Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Bi, Y. J.
• Chang, J.
• Chang, X. C.
• Chen, Long
• Chen, M. L.
• Chen, Q. H.
• Chen, S. Z.
• Chen, T. L.
• Chen, X. L.
• Chen, Y.
• Cheng, N.
• Cheng, Y. D.
• Cui, S. W.
• Dai, B. Z.
• Fan, J. H.
• Fan, Y. Z.
• Feng, L.
• Feng, Y. L.
• Gao, C. D.
• Guo, J. G.
• Guo, Y. Q.
• Guo, Y. Y.
• Heller, M.
• Hu, S.
• Hu, X. J.
• Huang, X. T.
• Ji, F.
• Ji, X. L.
• Jiang, Z. J.
• Jin, C.
• Li, B. B.
• Li, Cong
• Li, Cheng
• Li, F.
• Li, H. C.
• Li, K.
• Li, Zhuo
• Liang, E. W.
• Lin, S. J.
• Liu, B.
• Liu, H. D.
• Liu, J. S.
• Liu, J. Y.
• Liu, S. M.
• Liu, Y. N.
• Liu, Z. X.
• Lu, R.
• Ma, L. L.
• Ma, X. H.
• Montaruli, T.
• Pattarakijwanich, P.
• Rulev, V.
• Shao, L.
• Sheng, X. D.
• Song, H. C.
• Sun, Q. N.
• Sun, Z. B.
• Tam, P. H. T.
• Wang, C.
• Wang, H.
• Wang, J. S.
• Wang, L. P.
• Wang, X. J.
• Wang, X. Y.
• Wang, Y. D.
• Wang, Z. H.
• Wen, T.
• Wu, C. Y.
• Wu, W. X.
• Wu, X. F.
• Xi, S. Q.
• Xiang, G. M.
• Xin, G. G.
• Xin, Y. L.
• Xing, Y.
• Xu, R. X.
• Xue, L.
• Yang, F. F.
• Yang, J. Y.
• Yang, L. L.
• Yang, M. J.
• Yang, R. Z.
• Yang, S. B.
• Yu, Y. H.
• Yuan, Q.
• Zhai, X. X.
• Zhang, H. Y.
• Zhang, J. L.
• Zhang, R.
• Zhang, S. R.
• Zhang, Yi
• Zhang, Y. F.
• Zhang, Y. L.
• Zhao, J.
• Zheng, F.
• Zheng, Y.
• Zhou, H.
• Zhou, P.
• Zhu, C. G.
• Zhu, F. R.

Titel

Ultrahigh-energy photons up to 1.4 petaelectronvolts from 12 γ-ray Galactic sources

Ist Teil von

• Nature (London), 2021-06, Vol.594 (7861), p.33-36

Ort / Verlag

London: Nature Publishing Group UK

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The extension of the cosmic-ray spectrum beyond 1 petaelectronvolt (PeV; 10 15 electronvolts) indicates the existence of the so-called PeVatrons—cosmic-ray factories that accelerate particles to PeV energies. We need to locate and identify such objects to find the origin of Galactic cosmic rays 1 . The principal signature of both electron and proton PeVatrons is ultrahigh-energy (exceeding 100 TeV) γ radiation. Evidence of the presence of a proton PeVatron has been found in the Galactic Centre, according to the detection of a hard-spectrum radiation extending to 0.04 PeV (ref. 2 ). Although γ-rays with energies slightly higher than 0.1 PeV have been reported from a few objects in the Galactic plane 3 – 6 , unbiased identification and in-depth exploration of PeVatrons requires detection of γ-rays with energies well above 0.1 PeV. Here we report the detection of more than 530 photons at energies above 100 teraelectronvolts and up to 1.4 PeV from 12 ultrahigh-energy γ-ray sources with a statistical significance greater than seven standard deviations. Despite having several potential counterparts in their proximity, including pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants and star-forming regions, the PeVatrons responsible for the ultrahigh-energy γ-rays have not yet been firmly localized and identified (except for the Crab Nebula), leaving open the origin of these extreme accelerators. Observations of γ-rays with energies up to 1.4 PeV find that 12 sources in the Galaxy are PeVatrons, one of which is the Crab Nebula.