GeV {\gamma}-ray emission in the low-mass star-forming region AFGL 490

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of GeV gamma-ray emission associated with the star-forming region AFGL 490, suggesting protostellar jets as the likely particle accelerators rather than stellar winds.

Contribution

First detection of extended GeV gamma-ray emission in AFGL 490, highlighting protostellar jets as potential cosmic-ray accelerators in star-forming regions.

Findings

Gamma-ray emission spatially coincides with AFGL 490

Spectral energy distribution shows a high-energy cutoff

Protostellar jet identified as a plausible acceleration site

Abstract

We report the discovery of an extended GeV {\gamma}-ray source, 4FGL J0330.7+5845e, associated with the star-forming region AFGL 490 using 17 years of Fermi-LAT data. The emission is spatially coincident with a dense molecular cloud and centered near the massive protostar AFGL 490. Its spectral energy distribution shows a distinct high-energy cutoff. Both leptonic and hadronic models can fit the {\gamma}-ray spectrum, but energetic arguments rule out stellar winds as the primary accelerator. Instead, the protostellar jet driven by AFGL 490 is identified as a plausible site for particle acceleration, and the derived timescales and maximum particle energies are consistent with theoretical predictions for such jets.