The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2025)
Multiwavelength Observation of a Candidate Pulsar Halo LHAASO J0621+3755 and the First X-Ray Detection of PSR J0622+3749
- C. B. Adams,
- A. Archer,
- P. Bangale,
- J. T. Bartkoske,
- W. Benbow,
- J. H. Buckley,
- Y. Chen,
- J. L. Christiansen,
- A. J. Chromey,
- A. Duerr,
- M. Errando,
- M. Escobar Godoy,
- A. Falcone,
- S. Feldman,
- Q. Feng,
- L. Fortson,
- A. Furniss,
- W. Hanlon,
- O. Hervet,
- C. E. Hinrichs,
- J. Holder,
- T. B. Humensky,
- W. Jin,
- M. N. Johnson,
- P. Kaaret,
- M. Kertzman,
- M. Kherlakian,
- D. Kieda,
- T. K. Kleiner,
- N. Korzoun,
- F. Krennrich,
- S. Kumar,
- S. Kundu,
- M. J. Lang,
- M. Lundy,
- G. Maier,
- M. J. Millard,
- J. Millis,
- C. L. Mooney,
- P. Moriarty,
- R. Mukherjee,
- W. Ning,
- R. A. Ong,
- A. Pandey,
- M. Pohl,
- E. Pueschel,
- J. Quinn,
- P. L. Rabinowitz,
- K. Ragan,
- P. T. Reynolds,
- D. Ribeiro,
- L. Rizk,
- E. Roache,
- I. Sadeh,
- L. Saha,
- G. H. Sembroski,
- R. Shang,
- M. Splettstoesser,
- D. Tak,
- A. K. Talluri,
- J. V. Tucci,
- J. Valverde,
- D. A. Williams,
- S. L. Wong,
- J. Woo,
- (VERITAS collaboration),
- Jon Kwong,
- Kaya Mori,
- Charles J. Hailey,
- Samar Safi-Harb,
- Shuo Zhang,
- Naomi Tsuji,
- (XMM-Newton collaboration),
- Silvia Manconi,
- Fiorenza Donato,
- Mattia Di Mauro
Affiliations
- C. B. Adams
- ORCiD
- Physics Department, Columbia University , New York, NY 10027, USA
- A. Archer
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, DePauw University , Greencastle, IN 46135-0037, USA
- P. Bangale
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware , Newark, DE 19716, USA
- J. T. Bartkoske
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA ; [email protected]
- W. Benbow
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- J. H. Buckley
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Washington University , St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Y. Chen
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- J. L. Christiansen
- Physics Department, California Polytechnic State University , San Luis Obispo, CA 94307, USA
- A. J. Chromey
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- A. Duerr
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA ; [email protected]
- M. Errando
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Washington University , St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- M. Escobar Godoy
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- A. Falcone
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA
- S. Feldman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Q. Feng
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA ; [email protected]
- L. Fortson
- ORCiD
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- A. Furniss
- ORCiD
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- W. Hanlon
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- O. Hervet
- ORCiD
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- C. E. Hinrichs
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
- J. Holder
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware , Newark, DE 19716, USA
- T. B. Humensky
- ORCiD
- NASA GSFC , Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park , MD 20742, USA
- W. Jin
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- M. N. Johnson
- ORCiD
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- P. Kaaret
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa , Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- M. Kertzman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, DePauw University , Greencastle, IN 46135-0037, USA
- M. Kherlakian
- Fakultät für Physik & Astronomie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum , D-44780 Bochum, Germany
- D. Kieda
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA ; [email protected]
- T. K. Kleiner
- ORCiD
- DESY , Platanenallee 6, 15738 Zeuthen, Germany
- N. Korzoun
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware , Newark, DE 19716, USA
- F. Krennrich
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University , Ames, IA 50011, USA
- S. Kumar
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park , MD 20742, USA
- S. Kundu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Alabama , Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
- M. J. Lang
- ORCiD
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway , University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
- M. Lundy
- ORCiD
- Physics Department, McGill University , Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- G. Maier
- ORCiD
- DESY , Platanenallee 6, 15738 Zeuthen, Germany
- M. J. Millard
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa , Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- J. Millis
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ball State University , Muncie, IN 47306, USA; Department of Physics, Anderson University , 1100 East 5th Street, Anderson, IN 46012, USA
- C. L. Mooney
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware , Newark, DE 19716, USA
- P. Moriarty
- ORCiD
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway , University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
- R. Mukherjee
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Barnard College , Columbia University, NY 10027, USA
- W. Ning
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- R. A. Ong
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- A. Pandey
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA ; [email protected]
- M. Pohl
- ORCiD
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam , 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany and DESY, Platanenallee 6, 15738 Zeuthen, Germany
- E. Pueschel
- ORCiD
- Fakultät für Physik & Astronomie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum , D-44780 Bochum, Germany
- J. Quinn
- ORCiD
- School of Physics, University College Dublin , Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
- P. L. Rabinowitz
- Department of Physics, Washington University , St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- K. Ragan
- ORCiD
- Physics Department, McGill University , Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- P. T. Reynolds
- Department of Physical Sciences, Munster Technological University , Bishopstown, Cork, T12 P928, Ireland
- D. Ribeiro
- ORCiD
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- L. Rizk
- Physics Department, McGill University , Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- E. Roache
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- I. Sadeh
- ORCiD
- DESY , Platanenallee 6, 15738 Zeuthen, Germany
- L. Saha
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- G. H. Sembroski
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University , West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- R. Shang
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Barnard College , Columbia University, NY 10027, USA
- M. Splettstoesser
- ORCiD
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- D. Tak
- ORCiD
- SNU Astronomy Research Center, Seoul National University , Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- A. K. Talluri
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- J. V. Tucci
- Department of Physics, Indiana University Indianapolis , Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- J. Valverde
- ORCiD
- NASA GSFC , Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland , Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
- D. A. Williams
- ORCiD
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- S. L. Wong
- ORCiD
- Physics Department, McGill University , Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- J. Woo
- ORCiD
- Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory , 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA ; [email protected]; Department of Physics, Columbia University , 538 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA ; [email protected]
- (VERITAS collaboration)
- Jon Kwong
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Columbia University , 538 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA ; [email protected]
- Kaya Mori
- ORCiD
- Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory , 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA ; [email protected]
- Charles J. Hailey
- ORCiD
- Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory , 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA ; [email protected]; Department of Physics, Columbia University , 538 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA ; [email protected]
- Samar Safi-Harb
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba , Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Shuo Zhang
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Naomi Tsuji
- ORCiD
- Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University , 3-27-1 Rokukakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 221-8686, Japan
- (XMM-Newton collaboration)
- Silvia Manconi
- ORCiD
- Sorbonne Université & Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Hautes Énergies (LPTHE) , CNRS, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France ; [email protected]; Laboratoire d’Annecy-le-Vieux dePhysique Théorique (LAPTh) , CNRS, USMB, F-74940 Annecy, France
- Fiorenza Donato
- ORCiD
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino , and INFN, Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, Torino, Italy; Theoretical Physics Department, CERN , 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland
- Mattia Di Mauro
- ORCiD
- INFN , Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, Torino, Italy
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc92b
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 985,
no. 1
p. 90
Abstract
Pulsar halos are regions around middle-aged pulsars extending out to tens of parsecs. The large extent of the halos and well-defined central cosmic-ray accelerators make this new class of Galactic sources an ideal laboratory for studying cosmic-ray transport. LHAASO J0621+3755 is a candidate pulsar halo associated with the middle-aged gamma-ray pulsar PSR J0622+3749. We observed LHAASO J0621+3755 with VERITAS and XMM-Newton in the TeV and X-ray bands, respectively. For this work, we developed a novel background estimation technique for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope observations of such extended sources. No halo emission was detected with VERITAS (0.3–10 TeV) or XMM-Newton (2–7 keV) within 1 ^∘ and $1{0}^{{\prime} }$ around PSR J0622+3749, respectively. Combined with the LHAASO Kilometer Square Array (KM2A) and Fermi-LAT data, VERITAS flux upper limits establish a spectral break at ∼1–10 TeV, a unique feature compared with Geminga, the most studied pulsar halo. We model the gamma-ray spectrum and LHAASO-KM2A surface brightness as inverse Compton emission and find suppressed diffusion around the pulsar, similar to Geminga. A smaller diffusion suppression zone and harder electron injection spectrum than Geminga are necessary to reproduce the spectral cutoff. A magnetic field ≤1 μ G is required by our XMM-Newton observation and synchrotron spectral modeling, consistent with Geminga. Our findings support slower diffusion and lower magnetic field around pulsar halos than the Galactic averages, hinting at magnetohydrodynamic turbulence around pulsars. Additionally, we report the detection of an X-ray point source spatially coincident with PSR J0622+3749, whose periodicity is consistent with the gamma-ray spin period of 333.2 ms. The soft spectrum of this source suggests a thermal origin.
Keywords
