Searching for TeV emission from LHAASO J0341+5258 with VERITAS and HAWC

TL;DR

This paper reports on the search for TeV gamma-ray emission from the LHAASO J0341+5258 source using VERITAS and HAWC, aiming to identify PeVatrons responsible for ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

Contribution

It presents the status and results of VERITAS and HAWC observations of LHAASO J0341+5258, a PeVatron candidate without known counterparts, and discusses the broader PeVatron search efforts.

Findings

No significant TeV emission detected from LHAASO J0341+5258.

Constraints placed on the gamma-ray flux from the source.

Insights into the challenges of identifying PeVatrons with current instruments.

Abstract

Galactic PeVatrons are astrophysical sources accelerating particles up to a few PeV ($\sim$10$^{15}$ eV) energies. The primary signature of 100 TeV $\gamma$ rays may come from PeV protons or multi-hundred TeV (not PeV) electrons. The search for PeVatrons has been one of the key science topics for VERITAS and HAWC. In 2021, LHAASO detected 14 steady $\gamma$-ray sources with photon energies above 100 TeV, up to 1.4 PeV. This provides a clear list of PeVatron candidates for further study with VERITAS and HAWC. Most of these sources contain possible source associations, such as supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae, and stellar clusters. However, two sources: LHAASO J2108+5157 and LHAASO J0341+5258, do not have any such counterparts. Therefore, multiwavelength observations are required to identify the objects responsible for the UHE $\gamma$ rays, to understand the source morphology and association, and to shed light on the emission processes. Here, we will present the status of VERITAS/HAWC observations and results for the LHAASO PeVatron candidate J0341+5258, and also discuss the VERITAS PeVatron search in general.