DISCOVERY OF TeV GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM <i>TYCHO</i> ’S SUPERNOVA REMNANT

V. A. Acciari(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian), E. Aliu(Columbia University), T. Arlen(University of California, Los Angeles), T. Aune(University of California, Santa Cruz), M. Beilicke(Washington University in St. Louis), W. Benbow(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian), S. M. Bradbury(University of Leeds), J. H. Buckley(Washington University in St. Louis), V. Bugaev(Washington University in St. Louis), K. Byrum(Argonne National Laboratory), A. Cannon(University College Dublin), A. Cesarini(Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway), L. Ciupik(Adler Planetarium), E. Collins-Hughes(University College Dublin), Wei Cui(Purdue University West Lafayette), R. Dickherber(Washington University in St. Louis), C. Duke(Grinnell College), M. Errando(Columbia University), J. P. Finley(Purdue University West Lafayette), G. Finnegan(University of Utah), L. Fortson(Adler Planetarium), A. Furniss(University of California, Santa Cruz), N. Galante(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian), D. Gall(Purdue University West Lafayette), G. H. Gillanders(Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway), S. Godambe(University of Utah), S. Griffin(McGill University), J. Grube(Adler Planetarium), R. Guénette(McGill University), G. Gyuk(Adler Planetarium), D. Hanna(McGill University), J. Holder(University of Delaware), John P. Hughes(Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), C. M. Hui(University of Utah), T. B. Humensky(Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), P. Kaaret(University of Iowa), N. Karlsson(Adler Planetarium), M. Kertzman(DePauw University), D. Kieda(University of Utah), H. Krawczynski(Washington University in St. Louis), F. Krennrich(Iowa State University), M. J. Lang(Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway), S. LeBohec(University of Utah), A. S Madhavan(Iowa State University), G. Maier, P. Majumdar(University of California, Los Angeles), S. McArthur(Washington University in St. Louis), A. McCann(McGill University), P. Moriarty(Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology), R. Mukherjee(Columbia University), R. A. Ong(University of California, Los Angeles), M. Orr(Iowa State University), A. N. Otte(University of California, Santa Cruz), D. Pandel(University of Iowa), N. H. Park(Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), J. S. Perkins(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian), M. Pohl(University of Potsdam), J. Quinn(University College Dublin), K. Ragan(McGill University), L. C. Reyes(Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), P. T. Reynolds(Munster Technological University), E. Roache(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian), H. J. Rose(University of Leeds), D. B. Saxon(University of Delaware), M. Schroedter(Iowa State University), G. H. Sembroski(Purdue University West Lafayette), G. D. Şentürk(Columbia University), Patrick Slane(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian), A. W. Smith(Argonne National Laboratory), G. Tešić(McGill University), M. Theiling(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian), S. Thibadeau(Washington University in St. Louis), K. Tsurusaki(University of Iowa), A. Varlotta(Purdue University West Lafayette), V. V. Vassiliev(University of California, Los Angeles), S. Vincent(University of Utah), M. Vivier(University of Delaware), S. P. Wakely(Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), J. E. Ward(University College Dublin), T. C. Weekes(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian), A. J. Weinstein(University of California, Los Angeles), T. Weisgarber(Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), D. A. Williams(University of California, Santa Cruz), M. Wood(University of California, Los Angeles), B. Zitzer(Purdue University West Lafayette)
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
March 7, 2011
10.1088/2041-8205/730/2/l20
Cited by 181Open Access
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Abstract

We report the discovery of TeV gamma-ray emission from the Type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) G120.1+1.4, known as Tycho's supernova remnant. Observations performed in the period 2008-2010 with the VERITAS ground-based gamma-ray observatory reveal weak emission coming from the direction of the remnant, compatible with a point source located at $00^{\rm h} \ 25^{\rm m} \ 27.0^{\rm s},\ +64^{\circ} \ 10^{\prime} \ 50^{\prime\prime}$ (J2000). The TeV photon spectrum measured by VERITAS can be described with a power-law $dN/dE = C(E/3.42\;\textrm{TeV})^{-Γ}$ with $Γ= 1.95 \pm 0.51_{stat} \pm 0.30_{sys}$ and $C = (1.55 \pm 0.43_{stat} \pm 0.47_{sys}) \times 10^{-14}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$TeV$^{-1}$. The integral flux above 1 TeV corresponds to $\sim 0.9%$ percent of the steady Crab Nebula emission above the same energy, making it one of the weakest sources yet detected in TeV gamma rays. We present both leptonic and hadronic models which can describe the data. The lowest magnetic field allowed in these models is $\sim 80 μ$G, which may be interpreted as evidence for magnetic field amplification.

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