A new SNR with TeV shell-type morphology: HESS J1731-347

A. Abramowski , Fabio Acero (1) , F. Aharonian , A. G. Akhperjanian , G. Anton , Agnès Balzer , A. Barnacka (2) , U. Barres de Almeida , Y. Becherini (3, 4) , J. Becker , B. Behera , K. Bernlöhr , A. Bochow , C. Boisson (5) , J. Bolmont (6) , P. Bordas , J. Brucker , F. Brun (3) , P. Brun (2) , T. Bulik , I. Büsching , S. Carrigan , S. Casanova , M. Cerruti (5) , P. M. Chadwick , A. Charbonnier (6) , R. C. G. Chaves , A. Cheesebrough , L. -M. Chounet (3) , A. C. Clapson , G. Coignet (7) , J. Conrad , M. Dalton , M. K. Daniel , I. D. Davids , B. Degrange (3) , C. Deil , H. J. Dickinson , A. Djannati-Ataï (8) , W. Domainko , L. O'C. Drury , F. Dubois (7) , G. Dubus (9) , J. Dyks , M. Dyrda , K. Egberts , P. Eger , P. Espigat (4) , L. Fallon , C. Farnier (1) , S. Fegan (3) , F. Feinstein , M. V. Fernandes , A. Fiasson (7) , G. Fontaine (3) , A. Förster , M. Füssling , Y. A. Gallant (1) , H. Gast , L. Gérard (4) , D. Gerbig , B. Giebels (3) , J. F. Glicenstein (2) , B. Glück , P. Goret (2) , D. Göring , S. Häffner , J. D. Hague , D. Hampf , M. Hauser , S. Heinz , G. Heinzelmann , G. Henri (9) , G. Hermann , J. A. Hinton , A. Hoffmann , W. Hofmann , P. Hofverberg , M. Holler , D. Horns , A. Jacholkowska (6) , O. C. de Jager , C. Jahn , M. Jamrozy , I. Jung , M. A. Kastendieck , K. Katarzynski , U. Katz , S. Kaufmann , D. Keogh , D. Khangulyan , B. Khélifi (3) , D. Klochkov , W. Kluzniak , T. Kneiske , Nu. Komin (7) , K. Kosack (2) , R. Kossakowski (7) , H. Laffon (3) , G. Lamanna (7) , D. Lennarz , T. Löhse , A. Lopatin , C. -C. Lu , V. Marandon (4) , Alexandre Marcowith (1) , Julien Masbou (7) , D. Maurin (6) , N. Maxted , T. J. L. Mccomb , M. C. Medina (2) , J. Méhault (1) , R. Moderski , Emmanuel Moulin (2) , C. L. Naumann (6) , M. Naumann-Godo (2) , M. de Naurois (3) , D. Nedbal , D. Nekrassov , N. Nguyen , B. Nicholas , J. Niemiec , S. J. Nolan , S. Ohm , E. de Oña Wilhelmi (4) , B. Opitz , M. Ostrowski , M. Panter , M. Paz Arribas , G. Pedaletti , G. Pelletier (9) , P. -O. Petrucci (9) , S. Pita (4) , G. Pühlhofer , M. Punch (4) , A. Quirrenbach , M. Raue , S. M. Rayner , A. Reimer , O. Reimer , Matthieu Renaud (1) , R. de Los Reyes , F. Rieger , J. Ripken , L. Rob , S. Rosier-Lees (7) , G. Rowell , B. Rudak , C. B. Rulten , J. Ruppel , F. Ryde , V. Sahakian , A. Santangelo , R. Schlickeiser , F. M. Schöck , A. Schulz , U. Schwanke , S. Schwarzburg , S. Schwemmer , M. Sikora , J. L. Skilton , H. Sol (5) , G. Spengle , L. Stawarz , R. Steenkamp , C. Stegmann , F. Stinzing , K. Stycz , I. Sushch , A. Szostek (9) , J. -P. Tavernet (6) , R. Terrier (4) , M. Tluczykont , K. Valerius , C. van Eldik , George Vasileiadis (1) , C. Venter , J. P. Vialle (7) , A. Viana (2) , P. Vincent (6) , M. Vivier (2) , H. J. Völk , F. Volpe , S. Vorobiov (1) , M. Vorster , S. J. Wagner , M. Ward , A. Wierzcholska , M. Zacharias , A. Zajczyk , A. A. Zdziarski , A. Zech (5) , H. -S. Zechlin

1 LUPM - Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
2 IRFU - Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
3 LLR - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
4 APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
5 LUTH (UMR_8102) - Laboratoire Univers et Théories
6 LPNHE - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
7 LAPP - Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules
8 APC - AHE - APC - Astrophysique des Hautes Energies
9 IPAG - Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble

The recent discovery of the radio shell-type supernova remnant (SNR), G353.6-0.7, in spatial coincidence with the unidentified TeV source HESS J1731-347 has motivated further observations of the source with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) Cherenkov telescope array to test a possible association of the gamma-ray emission with the SNR. With a total of 59 hours of observation, representing about four times the initial exposure available in the discovery paper of HESS J1731-347, the gamma-ray morphology is investigated and compared with the radio morphology. An estimate of the distance is derived by comparing the interstellar absorption derived from X-rays and the one obtained from 12CO and HI observations. The deeper gamma-ray observation of the source has revealed a large shell-type structure with similar position and extension (r~0.25{\deg}) as the radio SNR, thus confirming their association. By accounting for the H.E.S.S. angular resolution and projection effects within a simple shell model, the radial profile is compatible with a thin, spatially unresolved, rim. Together with RX J1713.7-3946, RX J0852.0-4622 and SN 1006, HESS J1731-347 is now the fourth SNR with a significant shell morphology at TeV energies. The derived lower limit on the distance of the SNR of 3.2 kpc is used together with radio and X-ray data to discuss the possible origin of the gamma-ray emission, either via inverse Compton scattering of electrons or the decay of neutral pions resulting from proton-proton interaction.

Domains: Physics [physics]; Astrophysics [astro-ph]; High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena [astro-ph.HE]; Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Astrophysics [astro-ph]; High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena [astro-ph.HE]

A. Abramowski, Fabio Acero, F. Aharonian, A. G. Akhperjanian, G. Anton, et al.. A new SNR with TeV shell-type morphology: HESS J1731-347. Astronomy and Astrophysics - A&A, 2011, 531, pp.A81. ⟨10.1051/0004-6361/201016425⟩. ⟨in2p3-00596124⟩