Identification of HESS J1303-631 as a pulsar wind nebula through γ -ray, X-ray, and radio observations

Abramowski A, Acero F, Aharonian F, Akhperjanian AG, Anton G, Balenderan S, Balzer A, Barnacka A, Becherini Y, Becker J, Bernloehr K, Birsin E, Biteau J, Bochow A, Boisson C, Bolmont J, Bordas P, Brucker J, Brun F, Brun P, Bulik T, Buesching I, Carrigan S, Casanova S, Cerruti M, Chadwick PM, Charbonnier A, Chaves RCG, Cheesebrough A, Cologna G, Conrad J, Couturier C, Dalton M, Daniel MK, Davids ID, Degrange B, Deil C, Dickinson HJ, Djannati-Atai A, Domainko W, Drury LO, Dubus G, Dutson K, Dyks J, Dyrda M, Egberts K, Eger P, Espigat P, Fallon L, Farnier C, Fegan S, Feinstein F, Fernandes MV, Fiasson A, Fontaine G, Foerster A, Fuessling M, Gajdus M, Gallant YA, Garrigoux T, Gast H, Gerard L, Giebels B, Glicenstein JF, Glueck B, Göring D, Grondin MH, Häffner S, Hague JD, Hahn J, Hampf D, Harris J, Hauser M, Heinz S, Heinzelmann G, Henri G, Hermann G, Hillert A, Hinton JA, Hofmann W, Hofverberg P, Holler M, Horns D, Jacholkowska A, Jahn C, Jamrozy M, Jung I, Kastendieck MA, Katarzynski K, Katz U, Kaufmann S, Khelifi B, Klochkov D, Kluzniak W, Kneiske TM, Komin N, Kosack K, Kossakowski R, Krayzel F, Laffon H, Lamanna G, Lenain JP, Lennarz D, Lohse T, Lopatin A, Lu CC, Marandon V, Marcowith A, Masbou J, Maurin G, Maxted NI, Mayer M, Mccomb TJL, Medina MC, Mehault J, Menzler U, Moderski R, Mohamed M, Moulin E, Naumann CL, Naumann-Godo M, De Naurois M, Nedbal D, Nekrassov D, Nguyen N, Nicholas B, Niemiec J, Nolan SJ, Ohm S, Wilhelmi EDO, Opitz B, Ostrowski M, Oya I, Panter M, Arribas MP, Pekeur NW, Pelletier G, Perez J, Petrucci PO, Peyaud B, Pita S, Puehlhofer G, Punch M, Quirrenbach A, Raue M, Reimer A, Reimer O, Renaud M, De Los Reyes R, Rieger F, Ripken J, Rob L, Rosier-Lees S, Rowell G, Rudak B, Rulten CB, Sahakian V, Sanchez DA, Santangelo A, Schlickeiser R, Schulz A, Schwanke U, Schwarzburg S, Schwemmer S, Sheidaei F, Skilton JL, Sol H, Spengler G, Stawarz L, Steenkamp R, Stegmann C, Stinzing F, Stycz K, Sushch I, Szostek A, Tavernet JP, Terrier R, Tluczykont M, Valerius K, van Eldik C, Vasileiadis G, Venter C, Viana A, Vincent P, Voelk HJ, Volpe F, Vorobiov S, Vorster M, Wagner SJ, Ward M, White R, Wierzcholska A, Zacharias M, Zajczyk A, Zdziarski AA, Zech A, Zechlin HS (2012)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2012

Journal

Publisher: EDP Sciences

Book Volume: 548

Article Number: A46

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201219814

Abstract

Aims. The previously unidentified very high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) γ-ray source HESS J1303-631, discovered in 2004, is re-examined including new data from the H.E.S.S. Cherenkov telescope array in order to identify this object. Archival data from the XMM-Newton X-ray satellite and from the PMN radio survey are also examined. Methods. Detailed morphological and spectral studies of VHE γ-ray emission as well as of the XMM-Newton X-ray data are performed. Radio data from the PMN survey are used as well to construct a leptonic model of the source. The γ-ray and X-ray spectra and radio upper limit are used to construct a one zone leptonic model of the spectral energy distribution (SED). Results. Significant energy-dependent morphology of the γ-ray source is detected with high-energy emission (E > 10 TeV) positionally coincident with the pulsar PSR J1301-6305 and lower energy emission (E < 2 TeV) extending ∼0.4° to the southeast of the pulsar. The spectrum of the VHE source can be described with a power-law with an exponential cut-off N = (5.6 ± 0.5) × 10 ± TeV ± cm ± s, Γ = 1.5 ± 0.2) and E = (7.7 ± ± ± 2.2) TeV. The pulsar wind nebula (PWN) is also detected in X-rays, extending ∼2-3′ from the pulsar position towards the center of the γ-ray emission region. A potential radio counterpart from the PMN survey is also discussed, showing a hint for a counterpart at the edge of the X-ray PWN trail and is taken as an upper limit in the SED. The extended X-ray PWN has an unabsorbed flux of F ∼ 1.6 × 10 erg cm and is detected at a significance of 6.5σ. The SED is well described by a one zone leptonic scenario which, with its associated caveats, predicts a very low average magnetic field for this source. Conclusions. Significant energy-dependent morphology of this source, as well as the identification of an associated X-ray PWN from XMM-Newton observations enable identification of the VHE source as an evolved PWN associated to the pulsar PSR J1301-6305. This identification is supported by the one zone leptonic model, which suggests that the energetics of the γ-ray and X-ray radiation are such that they may have a similar origin in the pulsar nebula. However, the large discrepancy in emission region sizes and the low level of synchrotron radiation suggest a multi-population leptonic nature. The low implied magnetic field suggests that the PWN has undergone significant expansion. This would explain the low level of synchrotron radiation and the difficulty in detecting counterparts at lower energies, the reason this source was originally classified as a "dark" VHE γ-ray source. © ESO, 2012.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Durham University United Kingdom (GB) Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Germany (DE) University of Namibia (UNAM) Namibia (NA) Stockholm University / Stockholms universitet Sweden (SE) Universität Hamburg (UHH) Germany (DE) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany (DE) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot France (FR) Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences Poland (PL) University of Leicester United Kingdom (GB) University of Montpellier / Université Montpellier France (FR) Noordwes-Universiteit / North-West University South Africa (ZA) University of Savoy Mont Blanc / Université Savoie Mont Blanc France (FR) Commissariat à l'énergie atomique France (FR) Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Germany (DE) University of Adelaide Australia (AU) Jagiellonian University / Uniwersytet Jagielloński (UJ) Poland (PL) Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck / University of Innsbruck Austria (AT) Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) Germany (DE) University of Warsaw / Uniwersytet Warszawski Poland (PL) National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) / Հայաստանի Հանրապետության գիտությունների ազգային ակադեմիա, ՀՀ ԳԱԱ Armenia (AM) Université Joseph Fourier (UJF Grenoble 1) France (FR) Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany (DE) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay France (FR) Univerzita Karlova v Praze / Charles University in Prague Czech Republic (CZ) Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN / Instytut Fizyki Jądrowej im. Henryka Niewodniczańskiego PAN Poland (PL) Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) / Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu (UMK) Poland (PL) Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) Ireland (IE)

How to cite

APA:

Abramowski, A., Acero, F., Aharonian, F., Akhperjanian, A.G., Anton, G., Balenderan, S.,... Zechlin, H.-S. (2012). Identification of HESS J1303-631 as a pulsar wind nebula through γ -ray, X-ray, and radio observations. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 548. https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201219814

MLA:

Abramowski, A., et al. "Identification of HESS J1303-631 as a pulsar wind nebula through γ -ray, X-ray, and radio observations." Astronomy & Astrophysics 548 (2012).

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