Evidence for particle acceleration approaching PeV energies in the W51 complex

TL;DR

This paper reports the first detection of gamma rays from the W51 complex extending beyond 100 TeV, providing evidence that supernova remnants can accelerate cosmic rays to PeV energies, thus advancing understanding of Galactic cosmic ray origins.

Contribution

It presents the first observations of gamma rays above 100 TeV from W51, indicating supernova remnants can accelerate particles to PeV energies, supported by spectral analysis and modeling.

Findings

Gamma rays detected from W51 up to 200 TeV.

Spectral bending suggests cutoff at ~400 TeV in CR protons.

Evidence supports SNRs as PeV cosmic ray accelerators.

Abstract

The $\gamma$-ray emission from the W51 complex is widely acknowledged to be attributed to the interaction between the cosmic rays (CRs) accelerated by the shock of supernova remnant (SNR) W51C and the dense molecular clouds in the adjacent star-forming region, W51B. However, the maximum acceleration capability of W51C for CRs remains elusive. Based on observations conducted with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), we report a significant detection of $\gamma$ rays emanating from the W51 complex, with energies from 2 TeV to 200 TeV. The LHAASO measurements, for the first time, extend the $\gamma$-ray emission from the W51 complex beyond 100 TeV and reveal a significant spectrum bending at tens of TeV. By combining the ``$\pi^0$-decay bump" featured data from Fermi-LAT, the broadband $\gamma$-ray spectrum of the W51 region can be well-characterized by a simple pp-collision model. The observed spectral bending feature suggests an exponential cutoff at $\sim400$~TeV or a power-law break at $\sim200$~TeV in the CR proton spectrum, most likely providing the first evidence of SNRs serving as CR accelerators approaching the PeV regime. Additionally, two young star clusters within W51B could also be theoretically viable to produce the most energetic $\gamma$ rays observed by LHAASO. Our findings strongly support the presence of extreme CR accelerators within the W51 complex and provide new insights into the origin of Galactic CRs.