No Arabic abstract
We have observed the Galactic supernova remnant G16.7+0.1 for 13 ks using the EPIC cameras aboard the XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory, producing the first detection of the SNR outside of the radio band. G16.7+0.1 is one of the faintest radio synchrotron nebulae yet detected, although the core-to-shell flux ratio at 6 cm is typical of composite SNRs. The distance to the object is unknown. Our image is seriously contaminated by single-reflection arcs from the X-ray binary GX17+2, which lies just outside the field of view. Nonetheless, the remnants synchrotron core is clearly detected. We report on the spectrum and intensity of the core emission as well as on our search for emission from the thermal shell, and describe the constraints these observations place on the SNRs distance, age, and central pulsar properties.
We present X-ray observations of PWN G16.73+0.08/SNR G16.7+0.1 using archival data of {it Chandra} ACIS. The X-ray emission peak location of this pulsar wind nebula is found to be offset by 24 arcsec from the centre of the 1.4-GHz emission of this nebula. The X-ray nebula is elongated in the direction from the X-ray peak to the 1.4-GHz emission centre. This offset suggests that G16.73+0.08 is an evolved pulsar wind nebula interacting with the supernova remnant reverse shock. We identify a point source, CXO J182058.16-142001.5, near the location of the X-ray peak. The spectrum of the X-ray nebula can be described by an absorbed power law of photon index $0.98^{+0.79}_{-0.71}$ and hydrogen column density $N_{rm H}=4.99^{+2.75}_{-2.28}times 10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$. CXO J182058.16-142001.5 is likely a pulsar. We estimate its spin-down power to be about $2.6times 10 ^{36}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Assuming its age at 3000 and 10,000 years, its dipole magnetic field strength at the polar surface is estimated to be about $4.2 times 10^{13}$ G and $1.3 times 10^{13}$ G, respectively.
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.
We build HI absorption spectra towards Supernova Remnant (SNRs) G16.7+0.1 and G15.9+0.2 using the THOR survey data. With the absorption spectra, we give a new distance range of 7 to 16 kpc for G15.9+0.2. We also resolve the near/far-side distance ambiguity of G16,7+0.1 and confirm its kinematic distance of about 14 kpc. In addition, we analyze the CO (J=3-2) spectra towards G16.7+0.1 and find obvious CO emission at the 20 kms$^{-1}$ OH 1720 MHz maser site. This supports Reynoso and Mangum (2000)s suggestions that the velocity difference between the maser and southern molecular cloud is caused by the shock acceleration. We discuss the impact of the distances on other physical parameters of the two SNRs.
We report on the investigation of a very high energy (VHE), Galactic gamma-ray source recently discovered at >50GeV using the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. This object, 2FHL J1703.4-4145, displays a very hard >50GeV spectrum with a photon index ~1.2 in the 2FHL catalog and, as such, is one of the most extreme sources in the 2FHL sub-sample of Galactic objects. A detailed analysis of the available multi-wavelength data shows that this source is located on the western edge of the supernova remnant (SNR) G344.7--0.1, along with extended TeV source, HESS J1702-420. The observations and the spectral energy distribution modeling support a scenario where this gamma-ray source is the byproduct of the interaction between the SNR shock and the dense surrounding medium, with escaping cosmic rays (CRs) diffusing into the dense environment and interacting with a large local cloud, generating the observed TeV emission. If confirmed, an interaction between the SNR CRs and a nearby cloud would make 2FHL J1703.4-4145 another promising candidate for efficient particle acceleration of the 2FHL Galactic sample, following the first candidate from our previous investigation of a likely shock-cloud interaction occurring on the West edge of the Vela SNR.
Supernova remnants (SNRs) are believed to be the main sources of Galactic cosmic rays. Molecular clouds associated with SNRs can produce gamma-ray emission through the interaction of accelerated particles with the concentrated gas. The middle aged SNR W28, for its associated system of dense molecular clouds, provides an excellent opportunity to test this hypothesis. We present the AGILE/GRID observations of SNR W28, and compare them with observations at other wavelengths (TeV and 12CO J=1-->0 molecular line emission). The gamma-ray flux detected by AGILE from the dominant source associated with W28 is (14 +- 5) 10^-8 ph cm^-2 s^-1 for E > 400 MeV. This source is positionally well correlated with the TeV emission observed by the HESS telescope. The local variations of the GeV to TeV flux ratio suggest a difference between the CR spectra of the north-west and south molecular cloud complexes. A model based on a hadronic-induced interaction and diffusion with two molecular clouds at different distances from the W28 shell can explain both the morphological and spectral features observed by AGILE in the MeV-GeV energy range and by the HESS telescope in the TeV energy range. The combined set of AGILE and H.E.S.S. data strongly support a hadronic model for the gamma-ray production in W28.