We report on the first detection of GeV high-energy gamma-ray emission from a young supernova remnant (SNR) with the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. These observations reveal a source with no discernible spatial extension detected at a significance level of 12.2 sigma above 500 MeV a a location that is consistent with the position of the remnant of the supernova explosion that occurred around 1680 in the Cassiopeia constellation-Cassiopeia A (Cas A). The gamma-ray flux and spectral shape of the source are consistent with a scenario in which the gamma-ray emission originates from relativistic particles accelerated in the shell of this remnant. The total content of cosmic rays (electrons and protons) accelerated in Cas A can be estimated as W-CR similar or equal to (1-4) x 10(49) erg thanks to the well-known density in the remnant assuming that the observed gamma ray originates in the SNR shell(s). The magnetic field in the radio-emitting plasma can be robustly constrained as B >= 0.1 mG, providing new evidence of the magnetic field amplification at the forward shock and the strong field in the shocked ejecta.
FERMI-LAT DISCOVERY OF GeV GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM THE YOUNG SUPERNOVA REMNANT CASSIOPEIA A / Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Baring, M. G.; Bastieri, D.; Baughman, B. M.; Bechtol, K.; Bellazzini, R.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R. D.; Bloom, E. D.; Bonamente, E.; Borgland, A. W.; Bregeon, J.; Brez, A.; Brigida, M.; Bruel, P.; Buehler, R.; Burnett, T. H.; Busetto, G.; Caliandro, G. A.; Cameron, R. A.; Caraveo, P. A.; Casandjian, J. M.; Cecchi, C.; Celik, O.; Charles, E.; Chaty, S.; Chekhtman, A.; Cheung, C. C.; Chiang, J.; Cillis, A. N.; Ciprini, S.; Claus, R.; Cohen Tanugi, J.; Conrad, J.; Corbel, S.; Palma, F. d.; Digel, S. W.; Dormody, M.; Silva, E. D. E.; Drell, P. S.; Dubois, R.; Dumora, D.; Edmonds, Y.; Farnier, C.; Favuzzi, C.; Fegan, S. J.; Ferrara, E. C.; Focke, W. B.; Fortin, P.; Frailis, M.; Fukazawa, Y.; Funk, S.; Fusco, P.; Gargano, F.; Gasparrini, D.; Gehrels, N.; Germani, S.; Giavitto, G.; Giglietto, N.; Giordano, F.; Glanzman, T.; Godfrey, G.; Grenier, I. A.; Grondin, M. H.; Grove, J. E.; Guillemot, L.; Guiriec, S.; Hanabata, Y.; Hays, E.; Harding, A. K.; Hayashida, M.; Horan, D.; Hughes, R. E.; Jackson, M. S.; Johnson, A. S.; Johnson, T. J.; Johnson, W. N.; Kamae, T.; Katagiri, H.; Kataoka, J.; Kawai, N.; Kerr, M.; Knodlseder, J.; Kuss, M.; Lande, J.; Latronico, L.; Lemoine Goumard, M.; Longo, Francesco; Loparco, F.; Lott, B.; Lovellette, M. N.; Lubrano, P.; Makeev, A.; Mazziotta, M. N.; Meurer, C.; Michelson, P. F.; Mitthumsiri, W.; Mizuno, T.; Monte, C.; Monzani, M. E.; Morselli, A.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Murgia, S.; Nakamori, T.; Nolan, P. L.; Norris, J. P.; Nuss, E.; Ohsugi, T.; Okumura, A.; Omodei, N.; Orlando, E.; Ormes, J. F.; Paneque, D.; Panetta, J. H.; Pelassa, V.; Pepe, M.; Pesce Rollins, M.; Piron, F.; Pohl, M.; Porter, T. A.; Raino, S.; Rando, R.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Reposeur, T.; Ritz, S.; Rodriguez, A. Y.; Romani, R. W.; Roth, M.; Sadrozinski, H. F. W.; Sander, A.; Parkinson, P. M. S.; Scargle, J. D.; Sgro, C.; Siskind, E. J.; Smith, D. A.; Smith, P. D.; Spinelli, P.; Strickman, M. S.; Suson, D. J.; Tajima, H.; Takahashi, T.; Tanaka, T.; Thayer, J. B.; Thayer, J. G.; Thompson, D. J.; Thorsett, S. E.; Tibaldo, L.; Tibolla, O.; Torres, D. F.; Tosti, G.; Tramacere, A.; Uchiyama, Y.; Usher, T. L.; Etten, A. V.; Vasileiou, V.; Venter, C.; Vilchez, N.; Vitale, V.; Waite, A. P.; Wang, P.; Winer, B. L.; Wood, K. S.; Yamazaki, R.; Ylinen, T.; Ziegler, M.. - In: THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS. - ISSN 2041-8205. - STAMPA. - 710:(2010), pp. L92-L97. [10.1088/2041-8205/710/1/L92]
FERMI-LAT DISCOVERY OF GeV GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM THE YOUNG SUPERNOVA REMNANT CASSIOPEIA A
LONGO, FRANCESCO;E. Orlando;
2010-01-01
Abstract
We report on the first detection of GeV high-energy gamma-ray emission from a young supernova remnant (SNR) with the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. These observations reveal a source with no discernible spatial extension detected at a significance level of 12.2 sigma above 500 MeV a a location that is consistent with the position of the remnant of the supernova explosion that occurred around 1680 in the Cassiopeia constellation-Cassiopeia A (Cas A). The gamma-ray flux and spectral shape of the source are consistent with a scenario in which the gamma-ray emission originates from relativistic particles accelerated in the shell of this remnant. The total content of cosmic rays (electrons and protons) accelerated in Cas A can be estimated as W-CR similar or equal to (1-4) x 10(49) erg thanks to the well-known density in the remnant assuming that the observed gamma ray originates in the SNR shell(s). The magnetic field in the radio-emitting plasma can be robustly constrained as B >= 0.1 mG, providing new evidence of the magnetic field amplification at the forward shock and the strong field in the shocked ejecta.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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