Author(s): Aharonian F., Berghaus P., Bussons Gordo J., Chounet L.-M., Degrange B., Djannati-Ataï A., Dubus G., Espigat P., Feinstein F., Fleury P., Fontaine G., Gallant Y., Giebels B., Lemière A., Lemoine M., Leroy N., Marcowith A., De Naurois M., Ouchrif M., Pita S., Punch M., Raux J., Rolland L., Tavernet J.-P., Terrier R., Théoret C.G., Tluczykont M., Vasileiadis G., Vincent P., Martineau-Huynh O.
(Article) Published:
Astronomy & Astrophysics, vol. 435 p.L17-L20 (2005)
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Ref HAL: in2p3-00024066_v1
Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0504120
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:200500105
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Abstract:
The Supernova Remnant MSH 15-52 has been observed in very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays using the H.E.S.S. 4-telescope array located in Namibia. A gamma-ray signal is detected at the 25 sigma level during an exposure of 22.1 hours live time. The image reveals an elliptically shaped emission region around the pulsar PSR B1509-58, with semi-major axis 6' in the NW-SE direction and semi-minor axis 2' approximately. This morphology coincides with the diffuse pulsar wind nebula as observed at X-ray energies by ROSAT. The overall energy spectrum from 280 GeV up to 40 TeV can be fitted by a power law with photon index Gamma = 2.27 +/- 0.03(stat.) +/- 0.20(syst.). The detected emission can be plausibly explained by inverse Compton scattering of accelerated relativistic electrons with soft photons.