The contribution of Galactic TeV pulsar wind nebulae to Fermi large area telescope diffuse emission

Abstract

Cosmic Rays (CRs) with energy below 1 PeV are believed to originate in the Milky Way, but recent gamma-ray observations by Fermi Large Area Telescope challenge the interpretation of CR diffusion mechanisms across the galaxy. The authors propose that a harder-than-expected slope of the diffuse gamma-ray emission spectrum in the inner Galaxy may be due to unresolved sources, suggested to be TeV-bright pulsar wind nebulae.