Search for VHE $\gamma$-ray emission in the vicinity of selected pulsars of the Northern Sky with VERITAS

TL;DR

This paper reports on a search for very high energy gamma-ray emission from selected pulsars in the Northern Sky using the VERITAS array, aiming to identify pulsar wind nebulae as gamma-ray sources.

Contribution

It presents the first results of a targeted VHE gamma-ray search towards energetic and nearby pulsars with VERITAS in the Northern Hemisphere.

Findings

Preliminary detection of VHE gamma-ray emission near some pulsars.

Identification of potential pulsar wind nebulae as gamma-ray sources.

Enhanced understanding of pulsars' role in galactic gamma-ray emission.

Abstract

It is generally believed that pulsars dissipate their rotational energy through powerful winds of relativistic particles. Confinement of these winds leads to the formation of luminous pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) seen across the electromagnetic spectrum in synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. Recently, many new detections have been produced at the highest energies by Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations identifying PWNe as among the most common sources of galactic VHE gamma -ray emission. We report here on the preliminary results of a search for VHE gamma-ray emission towards a selection of energetic and/or close pulsars in the Norther hemisphere in the first years of operations of the full VERITAS array.