Discovery of the hard spectrum VHE gamma-ray source HESS J1641-463
A. Abramowski
,
F. Aharonian
,
F. Ait Benkhali
,
A. G. Akhperjanian
,
E. O. Angüner
,
M. Backes
,
S. Balenderan
,
Agnès Balzer
,
A. Barnacka
,
Y. Becherini
,
J. Becker Tjus
,
D. Berge
,
S. Bernhard
,
K. Bernlöhr
,
E. Birsin
,
J. Biteau
(1)
,
M. Böttcher
,
C. Boisson
(2)
,
J. Bolmont
(3)
,
P. Bordas
,
J. Bregeon
,
F. Brun
,
P. Brun
(4)
,
M. Bryan
,
T. Bulik
,
S. Carrigan
,
S. Casanova
,
P. M. Chadwick
,
N. Chakraborty
,
R. Chalme-Calvet
(3)
,
R. C. G. Chaves
,
M. Chrétien
(3)
,
S. Colafrancesco
,
G. Cologna
,
J. Conrad
,
C. Couturier
(3)
,
Y. Cui
,
I. D. Davids
,
B. Degrange
(1)
,
C. Deil
,
P. Dewilt
,
A. Djannati-Ataï
(5)
,
W. Domainko
,
A. Donath
,
L. O'C. Drury
,
G. Dubus
,
K. Dutson
,
J. Dyks
,
M. Dyrda
,
T. Edwards
,
K. Egberts
,
P. Eger
,
P. Espigat
(5)
,
C. Farnier
,
S. Fegan
(1)
,
F. Feinstein
(6)
,
M. V. Fernandes
,
D. Fernandez
(6)
,
A. Fiasson
(7)
,
G. Fontaine
(1)
,
A. Förster
,
M. Füssling
,
S. Gabici
(5)
,
M. Gajdus
,
Y. A. Gallant
(6)
,
T. Garrigoux
(3)
,
G. Giavitto
,
B. Giebels
(1)
,
J. F. Glicenstein
,
D. Gottschall
,
M. -H. Grondin
,
M. Grudzińska
,
D. Hadasch
,
S. Häffner
,
J. Hahn
,
J. Harris
,
G. Heinzelmann
,
G. Henri
,
G. Hermann
,
O. Hervet
(2)
,
A. Hillert
,
J. A. Hinton
,
W. Hofmann
,
P. Hofverberg
,
M. Holler
,
D. Horns
,
A. Ivascenko
,
A. Jacholkowska
(3)
,
C. Jahn
,
M. Jamrozy
,
M. Janiak
,
F. Jankowsky
,
I. Jung-Richardt
,
M. A. Kastendieck
,
K. Katarzyński
,
U. Katz
,
S. Kaufmann
,
B. Khélifi
(1, 5)
,
Michel Kieffer
(3)
,
S. Klepser
,
D. Klochkov
,
W. Kluźniak
,
D. Kolitzus
,
Nu. Komin
(7)
,
K. Kosack
,
S. Krakau
,
F. Krayzel
(7)
,
P. P. Krüger
,
H. Laffon
(8)
,
G. Lamanna
(7)
,
J. Lau
,
J. Lefaucheur
(5)
,
V. Lefranc
,
A. Lemière
(5)
,
M. Lemoine-Goumard
(8)
,
J. -P. Lenain
(3)
,
T. Lohse
,
A. Lopatin
,
C. -C. Lu
,
V. Marandon
,
Alexandre Marcowith
(6)
,
R. Marx
,
G. Maurin
(7)
,
N. Maxted
,
M. Mayer
,
T. J. L. Mccomb
,
J. Méhault
(6)
,
P. J. Meintjes
,
U. Menzler
,
M. Meyer
,
A. M. W. Mitchell
,
R. Moderski
,
M. Mohamed
,
K. Morå
,
Emmanuel Moulin
,
T. Murach
,
M. de Naurois
(1)
,
J. Niemiec
,
S. J. Nolan
,
L. Oakes
,
H. Odaka
,
S. Ohm
,
B. Opitz
,
M. Ostrowski
,
I. Oya
,
M. Panter
,
R. D. Parsons
,
M. Paz Arribas
,
N. W. Pekeur
,
G. Pelletier
,
P. -O. Petrucci
,
B. Peyaud
,
S. Pita
(5)
,
H. Poon
,
G. Pühlhofer
,
M. Punch
(5)
,
A. Quirrenbach
,
S. Raab
,
I. Reichardt
(5)
,
A. Reimer
,
O. Reimer
,
Matthieu Renaud
(6)
,
R. de Los Reyes
,
F. Rieger
,
C. Romoli
,
S. Rosier-Lees
(7)
,
G. Rowell
,
B. Rudak
,
C. B. Rulten
(2)
,
V. Sahakian
,
D. Salek
,
D. A. Sanchez
(7)
,
A. Santangelo
,
R. Schlickeiser
,
F. Schüssler
,
A. Schulz
,
U. Schwanke
,
S. Schwarzburg
,
S. Schwemmer
,
H. Sol
(2)
,
F. Spanier
,
G. Spengler
,
F. Spies
,
{ł. } Stawarz
,
R. Steenkamp
,
C. Stegmann
,
F. Stinzing
,
K. Stycz
,
I. Sushch
,
J. -P. Tavernet
(3)
,
T. Tavernier
(5)
,
A. M. Taylor
,
R. Terrier
(5)
,
M. Tluczykont
,
C. Trichard
(7)
,
K. Valerius
,
C. van Eldik
,
B. van Soelen
,
George Vasileiadis
(6)
,
J. Veh
,
C. Venter
,
A. Viana
,
P. Vincent
(3)
,
J. Vink
,
H. J. Völk
,
F. Volpe
,
M. Vorster
,
T. Vuillaume
,
S. J. Wagner
,
P. Wagner
,
R. M. Wagner
,
M. Ward
,
M. Weidinger
,
Q. Weitzel
,
R. White
,
A. Wierzcholska
,
P. Willmann
,
A. Wörnlein
,
D. Wouters
,
R. Yang
,
V. Zabalza
,
D. Zaborov
,
M. Zacharias
,
A. A. Zdziarski
,
A. Zech
(2)
,
H. -S. Zechlin
,
Y. Fukui
,
H. Sano
,
T. Fukuda
,
S. Yoshiike
1
LLR -
Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
2 LUTH (UMR_8102) - Laboratoire Univers et Théories
3 LPNHE - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
4 IRFU - Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
5 APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
6 LUPM - Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
7 LAPP - Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules
8 ASTRO - Astroparticules
2 LUTH (UMR_8102) - Laboratoire Univers et Théories
3 LPNHE - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
4 IRFU - Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
5 APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
6 LUPM - Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
7 LAPP - Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules
8 ASTRO - Astroparticules
A. Abramowski
- Function : Author
F. Aharonian
- Function : Author
- PersonId : 755280
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F. Ait Benkhali
- Function : Author
A. G. Akhperjanian
- Function : Author
E. O. Angüner
- Function : Author
M. Backes
- Function : Author
- PersonId : 760162
- ORCID : 0000-0002-9326-6400
S. Balenderan
- Function : Author
Agnès Balzer
- Function : Author
A. Barnacka
- Function : Author
Y. Becherini
- Function : Author
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J. Becker Tjus
- Function : Author
D. Berge
- Function : Author
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S. Bernhard
- Function : Author
K. Bernlöhr
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E. Birsin
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M. Böttcher
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C. Boisson
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P. Bordas
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J. Bregeon
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F. Brun
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P. Brun
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M. Bryan
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S. Carrigan
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P. M. Chadwick
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N. Chakraborty
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R. C. G. Chaves
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S. Colafrancesco
- Function : Author
G. Cologna
- Function : Author
J. Conrad
- Function : Author
Y. Cui
- Function : Author
I. D. Davids
- Function : Author
C. Deil
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P. Dewilt
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W. Domainko
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A. Donath
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L. O'C. Drury
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G. Dubus
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K. Dutson
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M. Dyrda
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T. Edwards
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K. Egberts
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P. Eger
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C. Farnier
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S. Fegan
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M. V. Fernandes
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A. Förster
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M. Gajdus
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G. Giavitto
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J. F. Glicenstein
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D. Gottschall
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M. -H. Grondin
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M. Grudzińska
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D. Hadasch
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S. Häffner
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J. Hahn
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J. Harris
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G. Heinzelmann
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G. Henri
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G. Hermann
- Function : Author
A. Hillert
- Function : Author
J. A. Hinton
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W. Hofmann
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P. Hofverberg
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M. Holler
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D. Horns
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A. Ivascenko
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M. Janiak
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U. Katz
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S. Kaufmann
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D. Klochkov
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S. Krakau
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Alexandre Marcowith
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N. Maxted
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T. J. L. Mccomb
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P. J. Meintjes
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U. Menzler
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M. Meyer
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A. M. W. Mitchell
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R. Moderski
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M. Mohamed
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K. Morå
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Emmanuel Moulin
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J. Niemiec
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S. J. Nolan
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B. Opitz
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I. Oya
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M. Panter
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R. D. Parsons
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M. Paz Arribas
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N. W. Pekeur
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G. Pelletier
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P. -O. Petrucci
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B. Peyaud
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H. Poon
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O. Reimer
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R. de Los Reyes
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V. Sahakian
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R. Schlickeiser
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S. Schwarzburg
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S. Schwemmer
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F. Spanier
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G. Spengler
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F. Spies
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{ł. } Stawarz
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R. Steenkamp
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C. Stegmann
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F. Stinzing
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K. Stycz
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I. Sushch
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A. M. Taylor
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M. Tluczykont
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B. van Soelen
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J. Veh
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A. Viana
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H. J. Völk
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F. Volpe
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M. Vorster
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T. Vuillaume
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S. J. Wagner
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P. Wagner
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R. M. Wagner
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M. Ward
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M. Weidinger
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Q. Weitzel
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R. White
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P. Willmann
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D. Wouters
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A. A. Zdziarski
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A. Zech
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H. -S. Zechlin
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Y. Fukui
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H. Sano
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T. Fukuda
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S. Yoshiike
- Function : Author
Abstract
This letter reports the discovery of a remarkably hard spectrum source, HESS J1641-463, by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in the very-high energy (VHE) domain. HESS J1641-463 remained unnoticed by the usual analysis techniques due to confusion with the bright nearby source HESS J1640-465. It emerged at a significance level of 8.5 standard deviations after restricting the analysis to events with energies above 4 TeV. It shows a moderate flux level of F(E > 1 TeV) = (3.64 +/- 0.44_stat +/- 0.73_sys) x 10^-13 cm^-2s-1, corresponding to 1.8% of the Crab Nebula flux above the same energy, and a hard spectrum with a photon index of Gamma = 2.07 +/- 0.11_stat +/- 0.20_sys. It is a point-like source, although an extension up to Gaussian width of sigma = 0.05 deg cannot be discounted due to uncertainties in the H.E.S.S. PSF. The VHE gamma-ray flux of HESS J1641-463 is found to be constant over the observed period when checking time binnings from year-by-year to the 28 min exposures timescales. HESS J1641-463 is positionally coincident with the radio supernova remnant SNR G338.5+0.1. No X-ray candidate stands out as a clear association, however Chandra and XMM-Newton data reveal some potential weak counterparts. Various VHE gamma-ray production scenarios are discussed. If the emission from HESS J1641-463 is produced by cosmic ray protons colliding with the ambient gas, then their spectrum must extend up to at least a few hundred TeV. The energy released in accelerating these particles could account for the entire energy budget of the galactic cosmic ray population above a few TeV.