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Title: CANGAROO-III OBSERVATION OF TeV GAMMA RAYS FROM THE UNIDENTIFIED GAMMA-RAY SOURCE HESS J1614-518

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
; ; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]; ;  [4]; ; ;  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9]; ;  [10]; ;  [11];  [12]
  1. Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)
  2. Faculty of Science, Ibaraki University, Mito, Ibaraki 310-8512 (Japan)
  3. Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ohkubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-0072 (Japan)
  4. Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan)
  5. Department of Physics, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1292 (Japan)
  6. Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, ACT 2611 (Australia)
  7. School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Adelaide, SA 5005 (Australia)
  8. CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Australia Telescope National Facility, Epping, NSW 2121 (Australia)
  9. Department of Physics, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Yamagata 990-8560 (Japan)
  10. Faculty of Management Information, Yamanashi Gakuin University, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8575 (Japan)
  11. Department of Physics, Konan University, Kobe, Hyogo 658-8501 (Japan)
  12. Department of Physical Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan)

We report the detection, with the CANGAROO-III imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope array, of a very high energy gamma-ray signal from the unidentified gamma-ray source HESS J1614-518, which was discovered in the H.E.S.S. Galactic plane survey. Diffuse gamma-ray emission was detected above 760 GeV at the 8.9{sigma} level during an effective exposure of 54 hr from 2008 May to August. The spectrum can be represented by a power law: (8.2 {+-} 2.2{sub stat} {+-} 2.5{sub sys}) x 10{sup -12} x (E/1 TeV){sup -}{gamma} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} TeV{sup -1} with a photon index {gamma} of 2.4 {+-} 0.3{sub stat} {+-} 0.2{sub sys}, which is compatible with that of the H.E.S.S. observations. By combining our result with multiwavelength data, we discuss the possible counterparts for HESS J1614-518 and consider radiation mechanisms based on hadronic and leptonic processes for a supernova remnant (SNR), stellar winds from massive stars, and a pulsar wind nebula (PWN). Although a leptonic origin from a PWN driven by an unknown pulsar remains possible, hadronic-origin emission from an unknown SNR is preferred.

OSTI ID:
21587358
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 740, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/740/2/78; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English