Evidence of 200 TeV photons from HAWC J1825-134

Albert A, Alfaro R, Alvarez C, Camacho JRA, Arteaga-Velazquez JC, Arunbabu KP, Rojas DA, Ayala Solares HA, Baghmanyan V, Belmont-Moreno E, Benzvi SY, Brisbois C, Capistran T, Carraminana A, Casanova S, Cotti U, Cotzomi J, Fuente EDL, Hernandez RD, Dingus BL, Duvernois MA, Durocher M, Diaz-Velez JC, Engel K, Espinoza C, Fang K, Fleischhack H, Fraija N, Galvan-Gamez A, Garcia D, Garcia-Gonzalez JA, Garfias F, Giacinti G, Gonzalez MM, Goodman JA, Harding JP, Hona B, Huang D, Hueyotl-Zahuantitla F, Huntemeyer P, Iriarte A, Jardin-Blicq A, Joshi V, Kunde GJ, Lara A, Lee WH, Vargas HL, Linnemann JT, Longinotti AL, Luis-Raya G, Lundeen J, Malone K, Marandon V, Martinez O, Martinez-Castro J, Matthews JA, Miranda-Romagnoli P, Moreno E, Mostafa M, Nayerhoda A, Nellen L, Newbold M, Nisa MU, Noriega-Papaqui R, Omodei N, Peisker A, Araujo YP, Perez-Perez EG, Rho CD, Rosa-Gonzalez D, Salazar H, Greus FS, Sandoval A, Schneider M, Serna F, Springer RW, Tollefson K, Torres I, Torres-Escobedo R, Urena-Mena F, Villasenor L, Willox E, Zhou H, De Leon C (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Book Volume: 907

Article Number: L30

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/abd77b

Abstract

The Earth is bombarded by ultrarelativistic particles, known as cosmic rays (CRs). CRs with energies up to a few PeV (=1015 eV), the knee in the particle spectrum, are believed to have a Galactic origin. One or more factories of PeV CRs, or PeVatrons, must thus be active within our Galaxy. The direct detection of PeV protons from their sources is not possible since they are deflected in the Galactic magnetic fields. Hundred TeV γ-rays from decaying π0, produced when PeV CRs collide with the ambient gas, can provide the decisive evidence of proton acceleration up to the knee. Here we report the discovery by the High Altitude Water Cerenkov (HAWC) observatory of the γ-ray source, HAWC J1825-134, whose energy spectrum extends well beyond 200 TeV without a break or cutoff. The source is found to be coincident with a giant molecular cloud. The ambient gas density is as high as 700 protons cm-3. While the nature of this extreme accelerator remains unclear, CRs accelerated to energies of several PeV colliding with the ambient gas likely produce the observed radiation.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Los Alamos National Laboratory United States (USA) (US) National Autonomous University of Mexico / Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Mexico (MX) Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH) Mexico (MX) Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (UMSNH) Mexico (MX) Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) United States (USA) (US) Polska Akademia Nauk (PAN) / Polish Academy of Sciences Poland (PL) University of Rochester (UR) United States (USA) (US) University of Maryland United States (USA) (US) National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF) Italy (IT) Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) / Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla Mexico (MX) Universidad de Guadalajara (UDEG) Mexico (MX) University of Wisconsin - Madison United States (USA) (US) Stanford University United States (USA) (US) Michigan Technological University United States (USA) (US) University of New Mexico (UNM) / Universidad de Nuevo México United States (USA) (US) Michigan State University United States (USA) (US) Shanghai Jiao Tong University / 上海交通大学 China (CN) Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Germany (DE) University of Utah United States (USA) (US) Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca (UPP) Mexico (MX) National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico / Instituto Politécnico Nacional de México Mexico (MX) Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo / Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo Mexico (MX) University of Seoul (UOS) / 서울시립대학교 Korea, Republic of (KR)

How to cite

APA:

Albert, A., Alfaro, R., Alvarez, C., Camacho, J.R.A., Arteaga-Velazquez, J.C., Arunbabu, K.P.,... De Leon, C. (2021). Evidence of 200 TeV photons from HAWC J1825-134. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 907(2). https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abd77b

MLA:

Albert, A., et al. "Evidence of 200 TeV photons from HAWC J1825-134." Astrophysical Journal Letters 907.2 (2021).

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