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Register a new userDetection of VER J2019+407 (G78.2+2.1) and Tychos Supernova Remnant with VERITAS
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Amanda Weinstein
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Supernova remnants (SNRs) are widely considered the most likely source of cosmic rays below the knee ($10^{15}$ eV). Studies of GeV and TeV gamma-ray emission in the vicinity of SNRs, in combination with multi-wavelength observations, can trace and constrain the nature of the charged particle population believed to be accelerated within SNR shocks. They may also speak to the diffusion and propagation of these energetic particles and to the nature of the acceleration mechanisms involved. We report here on the discoveries and interpretation of VHE gamma-ray emission from G120.1+1.4 (Tychos SNR) and from the northwest shell of G78.2+2.1 (gamma-ray source VER J2019+407, which was discovered as a consequence of the VERITAS Cygnus region survey).
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We report the discovery of an unidentified, extended source of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission, VER J2019+407, within the radio shell of the supernova remnant SNR G78.2+2.1, using 21.4 hours of data taken by the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory in 2009. These data confirm the preliminary indications of gamma-ray emission previously seen in a two-year (2007-2009) blind survey of the Cygnus region by VERITAS. VER J2019+407, which is detected at a post-trials significance of 7.5 standard deviations in the 2009 data, is localized to the northwestern rim of the remnant in a region of enhanced radio and X-ray emission. It has an intrinsic extent of 0.23^{circ} pm 0.03^{circ} (stat)+0.04^{circ}_{-0.02}^{circ}(sys) and its spectrum is well-characterized by a differential power law (dN/dE = N_0 times (E/TeV)^{-Gamma}) with a photon index of {Gamma} = 2.37 pm 0.14 (stat) pm 0.20 (sys) and a flux normalization of N0 = 1.5 pm 0.2 (stat) pm 0.4(sys) times 10^-12 ph TeV^{-1} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. This yields an integral flux of 5.2 pm 0.8 (stat) pm 1.4 (sys) times 10^-12 ph cm^{-2} s^{-1} above 320 GeV, corresponding to 3.7% of the Crab Nebula flux. We consider the relationship of the TeV gamma-ray emission with the GeV gamma-ray emission seen from SNR G78.2+2.1 as well as that seen from a nearby cocoon of freshly accelerated cosmic rays. Multiple scenarios are considered as possible origins for the TeV gamma-ray emission, including hadronic particle acceleration at the supernova remnant shock.
We present X-ray proper-motion measurements of the forward shock and reverse-shocked ejecta in Tychos supernova remnant, based on three sets of archival Chandra data taken in 2000, 2003, and 2007. We find that the proper motion of the edge of the remnant (i.e., the forward shock and protruding ejecta knots) varies from 0.20 yr^{-1} (expansion index m=0.33, where R = t^m) to 0.40 yr^{-1} (m=0.65) with azimuthal angle in 2000-2007 measurements, and 0.14 yr^{-1} (m=0.26) to 0.40 yr^{-1} (m=0.65) in 2003-2007 measurements. The azimuthal variation of the proper motion and the average expansion index of ~0.5 are consistent with those derived from radio observations. We also find proper motion and expansion index of the reverse-shocked ejecta to be 0.21-0.31 yr^{-1} and 0.43-0.64, respectively. From a comparison of the measured m-value with Type Ia supernova evolutionary models, we find a pre-shock ambient density around the remnant of <~0.2 cm^{-3}.
We present the first direct ejecta velocity measurements of Tychos supernova remnant (SNR). Chandras high angular resolution images reveal a patchy structure of radial velocities in the ejecta that can be separated into distinct redshifted, blueshifted, and low velocity ejecta clumps or blobs. The typical velocities of the redshifted and blueshifted blobs are <~ 7,800 km/s and <~ 5,000 km/s, respectively. The highest velocity blobs are located near the center, while the low velocity ones appear near the edge as expected for a generally spherical expansion. Systematic uncertainty on the velocity measurements from gain calibration was assessed by carrying out joint fits of individual blobs with both the ACIS-I and ACIS-S detectors. We determine the three-dimensional kinematics of the Si- and Fe-rich clumps in the southeastern quadrant and show that these knots form a distinct, compact, and kinematically-connected structure, possibly even a chain of knots strung along the remnants edge. By examining the viewing geometries we conclude that the knots in the southeastern region are unlikely to be responsible for the high velocity Ca II absorption features seen in the light echo spectrum of SN 1572, the originating event for Tychos SNR.
We present results from {it XMM-Newton/RGS} observations of prominent knots in the southest portion of Tychos supernova remnant, known to be the remnant of a Type Ia SN in 1572 C.E. By dispersing the photons from these knots out of the remnant with very little emission in front of or behind them, we obtained the nearly uncontaminated spectra of the knots. In the southernmost knot, the RGS successfully resolved numerous emission lines from Si, Ne, O He$alpha$ and Ly$alpha$, and Fe L-shell. This is the first clear detection of O lines in Tychos SNR. Line broadening was measured to be $sim 3$ eV for the O He$alpha$ and $sim 4.5$ eV for Fe L lines. If we attribute the broadening to pure thermal Doppler effects, then we obtain kT$_{O}$ and kT$_{Fe}$ to be $sim 400$ keV and 1.5 MeV, respectively. These temperatures can be explained by heating in a reverse shock with a shock velocity of $sim 3500$ km s$^{-1}$. The abundances obtained from fitting the RGS and MOS data together imply substantially elevated amounts of these materials, confirming previous studies that the knots are heated by a reverse shock, and thus contain ejecta material from the supernova. We are unable to find a Type Ia explosion model that reproduces these abundances, but this is likely the result of this knot being too small to extrapolate to the entire remnant.
We report the discovery of TeV gamma-ray emission from the Type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) G120.1+1.4, known as Tychos supernova remnant. Observations performed in the period 2008-2010 with the VERITAS ground-based gamma-ray observatory reveal weak emission coming from the direction of the remnant, compatible with a point source located at $00^{rm h} 25^{rm m} 27.0^{rm s}, +64^{circ} 10^{prime} 50^{primeprime}$ (J2000). The TeV photon spectrum measured by VERITAS can be described with a power-law $dN/dE = C(E/3.42;textrm{TeV})^{-Gamma}$ with $Gamma = 1.95 pm 0.51_{stat} pm 0.30_{sys}$ and $C = (1.55 pm 0.43_{stat} pm 0.47_{sys}) times 10^{-14}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$TeV$^{-1}$. The integral flux above 1 TeV corresponds to $sim 0.9%$ percent of the steady Crab Nebula emission above the same energy, making it one of the weakest sources yet detected in TeV gamma rays. We present both leptonic and hadronic models which can describe the data. The lowest magnetic field allowed in these models is $sim 80 mu$G, which may be interpreted as evidence for magnetic field amplification.
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