The exceptionally powerful TeV gamma-ray emitters in the Large Magellanic Cloud

TL;DR

This study reports the detection of the most energetic gamma-ray sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud, including a pulsar wind nebula, a supernova remnant, and a superbubble, revealing insights into particle acceleration in external galaxies.

Contribution

First detection of gamma-ray emission from a superbubble and detailed observations of energetic sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Findings

Detection of gamma-ray emission from N 157B, N 132D, and 30 Dor C.

Non-detection of SN 1987A constrains particle acceleration models.

Provides the most energetic gamma-ray source population in an external galaxy.

Abstract

The Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, has been observed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) above an energy of 100 billion electron volts for a deep exposure of 210 hours. Three sources of different types were detected: the pulsar wind nebula of the most energetic pulsar known N 157B, the radio-loud supernova remnant N 132D and the largest non-thermal X-ray shell - the superbubble 30 Dor C. The unique object SN 1987A is, surprisingly, not detected, which constrains the theoretical framework of particle acceleration in very young supernova remnants. These detections reveal the most energetic tip of a gamma-ray source population in an external galaxy, and provide via 30 Dor C the unambiguous detection of gamma-ray emission from a superbubble.