Discovery of extended VHE gamma-ray emission from the asymmetric pulsar wind nebula in MSH 15-52 with HESS

  • F. Aharonian
  • , A. G. Akhperjanian
  • , K. M. Aye
  • , A. R. Bazer-Bachi
  • , M. Beilicke
  • , W. Benbow
  • , D. Berge
  • , P. Berghaus
  • , K. Bernlöhr
  • , C. Boisson
  • , O. Bolz
  • , I. Braun
  • , F. Breitling
  • , A. M. Brown
  • , J. Bussons Gordo
  • , P. M. Chadwick
  • , L. M. Chounet
  • , R. Cornils
  • , L. Costamante
  • , B. Degrange
  • A. Djannati-Ataï, L. O.C. Drury, G. Dubus, D. Emmanoulopoulos, P. Espigat, F. Feinstein, P. Fleury, G. Fontaine, Y. Fuchs, S. Funk, Y. A. Gallant, B. Giebels, S. Gillessen, J. F. Glicenstein, P. Goret, C. Hadjichristidis, M. Hauser, G. Heinzelmann, G. Henri, G. Hermann, J. A. Hinton, W. Hofmann, M. Holleran, D. Horns, O. C. de Jager, B. Khélifi, N. Komin, A. Konopelko, I. J. Latham, R. le Gallou, A. Lemière, M. Lemoine-Goumard, N. Leroy, T. Lohse, O. Martineau-Huynh, A. Marcowith, C. Masterson, T. J.L. McComb, M. de Naurois, S. J. Nolan, A. Noutsos, K. J. Orford, J. L. Osborne, M. Ouchrif, M. Panter, G. Pelletier, S. Pita, G. Pühlhofer, M. Punch, B. C. Raubenheimer, M. Raue, J. Raux, S. M. Rayner, I. Redondo, A. Reimer, O. Reimer, J. Ripken, L. Rob, L. Rolland, G. Rowell, V. Sahakian, L. Saugé, S. Schlenker, R. Schlickeiser, C. Schuster, U. Schwanke, M. Siewert, H. Sol, R. Steenkamp, C. Stegmann, J. P. Tavernet, R. Terrier, C. G. Théoret, M. Tluczykont, G. Vasileiadis, C. Venter, P. Vincent, H. J. Völk, S. J. Wagner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Supernova Remnant MSH 15-52 has been observed in very high energy (VHE) γ-rays using the HESS 4-telescope array located in Namibia. A γ-ray signal is detected at the 25 sigma level during an exposure of 22.1 h live time. The image reveals an elliptically shaped emission region around the pulsar PSR B1509-58, with semi-major axis ∼ 6′ in the NW-SE direction and semi-minor axis ∼ 2′. This morphology coincides with the diffuse pulsar wind nebula as observed at X-ray energies by ROSAT. The overall energy spectrum from 280 GeV up to 40TeV can be fitted by a power law with photon index Γ = 2.27 ±0.03stat ±0.20syst. The detected emission can be plausibly explained by inverse Compton scattering of accelerated relativistic electrons with soft photons.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)L17-L20
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume435
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2005
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Gamma-rays: observations
  • ISM: individual objects: G 320.4-1.2
  • ISM: individual objects: PSR B1509-58
  • ISM: supernova remnants
  • Pulsar wind nebula

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