2006A&A...448L..43A

Query : 2006A&A...448L..43A

2006A&A...448L..43A - Astronomy and Astrophysics, volume 448L43-47 (2006/3-3)

First detection of a VHE gamma-ray spectral maximum from a cosmic source: HESS discovery of the Vela X nebula.

AHARONIAN F., AKHPERJANIAN A.G., BAZER-BACHI A.R., BEILICKE M., BENBOW W., BERGE D., BERNLOEHR K., BOISSON C., BOLZ O., BORREL V., BRAUN I., BREITLING F., BROWN A.M., BUEHLER R., BUESCHING I., CARRIGAN S., CHADWICK P.M., CHOUNET L.-M., CORNILS R., COSTAMANTE L., DEGRANGE B., DICKINSON H.J., DJANNATI-ATAIE A., DRURY L.O'C., DUBUS G., EGBERTS K., EMMANOULOPOULOS D., EPINAT B., ESPIGAT P., FEINSTEIN F., FERRERO E., FONTAINE G., FUNK SEB., FUNK S., GALLANT Y.A., GIEBELS B., GLICENSTEIN J.F., GORET P., HADJICHRISTIDIS C., HAUSER D., HAUSER M., HEINZELMANN G., HENRI G., HERMANN G., HINTON J.A., HOFMANN W., HOLLERAN M., HORNS D., JACHOLKOWSKA A., DE JAGER O.C., KHELIFI B., KOMIN N., KONOPELKO A., LATHAM I.J., LE GALLOU R., LEMIERE A., LEMOINE-GOUMARD M., LOHSE T., MARTIN J.M., MARTINEAU-HUYNH O., MARCOWITH A., MASTERSON C., McCOMB T.J.L., DE NAUROIS M., NEDBAL D., NOLAN S.J., NOUTSOS A., ORFORD K.J., OSBORNE J.L., OUCHRIF M., PANTER M., PELLETIER G., PITA S., PUEHLHOFER G., PUNCH M., RAUBENHEIMER B.C., RAUE M., RAYNER S.M., REIMER A., REIMER O., RIPKEN J., ROB L., ROLLAND L., ROWELL G., SAHAKIAN V., SAUGE L., SCHLENKER S., SCHLICKEISER R., SCHWANKE U., SOL H., SPANGLER D., SPANIER F., STEENKAMP R., STEGMANN C., SUPERINA G., TAVERNET J.-P., TERRIER R., THEORET C.G., TLUCZYKONT M., VAN ELDIK C., VASILEIADIS G., VENTER C., VINCENT P., VOELK H.J., WAGNER S.J. and WARD M.

Abstract (from CDS):

The Vela supernova remnant (SNR) is a complex region containing a number of sources of non-thermal radiation. The inner section of this SNR, within 2 degrees of the pulsar PSR B0833-45, has been observed by the HESS γ-ray atmospheric Cherenkov detector in 2004 and 2005. A strong signal is seen from an extended region to the south of the pulsar, within an integration region of radius 0.8° around the position (α= 08h35m00s, δ=-45°36' J2000.0). The excess coincides with a region of hard X-ray emission seen by the ROSAT and ASCA satellites. The observed energy spectrum of the source between 550GeV and 65TeV is well fit by a power law function with photon index Γ=1.45±0.09stat±0.2sys and an exponential cutoff at an energy of 13.8±2.3stat±4.1sysTeV. The integral flux above 1TeV is (1.28±0.17stat±0.38sys)x10–11/cm2/s. This result is the first clear measurement of a peak in the spectral energy distribution from a VHE γ-ray source, likely related to inverse Compton emission. A fit of an Inverse Compton model to the HESS spectral energy distribution gives a total energy in non-thermal electrons of ∼2x1045erg between 5TeV and 100TeV, assuming a distance of 290-parsec to the pulsar. The best fit electron power law index is 2.0, with a spectral break at 67TeV.

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Journal keyword(s): ISM: plerions - Gamma rays: observations

Simbad objects: 8

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Number of rows : 8
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA 		ICRS (J2000)
DEC 		Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2026 		#notes
1 NAME Vela X Psr 08 33 08.880 -45 11 24.36           ~ 302 1
2 NAME Vela SNR 08 34.0 -45 50           ~ 1331 2
3 NAME Vela Pulsar Psr 08 35 20.65525 -45 10 35.1545     15.10     ~ 2446 1
4 NAME Vela Y Rad 08 45.3 -43 53           ~ 25 0
5 NAME Vela Jr SN SNR 08 52.0 -46 20           ~ 507 2
6 NAME Vela Z Rad 08 53 30.0 -45 35 00           ~ 32 0
7 PSR J1826-1256 Psr 18 26 08.570 -12 56 33.53           ~ 152 1
8 PSR B1823-13 Psr 18 26 13.06 -13 34 48.1           ~ 460 1

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