2011/04/26 by F. Brun, M. de Naurois, Brun, Francois +9
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #FOS: Physical sciences #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1104.5003
openalex publication_date 2011/04/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The W49 region hosts two bright radio sources: the star forming region W49A and the supernova remnant W49B. The 106 Modot Giant Molecular Cloud W49A is one of the most luminous giant radio HII regions in our Galaxy and hosts several active, high-mass star formation sites. The mixed-morphology supernova remnant W49B has one of the highest surface brightness in radio of all the SNRs of this class in our Galaxy and is one of the brightest ejecta-dominated SNRs in X-rays. Infrared observations evidenced that W49B is interacting with molecular clouds and Fermi recently reported the detection of a coincident bright, high-energy gamma-ray source. Observations by the H.E.S.S. telescope array resulted in the significant detection of VHE gamma-ray emission from the W49 region, compatible with VHE emission from the SNR W49B. The results, the morphology and the origin of the VHE emission are presented in the multi-wavelength context and the implications on the origin of the signal are discussed.