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Article
Fermi LAT and WMAP observations of the supernova remnant HB 21
The Astrophysical Journal
  • John W. Hewitt, University of North Florida
  • G. Pivato
  • L. Tibaldo
  • F. Acero
  • J. Ballet
  • T. J. Brandt
  • F. de Palma
  • F. Giordano
  • G. H. Janssen
  • G. Johannesson
  • D. A. Smith
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-4-2013
Abstract

We present the analysis of Fermi Large Area Telescope γ-ray observations of HB 21 (G89.0+4.7). We detect significant γ-ray emission associated with the remnant: the flux >100 MeV is 9.4 ± 0.8 (stat) ± 1.6 (syst) × 10−11 erg cm−2 s−1. HB 21 is well modeled by a uniform disk centered at l = 8875 ± 004, b = +465 ± 006 with a radius of 119 ± 006. The γ-ray spectrum shows clear evidence of curvature, suggesting a cutoff or break in the underlying particle population at an energy of a few GeV. We complement γ-ray observations with the analysis of the WMAP 7 yr data from 23 to 93 GHz, achieving the first detection of HB 21 at these frequencies. In combination with archival radio data, the radio spectrum shows a spectral break, which helps to constrain the relativistic electron spectrum, and, in turn, parameters of simple non-thermal radiation models. In one-zone models multiwavelength data favor the origin of γ rays from nucleon-nucleon collisions. A single population of electrons cannot produce both γ rays through bremsstrahlung and radio emission through synchrotron radiation. A predominantly inverse-Compton origin of the γ-ray emission is disfavored because it requires lower interstellar densities than are inferred for HB 21. In the hadronic-dominated scenarios, accelerated nuclei contribute a total energy of ∼3 × 1049 erg, while, in a two-zone bremsstrahlung-dominated scenario, the total energy in accelerated particles is ∼1 × 1049 erg.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1088/0004-637X/779/2/179
Citation Information
Pivato, G., Hewitt, J. W., TIBALDO, L., Acero, F., Ballet, J., Brandt, T. J., De Palma, F., Giordano, F., Janssen, G. H., Johannesson, G., & Smith, D. A. (2013). FERMI LAT AND WMAP OBSERVATIONS OF THE SUPERNOVA REMNANT HB 21. The Astrophysical Journal, 779(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/779/2/179