HIGH-VELOCITY H I IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE TeV SUPERNOVA REMNANT W51C

Journal Article · Mon May 20 04:00:00 EDT 2013 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/769/1/L17· OSTI ID:22130634

Tian, W. W. ^[1]

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1. National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Beijing 100012 (China)

The recently detected TeV {gamma}-ray source HESS J1923+141 coincides with supernova remnant (SNR) W51C and the star-forming region W51B of the W51 complex. We construct H I absorption spectra of SNR W51C, H II regions G49.2-0.35 and G49.1-0.38 in W51B, and a nearby compact extragalactic source. Our study detects high-velocity (HV) H I clouds (above 83 km s{sup -1}) that coincide with W51B, but finds that the clouds are behind W51B. Both W51C and G49.2-0.35 have similar highest velocity absorption features at {approx}70 km s{sup -1}. The H II region G49.1-0.38 is behind the SNR because its H I absorption spectrum has a feature at 83 km s{sup -1}. These new results argue against previous claims that the SNR has shocked the HV H I clouds. Therefore, the TeV emission from the complex should not be associated with the HV H I clouds. W51C has a distance of about 4.3 kpc, smaller than the tangent point distance of 5.5 kpc in that direction, but still in the Sagittarius spiral arm.

• OSTI ID: 22130634
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 769; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
COSMIC GAMMA SOURCES
COSMIC RADIATION
EMISSION
STARS
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
TEV RANGE
VELOCITY