GeV emission around SS 433 with 17 years Fermi-LAT observation

TL;DR

This study analyzes 17 years of Fermi-LAT data on SS 433, identifying multiple GeV sources and suggesting evidence for cosmic-ray proton acceleration in microquasar outflows.

Contribution

First observational evidence of cosmic-ray proton acceleration in large-scale outflows from Galactic microquasars, based on GeV emission analysis.

Findings

Detected four GeV sources, including a new source PS J1910+0550.

No significant periodicity found in the 17-year dataset.

East and West excesses have distinct spectral and morphological properties.

Abstract

We present an analysis of 17 years of Fermi-LAT observations of the microquasar SS~433. We detect four GeV sources in the region: a newly identified source, PS J1910+0550, located outside W50; the previously reported source J1913+0512; and two features, denoted as the East and West excesses, apparently associated with the X-ray lobes. We focus on the three sources located within W50. We do not confirm the previously reported periodic modulation from J1913+0512, as no significant periodicity is found in the full 17-year dataset. The East and West excesses exhibit distinct morphological and spectral properties, suggesting different physical origins. The East excess shows a hard spectrum with photon index $\sim1.7$, consistent with inverse Compton emission from relativistic electrons accelerated together with the particles responsible for the X-ray and TeV emission. In contrast, the West excess has a much softer spectrum with photon index $\sim2.6$ and is spatially offset from the known X-ray and TeV emission regions in the western lobe. The spectral shape and offset position of the West excess make it strikingly similar to J1913+0512. The emission from these two regions can be explained by GeV particles accelerated in SS~433, distributed throughout the source volume, and interacting with localized dense gas targets. Under reasonable assumptions regarding particle transport and energetics, both proton-proton and bremsstrahlung scenarios are viable, although the hadronic scenario is more naturally accommodated. These findings may therefore represent the first observational evidence for the acceleration of cosmic-ray protons in large-scale outflows from Galactic microquasars.