Very high energy gamma rays from the composite SNR G0.9+0.1


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Aharonian F., Akhperjanian A., Aye K., Bazer-Bachi A., Beilicke M., Benbow W., ...More

ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, vol.432, no.2, 2005 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 432 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2005
  • Doi Number: 10.1051/0004-6361:200500022
  • Journal Name: ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Keywords: ISM : supernova remnants, ISM : individual objects : G0.9+0.1, gamma-rays : observations, PULSAR WIND NEBULA, GALACTIC-CENTER, SYSTEM
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Very high energy (> 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission has been detected for the first time from the composite supernova remnant G0.9+ 0.1 using the HESS instrument. The source is detected with a significance of approximate to 13sigma, and a photon flux above 200 GeV of ( 5.7 +/- 0.7(stat) +/- 1.2(sys)) x 10(-12) cm(-2) s(-1), making it one of the weakest sources ever detected at TeV energies. The photon spectrum is compatible with a power law ( dN/dE proportional to E-Gamma) with photon index Gamma = 2.40 +/- 0.11(stat) +/- 0.20(sys). The gamma-ray emission appears to originate in the plerionic core of the remnant, rather than the shell, and can be plausibly explained as inverse Compton scattering of relativistic electrons.