High-energy particle acceleration in the shell of a supernova remnant

F. A. Aharonian; A. G. Akhperjanian; K.-M. Aye; A. R. Bazer-Bachi; M. Beilicke; W. Benbow; D. Berge; P. Berghaus; K. Bernlöhr; O. Bolz; C. Boisson; C. Borgmeier; F. Breitling; A. M. Brown; J. Bussons Gordo; P. M. Chadwick; V. R. Chitnis; L.-M. Chounet; R. Cornils; L. Costamante; B. Degrange; A. Djannati-Ataï; L. O'C. Drury; T. Ergin; P. Espigat; F. Feinstein; P. Fleury; G. Fontaine; S. Funk; Y.A. Gallant; B. Giebels; S. Gillessen; P. Goret; J. Guy; C. Hadjichristidis; M. Hauser; G. Heinzelmann; G. Henri; G. Hermann; J. A. Hinton; W. Hofmann; M. Holleran; D. Horns; O. C. de Jager; I. Jung; B. Khélifi; Nu. Komin; A. Konopelko; I. J. Latham; R. Le Gallou; M. Lemoine; A. Lemière; N. Leroy; T. Lohse; A. Marcowith; C. Masterson; T. J. L. Mccomb; M. de Naurois; S. J. Nolan; A. Noutsos; K. J. Orford; J. L. Osborne; M. Ouchrif; M. Panter; G. Pelletier; S. Pita; M. Pohl; G. Pühlhofer; M. Punch; B. C. Raubenheimer; M. Raue; J. Raux; S. M. Rayner; I. Redondo; A. Reimer; O. Reimer; J. Ripken; M. Rivoal; L. Rob; L. Rolland; G. Rowell; V. Sahakian; L. Saugé; S. Schlenker; R. Schlickeiser; C. Schuster; U. Schwanke; M. Siewert; H. Sol; R. Steenkamp; C. Stegmann; J.-P. Tavernet; C. G. Théoret; M. Tluczykont; D. J. van der Walt; G. Vasileiadis; P. Vincent; B. Visser; H. J. Völk; S. J. Wagner

doi:10.1038/nature02960

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High-energy particle acceleration in the shell of a supernova remnant

Journal article

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High-energy particle acceleration in the shell of a supernova remnant

F. A. Aharonian, A. G. Akhperjanian, K.-M. Aye, A. R. Bazer-Bachi, M. Beilicke, W. Benbow, D. Berge, P. Berghaus, K. Bernlöhr, O. Bolz, …

Nature, Vol.432, pp.75-77

2004

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02960

Abstract

A significant fraction of the energy density of the interstellar medium is in the form of high-energy charged particles (cosmic rays). The origin of these particles remains uncertain. Although it is generally accepted that the only sources capable of supplying the energy required to accelerate the bulk of Galactic cosmic rays are supernova explosions, and even though the mechanism of particle acceleration in expanding supernova remnant (SNR) shocks is thought to be well understood theoretically, unequivocal evidence for the production of high-energy particles in supernova shells has proven remarkably hard to find. Here we report on observations of the SNR RX J1713.7 - 3946 (G347.3 - 0.5), which was discovered by ROSAT in the X-ray spectrum and later claimed as a source of high-energy bold gamma-rays of TeV energies (1 TeV = 1012 eV). We present a TeV bold gamma-ray image of the SNR: the spatially resolved remnant has a shell morphology similar to that seen in X-rays, which demonstrates that very-high-energy particles are accelerated there. The energy spectrum indicates efficient acceleration of charged particles to energies beyond 100 TeV, consistent with current ideas of particle acceleration in young SNR shocks.

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Title: High-energy particle acceleration in the shell of a supernova remnant
Creators - without role: F. A. Aharonian - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
A. G. Akhperjanian - A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory
K.-M. Aye - Durham University
A. R. Bazer-Bachi - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
M. Beilicke - Universität Hamburg
W. Benbow - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
D. Berge - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
P. Berghaus - Collège de France
K. Bernlöhr - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
O. Bolz - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
C. Boisson - Observatoire de Paris
C. Borgmeier - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
F. Breitling - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
A. M. Brown - Durham University
J. Bussons Gordo
P. M. Chadwick - Durham University
V. R. Chitnis - Sorbonne Université
L.-M. Chounet - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
R. Cornils - Universität Hamburg
L. Costamante - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
B. Degrange - École Polytechnique
A. Djannati-Ataï - Physique Corpusculaire et Cosmologie
L. O'C. Drury
T. Ergin - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
P. Espigat - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
F. Feinstein - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
P. Fleury - École Polytechnique
G. Fontaine - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
S. Funk - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
Y.A. Gallant - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
B. Giebels - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
S. Gillessen - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
P. Goret - Direction des énergies
J. Guy - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
C. Hadjichristidis - Durham University
M. Hauser
G. Heinzelmann - Universität Hamburg
G. Henri - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
G. Hermann - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
J. A. Hinton - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
W. Hofmann - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
M. Holleran - North-West University
D. Horns - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
O. C. de Jager - North-West University
I. Jung - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
B. Khélifi - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
Nu. Komin - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
A. Konopelko - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
I. J. Latham - Durham University
R. Le Gallou - Durham University
M. Lemoine - École Polytechnique
A. Lemière - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
N. Leroy - École Polytechnique
T. Lohse - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
A. Marcowith - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
C. Masterson - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
T. J. L. Mccomb - Durham University
M. de Naurois - Sorbonne Université
S. J. Nolan - Durham University
A. Noutsos - Durham University
K. J. Orford - Durham University
J. L. Osborne - Durham University
M. Ouchrif - Sorbonne Université
M. Panter - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
G. Pelletier - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
S. Pita - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
M. Pohl - Ruhr University Bochum
G. Pühlhofer
M. Punch - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
B. C. Raubenheimer - North-West University
M. Raue - Universität Hamburg
J. Raux - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
S. M. Rayner - Durham University
I. Redondo - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
A. Reimer - Ruhr University Bochum
O. Reimer - Ruhr University Bochum
J. Ripken - Universität Hamburg
M. Rivoal - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
L. Rob - Charles University
L. Rolland - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
G. Rowell - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
V. Sahakian - A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory
L. Saugé - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
S. Schlenker - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
R. Schlickeiser - Ruhr University Bochum
C. Schuster - Ruhr University Bochum
U. Schwanke - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
M. Siewert - Ruhr University Bochum
H. Sol - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
R. Steenkamp - University of Namibia
C. Stegmann - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
J.-P. Tavernet - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
C. G. Théoret - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
M. Tluczykont - École Polytechnique
D. J. van der Walt - North-West University
G. Vasileiadis - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
P. Vincent - Université Libre de Bruxelles
B. Visser - North-West University
H. J. Völk - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
S. J. Wagner
Publication Details: Nature, Vol.432, pp.75-77
Identifiers: 9934414209311
Academic Unit: Université de Montpellier
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
Local Fields: in2p3-00023291