Detection of extended γ -ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with H.E.S.S.

Aharonian F, Ait Benkhali F, Aschersleben J, Ashkar H, Backes M, Barbosa Martins V, Batzofin R, Becherini Y, Berge D, Bernlöhr K, Bi B, Böttcher M, Boisson C, Bolmont J, Borowska J, Bouyahiaoui M, Bradascio F, Brose R, Brun F, Bruno B, Bulik T, Burger-Scheidlin C, Cangemi F, Caroff S, Casanova S, Celic J, Cerruti M, Chambery P, Chand T, Chandra S, Chen A, Chibueze J, Chibueze O, Cotter G, Mbarubucyeye JD, Devin J, Djannati-Ataï A, Dmytriiev A, Egberts K, Einecke S, Ernenwein JP, Feijen K, Fichet De Clairfontaine G, Filipovic M, Fontaine G, Fübling M, Funk S, Gabici S, Gallant YA, Ghafourizadeh S, Giavitto G, Giunti L, Glawion D, Glicenstein JF, Goswami P, Grolleron G, Grondin MH, Haerer L, Haupt M, Hermann G, Hinton JA, Hofmann W, Holch TL, Holler M, Horns D, Huang Z, Jamrozy M, Jankowsky F, Joshi V, Jung-Richardt I, Kasai E, Katarzynski K, Khélifi B, Kluåºniak W, Komin N, Kosack K, Kostunin D, Guedes Lang R, Lang RG, Le Stum S, Leitl F, Leitl F, Lemière A, Lemoine-Goumard M, Lenain JP, Leuschner F, Lohse T, Luashvili A, Lypova I, Mackey J, Malyshev D, Marandon V, Marchegiani P, Marcowith A, Marinos P, Martí-Devesa G, Marx R, Maurin G, Meintjes PJ, Meyer M, Mitchell A, Moderski R, Mohrmann L, Montanari A, Moulin E, Muller J, Nakashima K, De Naurois M, Niemiec J, Noel AP, O'brien P, Ohm S, Olivera-Nieto L, De Ona Wilhelmi E, Ostrowski M, Panny S, Panter M, Parsons RD, Peron G, Prokhorov DA, Pühlhofer G, Quirrenbach A, Reimer A, Reimer O, Renaud M, Reville B, Rieger F, Rowell G, Rudak B, Ricarte HR, Ruiz-Velasco E, Sahakian V, Salzmann H, Santangelo A, Sasaki M, Schüssler F, Schutte HM, Schwanke U, Shapopi JN, Sinha A, Sol H, Specovius A, Spencer S, Stawarz L, Steinmassl S, Sushch I, Suzuki H, Takahashi T, Tanaka T, Tavernier T, Taylor AM, Terrier R, Thorpe-Morgan C, Tsirou M, Tsuji N, Vecchi M, Venter C, Vink J, Wagner SJ, White R, Wierzcholska A, Wong YW, Zacharias M, Zargaryan D, Zdziarski AA, Zech A, Zouari S, Zywucka N (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Book Volume: 673

Article Number: A148

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202245776

Abstract

Geminga is an enigmatic radio-quiet γ-ray pulsar located at a mere 250 pc distance from Earth. Extended very-high-energy γ-ray emission around the pulsar was discovered by Milagro and later confirmed by HAWC, which are both water Cherenkov detector-based experiments. However, evidence for the Geminga pulsar wind nebula in gamma rays has long evaded detection by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) despite targeted observations. The detection of γ-ray emission on angular scales ≳2° poses a considerable challenge for the background estimation in IACT data analysis. With recent developments in understanding the complementary background estimation techniques of water Cherenkov and atmospheric Cherenkov instruments, the H.E.S.S. IACT array can now confirm the detection of highly extended γ-ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with a radius of at least 3° in the energy range 0.5-40 TeV. We find no indications for statistically significant asymmetries or energy-dependent morphology. A flux normalisation of (2.8 ± 0.7)×10-12 cm-2 s-1 TeV-1 at 1 TeV is obtained within a 1° radius region around the pulsar. To investigate the particle transport within the halo of energetic leptons around the pulsar, we fitted an electron diffusion model to the data. The normalisation of the diffusion coefficient obtained of D0 = 7.6-1.2+1.5×1027 cm2 s-1, at an electron energy of 100 TeV, is compatible with values previously reported for the pulsar halo around Geminga, which is considerably below the Galactic average.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Konan University / 甲南大学 Japan (JP) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY Germany (DE) Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN / Instytut Fizyki Jądrowej im. Henryka Niewodniczańskiego PAN Poland (PL) Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Germany (DE) Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) Ireland (IE) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany (DE) Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet (LLR) France (FR) Noordwes-Universiteit / North-West University South Africa (ZA) Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Germany (DE) Universität Potsdam Germany (DE) University of Oxford United Kingdom (GB) Institut national de physique nucléaire et de physique des particules (IN2P3) France (FR) Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LUTH) / Laboratory of the Universe and Theories France (FR) Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences Poland (PL) Université Paris-Sud France (FR) Institute of Research into the Fundamental Laws of the Universe / Institut de recherche sur les lois fondamentales de l'univers (IRFU) France (FR) University of Adelaide Australia (AU) University of Warsaw / Uniwersytet Warszawski Poland (PL) University of Montpellier / Université Montpellier France (FR) Sorbonne Université France (FR) Universität Hamburg (UHH) Germany (DE) Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck / University of Innsbruck Austria (AT) University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) South Africa (ZA) University of Amsterdam Netherlands (NL) Jagiellonian University / Uniwersytet Jagielloński (UJ) Poland (PL) University of Savoy Mont Blanc / Université Savoie Mont Blanc France (FR) Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI) / Երևանի Ֆիզիկայի Ինստիտուտ Armenia (AM) Kapteyn Astronomical Institute Netherlands (NL) Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany (DE) University of the Free State South Africa (ZA) University of Namibia (UNAM) Namibia (NA) Université de Bordeaux France (FR) Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) / Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu (UMK) Poland (PL) University of Western Sydney Australia (AU) Riken Institute of Physical and Chemical Research / 理研 Japan (JP) University of Leicester United Kingdom (GB) University of Tokyo Japan (JP)

How to cite

APA:

Aharonian, F., Ait Benkhali, F., Aschersleben, J., Ashkar, H., Backes, M., Barbosa Martins, V.,... Zywucka, N. (2023). Detection of extended γ -ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with H.E.S.S. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 673. https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202245776

MLA:

Aharonian, F., et al. "Detection of extended γ -ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with H.E.S.S." Astronomy & Astrophysics 673 (2023).

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