Discovery of gamma-ray emission from the extragalactic pulsar wind nebula N 157B with H.E.S.S.

• Autores: Abramowski, A.; Acero, F.; Aharonian, Felix A.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Anton, G.; Medina, Maria Clementina; Spengler, G.; Stawarz, Ł.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Stinzing, F.; Stycz, K.; Sushch, I.; Szostek, A.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Terrier, R.; Tluczykont, M.; Valerius, K.; van Eldik, C.; Vasileiadis, G.; Venter, C.; Viana, A.; Vincent, P.; Völk, H. J.; Volpe, F.; Vorobiov, S.; Vorster, M.; Wagner, S. J.; Ward, M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Zacharias, M.; Zajczyk, A.; Zdziarski, A.; Zech, A.; Zechlin, H.-S.; H.E.S.S. Collaboration
• Año de publicación: 2012
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Gamma Rays; Pulsars; Supernova Remnants; Interstellar Medium; Psr J05376910 (Pulsar)
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

We present the significant detection of the first extragalactic pulsar wind nebula (PWN) detected in gamma rays, N 157B, located in the large" "Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Pulsars with high spin-down luminosity are found to power energised nebulae that emit gamma rays up to energies of several tens of TeV. N 157B is associated with PSR J0537−6910, which is the pulsar with the highest known spin-down luminosity. The High Energy Stereoscopic System telescope array observed this nebula on a yearly basis from 2004 to 2009 with a dead-time corrected exposure of 46 h. The gamma-ray spectrum between 600 GeV and 12 TeV is well-described by a pure power-law with a photon index of 2.8 ± 0.2stat ± 0.3syst" "and a normalisation at 1 TeV of (8.2 ± 0.8stat ± 2.5syst ) × 10−13 cm^{−2} s^{−1} TeV^{−1} . A leptonic multi-wavelength model shows that an energy of about 4 × 1049 erg is stored in electrons and positrons. The apparent efficiency, which is the ratio of the TeV gamma-ray luminosity to the pulsar?s spin-down luminosity, 0.08% ± 0.01%, is comparable to those of PWNe found in the Milky Way. The detection of a PWN at such a large distance is possible due to the pulsar?s favourable spin-down luminosity and a bright infrared photon-field serving as an inverse-Compton-scattering target for accelerated leptons. By applying a calorimetric technique to these observations, the pulsar?s birth period is estimated to be shorter than 10 ms.
Fil: Abramowski, A.. Universität Hamburg; Alemania
Fil: Acero, F.. Université Montpellier; Francia
Fil: Aharonian, F.. Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik; Alemania
Fil: Akhperjanian, A. G.. National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia; Armenia
Fil: Anton, G.. Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Alemania
Fil: Medina, Maria Clementina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía; Argentina
Fil: Spengler, G.. Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7; Francia
Fil: Stawarz, Ł.. University of Adelaide; Australia
Fil: Steenkamp, R.. The University of Leicester; Reino Unido
Fil: Stegmann, C.. Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Alemania
Fil: Stinzing, F.. Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Alemania
Fil: Stycz, K.. Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Alemania
Fil: Sushch, I.. Universität Hamburg; Alemania
Fil: Szostek, A.. University of Adelaide; Australia
Fil: Tavernet, J.-P.. Universität Tübingen; Alemania
Fil: Terrier, R.. Ecole Polytechnique; Francia
Fil: Tluczykont, M.. Universität Hamburg; Alemania
Fil: Valerius, K.. Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Alemania
Fil: van Eldik, C.. Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik; Alemania
Fil: Vasileiadis, G.. Université Montpellier; Francia
Fil: Venter, C.. University of Durham; Reino Unido
Fil: Viana, A.. Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7; Francia
Fil: Vincent, P.. Universität Tübingen; Alemania
Fil: Völk, H. J.. Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik; Alemania
Fil: Volpe, F.. Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik; Alemania
Fil: Vorobiov, S.. Université Montpellier; Francia
Fil: Vorster, M.. University of Durham; Reino Unido
Fil: Wagner, S. J.. Universität Heidelberg; Alemania
Fil: Ward, M.. Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center; Polonia
Fil: White, R.. University of Leicester; Reino Unido
Fil: Wierzcholska, A.. University of Adelaide; Australia
Fil: Zacharias, M.. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Alemania
Fil: Zajczyk, A.. Université Montpellier; Francia
Fil: Zdziarski, A.. University of Durham; Reino Unido
Fil: Zech, A.. Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7; Francia
Fil: Zechlin, H.-S.. Universität Hamburg; Alemania
Fil: H.E.S.S. Collaboration. No especifica;