Evidence of 200 TeV Photons from HAWC J1825-134

Albert, A. and Alfaro, R. and Alvarez, C. and Camacho, J. R. Angeles and Arteaga-Velázquez, J. C. and Arunbabu, K. P. and Rojas, D. Avila and Ayala Solares, H. A. and Baghmanyan, V. and Belmont-Moreno, E. and BenZvi, S. Y. and Brisbois, C. and Capistrán, T. and Carramiñana, A. and Casanova, S. and Cotti, U. and Cotzomi, J. and Fuente, E. De la and Hernandez, R. Diaz and Dingus, B. L. and DuVernois, M. A. and Durocher, M. and Díaz-Vélez, J. C. and Engel, K. and Espinoza, C. and Fang, K. and Fleischhack, H. and Fraija, N. and Galván-Gámez, A. and Garcia, D. and García-González, J. A. and Garfias, F. and Giacinti, G. and González, M. M. and Goodman, J. A. and Harding, J. P. and Hona, B. and Huang, D. and Hueyotl-Zahuantitla, F. and Hüntemeyer, P. and Iriarte, A. and Jardin-Blicq, A. and Joshi, V. and Kunde, G. J. and Lara, A. and Lee, W. H. and Vargas, H. León and Linnemann, J. T. and Longinotti, A. L. and Luis-Raya, G. and Lundeen, J. and Malone, K. and Marandon, V. and Martinez, O. and Martínez-Castro, J. and Matthews, J. A. and Miranda-Romagnoli, P. and Moreno, E. and Mostafá, M. and Nayerhoda, A. and Nellen, L. and Newbold, M. and Nisa, M. U. and Noriega-Papaqui, R. and Omodei, N. and Peisker, A. and Araujo, Y. Pérez and Pérez-Pérez, E. G. and Rho, C. D. and Rosa-González, D. and Salazar, H. and Greus, F. Salesa and Sandoval, A. and Schneider, M. and Serna, F. and Springer, R. W. and Tollefson, K. and Torres, I. and Torres-Escobedo, R. and Ureña-Mena, F. and Villaseñor, L. and Willox, E. and Zhou, H. and León, C. de (2021) Evidence of 200 TeV Photons from HAWC J1825-134. The Astrophysical Journal, 907 (2). L30. ISSN 2041-8213

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Abstract

The Earth is bombarded by ultrarelativistic particles, known as cosmic rays (CRs). CRs with energies up to a few PeV (=1015 eV), the knee in the particle spectrum, are believed to have a Galactic origin. One or more factories of PeV CRs, or PeVatrons, must thus be active within our Galaxy. The direct detection of PeV protons from their sources is not possible since they are deflected in the Galactic magnetic fields. Hundred TeV γ-rays from decaying π0, produced when PeV CRs collide with the ambient gas, can provide the decisive evidence of proton acceleration up to the knee. Here we report the discovery by the High Altitude Water Cerenkov (HAWC) observatory of the γ-ray source, HAWC J1825-134, whose energy spectrum extends well beyond 200 TeV without a break or cutoff. The source is found to be coincident with a giant molecular cloud. The ambient gas density is as high as 700 protons cm−3. While the nature of this extreme accelerator remains unclear, CRs accelerated to energies of several PeV colliding with the ambient gas likely produce the observed radiation.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Oalibrary Press > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Managing Editor
Date Deposited: 15 May 2023 07:57
Last Modified: 29 Sep 2023 12:51
URI: http://asian.go4publish.com/id/eprint/2078

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