Issue |
A&A
Volume 546, October 2012
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | A21 | |
Number of page(s) | 7 | |
Section | Astrophysical processes | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201219947 | |
Published online | 28 September 2012 |
An extended source of GeV gamma rays coincident with the supernova remnant HB 21
1
IFAE, Edifici C7b, Campus UAB, 08193
Bellaterra, Spain
e-mail: ignasi@ifae.cat
2
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, PO Box 103980, 69029
Heidelberg,
Germany
3
Now at Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (IEEC-CSIC),
08193
Bellaterra,
Spain
4
Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats
(ICREA), 08010
Barcelona,
Spain
Received:
4
July
2012
Accepted:
22
August
2012
We analyze 3.5 years of public Fermi/LAT data around the position of the supernova remnant HB 21, where four point-like sources from the 2nd Fermi/LAT catalog are located. We determine that the gamma-ray source is produced by a single extended source. We model the observed morphology as a uniform circle. The spectral energy distribution is best described by a curved power law, with a maximum at 413 ± 11 MeV. We divide the circle into three regions defined by previously identified shocked molecular clouds, and find that one of these regions has a softer spectrum. The >3 GeV gamma-ray emission of the soft spectrum region is bow-shaped and coincident with the supernova remnant shell seen at radio wavelengths. We suggest that the gamma-ray emission from HB 21 can be understood as a combination of emission from shocked/illuminated molecular clouds, one of them coincident with the supernova remnant shell itself.
Key words: acceleration of particles / ISM: supernova remnants / ISM: clouds / gamma rays: general / gamma rays: ISM / cosmic rays
© ESO, 2012
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