Discovery of VHE Gamma Radiation from IC443 with the MAGIC Telescope

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of very high energy gamma-ray emission from the supernova remnant IC443 using the MAGIC telescope, providing new insights into cosmic ray acceleration in such objects.

Contribution

First detection of VHE gamma-ray emission from IC443, demonstrating MAGIC's capability to observe supernova remnants in this energy range.

Findings

VHE gamma-ray source MAGIC J0616+225 detected near IC443

Gamma-ray flux follows a power-law spectrum with index ~3.1

Significance of detection is 5.7 sigma

Abstract

We report the detection of a new source of very high energy (VHE, E_gamma >= 100GeV) gamma-ray emission located close to the Galactic Plane, MAGIC J0616+225, which is spatially coincident with SNR IC443. The observations were carried out with the MAGIC telescope in the periods December 2005 - January 2006 and December 2006 - January 2007. Here we present results from this source, leading to a VHE gamma-ray signal with a statistical significance of 5.7 sigma in the 2006/7 data and a measured differential gamma-ray flux consistent with a power law, described as dN_gamma/(dA dt dE) = (1.0 +/- 0.2)*10^(-11)(E/0.4 TeV)^(-3.1 +/- 0.3) cm^(-2)s^(-1)TeV^(-1). We briefly discuss the observational technique used and the procedure implemented for the data analysis. The results are put in the perspective of the multiwavelength emission and the molecular environment found in the region of IC443.