A possible association of the new VHE γ-ray source HESS J1825-137 with the pulsar wind nebula G 18.0-0.7

F. A. Aharonian, A. G. Akhperjanian, A. R. Bazer-Bachi, M. Beilicke, W. Benbow, D. Berge, K. Bernlöhr, C. Boisson, O. Bolz, V. Borrel, I. Braun, F. Breitling, A. M. Brown, P. M. Chadwick, L. M. Chounet, R. Cornils, L. Costamante, B. Degrange, H. J. Dickinson, A. Djannati-AtaïL. O C Drury, G. Dubus, D. Emmanoulopoulos, P. Espigat, F. Feinstein, G. Fontaine, Y. Fuchs, S. Funk, Y. A. Gallant, B. Giebels, S. Gillessen, J. F. Glicenstein, P. Goret, C. Hadjichristidis, M. Hauser, G. Heinzelmann, G. Henri, G. Hermann, J. A. Hinton, W. Hofmann, M. Holleran, D. Horns, A. Jacholkowska, O. C. de Jager, B. Khélifi, N. Komin, A. Konopelko, I. J. Latham, R. le Gallou, A. Lemière, M. Lemoine-Goumard, N. Leroy, T. Lohse, J. M. Martin, O. Martineau-Huynh, A. Marcowith, C. Masterson, T. J L McComb, M. de Naurois, S. J. Nolan, A. Noutsos, K. J. Orford, J. L. Osborne, M. Ouchrif, M. Panter, G. Pelletier, S. Pita, G. Pühlhofer, M. Punch, B. C. Raubenheimer, M. Raue, J. Raux, S. M. Rayner, A. Reimer, O. Reimer, J. Ripken, L. Rob, L. Rolland, G. Rowell, V. Sahakian, L. Saugé, S. Schlenker, R. Schlickeiser, C. Schuster, U. Schwanke, M. Siewert, H. Sol, D. Spangler, R. Steenkamp, C. Stegmann, J. P. Tavernet, R. Terrier, C. G. Théoret, M. Tluczykont, G. Vasileiadis, C. Venter, P. Vincent, H. J. Völk, S. J. Wagner

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Abstract

We report on a possible association of the recently discovered very high-energy γ-ray source HESS J1825-137 with the pulsar wind nebula (commonly referred to as G 18.0-0.7) of the 2.1 × 10 4 year old Vela-like pulsar PSR B1823-13. HESS J1825-137 was detected with a significance of 8.1σ in the Galactic Plane survey conducted with the HESS instrument in 2004. The centroid position of HESS J1825-137 is offset by 11′ south of the pulsar position. XMM-Newton observations have revealed X-ray synchrotron emission of an asymmetric pulsar wind nebula extending to the south of the pulsar. We argue that the observed morphology and TeV spectral index suggest that HESS J1825-137 and G 18.0-0.7 may be associated: the lifetime of TeV emitting electrons is expected to be longer compared to the XMM-Newton X-ray emitting electrons, resulting in electrons from earlier epochs (when the spin-down power was larger) contributing to the present TeV flux. These electrons are expected to be synchrotron cooled, which explains the observed photon index of ∼2.4, and the longer lifetime of TeV emitting electrons naturally explains why the TeV nebula is larger than the X-ray size. Finally, supernova remnant expansion into an inhomogeneous medium is expected to create reverse shocks interacting at different times with the pulsar wind nebula, resulting in the offset X-ray and TeV γ-ray morphology.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)L25-L29
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume442
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2005

Keywords

  • Gamma-rays: observations
  • ISM: individual objects: PSR B1823-13, HESS J1825-137, G 18.0-0.7
  • ISM: plerions

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