학술논문
Resolving the Crab pulsar wind nebula at teraelectronvolt energies
Document Type
Working Paper
Author
Collaboration, H. E. S. S.; Abdalla, H.; Aharonian, F.; Benkhali, F. Ait; Angüner, E. O.; Arakawa, M.; Arcaro, C.; Arm, C.; Backes, M.; Barnard, M.; Becherini, Y.; Tjus, J. Becker; Berge, D.; Bernlöhr, K.; Blackwell, R.; Böttcher, M.; Boisson, C.; Bolmont, J.; Bonnefoy, S.; Bordas, P.; Bregeon, J.; Brun, F.; Brun, P.; Bryan, M.; Büchele, M.; Bulik, T.; Bylund, T.; Capasso, M.; Caroff, S.; Carosi, A.; Casanova, S.; Cerruti, M.; Chakraborty, N.; Ch, T.; Ch, S.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Chen, A.; Colafrancesco, S.; Condon, B.; Davids, I. D.; Deil, C.; Devin, J.; deWilt, P.; Dirson, L.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Dmytriiev, A.; Donath, A.; Doroshenko, V.; Drury, L. O'C.; Dyks, J.; Egberts, K.; Emery, G.; Ernenwein, J. -P.; Eschbach, S.; Fegan, S.; Fiasson, A.; Fontaine, G.; Funk, S.; Füßling, M.; Gabici, S.; Gallant, Y. A.; Gaté, F.; Giavitto, G.; Glawion, D.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Gottschall, D.; Grondin, M. -H.; Hahn, J.; Haupt, M.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Hoischen, C.; Holch, T. L.; Holler, M.; Horns, D.; Huber, D.; Iwasaki, H.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jamrozy, M.; Jankowsky, D.; Jankowsky, F.; Jouvin, L.; Jung-Richardt, I.; Kastendieck, M. A.; Katarzyński, K.; Katsuragawa, M.; Katz, U.; Khangulyan, D.; Khélifi, B.; King, J.; Klepser, S.; Kluźniak, W.; Komin, Nu.; Kosack, K.; Kraus, M.; Lamanna, G.; Lau, J.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lemière, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Lenain, J. -P.; Leser, E.; Lohse, T.; López-Coto, R.; Lypova, I.; Malyshev, D.; Mar, V.; Marcowith, A.; Mariaud, C.; Martí-Devesa, G.; Marx, R.; Maurin, G.; Meintjes, P. J.; Mitchell, A. M. W.; Moderski, R.; Mohamed, M.; Mohrmann, L.; Moore, C.; Moulin, E.; Murach, T.; Nakashima, S.; de Naurois, M.; Ndiyavala, H.; Niederwanger, F.; Niemiec, J.; Oakes, L.; O'Brien, P.; Odaka, H.; Ohm, S.; Ostrowski, M.; Oya, I.; Panter, M.; Parsons, R. D.; Perennes, C.; Petrucci, P. -O.; Peyaud, B.; Piel, Q.; Pita, S.; Poireau, V.; Noel, A. Priyana; Prokhorov, D. A.; Prokoph, H.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Quirrenbach, A.; Raab, S.; Rauth, R.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Renaud, M.; Rieger, F.; Rinchiuso, L.; Romoli, C.; Rowell, G.; Rudak, B.; Ruiz-Velasco, E.; Sahakian, V.; Saito, S.; Sanchez, D. A.; Santangelo, A.; Sasaki, M.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schüssler, F.; Schulz, A.; Schutte, H.; Schwanke, U.; Schwemmer, S.; Seglar-Arroyo, M.; Senniappan, M.; Seyffert, A. S.; Shafi, N.; Shilon, I.; Shiningayamwe, K.; Simoni, R.; Sinha, A.; Sol, H.; Specovius, A.; Spir-Jacob, M.; Stawarz, Ł.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Steppa, C.; Takahashi, T.; Tavernet, J. -P.; Tavernier, T.; Taylor, A. M.; Terrier, R.; Tiziani, D.; Tluczykont, M.; Trichard, C.; Tsirou, M.; Tsuji, N.; Tuffs, R.; Uchiyama, Y.; van der Walt, D. J.; van Eldik, C.; van Rensburg, C.; van Soelen, B.; Vasileiadis, G.; Veh, J.; Venter, C.; Vincent, P.; Vink, J.; Voisin, F.; Völk, H. J.; Vuillaume, T.; Wadiasingh, Z.; Wagner, S. J.; Wagner, R. M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Yang, R.; Yoneda, H.; Zaborov, D.; Zacharias, M.; Zanin, R.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Zech, A.; Ziegler, A.; Zorn, J.; Żywucka, N.
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Abstract
The Crab nebula is one of the most studied cosmic particle accelerators, shining brightly across the entire electromagnetic spectrum up to very high-energy gamma rays. It is known from radio to gamma-ray observations that the nebula is powered by a pulsar, which converts most of its rotational energy losses into a highly relativistic outflow. This outflow powers a pulsar wind nebula (PWN), a region of up to 10~light-years across, filled with relativistic electrons and positrons. These particles emit synchrotron photons in the ambient magnetic field and produce very high-energy gamma rays by Compton up-scattering of ambient low-energy photons. While the synchrotron morphology of the nebula is well established, it was up to now not known in which region the very high-energy gamma rays are emitted. Here we report that the Crab nebula has an angular extension at gamma-ray energies of 52 arcseconds (assuming a Gaussian source width), significantly larger than at X-ray energies. This result closes a gap in the multi-wavelength coverage of the nebula, revealing the emission region of the highest energy gamma rays. These gamma rays are a new probe of a previously inaccessible electron and positron energy range. We find that simulations of the electromagnetic emission reproduce our new measurement, providing a non-trivial test of our understanding of particle acceleration in the Crab nebula.
Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures
Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures