HESS upper limits for Kepler's supernova remnant

F. Aharonian*, A. G. Akhperjanian, U. Barres De Almeida, A. R. Bazer-Bachi, B. Behera, M. Beilicke, W. Benbow, D. Berge, K. Bernlöhr, C. Boisson, O. Bolz, V. Borrel, I. Braun, E. Brion, J. Brucker, R. Bühler, T. Bulik, I. Büsching, T. Boutelier, S. CarriganP. M. Chadwick, L. M. Chounet, A. C. Clapson, G. Coignet, R. Cornils, L. Costamante, M. Dalton, B. Degrange, H. J. Dickinson, A. Djannati-Ataï, W. Domainko, L. O.C. Drury, F. Dubois, G. Dubus, J. Dyks, K. Egberts, D. Emmanoulopoulos, P. Espigat, C. Farnier, F. Feinstein, A. Fiasson, A. Förster, G. Fontaine, M. Füßling, Y. A. Gallant, B. Giebels, J. F. Glicenstein, B. Glück, P. Goret, C. Hadjichristidis, D. Hauser, M. Hauser, G. Heinzelmann, G. Henri, G. Hermann, J. A. Hinton, A. Hoffmann, W. Hofmann, M. Holleran, S. Hoppe, D. Horns, A. Jacholkowska, O. C. De Jager, I. Jung, K. Katarzyński, E. Kendziorra, M. Kerschhaggl, B. Khélifi, D. Keogh, Nu Komin, K. Kosack, G. Lamanna, I. J. Latham, M. Lemoine-Goumard, J. P. Lenain, T. Lohse, J. M. Martin, O. Martineau-Huynh, A. Marcowith, C. Masterson, D. Maurin, T. J.L. McComb, R. Moderski, E. Moulin, M. Naumann-Godo, M. De Naurois, D. Nedbal, D. Nekrassov, S. J. Nolan, S. Ohm, J. P. Olive, E. De Oña Wilhelmi, K. J. Orford, J. L. Osborne, M. Ostrowski, M. Panter, G. Pedaletti, G. Pelletier, P. O. Petrucci, S. Pita, G. Pühlhofer, M. Punch, A. Quirrenbach, B. C. Raubenheimer, M. Raue, S. M. Rayner, M. Renaud, J. Ripken, L. Rob, S. Rosier-Lees, G. Rowell, B. Rudak, J. Ruppel, V. Sahakian, A. Santangelo, R. Schlickeiser, F. M. Schöck, R. Schröder, U. Schwanke, S. Schwarzburg, S. Schwemmer, A. Shalchi, H. Sol, D. Spangler, Stawarz, R. Steenkamp, C. Stegmann, G. Superina, P. H. Tam, J. P. Tavernet, R. Terrier, C. Van Eldik, G. Vasileiadis, C. Venter, J. P. Vialle, P. Vincent, M. Vivier, H. J. Völk, F. Volpe, S. J. Wagner, M. Ward, A. A. Zdziarski, A. Zech

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aims. Observations of Kepler's supernova remnant (G4.5+6.8) with the HESS telescope array in 2004 and 2005 with a total live time of 13 h are presented.Methods. Stereoscopic imaging of Cherenkov radiation from extensive air showers is used to reconstruct the energy and direction of the incident gamma rays.Results. No evidence for a very high energy (VHE: $]]>100 GeV) gamma-ray signal from the direction of the remnant is found. An upper limit (99% confidence level) on the energy flux in the range of is obtained.Conclusions. In the context of an existing theoretical model for the remnant, the lack of a detectable gamma-ray flux implies a distance of at least . A corresponding upper limit for the density of the ambient matter of is derived. With this distance limit, and assuming a spectral index , the total energy in accelerated protons is limited to . In the synchrotron/inverse Compton framework, extrapolating the power law measured by RXTE between and down in energy, the predicted gamma-ray flux from inverse Compton scattering is below the measured upper limit for magnetic field values greater than .

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)219-223
Number of pages5
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume488
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Gamma rays: observations
  • ISM: individual objects: Kepler's SNR, SN1604, G4.5+6.8
  • ISM: supernova remnants

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'HESS upper limits for Kepler's supernova remnant'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this