Discovery of TeV Gamma Ray Emission from Tychos Supernova 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.

Detection of Extended VHE Gamma Ray Emission from G106.3+2.7 with VERITAS

We report the detection of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from supernova remnant (SNR) G106.3+2.7. Observations performed in 2008 with the VERITAS atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope resolve extended emission overlapping the elongated radio SNR. The 7.3 sigma (pre-trials) detection has a full angular extent of roughly 0.6deg by 0.4deg. Most notably, the centroid of the VHE emission is centered near the peak of the coincident 12CO (J = 1-0) emission, 0.4deg away from the pulsar PSR J2229+6114, situated at the northern end of the SNR. Evidently the current-epoch particles from the pulsar wind nebula are not participating in the gamma-ray production. The VHE energy spectrum measured with VERITAS is well characterized by a power law dN/dE = N_0(E/3 TeV)^{-G} with a differential index of G = 2.29 +/- 0.33stat +/- 0.30sys and a flux of N_0 = (1.15 +/- 0.27stat +/- 0.35sys)x 10^{-13} cm^{-2} s^{-1} TeV^{-1}. The integral flux above 1 TeV corresponds to ~5 percent of the steady Crab Nebula emission above the same energy. We describe the observations and analysis of the object and briefly discuss the implications of the detection in a multiwavelength context.

Measurements of cosmic-ray secondary nuclei at high energies with the first flight of the CREAM balloon-borne experiment

We present new measurements of heavy cosmic-ray nuclei at high energies per- formed during the first flight of the balloon-borne cosmic-ray experiment CREAM (Cosmic-Ray Energetics And Mass). This instrument uses multiple charge detectors and a transition radiation detector to provide the first high accuracy measurements of the relative abundances of elements from boron to oxygen up to energies around 1 TeV/n. The data agree with previous measurements at lower energies and show a relatively steep decline (~E$^-0.6$ to E$^-0.5$) at high energies. They further show the source abundance of nitrogen relative to oxygen is ~10% in the TeV/n region.