H.E.S.S. II observations of the 2014 periastron passage of PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 [HEAP]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1708.00895


PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 is a gamma-ray binary system composed of an O9.5Ve main sequence star, LS 2883, and a 47.8 ms spinning neutron star in a highly eccentric 3.4 yr orbit (eccentricity e = 0.87). PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 is so far the only gamma-ray binary in which the compact object has been firmly identified. H.E.S.S. observed this system around its periastron passages in 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2014. For this latter event, a detailed campaign was organised making use of the new capabilities of H.E.S.S. II, in particular its improved sensitivity and a lower energy threshold. This campaign covered for the first time the time of periastron and parts of the orbit so far unexplored at VHE energies, and included as well observations during the GeV flare observed contemporaneously with the Fermi-LAT. The analysis of the H.E.S.S. II data indicates a relatively high TeV flux during this GeV flare and also at orbital phases preceding the first neutron star crossing of the circumstellar disk. These results will be summarised and discussed in the context of previous models attempting to explain the complex gamma-ray emission from this source.

Read this paper on arXiv…

C. Romoli, P. Bordas, C. Mariaud, et. al.
Fri, 4 Aug 17
8/47

Comments: In Proceedings of the 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2017), Busan, South Korea