A New Population of Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Sources in the Milky Way

Aharonian, F.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Aye, K.-M.; Bazer‐Bachi, A. R.; Beilicke, M.; Benbow, W.; Berge, D.; Berghaus, P.; Bernlöhr, K.; Boisson, C.; Bolz, O.; Borgmeier, C.; Braun, I.; Breitling, F.; Brown, A. M.; Gordo, J. Bussons; Chadwick, P. M.; Chounet, L.‐M.; Cornils, R.; Costamante, L.; Degrange, B.; Djannati‐Ataï, A.; Drury, L. O’c.; Dubus, G.; Ergin, T.; Espigat, P.; Feinstein, F.; Fleury, P.; Fontaine, G.; Funk, S.; Gallant, Y. A.; Giebels, B.; Gillessen, S.; Goret, P.; Hadjichristidis, C.; Hauser, M.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Holleran, M.; Horns, D.; Jager, O. C. de; Jung, I.; Khélifi, B.; Komin, Nu.; Konopelko, A.; Latham, I. J.; Gallou, R. Le; Lemière, A.; Lemoine, Martin; Leroy, N.; Löhse, T.; Marcowith, A.; Masterson, C.; McComb, T. J. L.; Naurois, M. de; Nolan, S. J.; Noutsos, A.; Orford, K. J.; Osborne, J. L.; Ouchrif, M.; Panter, M.; Pelletier, G.; Pita, S.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Raubenheimer, Britt; Raue, M.; Raux, J.; Rayner, S. M.; Redondo, I.; Reimer, A.; Ripken, J.; Rob, L.; Rolland, L.; Rowell, G.; Sahakian, V.; Saugé, L.; Schlenker, S.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schuster, C.; Schwanke, U.; Siewert, M.; Sol, H.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Tavernet, J.‐P.; Terrier, R.; Théoret, C. G.; Tluczykont, M.; Walt, D. J. van der; Vasileiadis, G.; Venter, C.; Vincent, P.; Visser, Bart; Völk, H. J.; Wagner, S. J.

doi:10.1126/science.1108643

Cited by 293 publications

(270 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The distribution and dynamics of molecular gas also plays a pivotal role in understanding the nature of gamma-ray sources revealed by (for example) Fermi-LAT (Nolan et al 2012) and the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) (Aharonian et al 2005(Aharonian et al , 2006 at GeV and TeV energies, respectively. This is connected to the question of the origin of Galactic cosmic rays since the gas acts as a target for CR collisions, leading to subsequent > GeV energy gamma-ray production.…”

Section: Gamma Rays Cosmic Rays and Molecular Cloudsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mopra Southern Galactic Plane CO Survey

Burton

Braiding

Glueck

et al. 2013

Publ. Astron. Soc. Aust.

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We present the first results from a new carbon monoxide (CO) survey of the southern Galactic plane being conducted with the Mopra radio telescope in Australia. The 12 CO, 13 CO, and C 18 O J = 1-0 lines are being mapped over the l = 305 • -345 • , b = ±0.5 • portion of the fourth quadrant of the Galaxy, at 35 arcsec spatial and 0.1 km s −1 spectral resolution. The survey is being undertaken with two principal science objectives: (i) to determine where and how molecular clouds are forming in the Galaxy and (ii) to probe the connection between molecular clouds and the 'missing' gas inferred from gamma-ray observations. We describe the motivation for the survey, the instrumentation and observing techniques being applied, and the data reduction and analysis methodology. In this paper, we present the data from the first degree surveyed, l = 323 • -324 • , b = ±0.5 • . We compare the data to the previous CO survey of this region and present metrics quantifying the performance being achieved; the rms sensitivity per 0.1 km s −1 velocity channel is ß1.5 K for 12 CO and ß0.7 K for the other lines. We also present some results from the region surveyed, including line fluxes, column densities, molecular masses, 12 CO/ 13 CO line ratios, and 12 CO optical depths. We also examine how these quantities vary as a function of distance from the Sun when averaged over the 1 square degree survey area. Approximately 2 × 10 6 M of molecular gas is found along the G323 sightline, with an average H 2 number density of n H 2 ∼ 1 cm −3 within the Solar circle. The CO data cubes will be made publicly available as they are published.

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Section: Gamma Rays Cosmic Rays and Molecular Cloudsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mopra Southern Galactic Plane CO Survey

Burton

Braiding

Glueck

et al. 2013

Publ. Astron. Soc. Aust.

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“…However, there could be a population of sources undetectable by EGRET, but contributing to both the GeV and TeV excess diffuse emission. Recent observations by the TeV observatory, HESS, in fact point to a new class of hard spectrum TeV sources located close to the Galactic Plane, within ±1 degrees of latitude, whose average slope is about E −2.3 (Aharonian et al 2005(Aharonian et al , 2006a. The HESS detection of high energy γ rays from fourteen new sources has improved significantly the knowledge of both the spatial distribution and the spectra and fluxes of VHE γ-ray galactic sources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constraints on the TeV source population and its contribution to the galactic diffuse TeV emission

Casanova

Dingus

2008

Astroparticle Physics

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The detection by the HESS atmospheric Cerenkov telescope of fourteen new sources from the Galactic plane makes it possible to estimate the contribution of unresolved sources like those detected by HESS to the diffuse Galactic emission measured by the Milagro Collaboration. The number-intensity relation and the luminosity function for the HESS source population are investigated. By evaluating the contribution of such a source population to the diffuse emission we conclude that a significant fraction of the TeV energy emission measured by the Milagro experiment could be due to unresolved sources like HESS sources. Predictions concerning the number of sources which Veritas, Milagro, and HAWC should detect are also given.

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“…Another possible such association is with HESS J1813-178; this relatively compact VHE source was discovered in the Galactic plane survey [13], and was subsequently found to be coincident with a shell-type radio SNR, G 12.82-0.02 [23,24], and a bright, non-thermal, hard X-ray source [23,25]. The angular resolution of H.E.S.S.…”

Section: Possible Vhe Pwne Without Detected Pulsarsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…survey of the Galactic plane may be associated with energetic pulsars [13]. Located near the edge of the bright source HESS J1616-508 is PSR J1617-5055, an X-ray emitting young pulsar with a period of 69 ms and a spin-down luminosityĖ = 1.6 × 10 37 erg/s.…”

Section: Possible Associations With Known Pulsarsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Associations of very high energy gamma-ray sources discovered by H.E.S.S. with pulsar wind nebulae

Gallant

2007

The Multi-Messenger Approach to High-Energy Gamma-Ray Sources

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The H.E.S.S. array of imaging Cherenkov telescopes has discovered a number of previously unknown γ-ray sources in the very high energy (VHE) domain above 100 GeV. The good angular resolution of H.E.S.S. (∼ 0.1 • per event), as well as its sensitivity (a few percent of the Crab Nebula flux) and wide 5 • field of view, allow a much better constrained search for counterparts in comparison to previous instruments. In several cases, the association of the VHE sources revealed by H.E.S.S. with pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) is supported by a combination of positional and morphological evidence, multi-wavelength observations, and plausible PWN model parameters. These include the plerions in the composite supernova remnants G 0.9+0.1 and MSH 15-52, the recently discovered Vela X nebula, two new sources in the Kookaburra complex, and the association of HESS J1825-137 with PSR B1823-13. The properties of these better-established associations are reviewed. A number of other sources discovered by H.E.S.S. are located near high spin-down power pulsars, but the evidence for association is less complete. These possible associations are also discussed, in the context of the available multi-wavelength data and plausible PWN scenarios.

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A New Population of Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Sources in the Milky Way

Cited by 293 publications

References 26 publications

The Mopra Southern Galactic Plane CO Survey

The Mopra Southern Galactic Plane CO Survey

Constraints on the TeV source population and its contribution to the galactic diffuse TeV emission

Associations of very high energy gamma-ray sources discovered by H.E.S.S. with pulsar wind nebulae

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