emitting filaments within the remnant, the gamma-ray emission that appears to come from the surrounding molecular cloud complex can be ascribed to the cosmic rays (CRs) that have escaped from W44. The non-detection of synchrotron radio emission associated with the molecular cloud complex suggests the decay of neutral pi mesons produced in hadronic collisions as the gamma-ray emission mechanism. The total kinetic energy channeled into the escaping CRs is estimated to be (0.3--3)x10^{50} erg, in broad agreement with the conjecture that SNRs are the main sources of Galactic CRs.
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