scholarly journals The contribution of Galactic TeV pulsar wind nebulae to Fermi-LAT diffuse emission

Author(s):  
Vittoria Vecchiotti ◽  
Giulia Pagliaroli ◽  
Francesco Villante

Abstract The large-scale diffuse γ−ray flux observed by Fermi-LAT in the 1-100 GeV energy range, parameterized as ∝ E−Γ, has a spectral index Γ that depends on the distance from the Galactic center. This feature, if attributed to the diffuse emission produced by cosmic rays (CR) interactions with the interstellar gas, can be interpreted as the evidence of a progressive CR spectral hardening towards the Galactic center. This interpretation challenges the standard cosmic rays diffusion paradigm. We report on the implications of TeV Pulsar Wind Nebulae observed by the HESS Galactic Plane Survey in the 1-100 TeV energy range for the interpretation of Fermi-LAT data. We argue that a relevant fraction of this population cannot be resolved by Fermi-LAT in the GeV domain providing a relevant contribution to the large-scale diffuse emission, viz. the 30% of the total diffuse γ-ray emission in the inner Galaxy. This additional component naturally accounts for a large part of the spectral index variation observed by Fermi-LAT, weakening the evidence of CR spectral hardening in the inner Galaxy.

Author(s):  
F. J. Voisin ◽  
G. P. Rowell ◽  
M. G. Burton ◽  
Y. Fukui ◽  
H. Sano ◽  
...  

AbstractWe investigate the interstellar medium towards seven TeV gamma-ray sources thought to be pulsar wind nebulae using Mopra molecular line observations at 7 mm [CS(1–0), SiO(1–0, v = 0)], Nanten CO(1–0) data and the Southern Galactic Plane Survey/GASS Hisurvey. We have discovered several dense molecular clouds co-located to these TeV gamma-ray sources, which allows us to search for cosmic rays coming from progenitor SNRs or, potentially, from pulsar wind nebulae. We notably found SiO(1–0, v = 0) emission towards HESS J1809–193, highlighting possible interaction between the adjacent supernova remnant SNR G011.0–0.0 and the molecular cloud atd∼ 3.7 kpc. Using morphological features, and comparative studies of our column densities with those obtained from X-ray measurements, we claim a distanced∼ 8.6 − 9.7kpc for SNR G292.2–00.5,d∼ 3.5 − 5.6 kpc for PSR J1418–6058 andd∼ 1.5 kpc for the new SNR candidate found towards HESS J1303–631. From our mass and density estimates of selected molecular clouds, we discuss signatures of hadronic/leptonic components from pulsar wind nebulae and their progenitor SNRs. Interestingly, the molecular gas, which overlaps HESS J1026–582 atd∼ 5 kpc, may support a hadronic origin. We find however that this scenario requires an undetected cosmic-ray accelerator to be located atd< 10 pc from the molecular cloud. For HESS J1809–193, the cosmic rays which have escaped SNR G011.0–0.0 could contribute to the TeV gamma-ray emission. Finally, from the hypothesis that at most 20% the pulsar spin down power could be converted into CRs, we find that among the studied pulsar wind nebulae, only those from PSR J1809–1917 could potentially contribute to the TeV emission.


2012 ◽  
Vol 750 (2) ◽  
pp. 162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuichi Kishishita ◽  
Aya Bamba ◽  
Yasunobu Uchiyama ◽  
Yasuyuki Tanaka ◽  
Tadayuki Takahashi

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S303) ◽  
pp. 439-443
Author(s):  
Charles J. Hailey ◽  

AbstractOne of the major science objectives of the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observatory is to perform the first sub-arcminute, hard X-ray survey of several square degrees of the Galactic plane, centered on a region near the Galactic center. As a prelude to the full survey, which began in July 2013, NuSTAR conducted a ∼500 ks, 0.3 × 0.4° “mini-survey” focused on Sgr A* and its environs. We present analysis of several candidate pulsar wind nebulae and filaments, which are revealed to be intense sources of X-ray emission at >10 keV.


2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. P. Kronberg ◽  
K. J. Newton-McGee

AbstractWe apply a new, expanded compilation of extragalactic source Faraday rotation measures (RM) to investigate the broad underlying magnetic structure of the Galactic disk at latitudes ∣b∣ ≲15° over all longitudes l, where our total number of RMs is comparable to those in the combined Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) at ∣b∣ < 4° and the Southern Galactic Plane (SGPS) ∣b∣<1.5°. We report newly revealed, remarkably coherent patterns of RM at ∣b∣≲15° from l∼270° to ∼90° and RM(l) features of unprecedented clarity that replicate in l with opposite sign on opposite sides of the Galactic center. They confirm a highly patterned bisymmetric field structure toward the inner disc, an axisymmetic pattern toward the outer disc, and a very close coupling between the CGPS/SGPS RMs at ∣b∣≲3° (‘mid-plane’) and our new RMs up to ∣b∣∼15° (‘near-plane’). Our analysis also shows the vertical height of the coherent component of the disc field above the Galactic disc's mid-plane—to be ∼1.5 kpc out to ∼6 kpc from the Sun. This identifies the approximate height of a transition layer to the halo field structure. We find no RM sign change across the plane within ∣b∣∼15° in any longitude range. The prevailing disc field pattern and its striking degree of large-scale ordering confirm that our side of the Milky Way has a very organized underlying magnetic structure, for which the inward spiral pitch angle is 5.5°±1° at all ∣b∣ up to ∼12° in the inner semicircle of Galactic longitudes. It decreases to ∼0° toward the anticentre.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S259) ◽  
pp. 455-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
JinLin Han

AbstractThe magnetic structure in the Galactic disk, the Galactic center and the Galactic halo can be delineated more clearly than ever before. In the Galactic disk, the magnetic structure has been revealed by starlight polarization within 2 or 3 kpc of the Solar vicinity, by the distribution of the Zeeman splitting of OH masers in two or three nearby spiral arms, and by pulsar dispersion measures and rotation measures in nearly half of the disk. The polarized thermal dust emission of clouds at infrared, mm and submm wavelengths and the diffuse synchrotron emission are also related to the large-scale magnetic field in the disk. The rotation measures of extragalactic radio sources at low Galactic latitudes can be modeled by electron distributions and large-scale magnetic fields. The statistical properties of the magnetized interstellar medium at various scales have been studied using rotation measure data and polarization data. In the Galactic center, the non-thermal filaments indicate poloidal fields. There is no consensus on the field strength, maybe mG, maybe tens of μG. The polarized dust emission and much enhanced rotation measures of background radio sources are probably related to toroidal fields. In the Galactic halo, the antisymmetric RM sky reveals large-scale toroidal fields with reversed directions above and below the Galactic plane. Magnetic fields from all parts of our Galaxy are connected to form a global field structure. More observations are needed to explore the untouched regions and delineate how fields in different parts are connected.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (H15) ◽  
pp. 808-808
Author(s):  
Emma de Oña-Wilhelmi

AbstractThe H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey (GPS) has revealed a large number of Galactic Sources, including Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWN), Supernova Remnants (SNRs), giant molecular clouds, star formation regions and compact binary systems, as well as a number of unidentified objects, or dark sources, for which no obvious counterparts at other wavelengths have yet been found. We will review the latest results from the GPS observations and discuss the most interesting cases.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S259) ◽  
pp. 603-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Reich ◽  
Patricia Reich

AbstractOur position inside the Galaxy requires all-sky surveys to reveal its large-scale properties. The zero-level calibration of all-sky surveys differs from standard ‘relative’ measurements, where a source is measured in respect to its surroundings. All-sky surveys aim to include emission structures of all angular scales exceeding their angular resolution including isotropic emission components. Synchrotron radiation is the dominating emission process in the Galaxy up to frequencies of a few GHz, where numerous ground based surveys of the total intensity up to 1.4 GHz exist. Its polarization properties were just recently mapped for the entire sky at 1.4 GHz. All-sky total intensity and linear polarization maps from WMAP for frequencies of 23 GHz and higher became available and complement existing sky maps. Galactic plane surveys have higher angular resolution using large single-dish or synthesis telescopes. Polarized diffuse emission shows structures with no relation to total intensity emission resulting from Faraday rotation effects in the interstellar medium. The interpretation of these polarization structures critically depends on a correct setting of the absolute zero-level in Stokes U and Q.


1979 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
pp. 125-130
Author(s):  
J. A. Paul

Within the last few years, γ-ray astronomy has shifted from the discovery phase to the exploratory phase, thanks to the SAS-2 and COS-B satellites. The strongest feature of the γ-ray sky is the overwhelming emission of the galactic disc; even the radiation observed away from the galactic plane appears to be predominantly galactic, on the basis of its latitude dependence (Fichtel et al., 1978). Nevertheless, extragalactic γ-ray astronomy is not hopeless: the γ-radiation of the nearby quasar 3C273 has been very recently detected (Swanenburg et al., 1978). A brief summary of the present status of the galactic γ-ray astronomy follows.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S303) ◽  
pp. 369-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Morris ◽  
J.-H. Zhao ◽  
W. M. Goss

AbstractDeep imaging of the Sgr A complex at 6 cm wavelength with the B and C configurations of the Karl G. Jansky VLA† has revealed a new population of faint radio filaments. Like their brighter counterparts that have been observed throughout the Galactic center on larger scales, these filaments can extend up to ∼10 parsecs, and in most cases are strikingly uniform in brightness and curvature. Comparison with a survey of Paschen-α emission reveals that some of the filaments are emitting thermally, but most of these structures are nonthermal: local magnetic flux tubes illuminated by synchrotron emission. The new image reveals considerable filamentary substructure in previously known nonthermal filaments (NTFs). Unlike NTFs previously observed on larger scales, which tend to show a predominant orientation roughly perpendicular to the Galactic plane, the NTFs in the vicinity of the Sgr A complex are relatively randomly oriented. Two well-known radio sources to the south of Sgr A – sources E and F – consist of numerous quasi-parallel filaments that now appear to be particularly bright portions of a much larger, strongly curved, continuous, nonthermal radio structure that we refer to as the “Southern Curl”. It is therefore unlikely that sources E and F are Hii regions or pulsar wind nebulae. The Southern Curl has a smaller counterpart on the opposite side of the Galactic center – the Northern Curl – that, except for its smaller scale and smaller distance from the center, is roughly point-reflection symmetric with respect to the Southern Curl. The curl features indicate that some field lines are strongly distorted, presumably by mass flows. The point symmetry about the center then suggests that the flows originate near the center and are somewhat collimated.


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