Fermi LAT and WMAP observations of the supernova remnant HB 21

G. Pivato, John W. Hewitt, L. Tibaldo, F. Acero, J. Ballet, T. J. Brandt, F. de Palma, F. Giordano, G. H. Janssen, G. Johannesson, D. A. Smith

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present the analysis of Fermi Large Area Telescope γ-ray observations of HB 21 (G89.0+4.7). We detect significant γ-ray emission associated with the remnant: the flux >100 MeV is 9.4 ± 0.8 (stat) ± 1.6 (syst) × 10−11 erg cm−2 s−1. HB 21 is well modeled by a uniform disk centered at l = 8875 ± 004, b = +465 ± 006 with a radius of 119 ± 006. The γ-ray spectrum shows clear evidence of curvature, suggesting a cutoff or break in the underlying particle population at an energy of a few GeV. We complement γ-ray observations with the analysis of the WMAP 7 yr data from 23 to 93 GHz, achieving the first detection of HB 21 at these frequencies. In combination with archival radio data, the radio spectrum shows a spectral break, which helps to constrain the relativistic electron spectrum, and, in turn, parameters of simple non-thermal radiation models. In one-zone models multiwavelength data favor the origin of γ rays from nucleon-nucleon collisions. A single population of electrons cannot produce both γ rays through bremsstrahlung and radio emission through synchrotron radiation. A predominantly inverse-Compton origin of the γ-ray emission is disfavored because it requires lower interstellar densities than are inferred for HB 21. In the hadronic-dominated scenarios, accelerated nuclei contribute a total energy of ∼3 × 1049 erg, while, in a two-zone bremsstrahlung-dominated scenario, the total energy in accelerated particles is ∼1 × 1049 erg.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)1–13
JournalThe Astrophysical Journal
Volume779
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 4 2013

Keywords

  • ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
  • Astrophysics
  • Bremsstrahlung
  • Complement
  • Curvature
  • Density
  • Disks
  • Emission
  • High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
  • ISM: individual objects (HB 21)
  • Interstellar
  • Nuclei (nuclear physics)
  • Origins
  • Physics
  • Radio
  • Radio emission
  • Radio spectra
  • Sciences of the Universe
  • Supernova remnants
  • Synchrotron radiation
  • Thermal radiation
  • acceleration of particles
  • cosmic rays
  • radiation mechanisms: non-thermal

Disciplines

  • Astrophysics and Astronomy
  • Cosmology, Relativity, and Gravity
  • Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy

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