Search for TeV Gamma-Ray Emission from Point-like Sources in the Inner Galactic Plane with a Partial Configuration of the HAWC Observatory

TL;DR

This study uses a partial HAWC Observatory setup to survey the inner Galactic plane, identifying ten TeV gamma-ray sources with three confirmed at high significance, contributing to understanding high-energy astrophysical phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a maximum likelihood method to identify point sources in partial HAWC data, revealing new and known TeV sources in the inner Galaxy.

Findings

Three sources detected with >5σ significance

Eight sources associated with known TeV emitters

Some flux measurements differ from previous data

Abstract

A survey of the inner Galaxy region of Galactic longitude l in [+15, +50] degree and latitude b in [-4,+4] degree is performed using one-third of the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory operated during its construction phase. To address the ambiguities arising from unresolved sources in the data, we use a maximum likelihood technique to identify point source candidates. Ten sources and candidate sources are identified in this analysis. Eight of these are associated with known TeV sources but not all have differential fluxes compatible with previous measurements. Three sources are detected with significances $>5\,\sigma$ after accounting for statistical trials, and are associated with known TeV sources.