High-energy particle acceleration in the shell of a supernova remnant

Aharonian, F.; Akhperjanian, A.G.; Aye, K.-M.; Bazer-Bachi, A.R.; Beilicke, M.; Benbow, W.; Berge, D.; Berghaus, P.; Bernlöhr, K.; Bolz, O.; Boisson, C.; Borgmeier, C.; Breitling, F.; Brown, A.M.; Bussons, Gordo J.; Chadwick, P.M.; Chitnis, V.R.; Chounet, L.-M.; Cornils, R.; Costamante, L.; Degrange, B.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Drury, L. O'C.; Ergin, T.; Espigat, P.; Feinstein, F.; Fleury, P.; Fontaine, G.; Funk, S.; Gallant, Y.A.; Giebels, B.; Gillessen, S.; Goret, P.; Guy, J.; Hadjichristidis, C.; Hauser, M.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J.A.; Hofmann, W.; Holleran, M.; Horns, D.; de Jager, O.C.; Jung, I.; Khélifi, B.; Komin, N.; Konopelko, A.; Latham, I.J.; Le, Gallou R.; Lemoine, M.; Lemière, A.; Leroy, N.; Lohse, T.; Marcowith, A.; Masterson, C.; McComb, T.J.L.; de, Naurois M.; Nolan, S.J.; Noutsos, A.; Orford, K.J.; Osborne, J.L.; Ouchrif, M.; Panter, M.; Pelletier, G.; Pita, S.; Pohl, M.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Raubenheimer, B.C.; Raue, M.; Raux, J.; Rayner, S.M.; Redondo, I.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Ripken, J.; Rivoal, M.; 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.; Théoret, C.G.; Tluczykont, M.; van der Walt, D.J.; Vasileiadis, G.; Vincent, P.; Visser, B.; Völk, H.J.; Wagner, S.

doi:10.1038/nature02960

High-energy particle acceleration in the shell of a supernova remnant

Aharonian, F.; Akhperjanian, A.G.; Aye, K.-M.; Bazer-Bachi, A.R.; Beilicke, M.; Benbow, W.; Berge, D.; Berghaus, P.; Bernlöhr, K.; Bolz, O.; Boisson, C.; Borgmeier, C.; Breitling, F.; Brown, A.M.; Bussons, Gordo J.; Chadwick, P.M.; Chitnis, V.R.; Chounet, L.-M.; Cornils, R.; Costamante, L.; Degrange, B.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Drury, L. O'C.; Ergin, T.; Espigat, P.; Feinstein, F.; Fleury, P.; Fontaine, G.; Funk, S.; Gallant, Y.A.; Giebels, B.; Gillessen, S.; Goret, P.; Guy, J.; Hadjichristidis, C.; Hauser, M.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J.A.; Hofmann, W.; Holleran, M.; Horns, D.; de Jager, O.C.; Jung, I.; Khélifi, B.; Komin, N.; Konopelko, A.; Latham, I.J.; Le, Gallou R.; Lemoine, M.; Lemière, A.; Leroy, N.; Lohse, T.; Marcowith, A.; Masterson, C.; McComb, T.J.L.; de, Naurois M.; Nolan, S.J.; Noutsos, A.; Orford, K.J.; Osborne, J.L.; Ouchrif, M.; Panter, M.; Pelletier, G.; Pita, S.; Pohl, M.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Raubenheimer, B.C.; Raue, M.; Raux, J.; Rayner, S....

Authors

F. Aharonian

A.G. Akhperjanian

K.-M. Aye

A.R. Bazer-Bachi

M. Beilicke

W. Benbow

D. Berge

P. Berghaus

K. Bernlöhr

O. Bolz

C. Boisson

C. Borgmeier

F. Breitling

A.M. Brown

Gordo J. Bussons

Professor Paula Chadwick p.m.chadwick@durham.ac.uk
Head Of Department

V.R. Chitnis

L.-M. Chounet

R. Cornils

L. Costamante

B. Degrange

A. Djannati-Ataï

L. O'C. Drury

T. Ergin

P. Espigat

F. Feinstein

P. Fleury

G. Fontaine

S. Funk

Y.A. Gallant

B. Giebels

S. Gillessen

P. Goret

J. Guy

C. Hadjichristidis

M. Hauser

G. Heinzelmann

G. Henri

G. Hermann

J.A. Hinton

W. Hofmann

M. Holleran

D. Horns

O.C. de Jager

I. Jung

B. Khélifi

N. Komin

A. Konopelko

I.J. Latham

Gallou R. Le

M. Lemoine

A. Lemière

N. Leroy

T. Lohse

A. Marcowith

C. Masterson

T.J.L. McComb

Naurois M. de

Professor Sam Nolan s.j.nolan@durham.ac.uk
Director Of Dcad

A. Noutsos

K.J. Orford

Dr John Osborne j.l.osborne@durham.ac.uk
Emeritus

M. Ouchrif

M. Panter

G. Pelletier

S. Pita

M. Pohl

G. Pühlhofer

M. Punch

B.C. Raubenheimer

M. Raue

J. Raux

S.M. Rayner

I. Redondo

A. Reimer

O. Reimer

J. Ripken

M. Rivoal

L. Rob

L. Rolland

G. Rowell

V. Sahakian

L. Saugé

S. Schlenker

R. Schlickeiser

C. Schuster

U. Schwanke

M. Siewert

H. Sol

R. Steenkamp

C. Stegmann

J.-P. Tavernet

C.G. Théoret

M. Tluczykont

D.J. van der Walt

G. Vasileiadis

P. Vincent

B. Visser

H.J. Völk

S. Wagner

Abstract

A significant fraction of the energy density of the interstellar medium is in the form of high-energy charged particles (cosmic rays)1. The origin of these particles remains uncertain. Although it is generally accepted that the only sources capable of supplying the energy required to accelerate the bulk of Galactic cosmic rays are supernova explosions, and even though the mechanism of particle acceleration in expanding supernova remnant (SNR) shocks is thought to be well understood theoretically2, 3, unequivocal evidence for the production of high-energy particles in supernova shells has proven remarkably hard to find. Here we report on observations of the SNR RX J1713.7 - 3946 (G347.3 - 0.5), which was discovered by ROSAT4 in the X-ray spectrum and later claimed as a source of high-energy -rays5, 6 of TeV energies (1 TeV = 1012 eV). We present a TeV -ray image of the SNR: the spatially resolved remnant has a shell morphology similar to that seen in X-rays, which demonstrates that very-high-energy particles are accelerated there. The energy spectrum indicates efficient acceleration of charged particles to energies beyond 100 TeV, consistent with current ideas of particle acceleration in young SNR shocks.

Citation

Aharonian, F., Akhperjanian, A., Aye, K., Bazer-Bachi, A., Beilicke, M., Benbow, W., …Wagner, S. (2004). High-energy particle acceleration in the shell of a supernova remnant. Nature, 432(7013), 75-77. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02960

Journal Article Type	Article
Publication Date	2004-11
Deposit Date	May 8, 2008
Publicly Available Date	May 8, 2008
Journal	Nature
Print ISSN	0028-0836
Electronic ISSN	1476-4687
Publisher	Nature Research
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	432
Issue	7013
Pages	75-77
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02960
Keywords	Gamma-ray emission, SNR RX-J1713.7-3946, Cassiopeia-A, Cosmic-rays, G347.3-0.5, Discovery, Spectrum, System, Origin.
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1610303