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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