MAGIC reveals a complex morphology within the unidentified gamma-ray source HESS J1857+026

DOI: 
10.1051/0004-6361/201423517
Publication date: 
01/11/2014
Main author: 
Aleksića J.
IAA authors: 
Domínguez A.;Prada F.;Zandanel F.
Authors: 
Aleksića J., Ansoldi S., Antonelli L.A., Antoranz P., Babic A., Bangale P., De Almeida U.B., Barrio J.A., González J.B., Bednarek W., Bernardini E., Biland A., Blanch O., Bonnefoy S., Bonnoli G., Borracci F., Bretz T., Carmona E., Carosi A., Fidalgo D.C., Colin P., Colombo E., Contreras J.L., Cortina J., Covino S., Da Vela P., Dazzi F., De Angelis A., De Caneva G., De Lotto B., Mendez C.D., Doert M., Domínguez A., Prester D.D., Dorner D., Doro M., Einecke S., Eisenacher D., Elsaesser D., Farina E., Ferenc D., Fonseca M.V., Font L., Frantzen K., Fruck C., López R.J.G., Garczarczyk M., Terrats D.G., Gaug M., Godinović N., Muñoz A.G., Gozzini S.R., Hadasch D., Hayashida M., Herrera J., Herrero A., Hildebrand D., Hose J., Hrupec D., Idec W., Kadenius V., Kellermann H., Klepser S., Kodani K., Konno Y., Krause J., Kubo H., Kushida J., La Barbera A., Lelas D., Lewandowska N., Lindfors E., Lombardi S., López M., López-Coto R., López-Oramas A., Lorenz E., Lozano I., Makariev M., Mallot K., Maneva G., Mankuzhiyi N., Mannheim K., Maraschi L., Marcote B., Mariotti M., Martínez M., Mazin D., Menze U., Meucci M., Miranda J.M., Mirzoyan R., Moralejo A., Munar-Adrover P., Nakajima D., Niedzwiecki A., Nilsson K., Nishijima K., Noda K., Nowak N., De Oñawilhelmi E., Orito R., Overkemping A., Paiano S., Palatiello M., Paneque D., Paoletti R., Paredes J.M., Paredes-Fortuny X., Partini S., Persic M., Prada F., Moroni P.G.P., Prandini E., Preziuso S., Puljak I., Reinthal R., Rhode W., Ribó M., Rico J., Garcia J.R., Rügamer S., Saggion A., Saito T., Saito K., Satalecka K., Scalzotto V., Scapin V., Schultz C., Schweizer T., Shore S.N., Sillanpää A., Sitarek J., Snidaric I., Sobczynska D., Spanier F., Stamatescu V., Stamerra A., Steinbring T., Storz J., Strzys M., Sun S., Surić T., Takalo L., Takami H., Tavecchio F., Temnikov P., Terzić T., Tescaro D., Teshima M., Thaele J., Tibolla O., Torres D.F., Toyama T., Treves A., Uellenbeck M., Vogler P., Wagner R.M., Zandanel F., Zanin R.
Journal: 
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Publication type: 
Article
Volume: 
571
Pages: 
Number: 
A107
Abstract: 
Aims: HESS J1857+026 is an extended TeV gamma-ray source that was discovered by H.E.S.S. as part of its Galactic plane survey. Given its broadband spectral energy distribution and its spatial coincidence with the young energetic pulsar PSR J1856+0245, the source has been put forward as a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) candidate. MAGIC has performed follow-up observations aimed at mapping the source down to energies approaching 100 GeV in order to better understand its complex morphology. Methods: HESS J1857+026 was observed by MAGIC in 2010, yielding 29 h of good quality stereoscopic data that allowed us to map the source region in two separate ranges of energy. Results. We detected very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from HESS J1857+026 with a significance of 12cr above 150 GeV. The differential energy spectrum between 100 GeV and 13 TeV is described well by a power law function dN/dE = N<inf>0</inf>(E/1TeV)-G with N0 = (5.37 ± 0.44<inf>stat</inf> ± 1.5<inf>sys</inf>) × 10-12 (TeV-1 cm-2 s-1) and G = 2.16 ± 0.07<inf>stat</inf> ± 0.15<inf>sys</inf>, which bridges the gap between the GeV emission measured by Fermi-LAT and the multi-TeV emission measured by H.E.S.S.. In addition, we present a detailed analysis of the energy-dependent morphology of this region. We couple these results with archival multiwavelength data and outline evidence in favor of a two-source scenario, whereby one source is associated with a PWN, while the other could be linked with a molecular cloud complex containing an Hll region and a possible gas cavity. © ESO 2014.
Database: 
WOK
SCOPUS
Keywords: 
Acceleration of particles - gamma rays; Clouds - HII regions - ISM; HESS J1857+026 -pulsars; Individual; Individual objects; ISM - ISM; PSR J1856+0245