OBSERVATION OF THE TeV GAMMA-RAY SOURCE MGRO J1908+06 WITH ARGO-YBJ

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/760/2/110· OSTI ID:22086247

Bartoli, B; Catalanotti, S ^[1]; Bernardini, P; Bleve, C ^[2]; Bi, X J; Cao, Z; Chen, S Z; Chen, Y ^[3]; Bolognino, I ^[4]; Branchini, P; Budano, A ^[5]; Melcarne, A K. Calabrese ^[6]; Camarri, P ^[7]; Cardarelli, R ^[8]; Cattaneo, C ^[9]; Chen, T L ^[10]; Creti, P ^[11]; Cui, S W ^[12]; Dai, B Z ^[13]; Staiti, G D'Ali ^[14] ; others, and

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1. Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Universita di Napoli 'Federico II', Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo, via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli (Italy)
2. Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica 'Ennio De Giorgi', Universita del Salento, via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce (Italy)
3. Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 918, 100049 Beijing (China)
4. Dipartimento di Fisica Nucleare e Teorica dell'Universita di Pavia, via Bassi 6, 27100 Pavia (Italy)
5. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma Tre, via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma (Italy)
6. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-CNAF, Viale Berti-Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna (Italy)
7. Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Universita di Roma 'Tor Vergata', via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma (Italy)
8. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma (Italy)
9. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pavia, via Bassi 6, 27100 Pavia (Italy)
10. Tibet University, 850000 Lhasa, Xizang (China)
11. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Lecce, via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce (Italy)
12. Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, Hebei (China)
13. Yunnan University, 2 North Cuihu Rd., 650091 Kunming, Yunnan (China)
14. Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 18, 90128 Palermo (Italy)

The extended gamma-ray source MGRO J1908+06, discovered by the Milagro air shower detector in 2007, has been observed for {approx}4 years by the ARGO-YBJ experiment at TeV energies, with a statistical significance of 6.2 standard deviations. The peak of the signal is found at a position consistent with the pulsar PSR J1907+0602. Parameterizing the source shape with a two-dimensional Gauss function, we estimate an extension of {sigma}{sub ext} = 0.{sup 0}49 {+-} 0.{sup 0}22, which is consistent with a previous measurement by the Cherenkov Array H.E.S.S. The observed energy spectrum is dN/dE = 6.1 {+-} 1.4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -13} (E/4 TeV){sup -2.54{+-}0.36} photons cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} TeV{sup -1}, in the energy range of {approx}1-20 TeV. The measured gamma-ray flux is consistent with the results of the Milagro detector, but is {approx}2-3 times larger than the flux previously derived by H.E.S.S. at energies of a few TeV. The continuity of the Milagro and ARGO-YBJ observations and the stable excess rate observed by ARGO-YBJ and recorded in four years of data support the identification of MGRO J1908+06 as the steady powerful TeV pulsar wind nebula of PSR J1907+0602, with an integrated luminosity over 1 TeV {approx} 1.8 times the luminosity of the Crab Nebula.

• OSTI ID: 22086247
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 760, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
COSMIC GAMMA SOURCES
COSMIC PHOTONS
CRAB NEBULA
ENERGY SPECTRA
GAMMA ASTRONOMY
GAMMA DETECTION
GAMMA RADIATION
GAUSS FUNCTION
PULSARS
SHOWER COUNTERS
TEV RANGE