VHE {gamma}-ray emitting pulsar wind nebulae discovered by H.E.S.S

Journal Article · Wed Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2008 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2900140· OSTI ID:21136714

Gallant, Y A; Komin, Nu ^[1]; Carrigan, S; Hoppe, S; Kosack, K ^[2]; Djannati-Ataie, A; Lemiere, A ^[3]; Funk, S ^[4]; Hinton, J A ^[5]; Jager, O C. de ^[6]; Khelifi, B ^[7]; Masterson, C ^[8]

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1. LPTA, Universite Montpellier II, CNRS/IN2P3, place Eugene Bataillon, F-34095 Montpellier (France)
2. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, P.O. Box 103980, D-69029 Heidelberg (Germany)
3. Astroparticule et Cosmologie (APC), CNRS, Universite Paris 7 Denis Diderot, F-75025 Paris (France)
4. Kavli Institute for Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology, SLAC, PO Box 0029, 94025 (United States)
5. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT (United Kingdom)
6. Unit for Space Physics, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520 (South Africa)
7. Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91128 Palaiseau (France)
8. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 5 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 (Ireland)

Recent advances in very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy have opened a new observational window on the physics of pulsars. The high sensitivity of current imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, and in particular of the H.E.S.S. array, has already led to the discovery of about a dozen VHE-emitting pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) and PWN candidates. These include the plerions in the composite supernova remnants MSH 15-52, G21.5-0.9, Kes 75, and Vela, two sources in the Kookaburra, and the nebula of PSR B1823-13. This VHE emission is generally interpreted as inverse Compton emission from the relativistic electrons and positrons accelerated by the pulsar and its wind; as such, it can yield a more direct spatial and spectral view of the accelerated particles than can be inferred from observations of their synchrotron emission. The VHE-emitting PWNe detected by the H.E.S.S. telescopes are reviewed and the implications for pulsar physics discussed.

• OSTI ID: 21136714
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 983, Issue 1; Conference: International conference on 40 years of pulsars: Millisecond pulsars, magnetars and more, Montreal (Canada), 12-17 Aug 2007; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2900140; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). H.E.S.S. Collaboration; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ASTROPHYSICS
CHERENKOV COUNTERS
COSMIC ELECTRONS
COSMIC PHOTONS
COSMIC POSITRONS
GAMMA ASTRONOMY
PULSARS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SENSITIVITY
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
TELESCOPE COUNTERS
YIELDS