First detection of VHE gamma-rays from SN 1006 by H.E.S.S

Fabio Acero (1) , F. Aharonian , A. G. Akhperjanian , G. Anton , U. Barres de Almeida , A. R. Bazer-Bachi (2) , Y. Becherini (3) , B. Behera , M. Beilicke , K. Bernlöhr , A. Bochow , C. Boisson (4) , J. Bolmont (5) , V. Borrel (2) , J. Brucker , F. Brun (5) , P. Brun (6) , R. Bühler , T. Bulik , I. Büsching , T. Boutelier (7) , P. M. Chadwick , A. Charbonnier (5) , R. C. G. Chaves , A. Cheesebrough , J. Conrad , L. -M. Chounet (8) , A. C. Clapson , G. Coignet (9) , M. Dalton , M. K. Daniel , I. D. Davids , B. Degrange (8) , C. Deil , H. J. Dickinson , A. Djannati-Ataï (10) , W. Domainko , L. O'C. Drury , F. Dubois (9) , G. Dubus (7) , J. Dyks , M. Dyrda , K. Egberts , P. Eger , P. Espigat (3) , L. Fallon , C. Farnier (1) , S. Fegan (8) , F. Feinstein (1) , A. Fiasson (9) , A. Förster , G. Fontaine (8) , M. Füssling , S. Gabici , Y. A. Gallant (1) , L. Gérard (3) , D. Gerbig , B. Giebels (8) , J. F. Glicenstein (6) , B. Glück , P. Goret (6) , D. Göring , D. Hauser , M. Hauser , S. Heinz , G. Heinzelmann , G. Henri (7) , G. Hermann , J. A. Hinton , A. Hoffmann , W. Hofmann , P. Hofverberg , M. Holleran , S. Hoppe , D. Horns , A. Jacholkowska (5) , O. C. de Jager , C. Jahn , I. Jung , K. Katarzy'Nski , U. Katz , S. Kaufmann , M. Kerschhaggl , D. Khangulyan , B. Khélifi (8) , D. Keogh , D. Klochkov , W. Klu'Zniak , T. Kneiske , Nu. Komin (6) , K. Kosack (6) , R. Kossakowski (9) , G. Lamanna (9) , M. Lemoine-Goumard , J. -P. Lenain (4) , T. Lohse , V. Marandon (3) , A. Marcowith (1) , Julien Masbou (9) , D. Maurin (5) , T. J. L. Mccomb , M. C. Medina (4) , J. Méhault (1) , Emmanuel Moulin (6) , M. Naumann-Godo (8) , M. de Naurois (5) , D. Nedbal , D. Nekrassov , B. Nicholas , J. Niemiec , S. J. Nolan , S. Ohm , J-F. Olive (2) , E. de Ona Wilhelmi K. J. Orford , M. Ostrowski , M. Panter , M. Paz Arribas G. Pedaletti , G. Pelletier (7) , P. -O. Petrucci (7) , S. Pita (3) , G. Pühlhofer , M. Punch (3) , A. Quirrenbach , B. C. Raubenheimer , M. Raue , S. M. Rayner , O. Reimer , M. Renaud (3) , R. de Los Reyes , F. Rieger , J. Ripken , L. Rob , S. Rosier-Lees (9) , G. Rowell , B. Rudak , C. B. Rulten , J. Ruppel , F. Ryde , V. Sahakian , A. Santangelo , R. Schlickeiser , F. M. Schöck , A. Schönwald , U. Schwanke , S. Schwarzburg , S. Schwemmer , A. Shalchi , I. Sushch , M. Sikora , J. L. Skilton , H. Sol (4) , Ł. Stawarz , R. Steenkamp , C. Stegmann , F. Stinzing , G. Superina (8) , A. Szostek (7) , P. H. Tam , J. -P. Tavernet (5) , R. Terrier (3) , O. Tibolla , M. Tluczykont , C. van Eldik , G. Vasileiadis (1) , C. Venter , L. Venter (4) , J. P. Vialle (9) , P. Vincent (5) , J. Vink , M. Vivier (6) , H. J. Völk , F. Volpe (8) , S. Vorobiov (1) , S. J. Wagner , M. Ward , A. A. Zdziarski , A. Zech (4)

1 LPTA - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Astroparticules
2 CESR - Centre d'étude spatiale des rayonnements
3 APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
4 LUTH (UMR_8102) - Laboratoire Univers et Théories
5 LPNHE - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
6 IRFU - Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
7 LAOG - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble
8 LLR - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
9 LAPP - Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules
10 APC - AHE - APC - Astrophysique des Hautes Energies

Recent theoretical predictions of the lowest very high energy (VHE) luminosity of SN 1006 are only a factor 5 below the previously published H.E.S.S. upper limit, thus motivating further in-depth observations of this source. Deep observations at VHE energies (above 100 GeV) were carried out with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) of Cherenkov Telescopes from 2003 to 2008. More than 100 hours of data have been collected and subjected to an improved analysis procedure. Observations resulted in the detection of VHE gamma-rays from SN 1006. The measured gamma-ray spectrum is compatible with a power-law, the flux is of the order of 1% of that detected from the Crab Nebula, and is thus consistent with the previously established H.E.S.S. upper limit. The source exhibits a bipolar morphology, which is strongly correlated with non-thermal X-rays. Because the thickness of the VHE-shell is compatible with emission from a thin rim, particle acceleration in shock waves is likely to be the origin of the gamma-ray signal. The measured flux level can be accounted for by inverse Compton emission, but a mixed scenario that includes leptonic and hadronic components and takes into account the ambient matter density inferred from observations also leads to a satisfactory description of the multi-wavelength spectrum.

Domaines: Phénomènes cosmiques de haute energie [astro-ph.HE]; Phénomènes cosmiques de haute energie [astro-ph.HE]

Fabio Acero, F. Aharonian, A. G. Akhperjanian, G. Anton, U. Barres de Almeida, et al.. First detection of VHE gamma-rays from SN 1006 by H.E.S.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics - A&A, 2010, 516, pp.A62. ⟨10.1051/0004-6361/200913916⟩. ⟨in2p3-00496202⟩