Discovery of extended VHE gamma-ray emission from the asymmetric pulsar wind nebula in MSH 15-52 with HESS

Aharonian, F.; Akhperjanian, A.G.; Aye, K.M.; Bazer-Bachi, A.R.; Beilicke, M.; Benbow, W.; Berge, D.; Berghaus, P.; Bernlohr, K.; Boisson, C.; Bolz, O.; Braun, I.; Breitling, F.; Brown, A.M.; Gordo, J.B.; Chadwick, P.M.; Chounet, L.M.; Cornils, R.; Costamante, L.; Degrange, B.; Djannati-Atai, A.; Drury, L.O.; Dubus, G.; Emmanoulopoulos, D.; Espigat, P.; Feinstein, F.; Fleury, P.; Fontaine, G.; Fuchs, Y.; Funk, S.; Gallant, Y.A.; Giebels, B.; Gillessen, S.; Glicenstein, J.F.; Goret, P.; Hadjichristidis, C.; Hauser, M.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J.A.; Hofmann, W.; Holleran, M.; Horns, D.; de Jager, O.C.; Khelifi, B.; Komin, N.; Konopelko, A.; Latham, I.J.; Le Gallou, R.; Lemiere, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Leroy, N.; Lohse, T.; Martineau-Huynh, O.; 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.; Puhlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Raubenheimer, B.C.; Raue, M.; Raux, J.; Rayner, S.M.; Redondo, I.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Ripken, J.; Rob, L.; Rolland, L.; Rowell, G.; Sahakian, V.; Sauge, L.; Schlenker, S.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schuster, C.; Schwanke, U.; Siewert, M.; Sol, H.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Tavernet, J.P.; Terrier, R.; Theoret, C.G.; Tluczykont, M.; Vasileiadis, G.; Venter, C.; Vincent, P.; Volk, H.J.; Wagner, S.J.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361:200500105

Discovery of extended VHE gamma-ray emission from the asymmetric pulsar wind nebula in MSH 15-52 with HESS

Aharonian, F.; Akhperjanian, A.G.; Aye, K.M.; Bazer-Bachi, A.R.; Beilicke, M.; Benbow, W.; Berge, D.; Berghaus, P.; Bernlohr, K.; Boisson, C.; Bolz, O.; Braun, I.; Breitling, F.; Brown, A.M.; Gordo, J.B.; Chadwick, P.M.; Chounet, L.M.; Cornils, R.; Costamante, L.; Degrange, B.; Djannati-Atai, A.; Drury, L.O.; Dubus, G.; Emmanoulopoulos, D.; Espigat, P.; Feinstein, F.; Fleury, P.; Fontaine, G.; Fuchs, Y.; Funk, S.; Gallant, Y.A.; Giebels, B.; Gillessen, S.; Glicenstein, J.F.; Goret, P.; Hadjichristidis, C.; Hauser, M.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J.A.; Hofmann, W.; Holleran, M.; Horns, D.; de Jager, O.C.; Khelifi, B.; Komin, N.; Konopelko, A.; Latham, I.J.; Le Gallou, R.; Lemiere, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Leroy, N.; Lohse, T.; Martineau-Huynh, O.; 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.; Puhlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Raubenheimer, B.C.; Raue, M.;...

Authors

F. Aharonian

A.G. Akhperjanian

K.M. Aye

A.R. Bazer-Bachi

M. Beilicke

W. Benbow

D. Berge

P. Berghaus

K. Bernlohr

C. Boisson

O. Bolz

I. Braun

F. Breitling

A.M. Brown

J.B. Gordo

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

L.M. Chounet

R. Cornils

L. Costamante

B. Degrange

A. Djannati-Atai

L.O. Drury

G. Dubus

D. Emmanoulopoulos

P. Espigat

F. Feinstein

P. Fleury

G. Fontaine

Y. Fuchs

S. Funk

Y.A. Gallant

B. Giebels

S. Gillessen

J.F. Glicenstein

P. Goret

C. Hadjichristidis

M. Hauser

G. Heinzelmann

G. Henri

G. Hermann

J.A. Hinton

W. Hofmann

M. Holleran

D. Horns

O.C. de Jager

B. Khelifi

N. Komin

A. Konopelko

I.J. Latham

R. Le Gallou

A. Lemiere

M. Lemoine-Goumard

N. Leroy

T. Lohse

O. Martineau-Huynh

A. Marcowith

C. Masterson

T.J.L. McComb

M. de Naurois

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
Academic Visitor

M. Ouchrif

M. Panter

G. Pelletier

S. Pita

G. Puhlhofer

M. Punch

B.C. Raubenheimer

M. Raue

J. Raux

S.M. Rayner

I. Redondo

A. Reimer

O. Reimer

J. Ripken

L. Rob

L. Rolland

G. Rowell

V. Sahakian

L. Sauge

S. Schlenker

R. Schlickeiser

C. Schuster

U. Schwanke

M. Siewert

H. Sol

R. Steenkamp

C. Stegmann

J.P. Tavernet

R. Terrier

C.G. Theoret

M. Tluczykont

G. Vasileiadis

C. Venter

P. Vincent

H.J. Volk

S.J. Wagner

Abstract

The Supernova Remnant MSH 15-52 has been observed in very high energy (VHE) γ-rays using the HESS 4-telescope array located in Namibia. A γ-ray signal is detected at the 25 sigma level during an exposure of 22.1 h live time. The image reveals an elliptically shaped emission region around the pulsar PSR B1509–58, with semi-major axis ~ in the NW-SE direction and semi-minor axis ~. This morphology coincides with the diffuse pulsar wind nebula as observed at X-ray energies by ROSAT. The overall energy spectrum from 280 GeV up to 40 TeV can be fitted by a power law with photon index . The detected emission can be plausibly explained by inverse Compton scattering of accelerated relativistic electrons with soft photons.  

Citation

Aharonian, F., Akhperjanian, A., Aye, K., Bazer-Bachi, A., Beilicke, M., Benbow, W., …Wagner, S. (2005). Discovery of extended VHE gamma-ray emission from the asymmetric pulsar wind nebula in MSH 15-52 with HESS. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 435(1), L17-L20. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%3A200500105

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Mar 27, 2005
Online Publication Date	Apr 25, 2005
Publication Date	2005-05
Journal	Astronomy and astrophysics.
Print ISSN	0004-6361
Electronic ISSN	1432-0746
Publisher	EDP Sciences
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	435
Issue	1
Pages	L17-L20
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%3A200500105