TeV gamma-ray emission from the Cygnus region with Milagro
Abstract
Analysis of diffuse TeV gamma-ray emission can provide clues about the origin of VHE galactic cosmic rays. Previous studies of the galactic diffuse flux with Milagro show an excess of gamma-rays when compared to cosmic ray propagation models in certain regions of the galactic plane. One of these regions is the Cygnus region, which has four known TeV gamma-ray sources in addition to a significant excess of diffuse gamma-rays. In order to better understand this excess, a new analysis technique was used to reconstruct the TeV spectrum of the gamma-rays from the Cygnus region between 1 TeV and 100 TeV for the first time. This technique is based on the fraction of PMTs in the detector that show a significant signal from air shower particles. In this presentation, the analysis technique as well as the resulting spectra in the Cygnus region will be discussed.