Discovery of very-high-energy γ-ray emission from the vicinity of PSR J1913+1011 with HESS

F Aharonian,J A Hinton,O Bolz,C Farnier,M Panter,P Espigat,D Emmanoulopoulos,R Moderski,A Hoffmann,D Maurin,G Dubus,J.-P Olive,B Degrange,I J Latham,T J L Mccomb,L Rob,P Vincent,D Nedbal,M Ostrowski,S J Wagner,R Terrier,L Costamante,G Pedaletti,S Carrigan,S J Nolan,J P Vialle,B Khélifi,E Brion,M De Naurois,C Boisson,K Kosack,M Füßling,S Hoppe,G Heinzelmann,S Schwemmer,A Lemière,R Cornils,G Lamanna,Y A Gallant,R Steenkamp,B Glück,W Hofmann,U Schwanke,C Hadjichristidis,T Bulik,G Fontaine,L Rolland,B Giebels,Nu Komin,G Henri,D Spangler,C Masterson,A M Brown,J F Glicenstein,R Bühler,O C De Jager,R Schlickeiser,I Braun,B Behera,E Kendziorra,M Hauser,C Venter,M Raue,G Coignet,J Dyks,W Domainko,W Benbow,G Rowell,R Schröder,A G Akhperjanian,M Beilicke,M Renaud,M Punch,V Borrel,B Rudak,G Pelletier,I Büsching,K Bernlöhr,K J Orford,T Boutelier,C Van Eldik,C Stegmann,F Feinstein,D Hauser,J Ruppel,F Volpe,H J Völk,P.-O Petrucci,S Schwarzburg,M Holleran,S Pita,D Horns,M Vivier,H Sol,K Egberts,A C Clapson,V Sahakian,G Hermann,A Marcowith,G Superina,J Ripken,A Shalchi,A Santangelo,G Vasileiadis,S M Rayner,P Goret,H J Dickinson,A Fiaßon ,John Osborne ,L O’c Drury ,J.‐P Lenain ,O Martineau‐Huynh ,L.‐M Chounet ,P.m Chadwic ,S Rosier‐Lees ,S Schlenker ,D Berge ,M Lemoine‐Goumard ,Britt Raubenheimer ,Jean‐Michel Martin ,A Jachołkowska ,T Löhse ,R Le Gallou ,Y Moriguchi ,G P ̈Uhlhofer ,A F ̈Orster ,L Saugé ,S Funk ,Stawarz ,S Ranchon ,Y Fukui ,T T Takeuchi ,A Reimer ,A R Bazer‐Bachi ,M Kerschhagg ,Emmanuel Moulin ,P H T Tam ,A Djannati-Ataı̈ ,J.‐P Tavernet ,M J Ward

doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078715

Abstract

The H.E.S.S. experiment, an array of four Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes with high sensitivity and large field-of-view, has been used to search for emitters of very-high-energy (VHE, >100 GeV) gamma-rays along the Galactic plane, covering the region 30 deg < l < 60 deg, 280 deg < l < 330 deg, and -3 deg < b < 3 deg. In this continuation of the H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Scan, a new extended VHE gamma-ray source was discovered at alpha(2000)=19h12m49s, delta(2000)=+10d09'06'' (HESS J1912+101). Its integral flux between 1-10 TeV is ~10% of the Crab Nebula flux in the same energy range. The measured energy spectrum can be described by a power law with a photon index Gamma = 2.7+-0.2(stat)+-0.3(sys). HESS J1912+101 is plausibly associated with the high spin-down luminosity pulsar PSR J1913+1011. We also discuss associations with an as yet unconfirmed SNR candidate proposed from low frequency radio observation and/or with molecular clouds found in 13CO data.

Full Text