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Based on the 13.7 yr Fermi-LAT data, Yeung, Bamba, and Sano (2023 , PASJ, 75, 384) claimed detection of two γ-ray sources (namely Src-NE and Src-NW) associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) G298.6−0.0, and interpreted it as an old GeV SNR interacting with molecular clouds (MCs). In this follow-up study, we refine the flux measurements below 2 GeV with Fermi-LAT event types of better angular reconstruction. Then, we report our γ-ray spectral fittings and cosmic-ray phenomenology in a hadronic scenario, considering both the shell and MC regions of SNR G298.6−0.0. We confirm that the γ-ray spectra of both Src-NE and Src-NW exhibit spectral breaks, at |$1.50_{-0.50}^{+0.60}$| and |$0.68_{-0.11}^{+0.32}\:$| GeV, respectively. Src-NW has a harder broad-band photon index than Src-NE, suggesting an appreciable difference between the physical separations of their respective emission sites from SNR G298.6−0.0. The cosmic-ray spectrum responsible for Src-NE starts with a minimum energy |$E_\mathrm{CR,min}=1.38_{-0.16}^{+0.47}\:$| GeV, and has a proton index |$\Gamma _\mathrm{CR}=2.57_{-0.21}^{+0.18}$| below the exponential cutoff energy |$E_\mathrm{CR,max}=240_{-150}^{+240}\:$| GeV. Accordingly, we argue that Src-NE is dominated by the SNR shell, while only a minor portion of lower-energy emission is contributed by the MCs interacting with the SNR. The cosmic-ray population for Src-NW starts at a higher energy such that the E CR, min ratio of Src-NW to Src-NE is ≳2. The high E CR, min, as well as the high cosmic-ray energy density required (∼26 eV cm−3), supports the interpretation that Src-NW is predominantly the γ-ray emission from the farther MCs being bombarded by protons that had earlier escaped from SNR G298.6−0.0. By comparing the high-energy features of G298.6−0.0 with those of analogical SNRs, especially SNR W 28 and SNR W 44, we further constrain the age of SNR G298.6−0.0 to be 10–30 kyr, under the assumption of a purely hadronic scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thorough inspection of known Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) along the Galactic plane with SRG/eROSITA yielded the detection of the X-ray counterpart of the SNR G279.0+01.1. The SNR is located just 1.5° above the Galactic plane. Its X-ray emission emerges as an incomplete, partial shell of ~3° angular extension. It is strongly correlated to the fragmented shell-type morphology of its radio continuum emission. The X-ray spatial morphology of the SNR seems to be linked to the presence of dust clouds in the surroundings. The majority of its X-ray emission is soft (exhibiting strong O, Ne, and Mg lines), and it occurs in a narrow range of energies between 0.3 and 1.5 keV. Above 2.0 keV the remnant remains undetected. The remnant's X-ray spectrum is purely of a thermal nature. Constraining the X-ray absorption column to values which are consistent with optical extinction data from the remnant's location favors nonequilibrium over equilibrium models. A nonequilibrium two-temperature plasma model of kT ~ 0.3 keV and kT ~ 0.6 keV, as well as an absorption column density of NH ~ 0.3 cm−2 describe the spectrum of the entire remnant well. Significant temperature variations across the remnant have been detected. Employing 14.5 yr of Fermi-LAT data, we carried out a comprehensive study of the extended giga-electronvolt source 4FGL J1000.0-5312e. By refining and properly modeling the giga-electronvolt excess originating from the location of the remnant, we conclude that the emission is likely related to the remnant itself rather than being colocated by chance. The remnant's properties as determined by the X-ray spectra are consistent with the ~2.5 kpc distance estimates from the literature, which implies a source diameter of ~140 pc and an old age of >7 × 105 yr. However, if the source is associated with any of the pulsars previously considered to be associated with the SNR, then the updated nearby pulsar distance estimates from the YMW16 electron density model rather place the SNR at a distance of ~0.4 kpc. This would correspond to a ~20 pc linear size and a younger age of 104− < 7 × 105 yr, which would be more in line with the nonequilibrium state of the plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Hadronic interactions between cosmic rays (CRs) and interstellar gas have been probed in γ rays across the Galaxy. A fairly uniform CR distribution is observed up to a few hundred parsecs from the Sun, except in the Eridu cloud, which shows an unexplained 30–50% deficit in GeV to TeV CR flux. Aims. To explore the origin of this deficit, we studied the Reticulum cloud, which shares notable traits with Eridu: a comparable distance in the low-density region of the Local Valley and a filamentary structure of atomic hydrogen extending along a bundle of ordered magnetic-field lines that are steeply inclined to the Galactic plane. Methods. We measured the γ-ray emissivity per gas nucleon in the Reticulum cloud in the 0.16–63 GeV energy band using 14 years of Fermi-LAT data. We also derived interstellar properties that are important for CR propagation in both the Eridu and Reticulum clouds, at the same parsec scale. Results. The γ-ray emissivity in the Reticulum cloud is fully consistent with the average spectrum measured in the solar neighbourhood, but this emissivity, and therefore the CR flux, is 1.57 ± 0.09 times larger than in Eridu across the whole energy band. The difference cannot be attributed to uncertainties in gas mass. Nevertheless, we find that the two clouds are similar in many respects: both have magnetic-field strengths of a few micro-Gauss in the plane of the sky; both are in approximate equilibrium between magnetic and thermal pressures; they have similar turbulent velocities and sonic Mach numbers; and both show magnetic-field regularity with a dispersion in orientation lower than 10°–15° over large zones. The gas in Reticulum is colder and denser than in Eridu, but we find similar parallel diffusion coefficients around a few times 1028 cm2 s−1 in both clouds if CRs above 1 GV in rigidity diffuse on resonant, self-excited Alfvén waves that are damped by ion-neutral interactions. Conclusions. The loss of CRs in Eridu remains unexplained, but these two clouds provide important test cases to further study how magnetic turbulence, line tangling, and ion-neutral damping regulate CR diffusion in the dominant gas phase of the interstellar medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The supernova remnant (SNR) G288.8–6.3 was recently discovered as a faint radio shell at high Galactic latitude using observations with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) in the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey. Aims. We performed the first detailed investigation of the γ-ray emission from the G288.8–6.3 region, aiming to characterise the high-energy emission in the GeV regime from the newly discovered SNR, dubbed Ancora. Methods. Fifteen years of Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) data were analysed at energies between 400 MeV and 1 TeV, and the excess seen in the region was modelled using different spatial and spectral models. Results. We detect spatially extended γ-ray emission coinciding with the radio SNR, with detection significance up to 8.8 σ. A radial disk spatial model in combination with a power-law spectral model with an energy flux of (4.80 ± 0.91) × 10−6 MeV cm−2 s−1, with the spectrum extending up to around 5 GeV was found to be the preferred model. Morphologically, hotspots seen above 1 GeV are well correlated with the bright western part of the radio shell. The emission is more likely to be of leptonic origin, given the estimated gas density in the region and the estimated distance and age of the SNR, but a hadronic scenario cannot be ruled out. Conclusions. Ancora is the seventh confirmed SNR detected at high Galactic latitude with Fermi-LAT. The study of this new population of remnants can provide insights into the evolutionary aspects of SNRs and their properties, and further advance efforts of constraining the physics of particle diffusion and escape from SNRs into the Galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze JWST/NIRSpec observations of the CO rovibrational υ = 1−0 band at ~4.67 µm around the dust-embedded southern active galactic nucleus (AGN) of NGC 3256 (d = 40 Mpc; LIR = 1011.6L⊙). We classify the CO υ = 1−0 spectra into three categories based on the behavior of P- and R-branches of the band: (a) both branches in absorption toward the nucleus; (b) P-R asymmetry (P-branch in emission and R-branch in absorption) along the disk of the galaxy; and (c) both branches in emission in the outflow region above and below the disk. In this paper, we focus on the outflow. The CO υ = 1−0 emission can be explained by the vibrational excitation of CO in the molecular outflow by the bright mid-IR ~4.7 µm continuum from the AGN up to r ~ 250 pc. We model the ratios between the P(J+2) and R(J) transitions of the band to derive the physical properties (column density, kinetic temperature, and CO-to-H2 conversion factor, αCO) of the outflowing gas. We find that the 12CO υ = 1−0 emission is optically thick for J < 4, while the 13CO υ = 1−0 emission remains optically thin. From the P(2)/R(0) ratio, we identify a temperature gradient in the outflow from >40 K in the central 100 pc to <15 K at 250 pc, sampling the cooling of the molecular gas in the outflow. We used three methods to derive αCO in eight 100 pc (0″.5) apertures in the outflow by fitting the P(J+2)/R(J) ratios with nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) models. We obtain low median αCO factors (0.40 - 0.61) × 3.2×10-4/[CO/H2] M⊙ (K km s-1 pc2)-1 in the outflow regions. This implies that outflow rates and energetics might be overestimated if a 1.3−2 times larger ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) like αCO is assumed. The reduced αCO can be explained if the outflowing molecular clouds are not virialized. We also report the first extragalactic detection of a broad (σ = 0.0091 µm) spectral feature at 4.645 µm associated with aliphatic deuterium on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Dn-PAHs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PeVatrons are the most powerful naturally occurring particle accelerators in the Universe. The identification of counterparts associated to astrophysical objects such as dying massive stars, molecular gas, star-forming regions, and star clusters is essential to clarify the underlying nature of the PeV emission, i.e., hadronic or leptonic. We present 12,13CO (J = 2→1) observations made with the 1.85 m radio-telescope of the Osaka Prefecture University toward the Cygnus OB7 molecular cloud, which contains the PeVatron candidate LHAASO J2108+5157. We investigate the nature of the sub-PeV (gamma-ray) emission by studying the nucleon density determined from the content of H  i and H2, derived from the CO observations. In addition to MML[2017]4607, detected via the observations of the optically thick 12CO (J = 1→0) emission, we infer the presence of an optically thin molecular cloud, named [FKT-MC]2022, whose angular size is 1 |${_{.}^{\circ}}$| 1 ± 0 |${_{.}^{\circ}}$| 2. We propose this cloud as a new candidate to produce the sub-PeV emission observed in LHAASO J2108+5157. Considering a distance of 1.7 kpc, we estimate a nucleon (H  i + H2) density of 37 ± 14 cm−3, and a total nucleon mass(H  i + H2) of 1.5 ± 0.6 × 104  M ⊙. On the other hand, we confirm that Kronberger 82 is a molecular clump with an angular size of 0 |${_{.}^{\circ}}$| 1, a nucleon density ∼103 cm−3, and a mass ∼103  M ⊙. Although Kronberger 82 hosts the physical conditions to produce the observed emission of LHAASO J2108+5157, [FKT-MC]2022 is located closer to it, suggesting that the latter could be the one associated to the sub-PeV emission. Under this scenario, our results favour a hadronic origin for the emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hadronic γ-ray sources associated with supernova remnants (SNRs) can serve as stopwatches for the escape of cosmic rays from SNRs, which gradually develops from highest-energy particles to lowest-energy particles with time. In this work, we analyze the 13.7 yr Fermi-LAT data to investigate the γ-ray feature in/around the SNR G298.6−0.0 region. With γ-ray spatial analyses, we detect three point-like components. Among them, Src-NE is at the eastern SNR shell, and Src-NW is adjacent to the western edge of this SNR. Src-NE and Src-NW demonstrate spectral breaks at energies around/below 1.8 GeV, suggesting an old SNR age of >10 kyr. We also look into the X-ray emission from the G298.6−0.0 region, with the Chandra-ACIS data. We detected an extended keV source having a centrally filled structure inside the radio shell. The X-ray spectra are well fitted by a model which assumes a collisional ionization equilibrium of the thermal plasma, further supporting an old SNR age. Based on our analyses of the NANTEN CO- and ATCA-Parkes H  i -line data, we determined a kinematic distance of ∼10.1 kpc from us to G298.6−0.0. This distance entails a large physical radius of the SNR of ∼15.5 pc, which is additional evidence for an old age of >10 kyr. Besides this, the CO data cube enables us to three-dimensionally locate the molecular clouds (MCs) which are potentially interacting with SNR G298.6−0.0 and could account for the hadronic γ-rays detected at Src-NE or Src-NW. Furthermore, the multiwavelength observational properties unanimously imply that the SNR–MC interaction occurs mainly in the north-eastern direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The presence of radioactive 26Al at 1.8MeV reveals an ongoing process of nucleosynthesis in the Milky Way. Diffuse emission from its decay can be measured with gamma-ray telescopes in space. The intensity, line shape, and spatial distribution of the 26Al emission allow for studies of these nucleosynthesis sources. The line parameters trace massive-star feedback in the interstellar medium thanks to its 1 My lifetime. Aims. We aim to expand upon previous studies of the 26Al emission in the Milky Way, using all available gamma-ray data, including single and double events collected with SPI on INTEGRAL from 2003 until 2020. Methods. We applied improved spectral response and background as evaluated from tracing spectral details over the entire mission. The exposure for the Galactic 26Al emission was enhanced using all event types measured within SPI. We redetermined the intensity of Galactic 26Al emission across the entire sky, through maximum likelihood fits of simulated and model-built sky distributions to SPI spectra for single and for double detector hits. Results. We found an all-sky flux of (1.84±0.03)×10-3 ph cm-2 s-1 in the 1.809 MeV line from 26Al, determined via fitting to sky distributions from previous observations with COMPTEL. Significant emission from higher latitudes indicates an origin from nearby massive-star groups and superbubbles, which is also supported by a bottom-up population synthesis model. The line centroid is found at (1809.83±0.04 keV), while the line broadening from source kinematics integrated over the sky is (0.62±0.3) keV (FWHM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Star-forming regions may play an important role in the life cycle of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs), notably as home to specific acceleration mechanisms and transport conditions. Gamma-ray observations of Cygnus X have revealed the presence of an excess of hard-spectrum gamma-ray emission, possibly related to a cocoon of freshly accelerated particles. Aims. We seek an improved description of the gamma-ray emission from the cocoon using ~13 yr of observations with the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) and use it to further constrain the processes and objects responsible for the young CR population. Methods. We developed an emission model for a large region of interest, including a description of interstellar emission from the background population of CRs and recent models for other gamma-ray sources in the field. Thus, we performed an improved spectro-morphological characterisation of the residual emission including the cocoon. Results. The best-fit model for the cocoon includes two main emission components: an extended component FCES G78.74+1.56, described by a 2D Gaussian of extension r68 = 4.4° ± 0.1°−0.1°+0.1° and a smooth broken power law spectrum with spectral indices 1.67 ± 0.05−0.01+0.02 and 2.12 ± 0.02−0.01+0.00 below and above 3.0 ± 0.6−0.2+0.0 GeV, respectively; and a central component FCES G80.00+0.50, traced by the distribution of ionised gas within the borders of the photo-dissociation regions and with a power law spectrum of index 2.19 ± 0.03−0.01+0.00 that is significantly different from the spectrum of FCES G78.74+1.56. An additional extended emission component FCES G78.83+3.57, located on the edge of the central cavities in Cygnus X and with a spectrum compatible with that of FCES G80.00+0.50, is likely related to the cocoon. For the two brightest components FCES G80.00+0.50 and FCES G78.74+1.56, spectra and radial-azimuthal profiles of the emission can be accounted for in a diffusion-loss framework involving one single population of non-thermal particles with a flat injection spectrum. Particles span the full extent of FCES G78.74+1.56 as a result of diffusion from a central source, and give rise to source FCES G80.00+0.50 by interacting with ionised gas in the innermost region. Conclusions. For this simple diffusion-loss model, viable setups can be very different in terms of energetics, transport conditions, and timescales involved, and both hadronic and leptonic scenarios are possible. The solutions range from long-lasting particle acceleration, possibly in prominent star clusters such as Cyg OB2 and NGC 6910, to a more recent and short-lived release of particles within the last 10–100 kyr, likely from a supernova remnant. The observables extracted from our analysis can be used to perform detailed comparisons with advanced models of particle acceleration and transport in star-forming regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Certain types of supernova remnants (SNRs) in our Galaxy are assumed to be PeVatrons, capable of accelerating cosmic rays (CRs) to ~ PeV energies. However, conclusive observational evidence for this has not yet been found. The SNR G106.3+2.7, detected at 1–100 TeV energies by different γ-ray facilities, is one of the most promising PeVatron candidates. This SNR has a cometary shape, which can be divided into a head and a tail region with different physical conditions. However, in which region the 100 TeV emission is produced has not yet been identified because of the limited position accuracy and/or angular resolution of existing observational data. Additionally, it remains unclear as to whether the origin of the γ-ray emission is leptonic or hadronic. Aims. With the better angular resolution provided by new MAGIC data compared to earlier γ-ray datasets, we aim to reveal the acceleration site of PeV particles and the emission mechanism by resolving the SNR G106.3+2.7 with 0.1° resolution at TeV energies. Methods. We observed the SNR G106.3+2.7 using the MAGIC telescopes for 121.7 h in total – after quality cuts – between May 2017 and August 2019. The analysis energy threshold is ~0.2 TeV, and the angular resolution is 0.07−0.1°. We examined the γ-ray spectra of different parts of the emission, whilst benefitting from the unprecedented statistics and angular resolution at these energies provided by our new data. We also used measurements at other wavelengths such as radio, X-rays, GeV γ-rays, and 10 TeV γ-rays to model the emission mechanism precisely. Results. We detect extended γ-ray emission spatially coincident with the radio continuum emission at the head and tail of SNR G106.3+2.7. The fact that we detect a significant γ-ray emission with energies above 6.0 TeV from only the tail region suggests that the emissions above 10 TeV detected with air shower experiments (Milagro, HAWC, Tibet ASγ and LHAASO) are emitted only from the SNR tail. Under this assumption, the multi-wavelength spectrum of the head region can be explained with either hadronic or leptonic models, while the leptonic model for the tail region is in contradiction with the emission above 10 TeV and X-rays. In contrast, the hadronic model could reproduce the observed spectrum at the tail by assuming a proton spectrum with a cutoff energy of ~1 PeV for that region. Such high-energy emission in this middle-aged SNR (4−10 kyr) can be explained by considering a scenario where protons escaping from the SNR in the past interact with surrounding dense gases at present. Conclusions. The γ-ray emission region detected with the MAGIC telescopes in the SNR G106.3+2.7 is extended and spatially coincident with the radio continuum morphology. The multi-wavelength spectrum of the emission from the tail region suggests proton acceleration up to ~PeV, while the emission mechanism of the head region could either be hadronic or leptonic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos remain a mystery despite extensive searches for their sources. We present constraints from seven years of IceCube Neutrino Observatory muon data on the neutrino flux coming from the Galactic plane. This flux is expected from cosmic-ray interactions with the interstellar medium or near localized sources. Two methods were developed to test for a spatially extended flux from the entire plane, both of which are maximum likelihood fits but with different signal and background modeling techniques. We consider three templates for Galactic neutrino emission based primarily on gamma-ray observations and models that cover a wide range of possibilities. Based on these templates and in the benchmark case of an unbroken E-2.5 power-law energy spectrum, we set 90% confidence level upper limits, constraining the possible Galactic contribution to the diffuse neutrino flux to be relatively small, less than 14% of the flux reported in Aartsen et al. above 1 TeV. A stacking method is also used to test catalogs of known high-energy Galactic gamma-ray sources.

The nearby Chamaeleon clouds have been observed in γ rays by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and in thermal dust emission by Planck and IRAS. Cosmic rays and large dust grains, if smoothly mixed with gas, can jointly serve with the Hi and 12CO radio data to (i) map the hydrogen column densities, NH, in the different gas phases, in particular at the dark neutral medium (DNM) transition between the Hi-bright and CO-bright media; (ii) constrain the CO-to-H2 conversion factor, XCO; and (iii) probe the dust properties per gas nucleon in each phase and map their spatial variations across the clouds. We have separated clouds at local, intermediate, and Galactic velocities in Hi and 12CO line emission to model in parallel the γ-ray intensity recorded between 0.4 and 100 GeV; the dust optical depth at 353 GHz, τ353; the thermal radiance of the large grains; and an estimate of the dust extinction, AVQ, empirically corrected for the starlight intensity. The dust and γ-ray models have been coupled to account for the DNM gas. The consistent γ-ray emissivity spectra recorded in the different phases confirm that the GeV-TeV cosmic rays probed by the LAT uniformly permeate all gas phases up to the 12CO cores. The dust and cosmic rays both reveal large amounts of DNM gas, with comparable spatial distributions and twice as much mass as in the CO-bright clouds. We give constraints on the Hi-DNM-CO transitions for five separate clouds. CO-dark H2 dominates the molecular columns up to AV ≃ 0.9 and its mass often exceeds the one-third of the molecular mass expected by theory. The corrected AVQ extinction largely provides the best fit to the total gas traced by the γ rays. Nevertheless, we find evidence for a marked rise in AVQ/NH with increasing NH and molecular fraction, and with decreasing dust temperature. The rise in τ353/NH is even steeper. We observe variations of lesser amplitude and orderliness for the specific power of the grains, except for a coherent decline by half in the CO cores. This combined information suggests grain evolution. We provide average values for the dust properties per gas nucleon in the different phases. The γ rays and dust radiance yield consistent XCO estimates near 0.7 × 1020cm-2K-1km-1s. The AVQ and τ353 tracers yield biased values because of the large rise in grain opacity in the CO clouds. These results clarify a recurrent disparity in the γ-ray versus dust calibration of XCO, but they confirm the factor of 2 difference found between the XCO estimates in nearby clouds and in the neighbouring spiral arms.

The nearby Chamaeleon clouds have been observed in γ rays by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and in thermal dust emission by Planck and IRAS. Cosmic rays and large dust grains, if smoothly mixed with gas, can jointly serve with the Hi and 12CO radio data to (i) map the hydrogen column densities, NH, in the different gas phases, in particular at the dark neutral medium (DNM) transition between the Hi-bright and CO-bright media; (ii) constrain the CO-to-H2 conversion factor, XCO; and (iii) probe the dust properties per gas nucleon in each phase and map their spatial variations across the clouds. We have separated clouds at local, intermediate, and Galactic velocities in Hi and 12CO line emission to model in parallel the γ-ray intensity recorded between 0.4 and 100 GeV; the dust optical depth at 353 GHz, τ353; the thermal radiance of the large grains; and an estimate of the dust extinction, AVQ, empirically corrected for the starlight intensity. The dust and γ-ray models have been coupled to account for the DNM gas. The consistent γ-ray emissivity spectra recorded in the different phases confirm that the GeV-TeV cosmic rays probed by the LAT uniformly permeate all gas phases up to the 12CO cores. The dust and cosmic rays both reveal large amounts of DNM gas, with comparable spatial distributions and twice as much mass as in the CO-bright clouds. We give constraints on the Hi-DNM-CO transitions for five separate clouds. CO-dark H2 dominates the molecular columns up to AV ≃ 0.9 and its mass often exceeds the one-third of the molecular mass expected by theory. The corrected AVQ extinction largely provides the best fit to the total gas traced by the γ rays. Nevertheless, we find evidence for a marked rise in AVQ/NH with increasing NH and molecular fraction, and with decreasing dust temperature. The rise in τ353/NH is even steeper. We observe variations of lesser amplitude and orderliness for the specific power of the grains, except for a coherent decline by half in the CO cores. This combined information suggests grain evolution. We provide average values for the dust properties per gas nucleon in the different phases. The γ rays and dust radiance yield consistent XCO estimates near 0.7 × 1020cm-2K-1km-1s. The AVQ and τ353 tracers yield biased values because of the large rise in grain opacity in the CO clouds. These results clarify a recurrent disparity in the γ-ray versus dust calibration of XCO, but they confirm the factor of 2 difference found between the XCO estimates in nearby clouds and in the neighbouring spiral arms.

HESS J1825-137 is one of the most powerful and luminous TeV gamma-ray pulsar wind nebulae (PWN). To the south of HESS J1825-137, Fermi -LAT observation revealed a new region of GeV gamma-ray emission with three apparent peaks (termed here, GeV-ABC). This study presents interstellar medium (ISM) data and spectral energy distribution (SED) modelling towards the GeV emission to understand the underlying particle acceleration. We considered several particle accelerator scenarios – the PWN associated with HESS J1825-137, the progenitor SNR also associated with HESS J1825-137, plus the gamma-ray binary system LS 5039. It was found that the progenitor SNR of HESS J1825-137 has insufficient energetics to account for all GeV emission. GeV-ABC may be a reflection of an earlier epoch in the history of the PWN associated with HESS 1825-137, assuming fast diffusion perhaps including advection. LS 5039 cannot meet the required energetics to be the source of particle acceleration. A combination of HESS J1825-137 and LS 5039 could be plausible sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supernova remnant (SNR) shocks provide favourable sites of cosmic ray (CR) proton acceleration if the local magnetic field direction is quasi-parallel to the shock normal. Using the moving-mesh magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) code arepo we present a suite of SNR simulations with CR acceleration in the Sedov–Taylor phase that combine different magnetic field topologies, density distributions with gradients and large-scale fluctuations, and – for our core-collapse SNRs – a multiphase interstellar medium with dense clumps with a contrast of 104. Assuming the hadronic gamma-ray emission model for the TeV gamma-ray emission, we find that large-amplitude density fluctuations of δρ/ρ0 ≳ 75 per cent are required to strongly modulate the gamma-ray emissivity in a straw man's model in which the acceleration efficiency is independent of magnetic obliquity. However, this causes strong corrugations of the shock surface that are ruled out by gamma-ray observations. By contrast, magnetic obliquity-dependent acceleration can easily explain the observed variance in gamma-ray morphologies ranging from SN1006 (with a homogeneous magnetic field) to Vela Junior and RX J1713 (with a turbulent field) in a single model that derives from plasma particle-in-cell simulations. Our best-fitting model for SN1006 has a large-scale density gradient of ∇ n ≃ 0.0034 cm−3 pc−1 pointing from south-west to north-east and a magnetic inclination with the plane of the sky of ≲10°. Our best-fitting model for Vela Junior and RX J1713 adopts a combination of turbulent magnetic field and dense clumps to explain their TeV gamma-ray morphologies and moderate shock corrugations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The supernova remnant (SNR) G150.3+4.5 was recently discovered in the radio band; it exhibits a shell-like morphology with an angular size of ~ 3°, suggesting either an old or a nearby SNR. Extended γ-ray emission spatially coincident with the SNR was reported in the Fermi Galactic Extended Source Catalog, with a power-law spectral index of Γ = 1.91 ± 0.09. Studying particle acceleration in SNRs through their γ-ray emission is of primary concern to assess the nature of accelerated particles and the maximum energy they can reach. Methods. Using more than ten years of Fermi-LAT data, we investigate the morphological and spectral properties of the SNR G150.3+4.5 from 300 MeV to 3 TeV. We use the latest releases of the Fermi-LAT catalog, the instrument response functions and the Galactic and isotropic diffuse emissions. We use ROSAT all-sky survey data to assess any thermal and nonthermal X-ray emission, and we derive minimum and maximum distance to G150.3+4.5. Results. We describe the γ-ray emission of G150.3+4.5 by an extended component which is found to be spatially coincident with the radio SNR. The spectrum is hard and the detection of photons up to hundreds of GeV points towards an emission from a dynamically young SNR. The lack of X-ray emission gives a tight constraint on the ambient density n0 ≤ 3.6 × 10−3 cm−3. Since G150.3+4.5 is not reported as a historical SNR, we impose a lower limit on its age of t = 1 kyr. We estimate its distance to be between 0.7 and 4.5 kpc. We find that G150.3+4.5 is spectrally similar to other dynamically young and shell-type SNRs, such as RX J1713.7−3946 or Vela Junior. The broadband nonthermal emission is explained with a leptonic scenario, implying a downstream magnetic field of B = 5 μG and acceleration of particles up to few TeV energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. In the presence of a sufficient amount of target material, γ-rays can be used as a tracer in the search for sources of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs). Here we present deep observations of the Galactic center (GC) region with the MAGIC telescopes and use them to infer the underlying CR distribution and to study the alleged PeV proton accelerator at the center of our Galaxy. Methods. We used data from ≈100 h observations of the GC region conducted with the MAGIC telescopes over five years (from 2012 to 2017). Those were collected at high zenith angles (58−70 deg), leading to a larger energy threshold, but also an increased effective collection area compared to low zenith observations. Using recently developed software tools, we derived the instrument response and background models required for extracting the diffuse emission in the region. We used existing measurements of the gas distribution in the GC region to derive the underlying distribution of CRs. We present a discussion of the associated biases and limitations of such an approach. Results. We obtain a significant detection for all four model components used to fit our data (Sgr A*, "Arc", G0.9+0.1, and an extended component for the Galactic Ridge). We observe no significant difference between the γ-ray spectra of the immediate GC surroundings, which we model as a point source (Sgr A*) and the Galactic Ridge. The latter can be described as a power-law with index 2 and an exponential cut-off at around 20 TeV with the significance of the cut-off being only 2σ. The derived cosmic-ray profile hints to a peak at the GC position and with a measured profile index of 1.2 ± 0.3 is consistent with the 1/r radial distance scaling law, which supports the hypothesis of a CR accelerator at the GC. We argue that the measurements of this profile are presently limited by our knowledge of the gas distribution in the GC vicinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The youngest Galactic supernova remnant G1.9+0.3 is an interesting target for next-generation gamma-ray observatories. So far, the remnant is only detected in the radio and the X-ray bands, but its young age of ≈100 yr and inferred shock speed of ≈14 000 km s−1 could make it an efficient particle accelerator. Aims. We aim to model the observed radio and X-ray spectra together with the morphology of the remnant. At the same time, we aim to estimate the gamma-ray flux from the source and evaluate the prospects of its detection with future gamma-ray experiments. Methods. We performed spherical symmetric 1D simulations with the RATPaC code, in which we simultaneously solved the transport equation for cosmic rays, the transport equation for magnetic turbulence, and the hydro-dynamical equations for the gas flow. Separately computed distributions of the particles accelerated at the forward and the reverse shock were then used to calculate the spectra of synchrotron, inverse Compton, and pion-decay radiation from the source. Results. The emission from G1.9+0.3 can be self-consistently explained within the test-particle limit. We find that the X-ray flux is dominated by emission from the forward shock while most of the radio emission originates near the reverse shock, which makes G1.9+0.3 the first remnant with nonthermal radiation detected from the reverse shock. The flux of very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from G1.9+0.3 is expected to be close to the sensitivity threshold of the Cherenkov Telescope Array. The limited time available to grow large-scale turbulence limits the maximum energy of particles to values below 100 TeV, hence G1.9+0.3 is not a PeVatron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HESS J1825–137 is a bright very high-energy gamma-ray source that has been firmly established as a pulsar wind nebula (PWN), and one of the most extended gamma-ray objects within this category. The progenitor supernova remnant (SNR) for this PWN has not been firmly established. We carried out an analysis of gamma-ray observations in the region of HESS J1825–137 with the Fermi –LAT that reveals emission in the direction away from the Galactic plane.  The region lies beyond the PWN and reaches a distance from the pulsar compatible with the supposed location of the SNR shock front. The spectrum of the gamma-rays is hard with a photon index of ∼1.9 in the 10–250 GeV range. Several scenarios for the origin of the emission are discussed, including the SNR as a source of high-energy particles and the 'leakage' of leptons from the PWN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The goal of this paper is to detect synchrotron emission from the relic electrons of the crushed pulsar wind nebula (PWN) HESS J1825−137 and to investigate the origin of the γ-ray emission from HESS J1826−130. Methods. The study of HESS J1825−137 was carried out on the basis of new radio observations centred at the position of PSR J1826−1334 performed with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array at 1.4 GHz in configurations B and C. To investigate the nature of HESS J1826−130, we reprocessed unpublished archival data obtained with XMM-Newton. Results. The new radio continuum image towards PSR J1826−1334 reveals a bright radio source, with the pulsar located in its centre, which suggests that this feature could be the radio counterpart of the compact component of the PWN detected at high energy. The new 1.4 GHz radio data do not reveal emission with an extension comparable with that observed in γ-rays for the HESS J1825−137 source. On the other hand, the XMM-Newton study of the region including PSR J1826−1256 reveals an elongated non-thermal X-ray emitting nebula with the pulsar located in the northern border and a tail towards the peak of the very high energy source. The spectrum is characterized by a power law with a photon index going from 1.6 around the pulsar to 2.7 in the borders of the nebula, a behaviour consistent with synchrotron cooling of electrons. From our X-ray analysis we propose that HESS J1826−130 is likely produced by the PWN powered by PSR J1826−1256 via the inverse Compton mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Star-forming regions on different scales, such as giant molecular clouds in our Galaxy and star-forming galaxies, emit GeV gamma-rays. These are thought to originate from hadronic interactions of cosmic-ray (CR) nuclei with the interstellar medium. It has recently been shown that the gamma-ray luminosity (Lγ) of star-forming galaxies is well correlated with their star formation rates (SFR). We investigated Fermi data of eight Galactic molecular clouds in the Gould belt and found that molecular clouds do not follow the Lγ −SFR correlation of star-forming galaxies. We also compared the scaling relations of gamma-ray luminosity, SFR, and the gas mass for molecular clouds and star-forming galaxies. Using a multiple-variable regression analysis, we found different dependences of gamma-ray emission on SFR or mass for molecular clouds and star-forming galaxies. This suggests that different mechanisms may govern the production of gamma-rays in these two types of sources. Specifically, the strong dependence on mass supports that gamma-ray emission of molecular clouds primarily comes from passive interaction by diffuse Galactic CRs, whereas the strong dependence on SFR supports that gamma-ray emission of star-forming galaxies originates from CRs that are accelerated by local active sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of extended gamma-ray emission around Galactic cosmic-ray (CR) sources can be used as novel probes of interstellar magnetic fields. Using very high energy gamma-ray data from the HAWC Observatory, we place constraints on the properties of the magnetic turbulence within ≈25 pc from Geminga. We inject and propagate individual CR electrons in 3D realizations of turbulent magnetic fields, calculate the resulting gamma-ray emission, and compare with HAWC measurements of this region. We find that HAWC data are compatible with expectations for Kolmogorov or Kraichnan turbulence and can be well fitted for reasonable coherence lengths and strengths of the turbulence, despite implying a CR diffusion coefficient significantly smaller than those suggested by Galactic CR propagation codes. The best fit is found for a coherence length L c ≈ 1 pc and a magnetic field strength $$B_{\rm rms} \approx 3\, \mu$$ G, and the preferred value for L c increases with B rms. Moreover, the apparent lack of strong asymmetries in the observed emission allows us to constrain the coherence length to L c ≲ 5 pc in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. G326.3−1.8 (also known as MSH 15−56) has been detected in radio as middle-aged composite supernova remnant (SNR) consisting of an SNR shell and a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) that has been crushed by the SNR reverse shock. Previous γ-ray studies of SNR G326.3−1.8 revealed bright and extended emission with uncertain origin. Understanding the nature of the γ-ray emission allows probing the population of high-energy particles (leptons or hadrons), but can be challenging for sources of small angular extent. Aims. With the recent Fermi Large Area Telescope data release Pass 8, which provides increased acceptance and angular resolution, we investigate the morphology of this SNR to disentangle the PWN from the SNR contribution. In particular, we take advantage of the new possibility to filter events based on their angular reconstruction quality. Methods. We performed a morphological and spectral analysis from 300 MeV to 300 GeV. We used the reconstructed events with the best angular resolution (PSF3 event type) to separately investigate the PWN and the SNR emissions, which is crucial to accurately determine the spectral properties of G326.3−1.8 and understand its nature. Results. The centroid of the γ-ray emission evolves with energy and is spatially coincident with the radio PWN at high energies (E > 3 GeV). The morphological analysis reveals that a model considering two contributions from the SNR and the PWN reproduces the γ-ray data better than a single-component model. The associated spectral analysis using power laws shows two distinct spectral features, a softer spectrum for the remnant (Γ = 2.17 ± 0.06) and a harder spectrum for the PWN (Γ = 1.79 ± 0.12), consistent with hadronic and leptonic origin for the SNR and the PWN, respectively. Focusing on the SNR spectrum, we use one-zone models to derive some physical properties, and we find in particular, that the emission is best explained with a hadronic scenario in which the high target density is provided by radiative shocks in H I clouds struck by the SNR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We have explored the capabilities of dust extinction and γ rays to probe the properties of the interstellar medium in the nearby anti-centre region. In particular, we aim at quantifying the variations of the dust properties per gas nucleon across the different gas phases and different clouds. The comparison of dust extinction and emission properties with other physical quantities of large grains (emission spectral index β, dust colour temperature Tdust, total-to-selective extinction factor RV) helps the theoretical modelling of grains as they evolve from diffuse to dense cloud environments. Methods. We have jointly modelled the γ-ray intensity, recorded between 0.4 and 100 GeV with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), and the stellar reddening, E(B - V), inferred from Pan-STARRS and 2MASS photometry, as a combination of HI-bright, CO-bright, and ionised gas components. The complementary information from dust reddening and γ rays is used to reveal the gas not seen, or poorly traced, by HI, free-free, and 12CO emissions, namely (i) the opaque HI and diffuse H2 present in the dark neutral medium (DNM) at the atomic-molecular transition, and (ii) the dense H2 to be added where 12CO lines saturate (COsat). We compare the total gas column densities, NH, derived from the γ rays and stellar reddening with those inferred from a similar, previously published analysis of γ rays and of the optical depth of the thermal dust emission, τ353, at 353 GHz. We can therefore compare environmental variations in specific dust reddening, E(B - V)∕NH, and in dust emission opacity (dust optical depth per gas nucleon), τ353∕NH. Results. The gas column densities obtained when combining γ rays with either dust reddening or dust emission compare reasonably well in the atomic and DNM gas phases and over most of the CO-bright phase, but we find localised differences in the dense media (COsat component) due to differences in the two dust tracers. Over the whole anti-centre region, we find an average E(B - V)∕NH ratio of (2.02 ± 0.48) ×10-22 mag cm², with maximum local variations of about ± 30% at variance with the two to six fold coincident increase seen in emission opacity as the gas column density increases. We show how the specific reddening and opacity vary with the colour temperature and spectral index of the thermal emission of the large grains. Additionally, we find a better agreement between the XCO = N(H2)/WCO conversion factors derived with dust reddening or with γ rays than with those inferred from dust emission, especially towards clouds with large τ353 optical depths. The comparison confirms that the high XCO values found with dust emission are biased by the significant rise in emission opacity inside molecular clouds. Conclusions. In the diffuse medium, we find only small variations in specific reddening, E(B - V)∕NH, compatible with the dispersion in the RV factor reported by other studies. This implies a relatively uniform dust-to-gas mass ratio in the diffuse parts of the anti-centre clouds. The small amplitude of the E(B - V)∕NH variations with increasing NH column density confirms that the large opacity τ353∕NH rise seen towards dense CO clouds is primarily due to changes in dust emissivity. The environmental changes are qualitatively compatible with model predictions based on mantle accretion on the grains and the formation of grain aggregates [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Diffuse galactic γ-ray emission is produced by the interaction of cosmic rays (CRs) with the interstellar environment. The study of γ-ray emission is therefore a powerful tool that can be used to investigate the origin of CRs and the processes through which they are accelerated. Aims. Our aim is to gain deeper insights into the nature of γ-ray emission in the region of Orion, which is one of the best studied sites of ongoing star formation, by analysing data from the AGILE satellite. Because of the large amount of interstellar medium (ISM) present in it, the diffuse γ-ray emission expected from the Orion region is relatively high. Its separation from the galactic plane also ensures a very small contribution from foreground or background emission, which makes it an ideal site for studying the processes of particle acceleration in star-forming environments. Methods. The AGILE data are modelled through a template that quantifies the γ-ray diffuse emission expected from atomic and molecular hydrogen. Other sources of emission, such as inverse Compton (IC) scattering in interstellar radiation fields (ISRF) and extragalactic background, can be modelled as an isotropic contribution. Results. Gamma-ray emission exceeding the amount expected by the diffuse emission model is detected with a high level of significance. The main excess is in the high-longitude part of Orion A, which confirms previous results from the Fermi Large Area Telescope. A thorough analysis of this feature suggests a connection between the observed γ-ray emission and the B0.5 Ia star κ Orionis. Conclusions. We present the results of the investigation of γ-ray diffuse galactic emission from the region of Orion. The comparison between modelled and observed emission points towards the existence of higher-than-expected γ-ray flux from a 1° radius region centred in κ Orionis, compatible with the site where stellar wind collides with the ISM. Scattering on dark gas and cosmic-ray acceleration at the shock between the two environments are both discussed as possible explanations, with the latter hypothesis being supported by the hardness of the energy spectrum of the emission. If confirmed, this would be the first direct detection of γ-ray emission from the interaction between ISM and a single star’s stellar wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “pion-decay” bump is a distinct signature of the differential energy spectrum of γ-rays between 100 MeV and 1 GeV produced in hadronic interactions of accelerated particles (cosmic rays) with the ambient gas. We use recent parametrisations of relevant cross-sections to study the formation of the “pion-decay” bump. The γ-ray spectrum below the maximum of this spectral feature can be distorted because of contributions of additional radiation components, in particular, due to the bremsstrahlung of secondary electrons and positrons, the products of decays of π±-mesons, accompanying the π0-production. At energies below 100 MeV, a non-negligible fraction of γ-ray flux could originate from interactions of sub-relativistic heavy ions. We study the impact of these radiation channels on the formation of the overall γ-ray spectrum based on a time-dependent treatment of evolution of energy distributions of the primary and secondary particles in the γ-ray production region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the results of our analysis of the publicly available data obtained by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite towards the direction of the young massive star cluster Westerlund 2. We found significant extended γ-ray emission in the vicinity of Westerlund 2 with a hard power-law energy spectrum extending from 1 to 250 GeV with a photon index of 2:0 ± 0:1. We argue that amongst several alternatives, the luminous stars inWesterlund 2 are likely sites of acceleration of particles responsible for the diffuse γ-ray emission of the surrounding interstellar medium. In particular, the young star cluster Westerlund 2 can provide sufficient non-thermal energy to account for the γ-ray emission. In this scenario, since the γ-ray production region is significantly larger than the area occupied by the star cluster, we conclude that the γ-ray production is caused by hadronic interactions of accelerated protons and nuclei with the ambient gas. In that case, the total energy budget in relativistic particles is estimated of the order of 1050 erg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. H1 21-cm and 12CO 2.6-mm line emissions trace the atomic and molecular gas phases, respectively, but they miss most of the opaque H1 and di use H2 present in the dark neutral medium (DNM) at the transition between the H1-bright and CO-bright regions. Jointly probing H1, CO and DNM gas, we aim to constrain the threshold of the H1-H2 transition in visual extinction, AV and in total hydrogen column densities, Ntot H . We also aim to measure gas mass fractions in the different phases and to test their relation to cloud properties. Methods. We have used dust optical depth measurements at 353 GHz, γ-ray maps at GeV energies, and H1 and CO line data to trace the gas column densities and map the DNM in nearby clouds toward the Galactic anticentre and Chamaeleon regions. We have selected a subset of 15 individual clouds, from diffuse to star-forming structures, in order to study the different phases across each cloud and to probe changes from cloud to cloud. Results. The atomic fraction of the total hydrogen column density is observed to decrease in the (0.6-1) x 1021 cm-2 range in Ntot H (AV ≈ 0:4 mag) because of the formation of H2 molecules. The onset of detectable CO intensities varies by only a factor of 4 from cloud to cloud, between 0:6 x 1021 cm-2 and 2:5 x 1021 cm-2 in total gas column density. We observe larger H2 column densities than linearly inferred from the CO intensities at AV > 3 mag because of the large CO optical thickness; the additional H2 mass in this regime represents on average 20% of the CO-inferred molecular mass. In the DNM envelopes, we find that the fraction of di use COdark H1 in the molecular column densities decreases with increasing AV in a cloud. For a half molecular DNM, the fraction decreases from more than 80% at 0.4 mag to less than 20% beyond 2 mag. In mass, the DNM fraction varies with the cloud properties. Clouds with low peak CO intensities exhibit large CO-dark H2 fractions in molecular mass, in particular the diffuse clouds lying at high altitude above the Galactic plane. The mass present in the DNM envelopes appears to scale with the molecular mass seen in CO as MDNM H = (62 ± 7)MCO H2 0:51±0:02 across two decades in mass. Conclusions. The phase transitions in these clouds show both common trends and environmental di erences. These findings will help support the theoretical modelling of H2 formation and the precise tracing of H2 in the interstellar medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration times of the highest-energy particles, which emit gamma-rays in young and middle-age supernova remnants (SNRs), are comparable with SNR age. If the number of particles starting acceleration was varying during early times after the supernova explosion then this variation should be reflected in the shape of the gamma-ray spectrum. We use the solution of the non-stationary equation for particle acceleration in order to analyse this effect. As a test case, we apply our method to describe gamma-rays from IC 443. As a proxy of the IC 443 parent supernova we consider SN1987A. First, we infer the time dependence of injection efficiency from evolution of the radio spectral index in SN1987A. Then, we use the inferred injection behaviour to fit the gamma-ray spectrum of IC 443.We show that the break in the proton spectrum needed to explain the gamma-ray emission is a natural consequence of the early variation of the cosmic ray injection, and that the very-high-energy gamma rays originate from particles which began acceleration during the first months after the supernova explosion.We conclude that the shape of the gamma-ray spectrum observed today in SNRs critically depends on the time variation of the cosmic ray injection process in the immediate post-explosion phases. With the same model, we also estimate the future possibility of detecting gamma-rays from SN 1987A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is aimed to study the existence and distribution of dark matter via the observation of high-energy particles in space with a large energy bandwidth, high energy resolution, and high spatial resolution. The track reconstruction is to restore the positions and angles of the incident particles using the multiple observations of different channels at different positions, and its accuracy determines the angular resolution of the explorer. The track reconstruction is mainly based on the observations of two sub-detectors, namely, the Silicon Tracker (STK) and the BGO (Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 ) calorimeter. In accordance with the design and structure of the two sub-detectors, and using the data collected during the beam tests and ground tests of cosmic rays, we discuss in detail the method of track reconstruction for the DAMPE, which includes mainly three basic procedures: the selection of track hits, the fitting of track hits, and the judgement of the optimal track. Since an energetic particle most probably leaves multiple hits in different layers of the STK and BGO crystals, we first provide a method to obtain a rough track in the BGO calorimeter by the centroid method, and hereby to constrain the track hits in the STK. Then for the selected one group of possible track hits in the STK, we apply two different algorithms, the Kalman filter and the least square linear fitting, to fit these track hits. The consistency of the results obtained independently via the two algorithms confirms the validity of our track reconstruction results. Finally, several criteria for picking out the most possible track among all the tracks found in the reconstruction by combining the results of the BGO calorimeter and STK are discussed. Using the track reconstruction method proposed in this article and the beam test data, we confirm that the angular resolution of the DAMPE satisfies its design requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We aim to explore the capabilities of dust emission and γ rays for probing the properties of the interstellar medium in the nearby anti-centre region, using γ-ray observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), and the thermal dust optical depth inferred from Planck and IRAS observations. We also aim to study massive star-forming clouds including the well known Taurus, Auriga, Perseus, and California molecular clouds, as well as a more diffuse structure which we refer to as Cetus. In particular, we aim at quantifying potential variations in cosmic-ray density and dust properties per gas nucleon across the different gas phases and different clouds, and at measuring the CO-to-H2 conversion factor, XCO, in different environments. Methods: We have separated six nearby anti-centre clouds that are coherent in velocities and distances, from the Galactic-disc background in H i 21-cm and 12CO 2.6-mm line emission. We have jointly modelled the γ-ray intensity recorded between 0.4 and 100 GeV, and the dust optical depth τ353 at 353 GHz as a combination of H i-bright, CO-bright, and ionised gas components. The complementary information from dust emission and γ rays was used to reveal the gas not seen, or poorly traced, by H i, free-free, and 12CO emissions, namely (i) the opaque H iand diffuse H2 present in the Dark Neutral Medium at the atomic-molecular transition, and (ii) the dense H2 to be added where 12CO lines saturate. Results: The measured interstellar γ-ray spectra support a uniform penetration of the cosmic rays with energies above a few GeV through the clouds, from the atomic envelopes to the 12CO-bright cores, and with a small ± 9% cloud-to-cloud dispersion in particle flux. We detect the ionised gas from the H iiregion NGC 1499 in the dust and γ-ray emissions and measure its mean electron density and temperature. We find a gradual increase in grain opacity as the gas (atomic or molecular) becomes more dense. The increase reaches a factor of four to six in the cold molecular regions that are well shielded from stellar radiation. Consequently, the XCO factor derived from dust is systematically larger by 30% to 130% than the γ-ray estimate. We also evaluate the average γ-ray XCO factor for each cloud, and find that XCO tends to decrease from diffuse to more compact molecular clouds, as expected from theory. We find XCO factors in the anti-centre clouds close to or below 1020 cm-2 K-1 km-1 s, in agreement with other estimates in the solar neighbourhood. Together, they confirm the long-standing unexplained discrepancy, by a factor of two, between the mean XCO values measured at parsec scales in nearby clouds and those obtained at kiloparsec scale in the Galaxy. Our results also highlight large quantitative discrepancies in 12CO intensities between simulations and observations at low molecular gas densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the diffuse Galactic GeV γ-ray emission is produced via collisions of cosmic ray (CR) protons with ISM protons. As such the observed spectra of the γ-rays and the CRs should be strongly linked. Recent observations of Fermi-LAT exhibit a hardening of the γ-ray spectrum at around a hundred GeV, between the Sagittarius and Carina tangents, and a further hardening at a few degrees above and below the Galactic plane. However, standard CR propagation models that assume a time-independent source distribution and a locationindependent diffusion cannot give rise to a spatially dependent CR (and hence γ-ray) spectral slopes. Here, we consider a dynamic spiral arm model in which the distribution of CR sources is concentrated in the (dynamic) spiral arms, and we study the effects of this model on the π0-decay-produced γ-ray spectra. Within this model, near the Galactic arms the observed γ-ray spectral slope is not trivially related to the CR injection spectrum and energy dependence of the diffusion coefficient. We find unique signatures that agree with the Fermi-LAT observations. This model also provides a physical explanation for the difference between the local CR spectral slope and the CR slope inferred from the average γ-ray spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the detailed analysis of Fermi Large Area Telescope's data towards the direction of the young massive star cluster NGC 3603. The emission shows a hard spectrum with a photon index of 2.3 ± 0.1 from 1 GeV to 250 GeV. The spatial correlation with the ionised gas indicates a hadronic origin. The total cosmic ray (CR) protons energy budget is estimated to be of the order of 1050 erg assuming the -rays are produced in the interaction of CRs with ambient gas. The environment and spectral features show significant similarity with the GeV emission seen from the Cygnus cocoon. The emission can be produced by a pulsar wind nebular or by the super bubble associated with the young star clusters. In the latter case, it further establishes that young star clusters may be a -ray source population and that they can potentially accelerate a significant fraction of the Galactic cosmic rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the extragalactic sky, microquasars and ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are known as energetic compact objects locating at off-nucleus positions in galaxies. Some of these objects are associated with expanding bubbles with a velocity of 80–250 km s − 1 . We investigate the shock acceleration of particles in those expanding nebulae. The nebulae having fast expansion velocity ≳ 120 km s − 1 are able to accelerate cosmic rays up to ∼100 TeV. If 10% of the shock kinetic energy goes into particle acceleration, powerful nebulae such as the microquasar S26 in NGC 7793 would emit gamma rays up to several tens TeV with a photon index of ∼2. These nebulae will be good targets for future Cherenkov Telescope Array observations given its sensitivity and angular resolution. They would also contribute to ∼7% of the unresolved cosmic gamma-ray background radiation at ≥ 0.1 GeV. In contrast, particle acceleration in slowly expanding nebulae ≲ 120 km s − 1 would be less efficient due to ion-neutral collisions and result in softer spectra at ≳ 10 GeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from the observation of the supernova remnant (SNR) G1.9 + 0.3, which is the youngest known SNR in the Milky Way, with the X-ray imaging spectrometer (XIS) on board Suzaku . We investigate the nature of the X-ray emission and compare our results with the previous X-ray studies. Additionally, we present the analysis results of the GeV gamma-ray data taken for about 6 years by the Large Area Telescope on board Fermi and discuss these results in the framework of existing gamma-ray emission scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We use 5 years of Fermi-LAT data towards the Galactic-centre giant molecular cloud complex, Sagittarius B, to test questions of how well-mixed the Galactic component of cosmic rays are and what the level of the cosmic-ray sea in different parts of the Galaxy is. Methods. We use dust-opacity maps from the Planck satellite to obtain independent methods for background subtraction and an estimate for the mass of the region. We then present high-quality spectra of γ-ray emission from 0.3 to 30 GeV and obtain an estimate of the cosmic-ray spectrum from the region. Results. We obtain an estimate of the mass of the region of 1.5 ± 0.2 × 107 Mo using the Planck data, which agrees well with molecular-line-derived estimates for the same region. We find that the γ-ray flux from this region is fitted well with a cosmic-ray spectrum that is the same as is observed locally, with evidence of a small over-density at intermediate (1-10 GeV) energies. Conclusions. We conclude that the γ-ray and cosmic-ray spectrum in the region can be well-fitted using a local cosmic-ray spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The 340-yr old supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, located at 3.4 kpc distance, is the best-studied young core-collapse supernova remnant. Nucleosynthesis yields in radioactive isotopes have been studied with different methods, in particular for production and ejection of 44Ti and 56Ni, which originate in the innermost regions of the supernova. 44Ti was first discovered in this remnant, but is not seen consistently in other core-collapse sources. Aims.We aim to measure radioactive 44Ti ejected in Cassiopeia A and to place constraints on velocities of these ejecta by determining X- and γ-ray line-shape parameters of the emission lines. Methods. We analyzed the observations made with the SPI spectrometer on INTEGRAL together with an improved instrumental background method, to achieve a high spectroscopic resolution that enables interpretation for a velocity constraint on 44Ti ejecta from the 1.157 MeV γ-ray line of the 44Sc decay. Results. We observe both the hard X-ray line at 78 keV and the γ-ray line at 1157 keV from the 44Ti decay chain at a combined significance of 3.8σ. Measured fluxes are (2:1 ± 0:4) × 10-5 ph cm-2 s-1 and (3:5 ± 1:2) × 10-5 ph cm-2 s-1, which corresponds to (1:5 ± 0:4) × 10-4 and (2:4 ± 0:9) × 10-1 M☉ of 44Ti, respectively. The measured Doppler broadening of the lines implies expansion velocities of 4300 and 2200 km s-1, respectively. By combining our results with previous studies, we determine a more precise estimate of ejected 44Ti of (1:37 ± 0:19) × 10-4 M☉. Conclusions. The measurements of the two lines are consistent with previous studies. The flux in the line originating from excited 44Ca is significantly higher than the flux determined in the lines from 44Sc. Cosmic-ray acceleration within the supernova remnant may be responsible for an additional contribution to this line from nuclear de-excitation following energetic particle collisions in the remnant and swept-up material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. High-energy resolution spectroscopy of the 1.8 MeV radioactive decay line of 26Al with the SPI instrument onboard the INTEGRAL satellite has recently revealed that diffuse 26Al has higher velocities than other components of the interstellar medium in the Milky Way. 26Al shows Galactic rotation in the same sense as the stars and other gas tracers, but reaches excess velocities of up to 300 km s-1. Aims. We investigate whether this result can be understood in the context of superbubbles, taking into account the statistics of young star clusters and HI supershells as well as the association of young star clusters with spiral arms. Methods. We derived energy output and 26Al mass of star clusters as a function of the cluster mass by population synthesis from stellar evolutionary tracks of massive stars. Using the limiting cases of weakly and strongly dissipative superbubble expansion, we linked this to the size distribution of HI supershells and assessed the properties of possible 26Al-carrying superbubbles. Results. 26Al is produced by star clusters of all masses above ≈200 M⊙, is roughly equally contributed over a logarithmic star cluster mass scale and strongly linked to the injection of feedback energy. The observed superbubble size distribution cannot be related to the star cluster mass function in a straightforward manner. To avoid the added volume of all superbubbles exceeding the volume of the Milky Way, individual superbubbles have to merge frequently. If any two superbubbles merge, or if 26Al is injected off-centre into a larger HI supershell, we expect the hot 26Al-carrying gas to obtain velocities of the order of the typical sound speed in superbubbles, 300 km s-1 before decay. For star formation coordinated by the spiral arm pattern which, inside co-rotation, is overtaken by the faster moving stars and gas, outflows from spiral arm star clusters would preferentially flow into the cavities that are inflated by previous star formation associated with this arm. These cavities would preferentially be located towards the leading edge of a given arm. Conclusions. This scenario might explain the 26Al kinematics. The massive-star ejecta are expected to survive ≥106 yr before being recycled into next-generation stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. RX J1713.7-3946 is the brightest shell-type supernova remnant (SNR) of the TeV γ-ray sky. Earlier Fermi-LAT results on low energy γ-ray emission suggested that, despite large uncertainties in the background determination, the spectrum is inconsistent with a hadronic origin. Aims. We update the GeV-band spectra using improved estimates for the di use Galactic γ-ray emission and more than double the volume of data. We further investigate the viability of hadronic emission models for RX J1713.7-3946. Methods. We produced a high-resolution map of the di use Galactic γ-ray background corrected for the HI self-absorption and used it in the analysis of more than five years worth of Fermi-LAT data. We used hydrodynamic scaling relations and a kinetic transport equation to calculate the acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays in SNR. We then determined spectra of hadronic γ-ray emission from RX J1713.7-3946, separately for the SNR interior and the cosmic-ray precursor region of the forward shock, and computed flux variations that would allow us to test the model with observations. Results. We find that RX J1713.7-3946 is now detected by Fermi-LAT with very high statistical significance, and the source morphology is best described by that seen in the TeV band. The measured spectrum of RX J1713.7-3946 is hard with index γ = 1:53 ± 0:07, and the integral flux above 500 MeV is F = (5:5 ± 1:1) × 10-9 photons cm-2 s-1. We demonstrate that scenarios based on hadronic emission from the cosmicγ-ray precursor region are acceptable for RXJ1713.7-3946, and we predict a secular flux increase at a few hundred GeV at the level of around 15% over ten years, which may be detectable with the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Puppis A is an interesting ~4 kyr-old supernova remnant (SNR) that shows strong evidence of interaction between the forward shock and a molecular cloud. It has been studied in detail from radio frequencies to high-energy (HE, 0.1-100 GeV) γ-rays. An analysis of the Fermi-LAT data has shown extended HE γ-ray emission with a 0.2-100 GeV spectrum exhibiting no significant deviation from a power law, unlike most of the GeV-emitting SNRs known to be interacting with molecular clouds. This makes it a promising target for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) to probe the γ-ray emission above 100 GeV. Aims. Very-high-energy (VHE, E ≥ 0.1 TeV) γ-ray emission from Puppis A has been, for the first time, searched for with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.). Methods. Stereoscopic imaging of Cherenkov radiation from extensive air showers is used to reconstruct the direction and energy of the incident γ-rays in order to produce sky images and source spectra. The profile likelihood method is applied to find constraints on the existence of a potential break or cutoff in the photon spectrum. Results. The analysis of the H.E.S.S. data does not reveal any significant emission towards Puppis A. The derived upper limits on the differential photon flux imply that its broadband γ-ray spectrum must exhibit a spectral break or cutoff. By combining Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. measurements, the 99% confidence-level upper limits on such a cutoff are found to be 450 and 280 GeV, assuming a power law with a simple exponential and a sub-exponential cutoff, respectively. It is concluded that none of the standard limitations (age, size, radiative losses) on the particle acceleration mechanism, assumed to be continuing at present, can explain the lack of VHE signal. The scenario in which particle acceleration has ceased some time ago is considered as an alternative explanation. The HE/VHE spectrum of Puppis A could then exhibit a break of non-radiative origin (as observed in several other interacting SNRs, albeit at somewhat higher energies), owing to the interaction with dense and neutral material, in particular towards the NE region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]