VLA and XMM-Newton Observations of the SNR W41/TeV Gamma-Ray Source HESS J1834-087

Abstract

The recently discovered extended TeV source HESS J1834-087 is associated with both a diffuse X-ray enhancement and a molecular cloud, projected at the center of an old radio supernova remnant G23.3-0.3 (SNR W41). New HI observations from the VLA Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS) show unambiguous structures associated with W41 in the radial velocity range of 53 to 63 km/s, so we obtain for W41 a distance of 4+-0.2 kpc. A new higher sensitivity VGPS continuum image of W41 at 1420 MHz shows faint emission in its eastern part not detected by previous observations, so we give a new angular size of 36'x30' in b-l direction (average radius of 19 pc). We estimate for W41 a Sedov age of ~10e5 yr. New XMM-Newton observation reveals diffuse X-ray emission within the HESS source and suggests an association between the X-ray and Gamma-ray emission. The high-resolution ^{13}CO images of W41 further reveal a giant molecular cloud (GMC) located at the center of W41, likely associated with W41 in the the radial velocity range of 61 to 66 km/s. Altogether, the new observations can be interpreted as providing the first evidence that an old SNR encounters a GMC to emit TeV gamma-rays in the cloud material.