Evidence that Ultra-high-energy Gamma Rays Are a Universal Feature near Powerful Pulsars

Albert A, Alfaro R, Alvarez C, Alvarez JD, Angeles Camacho JR, Arteaga-Velazquez JC, Arunbabu KP, Rojas DA, Ayala Solares HA, Baghmanyan V, Belmont-Moreno E, Benzvi SY, Brisbois C, Caballero-Mora KS, Capistran T, Carraminana A, Casanova S, Cotti U, Cotzomi J, Coutino De Leon S, De La Fuente E, De Leon C, Diaz Hernandez R, Dingus BL, Duvernois MA, Durocher M, Diaz-Velez JC, Ellsworth RW, Engel K, Espinoza C, Fan KL, Fernandez Alonso M, Fraija N, Galvan-Gamez A, Garcia-Gonzalez JA, Garfias F, Giacinti G, Gonzalez MM, Goodman JA, Harding JP, Hernandez S, Hona B, Huang D, Hueyotl-Zahuantitla F, Huntemeyer P, Iriarte A, Jardin-Blicq A, Joshi V, Kieda D, Lara A, Lee WH, Lee J, Leon Vargas H, Linnemann JT, Longinotti AL, Luis-Raya G, Lundeen J, Malone K, Marandon V, Martinez O, Martinez-Castro J, Matthews JA, Miranda-Romagnoli P, Morales-Soto JA, Moreno E, Mostafa M, Nayerhoda A, Nellen L, Newbold M, Nisa MU, Noriega-Papaqui R, Olivera-Nieto L, Omodei N, Peisker A, Araujo YP, Perez-Perez EG, Rho CD, Roh YJ, Rosa-Gonzalez D, Ruiz-Velasco E, Salazar H, Salesa Greus F, Sandoval A, Schneider M, Schoorlemmer H, Serna-Franco J, Smith AJ, Springer RW, Surajbali P, Tanner M, Tollefson K, Torres I, Torres-Escobedo R, Turner R, Urena-Mena F, Villasenor L, Weisgarber T, Willox E, Zhou H (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Book Volume: 911

Article Number: L27

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/abf4dc

Abstract

The highest-energy known gamma-ray sources are all located within 0.°5 of extremely powerful pulsars. This raises the question of whether ultra-high-energy (UHE; >56 TeV) gamma-ray emission is a universal feature expected near pulsars with a high spin-down power. Using four years of data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Observatory, we present a joint-likelihood analysis of 10 extremely powerful pulsars to search for subthreshold UHE gamma-ray emission correlated with these locations. We report a significant detection (>3σ), indicating that UHE gamma-ray emission is a generic feature of powerful pulsars. We discuss the emission mechanisms of the gamma rays and the implications of this result. The individual environment, such as the magnetic field and particle density in the surrounding area, appears to play a role in the amount of emission.

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) Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) Mexico (MX) Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Germany (DE) University of Utah United States (USA) (US) Michigan Technological University United States (USA) (US) University of Seoul (UOS) / 서울시립대학교 Korea, Republic of (KR) Universidad Politécnica de Pachuca (UPP) Mexico (MX) Michigan State University United States (USA) (US) National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico / Instituto Politécnico Nacional de México Mexico (MX) University of New Mexico (UNM) / Universidad de Nuevo México United States (USA) (US) Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo / Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo Mexico (MX) Stanford University United States (USA) (US) Shanghai Jiao Tong University / 上海交通大学 China (CN)

How to cite

APA:

Albert, A., Alfaro, R., Alvarez, C., Alvarez, J.D., Angeles Camacho, J.R., Arteaga-Velazquez, J.C.,... Zhou, H. (2021). Evidence that Ultra-high-energy Gamma Rays Are a Universal Feature near Powerful Pulsars. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 911(2). https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abf4dc

MLA:

Albert, A., et al. "Evidence that Ultra-high-energy Gamma Rays Are a Universal Feature near Powerful Pulsars." Astrophysical Journal Letters 911.2 (2021).

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