0000000000237754
AUTHOR
Hongyan Zhou
Evidence of 200 TeV photons from HAWC J1825-134
The Earth is bombarded by ultra-relativistic particles, known as cosmic rays (CRs). CRs with energies up to a few PeV (=10$^{15}$ eV), the knee in the particle spectrum, are believed to have a Galactic origin. One or more factories of PeV CRs, or PeVatrons, must thus be active within our Galaxy. The direct detection of PeV protons from their sources is not possible since they are deflected in the Galactic magnetic fields. Hundred TeV $\gamma$-rays from decaying $\pi^0$, produced when PeV CRs collide with the ambient gas, can provide the decisive evidence of proton acceleration up to the knee. Here we report the discovery by the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory of the $\gamma…
HAWC J2227+610 and its association with G106.3+2.7, a new potential Galactic PeVatron
We present the detection of VHE gamma-ray emission above 100 TeV from HAWC J2227+610 with the HAWC observatory. Combining our observations with previously published results by VERITAS, 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.