Title: Fermi-LAT and WMAP Observations of the Puppis A Supernova Remnant

Abstract

In this paper, we report the detection of GeV γ-ray emission from the supernova remnant (SNR) Puppis A with the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Puppis A is among the faintest SNRs yet detected at GeV energies, with a luminosity of only 2.7 × 10³⁴ (D/2.2 kpc)² erg s^-1 between 1 and 100 GeV. The γ-ray emission from the remnant is spatially extended, with a morphology matching that of the radio and X-ray emission, and is well described by a simple power law with an index of 2.1. We attempt to model the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED), from radio to γ-rays, using standard nonthermal emission mechanisms. To constrain the relativistic electron population we use 7 years of Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe data to extend the radio spectrum up to 93 GHz. Finally, both leptonic- and hadronic-dominated models can reproduce the nonthermal SED, requiring a total content of cosmic-ray electrons and protons accelerated in Puppis A of at least W _CR ≈ (1-5) × 10⁴⁹ erg.

Authors:

Hewitt, J. W. ^[1]; Grondin, M. -H. ^[2]; Lemoine-Goumard, M. ^[3]; Reposeur, T. ^[3]; Ballet, J. ^[4]; Tanaka, T. ^[5]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States)
2. Max Planck Inst. for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg (Germany); Heidelberg Univ. (Germany)
3. Univ. of Bordeaux 1, Gradignan (France). Bordeaux-Gradignan Center of Nuclear Studies
4. Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Saclay (France). Astrophysics Service. CEA-IRFU/CNRS/Paris Diderot Univ. Lab. AIM
5. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Physics. W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Lab.; SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States). Kavli Inst. for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology

Publication Date:

Mon Oct 22 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Research Org.:

SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); European Union (EU)

Contributing Org.:

Fermi-LAT Collaboration

OSTI Identifier:

1356666

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-76SF00515; ERC-StG-259391

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

The Astrophysical Journal

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 759; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X

Publisher:

Institute of Physics (IOP)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; acceleration of particles; cosmic rays; ISM; non-thermal radiation mechanisms