Ultrahigh-energy photons up to 1.4 petaelectronvolts from 12 γ-ray Galactic sources

Autor: Alejandro Sáiz, Y. H. Yao, W. X. Wu, P. P. Zhang, Zhuo Li, R. Liu, Pak-Hin Thomas Tam, H. C. Li, Liang Chen, J. C. Wang, Y. L. Xin, L. Chen, M. J. Chen, Hong-Guang Wang, Y. J. Wei, S. Hu, Junjie Mao, Y. Q. Guo, J. Y. Liu, V. Rulev, P. F. Zhang, L. Xue, H. B. Hu, H. Liu, Rui Zhang, Linbin Yang, C. F. Feng, F. Ji, Xiaofei Zhang, F. Zheng, V. I. Stepanov, Ping Zhou, Q. H. Chen, H. R. Wu, Warit Mitthumsiri, X. C. Chang, Z. K. Zeng, C. D. Gao, Bin Zhou, W. L. Li, S. Z. Chen, M. M. Ge, Lei Zhao, Y. Z. Li, Y. Y. Guo, Y. J. Bi, Zhe Cao, Y. K. Hor, Xuejiao Li, H. D. Liu, S. H. Feng, B. Liu, Y. D. Cheng, Bo Zhang, H. K. Lv, H. M. Zhang, K. Levochkin, Y. J. Wang, L. X. Bai, Jixia Li, T. Montaruli, Duo Yan, Hefan Li, Ying Zhang, Bingshui Gao, Q. An, H. B. Xiao, J. R. Shi, X. D. Sheng, Z. X. Liu, W. H. Huang, M. L. Chen, Jianeng Zhou, Q. Gao, Minghao Qi, W. Zeng, Li-Sheng Geng, J. Chen, B. M. Chen, T. Wen, S. W. Cui, Z. X. Wang, Chiming Jin, S. B. Yang, L. Z. Zhao, C. W. Yang, J. B. Zhao, D.A. Kuleshov, Y. M. Xing, L. P. Wang, E. W. Liang, X. F. Wu, Zhe Li, B. Y. Pang, B. B. Li, X. Zuo, Cong Li, S. Q. Xi, Kun Fang, W. Gao, B. Z. Dai, Z. H. Wang, H. Cai, Jun Liu, Zhen Wang, J. C. He, Houdun Zeng, J. Fang, G. C. Xiao, Y. C. Nan, Z. G. Yao, Z. Y. Pei, Jun-Hui Fan, X. X. Zhou, Q. Yuan, H. B. Li, Shi-Qi Hu, G. G. Xin, J. F. Chang, Xufang Li, Oleg Shchegolev, G. M. Xiang, S. P. Zhao, W. Liu, X. L. Ji, M. J. Yang, H. H. He, R. Lu, Zhengguo Cao, Felix Aharonian, J. W. Zhang, H. C. Song, Yongchun Wang, Yugang Zhang, Wenwu Tian, He Zhang, Bai Yibing, S. L. He, Donglian Xu, Y. L. Feng, Zebo Tang, X. L. Guo, Y. D. Cui, X. J. Dong, Zheng Wang, Jun-Jie Wei, Q. B. Gou, Qizhi Huang, H. N. He, K. J. Zhu, M. Zha, B. D. Wang, Ruizhi Yang, X. N. Sun, Y. P. Wang, Z. C. Huang, H. L. Dai, H. Wang, Xiang Zhang, Xing-Yuan Hou, Yunchao Liu, H. Y. Jia, D. M. Wei, Z. G. Dai, Rong Xu, Fan Yang, A. Masood, F. Y. Li, Xinbo He, Youping Li, X. T. Huang, L. Y. Wang, X. R. Li, J. J. Xia, K. Jiang, Binyu Zhao, X. J. Hu, Yun-Feng Liang, W. Wang, Y. A. Han, J. G. Guo, Yu. V. Stenkin, Lang Shao, J.W. Xia, P. Pattarakijwanich, X. H. You, S.H. Chen, S. R. Zhang, C. Hou, Shuibin Lin, Lu Zhang, L. Feng, Xuelong Wang, S. Wu, X. X. Zhai, Xuliang Chen, C. X. Liu, L. L. Ma, Y. He, Z. X. Fan, Z. Y. You, F. R. Zhu, Y. W. Bao, Qie Sun, Yi Chen, X. G. Wang, Yi Zhang, Xiang-Yu Wang, D. H. Huang, R. Zhou, Hao Zhou, H. Zhu, X. J. Bi, D. della Volpe, Tao Zeng, T. L. Chen, Bin Ma, J. S. Wang, Cunguo Wang, L. X. Zhang, Shujuan Liu, N. Yin, N. Cheng, D. Bastieri, X. H. Cui, Cheng Li, W. J. Long, Shengxue Zhang, Axikegu, Li Zhang, G. H. Gong, Danzengluobu, M. H. Gu, Y. H. Yu, Jie Zhang, Y. Z. Fan, Dong Liu, C. Y. Wu, J. T. Cai, Long Chen, Y. Zheng, L. Q. Yin, Y. M. Ye, J. Y. Yang, B D Ettorre Piazzoli, David Ruffolo, Z. B. Sun, Cheng Guang Zhu, X. H. Ma, M. Heller, K. Li, Z. J. Jiang, J. Liu, Yong Zhang, Minghui Liu, R. N. Wang, Jinyao Liu
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nature. 594:33-36
ISSN: 1476-4687
0028-0836
Popis: The extension of the cosmic-ray spectrum beyond 1 petaelectronvolt (PeV; 1015 electronvolts) indicates the existence of the so-called PeVatrons—cosmic-ray factories that accelerate particles to PeV energies. We need to locate and identify such objects to find the origin of Galactic cosmic rays1. The principal signature of both electron and proton PeVatrons is ultrahigh-energy (exceeding 100 TeV) γ radiation. Evidence of the presence of a proton PeVatron has been found in the Galactic Centre, according to the detection of a hard-spectrum radiation extending to 0.04 PeV (ref. 2). Although γ-rays with energies slightly higher than 0.1 PeV have been reported from a few objects in the Galactic plane3–6, unbiased identification and in-depth exploration of PeVatrons requires detection of γ-rays with energies well above 0.1 PeV. Here we report the detection of more than 530 photons at energies above 100 teraelectronvolts and up to 1.4 PeV from 12 ultrahigh-energy γ-ray sources with a statistical significance greater than seven standard deviations. Despite having several potential counterparts in their proximity, including pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants and star-forming regions, the PeVatrons responsible for the ultrahigh-energy γ-rays have not yet been firmly localized and identified (except for the Crab Nebula), leaving open the origin of these extreme accelerators. Observations of γ-rays with energies up to 1.4 PeV find that 12 sources in the Galaxy are PeVatrons, one of which is the Crab Nebula.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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