Ref HAL: in2p3-00025035_v1
Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0510394
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:200500180
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12 citations
Abstract:

We report on a possible association of the recently discovered very high-energy $\gamma$-ray source HESS J1825--137 with the pulsar wind nebula (commonly referred to as G 18.0--0.7) of the $2.1\times 10^{4}$ year old Vela-like pulsar PSR B1823--13. HESS J1825--137 was detected with a significance of 8.1 $\sigma$ in the Galactic Plane survey conducted with the H.E.S.S. instrument in 2004. The centroid position of HESS J1825--137 is offset by 11\arcmin south of the pulsar position. \emph{XMM-Newton} observations have revealed X-ray synchrotron emission of an asymmetric pulsar wind nebula extending to the south of the pulsar. We argue that the observed morphology and TeV spectral index suggest that HESS J1825--137 and G 18.0--0.7 may be associated: the lifetime of TeV emitting electrons is expected to be longer compared to the {\it XMM-Newton} X-ray emitting electrons, resulting in electrons from earlier epochs (when the spin-down power was larger) contributing to the present TeV flux. These electrons are expected to be synchrotron cooled, which explains the observed photon index of $\sim 2.4$, and the longer lifetime of TeV emitting electrons naturally explains why the TeV nebula is larger than the X-ray size. Finally, supernova remnant expansion into an inhomogeneous medium is expected to create reverse shocks interacting at different times with the pulsar wind nebula, resulting in the offset X-ray and TeV $\gamma$-ray morphology.

Comments: 5 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters

Ref HAL: in2p3-00025463_v1
Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0510397
DOI: 10.1086/498013
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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473 citations
Abstract:

We report on a survey of the inner part of the Galactic Plane in very high energy gamma-rays, with the H.E.S.S. Cherenkov telescope system. The Galactic Plane between +-30deg in longitude and +-3deg in latitude relative to the Galactic Centre was observed in 500 pointings for a total of 230 hours, reaching an average flux sensitivity of 2% of the Crab Nebula at energies above 200 GeV. Fourteen previously unknown sources were detected at a significance level greater than 4 sigma after accounting for all trials involved in the search. Initial results on the eight most significant of these sources were already reported elsewhere. Here we present detailed spectral and morphological information for all the new sources, along with a discussion on possible counterparts in other wavelength bands. The distribution in Galactic latitude of the detected sources appears to be consistent with a scale height in the Galactic disk for the parent population smaller than 100 pc, consistent with expectations for supernova remnants and/or pulsar wind nebulae.

Ref HAL: in2p3-00023668_v1
Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0501512
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:200500008
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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14 citations
Abstract:

The region around PSR B1706-44 has been observed with the H.E.S.S. imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes in 2003. No evidence for gamma-ray emission in the TeV range was found at the pulsar position or at the radio arc which corresponds to the supernova remnant G 343.1-2.3. The 99% confidence level flux upper limit at the pulsar position is Ful(E > 350GeV) = 1.4e-12 /cm^2/s assuming a power law with photon index of 2.5 and Ful(E > 500GeV) = 1.3e-12 /cm^2/s without an assumption on the spectral shape. The reported upper limits correspond to 8% of the flux from an earlier detection by the CANGAROO experiment.

Ref HAL: in2p3-00024875_v1
Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0506280
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20052983
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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265 citations
Abstract:

We report the discovery of very-high-energy (VHE) $\gamma$-ray emission of the binary system PSR B1259-63/SS 2883 of a radio pulsar orbiting a massive, luminous Be star in a highly eccentric orbit. The observations around the 2004 periastron passage of the pulsar were performed with the four 13 m Cherenkov telescopes of the H.E.S.S. experiment, recently installed in Namibia and in full operation since December 2003. Between February and June 2004, a $\gamma$-ray signal from the binary system was detected with a total significance above 13 $\sigma$. The flux was found to vary significantly on timescales of days which makes PSR B1259-63 the first variable galactic source of VHE $\gamma$-rays observed so far. Strong emission signals were observed in pre- and post-periastron phases with a flux minimum around periastron, followed by a gradual flux decrease in the months after. The measured time-averaged energy spectrum above a mean threshold energy of 380 GeV can be fitted by a simple power law $F_0(E/1 TeV)^{-\Gamma}$ with a photon index $\Gamma = 2.7\pm0.2_{stat}\pm0.2_{sys}$ and flux normalisation $F_0 = (1.3\0.1_{stat}\pm0.3_{sys})\times10^{-12} TeV^{-1} cm^{-2} s^{-1}$. This detection of VHE $\gamma$-rays provides unambiguous evidence for particle acceleration to multi-TeV energies in the binary system. In combination with coeval observations of the X-ray synchrotron emission by the RXTE and INTEGRAL instruments, and assuming the VHE $\gamma¤-ray emission to be produced by the inverse Compton mechanism, the magnetic field strength can be directly estimated to be of the order of 1 G.

Comments: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics on 2 June 2005, replace: document unchanged, replaced author field in astro-ph entry - authors are all members of the H.E.S.S. collaboration and three additional authors (99+3, see document)

Ref HAL: in2p3-00024349_v1
Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0506593
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20053353
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89 citations
Abstract:

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) has observed the high-frequency peaked BL Lac object PKS2155-304 in 2003 between October 19 and November 26 in Very High Energy (VHE) $\gamma$-rays (E $\geq$ 160 GeV for these observations). Observations were carried out simultaneously with the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) on board the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite (RXTE), the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE) and the Nancay decimetric radiotelescope (NRT). Intra-night variability is seen in the VHE band, the source being detected with a high significance on each night it was observed. Variability is also found in the X-ray and optical bands on kilosecond timescales, along with flux-dependent spectral changes in the X-rays. The average H.E.S.S. spectrum shows a very soft power law shape with a photon index of 3.37 $\pm$ 0.07${stat} \pm 0.10 {syst}. The energy outputs in the 2-10 keV and in the VHE gamma-ray range are found to be similar, with the X-rays and the optical fluxes at a level comparable to some of the lowest historical measurements, indicating that PKS2155-304 was in a low or quiescent state during the observations. Both a leptonic and a hadronic model are used to derive source parameters from these observations.

Comments: 16 pages, 13 figures, Accepted (June 22) for publication in A&A

Ref HAL: in2p3-00024534_v1
Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0507207
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20053478
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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60 citations
Abstract:

A sample of selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) was observed in 2003 and 2004 with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), an array of imaging atmospheric-Cherenkov telescopes in Namibia. The redshifts of these candidate very-high-energy (VHE, >100 GeV) gamma-ray emitters range from z=0.00183 to z=0.333. Significant detections were already reported for some of these objects, such as PKS 2155-304 and Markarian 421. Marginal evidence (3.1 sigma) for a signal is found from large-zenith-angle observations of Markarian 501, corresponding to an integral flux of I(>1.65 TeV) = (1.5 +/- 0.6 (stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) x 10^{-12} cm^{-2} s^{-1} or ~15% of the Crab Nebula flux. Integral flux upper limits for 19 other AGN, based on exposures of ~1 to ~8 hrs live time, and with average energy thresholds between 160 GeV and 610 GeV, range from 0.4% to 5.1% of the Crab Nebula flux. All the upper limits are the most constraining ever reported for these objects.

Ref HAL: in2p3-00024438_v1
Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0507370
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20053521
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
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17 citations
Abstract:

We present the result of 28 hours of observations of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 with the H.E.S.S. detector in 2003. We find no evidence for very high energy gamma-ray emission from this object. Gamma-ray emission above 400 GeV from NGC 253 had been reported by the CANGAROO collaboration in 2002. From the H.E.S.S. data we derive upper limits on the flux above 300 GeV of 1.9 * 10^-12 photons cm^-2 s^-1 for a point-like source and 6.3 * 10^-12 photons cm^-2 s^-1 for a source of radius 0.5 degrees as reported by CANGAROO, both at a confidence level of 99%. These upper limits are inconsistent with the spectrum reported by CANGAROO. The expected very high energy gamma-ray emission from this object is discussed in the framework of a galactic wind propagation model.

Comments: 7 pages, 3 figures