scholarly journals Population study of Galactic supernova remnants at very high γ-ray energies with H.E.S.S.

2018 ◽  
Vol 612 ◽  
pp. A3 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
H. Abdalla ◽  
A. Abramowski ◽  
F. Aharonian ◽  
F. Ait Benkhali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Study ◽  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Field Amplification ◽  
Shell Type ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Very High

Shell-type supernova remnants (SNRs) are considered prime candidates for the acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) up to the knee of the CR spectrum at E ≈ 3 × 1015 eV. Our Milky Way galaxy hosts more than 350 SNRs discovered at radio wavelengths and at high energies, of which 220 fall into the H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey (HGPS) region. Of those, only 50 SNRs are coincident with a H.E.S.S source and in 8 cases the very high-energy (VHE) emission is firmly identified as an SNR. The H.E.S.S. GPS provides us with a legacy for SNR population study in VHE γ-rays and we use this rich data set to extract VHE flux upper limits from all undetected SNRs. Overall, the derived flux upper limits are not in contradiction with the canonical CR paradigm. Assuming this paradigm holds true, we can constrain typical ambient density values around shell-type SNRs to n ≤ 7 cm−3 and electron-to-proton energy fractions above 10 TeV to ϵep ≤ 5 × 10−3. Furthermore, comparisons of VHE with radio luminosities in non-interacting SNRs reveal a behaviour that is in agreement with the theory of magnetic field amplification at shell-type SNRs.

scholarly journals The H.E.S.S. Galactic plane survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 612 ◽  
pp. A1 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
H. Abdalla ◽  
A. Abramowski ◽  
F. Aharonian ◽  
F. Ait Benkhali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Angular Resolution ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Cherenkov Telescopes ◽  
Spatial Coverage

We present the results of the most comprehensive survey of the Galactic plane in very high-energy (VHE) γ-rays, including a public release of Galactic sky maps, a catalog of VHE sources, and the discovery of 16 new sources of VHE γ-rays. The High Energy Spectroscopic System (H.E.S.S.) Galactic plane survey (HGPS) was a decade-long observation program carried out by the H.E.S.S. I array of Cherenkov telescopes in Namibia from 2004 to 2013. The observations amount to nearly 2700 h of quality-selected data, covering the Galactic plane at longitudes from ℓ = 250° to 65° and latitudes |b|≤ 3°. In addition to the unprecedented spatial coverage, the HGPS also features a relatively high angular resolution (0.08° ≈ 5 arcmin mean point spread function 68% containment radius), sensitivity (≲1.5% Crab flux for point-like sources), and energy range (0.2–100 TeV). We constructed a catalog of VHE γ-ray sources from the HGPS data set with a systematic procedure for both source detection and characterization of morphology and spectrum. We present this likelihood-based method in detail, including the introduction of a model component to account for unresolved, large-scale emission along the Galactic plane. In total, the resulting HGPS catalog contains 78 VHE sources, of which 14 are not reanalyzed here, for example, due to their complex morphology, namely shell-like sources and the Galactic center region. Where possible, we provide a firm identification of the VHE source or plausible associations with sources in other astronomical catalogs. We also studied the characteristics of the VHE sources with source parameter distributions. 16 new sources were previously unknown or unpublished, and we individually discuss their identifications or possible associations. We firmly identified 31 sources as pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), supernova remnants (SNRs), composite SNRs, or gamma-ray binaries. Among the 47 sources not yet identified, most of them (36) have possible associations with cataloged objects, notably PWNe and energetic pulsars that could power VHE PWNe.

Chapter 2 Galactic Gamma-ray Sources

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Chen ◽  
Xiao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Radiation Mechanisms ◽  
Galactic Sources ◽  
Very High

Abstract In the gamma-ray sky, the highest fluxes come from Galactic sources: supernova remnants (SNRs), pulsars and pulsar wind nebulae, star forming regions, binaries and micro-quasars, giant molecular clouds, Galactic center, and the large extended area around the Galactic plane. The radiation mechanisms of -ray emission and the physics of the emitting particles, such as the origin, acceleration, and propagation, are of very high astrophysical significance. A variety of theoretical models have been suggested for the relevant physics and emission with energies E_1014 eV are expected to be crucial in testing them. In particular, this energy band is a direct window to test at which maximum energy a particle can be accelerated in the Galactic sources and whether the most probable source candidates such as Galactic center and SNRs are “PeVatrons”. Designed aiming at the very high energy (VHE, >100 GeV) observation, LHAASO will be a very powerful instrument in these astrophysical studies. Over the past decade, great advances have been made in the VHE -ray astronomy. More than 170 VHE -ray sources have been observed, and among them, 42 Galactic sources fall in the LHAASO field-of-view. With a sensitivity of 10 milli-Crab, LHAASO can not only provide accurate spectrum for the known -ray sources, but also search new TeV -ray sources. In the following sub-sections, the observation of all the Galactic sources with LHAASO will be discussed in details.

scholarly journals The Hunt for Pevatrons: The Case of Supernova Remnants

Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 324
Author(s):  
Pierre Cristofari
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Short Review ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Scientific Goal ◽  
Energy Domain ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Very High ◽  
Central Scientific

The search for Galactic pevatrons is now a well-identified key science project of all instruments operating in the very-high-energy domain. Indeed, in this energy range, the detection of gamma rays clearly indicates that efficient particle acceleration is taking place, and observations can thus help identify which astrophysical sources can energize particles up to the ~PeV range, thus being pevatrons. In the search for the origin of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs), the PeV range is an important milestone, since the sources of Galactic CRs are expected to accelerate PeV particles. This is how the central scientific goal that is ’solving the mystery of the origin of CRs’ has often been distorted into ’finding (a) pevatron(s)’. Since supernova remnants (SNRs) are often cited as the most likely candidates for the origin of CRs, ’finding (a) pevatron(s)’ has often become ’confirming that SNRs are pevatrons’. Pleasingly, the first detection(s) of pevatron(s) were not associated to SNRs. Moreover, all clearly detected SNRs have yet revealed to not be pevatrons, and the detection from VHE gamma rays from regions unassociated with SNRs, are reminding us that other astrophysical sites might well be pevatrons. This short review aims at highlighting a few important results on the search for Galactic pevatrons.

scholarly journals Galactic acceleration phenomena

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (14) ◽  
pp. 91-92
Author(s):  
Yves A. Gallant
Keyword(s):  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Particle Accelerators ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Shell Type ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Pulsar Wind

AbstractI review the current status of our observational knowledge of prominent classes of particle accelerators in the Galaxy, namely shell-type supernova remnants (SNRs) and pulsar wind nebulae. I highlight in particular the contribution of the recent improvement in sensitivity of very-high-energy (VHE) γ-ray observations, which are currently the most direct probe of particle acceleration in the Galaxy up to energies of several hundreds of TeV.Shell-type SNRs have long been proposed as sources of the Galactic cosmic rays. In recent years, X-ray observations have revealed very thin, non-thermal rims in many young SNRs, and I discuss the implications of these observations for magnetic field amplification and the maximum particle energy attainable by acceleration at the blast wave. I then review the current status of the evidence for accelerated nuclei in these objects, and summarise current uncertainties.The most numerous class of identified Galactic VHE gamma-ray sources is currently that of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). The emission from these objects is generally assumed to be predominantly leptonic, and I outline the new information provided by VHE gamma-ray observations beyond what could be inferred from observations of synchrotron emission.

scholarly journals Modelling the Galactic very-high-energy γ-ray source population

2020 ◽  
Vol 643 ◽  
pp. A137
Author(s):  
Constantin Steppa ◽  
Kathrin Egberts
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Spiral Structure ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Source Distribution ◽  
Source Population ◽  
Diffuse Emission ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Very High

Context. The High Energy Stereoscopic System Galactic plane survey (HGPS) is to date the most comprehensive census of Galactic γ-ray sources at very high energies (VHE; 100 GeV ≤ E ≤ 100 TeV). As a consequence of the limited sensitivity of this survey, the 78 detected γ-ray sources comprise only a small and biased subsample of the overall population. The larger part consists of currently unresolved sources, which contribute to large-scale diffuse emission to a still uncertain amount. Aims. We study the VHE γ-ray source population in the Milky Way. For this purpose population-synthesis models are derived based on the distributions of source positions, extents, and luminosities. Methods. Several azimuth-symmetric and spiral-arm models are compared for spatial source distribution. The luminosity and radius function of the population are derived from the source properties of the HGPS data set and are corrected for the sensitivity bias of the HGPS. Based on these models, VHE source populations are simulated and the subsets of sources detectable according to the HGPS are compared with HGPS sources. Results. The power-law indices of luminosity and radius functions are determined to range between −1.6 and −1.9 for luminosity and −1.1 and −1.6 for radius. A two-arm spiral structure with central bar is discarded as spatial distribution of VHE sources, while azimuth-symmetric distributions and a distribution following a four-arm spiral structure without bar describe the HGPS data reasonably well. The total number of Galactic VHE sources is predicted to be in the range from 800 to 7000 with a total luminosity and flux of (1.6 − 6.3) × 1036 ph s−1 and (3 − 15) × 10−10 ph cm−2 s−1, respectively. Conclusions. Depending on the model, the HGPS sample accounts for (68 − 87)% of the emission of the population in the scanned region. This suggests that unresolved sources represent a critical component of the diffuse emission measurable in the HGPS. With the foreseen jump in sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, the number of detectable sources is predicted to increase by a factor between 5 and 9.

scholarly journals A search for new supernova remnant shells in the Galactic plane with H.E.S.S.

2018 ◽  
Vol 612 ◽  
pp. A8 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
H. Abdalla ◽  
A. Abramowski ◽  
F. Aharonian ◽  
F. Ait Benkhali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Supernova Remnant ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
The Other ◽  
Emission Scenarios ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Identification Criterion ◽  
Relativistic Particles

A search for new supernova remnants (SNRs) has been conducted using TeV γ-ray data from the H.E.S.S. Galactic plane survey. As an identification criterion, shell morphologies that are characteristic for known resolved TeV SNRs have been used. Three new SNR candidates were identified in the H.E.S.S. data set with this method. Extensive multiwavelength searches for counterparts were conducted. A radio SNR candidate has been identified to be a counterpart to HESS J1534−571. The TeV source is therefore classified as a SNR. For the other two sources, HESS J1614−518 and HESS J1912+101, no identifying counterparts have been found, thus they remain SNR candidates for the time being. TeV-emitting SNRs are key objects in the context of identifying the accelerators of Galactic cosmic rays. The TeV emission of the relativistic particles in the new sources is examined in view of possible leptonic and hadronic emission scenarios, taking the current multiwavelength knowledge into account.

scholarly journals Low frequency radio counterparts of HESS J1731−347 a.k.a SNR G353.6−0.7

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (S331) ◽  
pp. 201-205
Author(s):  
A. J. Nayana ◽  
Poonam Chandra
Keyword(s):  
Radio Emission ◽  
Radio Telescope ◽  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Spectral Indices ◽  
Thermal Radio Emission ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Γ Rays ◽  
Very High

AbstractHESS J1731−347 a.k.a. SNR G353.6−0.7 is one of the five known very high energy (VHE, Energy > 0.1 TeV) shell-type supernova remnants. We carried out Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) observations of this TeV SNR in 1390, 610 and 325 MHz bands. We detected the 325 and 610 MHz radio counterparts of the SNR G353.6−0.7 (Nayana et al. 2017). We also determined the spectral indices of individual filaments and our values are consistent with the non-thermal radio emission. We compared the radio morphology with that of VHE emission. The peak in radio emission corresponds to the faintest feature in the VHE emission. We explain this anti-correlated emission in a possible leptonic origin of the VHE γ-rays.

scholarly journals The Making of Catalogues of Very-High-Energy γ-ray Sources

Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 421
Author(s):  
Mathieu de Naurois
Keyword(s):  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Population Studies ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Cherenkov Telescopes ◽  
Background Rejection ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Advanced Analysis ◽  
Γ Ray ◽  
Very High

Thirty years after the discovery of the first very-high-energy γ-ray source by the Whipple telescope, the field experienced a revolution mainly driven by the third generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). The combined use of large mirrors and the invention of the imaging technique at the Whipple telescope, stereoscopic observations, developed by the HEGRA array and the fine-grained camera, pioneered by the CAT telescope, led to a jump by a factor of more than ten in sensitivity. The advent of advanced analysis techniques led to a vast improvement in background rejection, as well as in angular and energy resolutions. Recent instruments already have to deal with a very large amount of data (petabytes), containing a large number of sources often very extended (at least within the Galactic plane) and overlapping each other, and the situation will become even more dramatic with future instruments. The first large catalogues of sources have emerged during the last decade, which required numerous, dedicated observations and developments, but also made the first population studies possible. This paper is an attempt to summarize the evolution of the field towards the building up of the source catalogues, to describe the first population studies already made possible, and to give some perspectives in the context of the upcoming, new generation of instruments.

scholarly journals Towards an anagraphical picture of high-energy Galactic neutrinos

2019 ◽  
Vol 209 ◽  
pp. 01003
Author(s):  
Antonio Marinelli ◽  
Dario Grasso ◽  
Sofia Ventura
Keyword(s):  
Short Duration ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Supernova Remnants ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
High Energy Neutrino ◽  
Neutrino Telescopes ◽  
Upper Limits

The TeV/PeV neutrino emission from our Galaxy is related to the distribution of cosmic-ray accelerators, their maximal energy of injection as well as the propagation of injected particles and their interaction with molecular gas. In the last years Interesting upper limits on the diffuse hadronic emission from the whole Galaxy, massive molecular clouds and Fermi Bubbles were set by the IceCube and ANTARES as well as HAWC and Fermi-LAT observations. On the other hand no evidence of Galactic point-like excess has been observed up to now by high-energy neutrino telescopes. This result can be related to the short duration of the PeV hadronic activity of the sources responsible for the acceleration of primary protons, possibly including supernova remnants. All these aspects will be discussed in this work.

scholarly journals Systematic search for very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from bow shocks of runaway stars

2018 ◽  
Vol 612 ◽  
pp. A12 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
H. Abdalla ◽  
A. Abramowski ◽  
F. Aharonian ◽  
F. Ait Benkhali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Bow Shock ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Bow Shocks ◽  
Gamma Ray Emission ◽  
Runaway Stars ◽  
Very High

Context. Runaway stars form bow shocks by ploughing through the interstellar medium at supersonic speeds and are promising sources of non-thermal emission of photons. One of these objects has been found to emit non-thermal radiation in the radio band. This triggered the development of theoretical models predicting non-thermal photons from radio up to very-high-energy (VHE, E ≥ 0.1 TeV) gamma rays. Subsequently, one bow shock was also detected in X-ray observations. However, the data did not allow discrimination between a hot thermal and a non-thermal origin. Further observations of different candidates at X-ray energies showed no evidence for emission at the position of the bow shocks either. A systematic search in the Fermi-LAT energy regime resulted in flux upper limits for 27 candidates listed in the E-BOSS catalogue.Aim. Here we perform the first systematic search for VHE gamma-ray emission from bow shocks of runaway stars.Methods. Using all available archival H.E.S.S. data we search for very-high-energy gamma-ray emission at the positions of bow shock candidates listed in the second E-BOSS catalogue release. Out of the 73 bow shock candidates in this catalogue, 32 have been observed with H.E.S.S.Results. None of the observed 32 bow shock candidates in this population study show significant emission in the H.E.S.S. energy range. Therefore, flux upper limits are calculated in five energy bins and the fraction of the kinetic wind power that is converted into VHE gamma rays is constrained.Conclusions. Emission from stellar bow shocks is not detected in the energy range between 0.14 and 18 TeV.The resulting upper limits constrain the level of VHE gamma-ray emission from these objects down to 0.1–1% of the kinetic wind energy.

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