scholarly journals H.E.S.S. and Suzaku observations of the Vela X pulsar wind nebula

2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. A100 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
H. Abdalla ◽  
F. Aharonian ◽  
F. Ait Benkhali ◽  
E. O. Angüner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Termination Shock ◽  
Reverse Shock ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Electron Spectra ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Pulsar Wind

Context. Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) represent the most prominent population of Galactic very-high-energy gamma-ray sources and are thought to be an efficient source of leptonic cosmic rays. Vela X is a nearby middle-aged PWN, which shows bright X-ray and TeV gamma-ray emission towards an elongated structure called the cocoon. Aims. Since TeV emission is likely inverse-Compton emission of electrons, predominantly from interactions with the cosmic microwave background, while X-ray emission is synchrotron radiation of the same electrons, we aim to derive the properties of the relativistic particles and of magnetic fields with minimal modelling. Methods. We used data from the Suzaku XIS to derive the spectra from three compact regions in Vela X covering distances from 0.3 to 4 pc from the pulsar along the cocoon. We obtained gamma-ray spectra of the same regions from H.E.S.S. observations and fitted a radiative model to the multi-wavelength spectra. Results. The TeV electron spectra and magnetic field strengths are consistent within the uncertainties for the three regions, with energy densities of the order 10−12 erg cm−3. The data indicate the presence of a cutoff in the electron spectrum at energies of ~ 100 TeV and a magnetic field strength of ~6 μG. Constraints on the presence of turbulent magnetic fields are weak. Conclusions. The pressure of TeV electrons and magnetic fields in the cocoon is dynamically negligible, requiring the presence of another dominant pressure component to balance the pulsar wind at the termination shock. Sub-TeV electrons cannot completely account for the missing pressure, which may be provided either by relativistic ions or from mixing of the ejecta with the pulsar wind. The electron spectra are consistent with expectations from transport scenarios dominated either by advection via the reverse shock or by diffusion, but for the latter the role of radiative losses near the termination shock needs to be further investigated in the light of the measured cutoff energies. Constraints on turbulent magnetic fields and the shape of the electron cutoff can be improved by spectral measurements in the energy range ≳ 10 keV.

scholarly journals Multiband nonthermal radiative properties of pulsar wind nebulae

2018 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
pp. A110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo-Tao Zhu ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Jun Fang
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Energy Electron ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Pulsar Wind

Aims. The nonthermal radiative properties of 18 pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are studied in the 1D leptonic model. Methods. The dynamical and radiative evolution of a PWN in a nonradiative supernova remnant are self-consistently investigated in this model. The leptons (electrons/positrons) are injected with a broken power-law form, and nonthermal emission from a PWN is mainly produced by time-dependent relativistic leptons through synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton process. Results. Observed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of all 18 PWNe are reproduced well, where the indexes of low-energy electron components lie in the range of 1.0–1.8 and those of high-energy electron components in the range of 2.1–3.1. Our results show that FX/Fγ > 10 for young PWNe; 1 <FX/Fγ ≤ 10 for evolved PWNe, except for G292.0+1.8; and FX/Fγ ≤ 1 for mature/old PWNe, except for CTA 1. Moreover, most PWNe are particle-dominated. Statistical analysis for the sample of 14 PWNe further indicate that (1) not all pulsar parameters have correlations with electron injection parameters, but electron maximum energy and PWN magnetic field correlate with the magnetic field at the light cylinder, the potential difference at the polar cap, and the spin-down power; (2) the spin-down power positively correlates with radio, X-ray, bolometric, and synchrotron luminosities, but does not correlate with gamma-ray luminosity; (3) the spin-down power positively correlates with radio, X-ray, and γ-band surface brightness; and (4) the PWN radius and the PWN age negatively correlate with X-ray luminosity, the ratio of X-ray to gamma-ray luminosities, and the synchrotron luminosity.

scholarly journals SEARCH FOR VERY HIGH ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM PULSAR-PULSAR WIND NEBULA SYSTEMS WITH THE MAGIC TELESCOPE

2010 ◽  
Vol 710 (1) ◽  
pp. 828-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Anderhub ◽  
L. A. Antonelli ◽  
P. Antoranz ◽  
M. Backes ◽  
C. Baixeras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Gamma ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Energy Gamma ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
Gamma Ray Emission ◽  
Very High

scholarly journals Prospect on intergalactic magnetic field measurements with gamma-ray instruments

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S294) ◽  
pp. 459-470
Author(s):  
Hélène Sol ◽  
Andreas Zech ◽  
Catherine Boisson ◽  
Henric Krawczynski ◽  
Lisa Fallon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Extragalactic Background Light ◽  
Spatially Extended ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Energy Gamma ◽  
Intergalactic Magnetic Field

AbstractObserving high-energy gamma-rays from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) offers a unique potential to probe extremely tiny values of the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF), a long standing question of astrophysics, astroparticle physics and cosmology. Very high energy (VHE) photons from blazars propagating along the line of sight interact with the extragalactic background light (EBL) and produce e+e− pairs. Through inverse-Compton interaction, mainly on the cosmic microwave background (CMB), these pairs generate secondary GeV-TeV components accompanying the primary VHE signal. Such secondary components would be detected in the gamma-ray range as delayed “pair echos” for very weak IGMF (B < 10−16G), while they should result in a spatially extended gamma-ray emission around the source for higher IGMF values (B > 10−16G). Coordinated observations with space (i.e. Fermi) and ground-based gamma-ray instruments, such as the present Cherenkov experiments H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS, the future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Observatory, and the wide-field detectors such as HAWC and LHAASO, should allow to analyze and finally detect such echos, extended emission or pair halos, and to further characterize the IGMF.

scholarly journals Colliding-Wind Binaries as a Source of TeV Cosmic Rays

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Kowal ◽  
Diego A. Falceta-Gonçalves
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Strong Shock ◽  
Compact Object ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Test Particles ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations ◽  
Very High

In addition to gamma-ray binaries which contain a compact object, high-energy and very high–energy gamma rays have also been detected from colliding-wind binaries. The collision of the winds produces two strong shock fronts, one for each wind, both surrounding a shock region of compressed and heated plasma, where particles are accelerated to very high energies. Magnetic field is also amplified in the shocked region on which the acceleration of particles greatly depends. In this work, we performed full three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of colliding winds coupled to a code that evolves the kinematics of passive charged test particles subject to the plasma fluctuations. After the run of a large ensemble of test particles with initial thermal distributions, we show that such shocks produce a nonthermal population (nearly 1% of total particles) of few tens of GeVs up to few TeVs, depending on the initial magnetization level of the stellar winds. We were able to determine the loci of fastest acceleration, in the range of MeV/s to GeV/s, to be related to the turbulent plasma with amplified magnetic field of the shock. These results show that colliding-wind binaries are indeed able to produce a significant population of high-energy particles, in relatively short timescales, compared to the dynamical and diffusion timescales.

scholarly journals Observation of the Gamma-Ray Binary HESS J0632+057 with the H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS Telescopes

2021 ◽  
Vol 923 (2) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
C. B. Adams ◽  
W. Benbow ◽  
A. Brill ◽  
J. H. Buckley ◽  
M. Capasso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binary Systems ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Energy Bands ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Cherenkov Telescopes ◽  
Orbital Cycles ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Energy Gamma ◽  
Very High

Abstract The results of gamma-ray observations of the binary system HESS J0632 + 057 collected during 450 hr over 15 yr, between 2004 and 2019, are presented. Data taken with the atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS at energies above 350 GeV were used together with observations at X-ray energies obtained with Swift-XRT, Chandra, XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and Suzaku. Some of these observations were accompanied by measurements of the Hα emission line. A significant detection of the modulation of the very high-energy gamma-ray fluxes with a period of 316.7 ± 4.4 days is reported, consistent with the period of 317.3 ± 0.7 days obtained with a refined analysis of X-ray data. The analysis of data from four orbital cycles with dense observational coverage reveals short-timescale variability, with flux-decay timescales of less than 20 days at very high energies. Flux variations observed over a timescale of several years indicate orbit-to-orbit variability. The analysis confirms the previously reported correlation of X-ray and gamma-ray emission from the system at very high significance, but cannot find any correlation of optical Hα parameters with fluxes at X-ray or gamma-ray energies in simultaneous observations. The key finding is that the emission of HESS J0632 + 057 in the X-ray and gamma-ray energy bands is highly variable on different timescales. The ratio of gamma-ray to X-ray flux shows the equality or even dominance of the gamma-ray energy range. This wealth of new data is interpreted taking into account the insufficient knowledge of the ephemeris of the system, and discussed in the context of results reported on other gamma-ray binary systems.

scholarly journals Revealing x-ray and gamma ray temporal and spectral similarities in the GRB 190829A afterglow

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 372 (6546) ◽  
pp. 1081-1085
Author(s):  
◽  
H. Abdalla ◽  
F. Aharonian ◽  
F. Ait Benkhali ◽  
E. O. Angüner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Photon Index ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Stereoscopic System ◽  
Very High ◽  
Intrinsic Energy

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are bright flashes of gamma rays from extragalactic sources followed by fading afterglow emission, are associated with stellar core collapse events. We report the detection of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays from the afterglow of GRB 190829A, between 4 and 56 hours after the trigger, using the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.). The low luminosity and redshift of GRB 190829A reduce both internal and external absorption, allowing determination of its intrinsic energy spectrum. Between energies of 0.18 and 3.3 tera–electron volts, this spectrum is described by a power law with photon index of 2.07 ± 0.09, similar to the x-ray spectrum. The x-ray and VHE gamma-ray light curves also show similar decay profiles. These similar characteristics in the x-ray and gamma-ray bands challenge GRB afterglow emission scenarios.

scholarly journals The population of TeV pulsar wind nebulae in the H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 612 ◽  
pp. A2 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
H. Abdalla ◽  
A. Abramowski ◽  
F. Aharonian ◽  
F. Ait Benkhali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Consistent Picture ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
Asymmetric Environment ◽  
First Time

The nine-year H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey (HGPS) has yielded the most uniform observation scan of the inner Milky Way in the TeV gamma-ray band to date. The sky maps and source catalogue of the HGPS allow for a systematic study of the population of TeV pulsar wind nebulae found throughout the last decade. To investigate the nature and evolution of pulsar wind nebulae, for the first time we also present several upper limits for regions around pulsars without a detected TeV wind nebula. Our data exhibit a correlation of TeV surface brightness with pulsar spin-down power Ė. This seems to be caused both by an increase of extension with decreasing Ė, and hence with time, compatible with a power law RPWN(Ė) ~Ė−0.65±0.20, and by a mild decrease of TeV gamma-ray luminosity with decreasing Ė, compatible with L1−10 TeV ~Ė0.59±0.21. We also find that the offsets of pulsars with respect to the wind nebula centre with ages around 10  kyr are frequently larger than can be plausibly explained by pulsar proper motion and could be due to an asymmetric environment. In the present data, it seems that a large pulsar offset is correlated with a high apparent TeV efficiency L1−10 TeV∕Ė. In addition to 14 HGPS sources considered firmly identified pulsar wind nebulae and 5 additional pulsar wind nebulae taken from literature, we find 10 HGPS sources that are likely TeV pulsar wind nebula candidates. Using a model that subsumes the present common understanding of the very high-energy radiative evolution of pulsar wind nebulae, we find that the trends and variations of the TeV observables and limits can be reproduced to a good level, drawing a consistent picture of present-day TeV data and theory.

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