The Molecular Environment of the Gamma-ray Source TeV J2032+4130

TL;DR

This study investigates the molecular environment of the gamma-ray source TeV J2032+4130, revealing molecular material and energetic processes that may be related to cosmic ray interactions in the Cygnus OB2 region.

Contribution

The paper provides new observational evidence of molecular clouds and energetic phenomena near TeV J2032+4130, supporting the hypothesis of cosmic ray interactions with molecular material.

Findings

Detection of significant molecular material near the TeV source

Evidence of compact molecular clumps with large line widths

Potential indication of energetic processes in the region

Abstract

The mysterious very high energy gamma-ray source, TeV J2032+4130, is coincident with the powerful Cygnus OB2 stellar association, though a physical association between the two remains uncertain. It is possible that the detected very high energy photons are produced via an overdensity of locally accelerated cosmic rays impinging on molecular clouds in the source region. In order to test this hypothesis, we used the Kitt Peak 12m, the Heinrich-Hertz Submillimeter Telescope (HH-SMT), and the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO), to obtain observations in the J=1-->0 and J=2-->1 lines of both 12CO and 13CO. We report here on the detection of significant molecular material toward the TeV source region which could be acting as the target of locally accelerated CRs. We also find evidence of compact molecular clumps, showing large line widths in the CO spectra, possibly indicative of energetic processes in this region of Cygnus OB2.