Demystifying an unidentified EGRET source by VHE gamma-ray observations |
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Authors: | Olaf Reimer Stefan Funk |
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Institution: | (1) W.W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4085, USA;(2) Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, SLAC, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA |
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Abstract: | In a novel approach in observational high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, observations carried out by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov
telescopes provide necessary templates to pinpoint the nature of intriguing, yet unidentified EGRET gamma-ray sources. Using
GeV-photons detected by EGRET and taking advantage of high spatial resolution images from H.E.S.S. observations, we were able
to shed new light on the EGRET observed gamma-ray emission in the Kookaburra complex, whose previous coverage in the literature
is somewhat contradictory. 3EG J1420–6038 very likely accounts for two GeV gamma-ray sources (E>1 GeV), both in positional coincidence with the recently reported pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) by HESS in the Kookaburra/Rabbit
complex. PWN associations at VHE energies, supported by accumulating evidence from observations in the radio and X-ray band,
are indicative for the PSR/plerionic origin of spatially coincident, but still unidentified Galactic gamma-ray sources from
EGRET. This not only supports the already suggested connection between variable, but unidentified low-latitude gamma-ray sources
with pulsar wind nebulae (3EG J1420–6038 has been suggested as PWN candidate previously), it also documents the ability of
resolving apparently confused EGRET sources by connecting the GeV emission as measured from a large-aperture space-based gamma-ray
instrument with narrow field-of-view but superior spatial resolution observations by ground-based atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes,
a very promising identification technique for achieving convincing individual source identifications in the era of GLAST-LAT.
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Keywords: | EGRET Data analysis GLAST Simulations Pulsars Pulsar wind nebulae |
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