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Potential PeVatron supernova remnant G106.3+2.7 seen in the highest-energy gamma rays

Abstract:

Cosmic rays (protons and other atomic nuclei) are believed to gain energies of petaelectronvolts (PeV) and beyond at astrophysical particle accelerators called ‘PeVatrons’ inside our Galaxy. Although a characteristic feature of a PeVatron is expected to be a hard gamma-ray energy spectrum that extends beyond 100 teraelectronvolts (TeV) without a cut-off, none of the currently known sources exhibit such a spectrum owing to the low maximum energy of accelerated cosmic rays or owing to insufficient detector sensitivity around 100 TeV. Here, we report the observation of gamma-ray emission from the supernova remnant G106.3+2.7 (refs. 1,2) above 10 TeV. This work provides flux data points up to and above 100 TeV and indicates that the very-high-energy gamma-ray emission above 10 TeV is well correlated with a molecular cloud3 rather than with the pulsar PSR J2229+6114 (refs. 4–8). Regarding the gamma-ray emission mechanism of G106.3+2.7, this morphological feature appears to favour a hadronic origin via the π0 decay caused by accelerated relativistic protons9 over a leptonic origin via the inverse Compton scattering by relativistic electrons10,11. Furthermore, we point out that an X-ray flux upper limit on the synchrotron spectrum would provide important information to firmly establish the hadronic scenario as the mechanism of particle acceleration at the source.

Año de publicación:

2021

Keywords:

    Fuente:

    scopusscopus

    Tipo de documento:

    Article

    Estado:

    Acceso restringido

    Áreas de conocimiento:

    • Espectroscopia astronómica
    • Ciencia planetaria

    Áreas temáticas:

    • Física moderna
    • Cuerpos y fenómenos celestes específicos

    Contribuidores:

    Zhang Y.Zhang Y.
    Nakada H.Nakada H.
    Bao Y.W.Bao Y.W.
    Labaciren Labaciren
    Hotta N.Hotta N.
    Jia H.Y.Jia H.Y.
    Chen T.L.Chen T.L.
    Kasahara K.Kasahara K.
    Sakata M.Sakata M.
    Lu H.Lu H.
    Nakamura Y.Nakamura Y.
    Liu C.Liu C.
    Bi X.J.Bi X.J.
    Amenomori M.Amenomori M.
    Danzengluobu Danzengluobu
    Zhaxisangzhu Zhaxisangzhu
    Yuan A.F.Yuan A.F.
    Chen Y.Chen Y.
    Zhou X.X.Zhou X.X.
    Gou Q.B.Gou Q.B.
    Tsuchiya H.Tsuchiya H.
    Ding L.K.Ding L.K.
    Huang J.Huang J.
    Fang J.H.Fang J.H.
    Qu X.B.Qu X.B.
    Li H.J.Li H.J.
    Cui S.W.Cui S.W.
    Yokoe Y.Yokoe Y.
    Zhang H.M.Zhang H.M.
    Li W.J.Li W.J.
    Ko Y.Ko Y.
    Xue L.Xue L.
    Lou Y.Q.Lou Y.Q.
    Chen X.Chen X.
    Li A.F.Li A.F.
    Wu H.R.Wu H.R.
    Tan Y.H.Tan Y.H.
    Chen D.Chen D.
    Guo Y.Q.Guo Y.Q.
    Udo S.Udo S.
    Hu H.B.Hu H.B.
    T. K. SakoT. K. Sako
    Takita M.Takita M.
    Hu H.B.Hu H.B.
    Zhang X.Zhang X.
    Torii S.Torii S.
    Zhai L.M.Zhai L.M.
    Kato S.Kato S.
    Ohnishi M.Ohnishi M.
    Liu B.Liu B.
    Wang H.Wang H.
    Guo Y.Y.Guo Y.Y.
    Yamamoto Y.Yamamoto Y.
    Feng Z.Y.Feng Z.Y.
    Kozai M.Kozai M.
    Feng Z.Y.Feng Z.Y.
    Shibata M.Shibata M.
    Feng C.F.Feng C.F.
    Kato C.Kato C.
    Zhang J.L.Zhang J.L.
    Zhang X.Y.Zhang X.Y.
    Liu M.Y.Liu M.Y.
    Chen W.Y.Chen W.Y.
    Nanjo H.Nanjo H.
    Yang Z.Yang Z.
    Zhang Y.Zhang Y.
    Fang K.Fang K.
    Meng X.R.Meng X.R.
    Liu W.Liu W.
    Qian X.L.Qian X.L.
    He H.H.He H.H.
    Gao Q.Gao Q.
    Takano W.Takano W.
    Shiomi A.Shiomi A.
    Zhang Y.Zhang Y.
    Le G.M.Le G.M.
    Ohura T.Ohura T.
    Tateyama N.Tateyama N.
    Cirennima Cirennima
    Ozawa S.Ozawa S.
    Nishizawa M.Nishizawa M.
    Katayose Y.Katayose Y.
    He Z.T.He Z.T.
    Saito T.Saito T.
    Jiang L.Jiang L.
    Hibino K.Hibino K.
    Jin H.B.Jin H.B.
    Munakata K.Munakata K.
    Sugimoto H.Sugimoto H.
    Shao J.Shao J.
    Lin Y.H.Lin Y.H.
    Kawata K.Kawata K.
    Zhao S.P.Zhao S.P.
    Liu J.S.Liu J.S.
    Kihara W.Kihara W.