Discovery of very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from the vicinity of PSR J1913+1011 with H.E.S.S

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a new very-high-energy gamma-ray source near PSR J1913+1011 using H.E.S.S., with spectral analysis and potential associations with a pulsar, SNR candidate, and molecular clouds.

Contribution

First detection of a VHE gamma-ray source near PSR J1913+1011 with detailed spectral characterization and possible multi-wavelength associations.

Findings

Discovered HESS J1912+101 as a new VHE gamma-ray source.

Measured the source's energy spectrum with a photon index of 2.7.

Identified potential associations with a pulsar, SNR candidate, and molecular clouds.

Abstract

The H.E.S.S. experiment, an array of four Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes with high sensitivity and large field-of-view, has been used to search for emitters of very-high-energy (VHE, >100 GeV) gamma-rays along the Galactic plane, covering the region 30 deg < l < 60 deg, 280 deg < l < 330 deg, and -3 deg < b < 3 deg. In this continuation of the H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Scan, a new extended VHE gamma-ray source was discovered at alpha(2000)=19h12m49s, delta(2000)=+10d09'06'' (HESS J1912+101). Its integral flux between 1-10 TeV is ~10% of the Crab Nebula flux in the same energy range. The measured energy spectrum can be described by a power law with a photon index Gamma = 2.7+-0.2(stat)+-0.3(sys). HESS J1912+101 is plausibly associated with the high spin-down luminosity pulsar PSR J1913+1011. We also discuss associations with an as yet unconfirmed SNR candidate proposed from low frequency radio observation and/or with molecular clouds found in 13CO data.