Abstract
We present an analysis of the gamma-ray data obtained with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope in the direction of SNR W49B (G43.3-0.2). A bright unresolved gamma-ray source detected at a significance of 38s is found to coincide with SNR W49B. The energy spectrum in the 0.2-200 GeV range gradually steepens toward high energies. The luminosity is estimated to be 1.5 × 1036 (D/8 kpc)2 erg s -1 in this energy range. There is no indication that the gamma-ray emission comes from a pulsar. Assuming that the supernova remnant (SNR) shell is the site of gamma-ray production, the observed spectrum can be explained either by the decay of neutral π mesons produced through the proton-proton collisions or by electron bremsstrahlung. The calculated energy density of relativistic particles responsible for the LAT flux is estimated to be remarkably large, Ue,p > 104 eVcm-3, for either gamma-ray production mechanism.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1303-1311 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
| Volume | 722 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Oct 2010 |
Keywords
- Acceleration of particles
- ISM: individual objects (W49B)
- Radiation mechanisms: non-thermal
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