HAWC J2227+610 and Its Association with G106.3+2.7, a New Potential Galactic PeVatron

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-20-2020

Department

Department of Physics

Abstract

We present the detection of very-high-energy gamma-ray emission above 100 TeV from HAWC J2227+610 with the High-Altitude Water Cherenov Gamma-Ray Observatory (HAWC) observatory. Combining our observations with previously published results by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERTIAS), we interpret the gamma-ray emission from HAWC J2227+610 as emission from protons with a lower limit in their cutoff energy of 800 TeV. The most likely source of the protons is the associated supernova remnant G106.3+2.7, making it a good candidate for a Galactic PeVatron. However, a purely leptonic origin of the observed emission cannot be excluded at this time.

Publisher's Statement

© 2020 The American Astronomical Society. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab96cc

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal Letters

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