A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the starburst galaxy M82

V. A. Acciari; E. Aliu; T. Arlen; T. Aune; M. Bautista; M. Beilicke; W. Benbow; D. Boltuch; S. M. Bradbury; J. H. Buckley; V. Bugaev; K. Byrum; A. Cannon; O. Celik; A. Cesarini; Y. C. Chow; L. Ciupik; P. Cogan; P. Colin; W. Cui; R. Dickherber; C. Duke; S. J. Fegan; J. P. Finley; G. Finnegan; P. Fortin; L. Fortson; A. Furniss; N. Galante; D. Gall; K. Gibbs; G. H. Gillanders; S. Godambe; J. Grube; R. Guenette; G. Gyuk; D. Hanna; J. Holder; D. Horan; C. M. Hui; T. B. Humensky; A. Imran; P. Kaaret; N. Karlsson; M. Kertzman; D. Kieda; J. Kildea; A. Konopelko; H. Krawczynski; F. Krennrich

doi:10.1038/nature08557

A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the starburst galaxy M82

V. A. Acciari, E. Aliu, T. Arlen, T. Aune, M. Bautista, M. Beilicke, W. Benbow, D. Boltuch, S. M. Bradbury, J. H. Buckley, V. Bugaev, K. Byrum, A. Cannon, O. Celik, A. Cesarini, Y. C. Chow, L. Ciupik, P. Cogan, P. Colin, W. CuiR. Dickherber, C. Duke, S. J. Fegan, J. P. Finley, G. Finnegan, P. Fortin, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, N. Galante, D. Gall, K. Gibbs, G. H. Gillanders, S. Godambe, J. Grube, R. Guenette, G. Gyuk, D. Hanna, J. Holder, D. Horan, C. M. Hui, T. B. Humensky, A. Imran, P. Kaaret, N. Karlsson, M. Kertzman, D. Kieda, J. Kildea, A. Konopelko, H. Krawczynski, F. Krennrich

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

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Abstract

Although Galactic cosmic rays (protons and nuclei) are widely believed to be mainly accelerated by the winds and supernovae of massive stars, definitive evidence of this origin remains elusive nearly a century after their discovery. The active regions of starburst galaxies have exceptionally high rates of star formation, and their large sizeĝ€"more than 50 times the diameter of similar Galactic regionsĝ€"uniquely enables reliable calorimetric measurements of their potentially high cosmic-ray density. The cosmic rays produced in the formation, life and death of massive stars in these regions are expected to produce diffuse γ-ray emission through interactions with interstellar gas and radiation. M82, the prototype small starburst galaxy, is predicted to be the brightest starburst galaxy in terms of γ-ray emission. Here we report the detection of 700-GeV γ-rays from M82. From these data we determine a cosmic-ray density of 250 eV cm-3 in the starburst core, which is about 500 times the average Galactic density. This links cosmic-ray acceleration to star formation activity, and suggests that supernovae and massive-star winds are the dominant accelerators.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	770-772
Number of pages	3
Journal	Nature
Volume	462
Issue number	7274
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08557
State	Published - Dec 10 2009

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This research is supported by grants from the US Department of Energy, the US National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution, and by the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Science Foundation Ireland and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. We acknowledge the excellent work of the technical support staff at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory and the institutions that collaborated in the construction and operation of the VERITAS array.

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Acciari, V. A., Aliu, E., Arlen, T., Aune, T., Bautista, M., Beilicke, M., Benbow, W., Boltuch, D., Bradbury, S. M., Buckley, J. H., Bugaev, V., Byrum, K., Cannon, A., Celik, O., Cesarini, A., Chow, Y. C., Ciupik, L., Cogan, P., Colin, P., ... Krennrich, F. (2009). A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the starburst galaxy M82. Nature, 462(7274), 770-772. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08557

Acciari, VA, Aliu, E, Arlen, T, Aune, T, Bautista, M, Beilicke, M, Benbow, W, Boltuch, D, Bradbury, SM, Buckley, JH, Bugaev, V, Byrum, K, Cannon, A, Celik, O, Cesarini, A, Chow, YC, Ciupik, L, Cogan, P, Colin, P, Cui, W, Dickherber, R, Duke, C, Fegan, SJ, Finley, JP, Finnegan, G, Fortin, P, Fortson, L, Furniss, A, Galante, N, Gall, D, Gibbs, K, Gillanders, GH, Godambe, S, Grube, J, Guenette, R, Gyuk, G, Hanna, D, Holder, J, Horan, D, Hui, CM, Humensky, TB, Imran, A, Kaaret, P, Karlsson, N, Kertzman, M, Kieda, D, Kildea, J, Konopelko, A, Krawczynski, H & Krennrich, F 2009, 'A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the starburst galaxy M82', Nature, vol. 462, no. 7274, pp. 770-772. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08557

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title = "A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the starburst galaxy M82",

abstract = "Although Galactic cosmic rays (protons and nuclei) are widely believed to be mainly accelerated by the winds and supernovae of massive stars, definitive evidence of this origin remains elusive nearly a century after their discovery. The active regions of starburst galaxies have exceptionally high rates of star formation, and their large sizeĝ€{"}more than 50 times the diameter of similar Galactic regionsĝ€{"}uniquely enables reliable calorimetric measurements of their potentially high cosmic-ray density. The cosmic rays produced in the formation, life and death of massive stars in these regions are expected to produce diffuse γ-ray emission through interactions with interstellar gas and radiation. M82, the prototype small starburst galaxy, is predicted to be the brightest starburst galaxy in terms of γ-ray emission. Here we report the detection of 700-GeV γ-rays from M82. From these data we determine a cosmic-ray density of 250 eV cm-3 in the starburst core, which is about 500 times the average Galactic density. This links cosmic-ray acceleration to star formation activity, and suggests that supernovae and massive-star winds are the dominant accelerators.",

author = "Acciari, {V. A.} and E. Aliu and T. Arlen and T. Aune and M. Bautista and M. Beilicke and W. Benbow and D. Boltuch and Bradbury, {S. M.} and Buckley, {J. H.} and V. Bugaev and K. Byrum and A. Cannon and O. Celik and A. Cesarini and Chow, {Y. C.} and L. Ciupik and P. Cogan and P. Colin and W. Cui and R. Dickherber and C. Duke and Fegan, {S. J.} and Finley, {J. P.} and G. Finnegan and P. Fortin and L. Fortson and A. Furniss and N. Galante and D. Gall and K. Gibbs and Gillanders, {G. H.} and S. Godambe and J. Grube and R. Guenette and G. Gyuk and D. Hanna and J. Holder and D. Horan and Hui, {C. M.} and Humensky, {T. B.} and A. Imran and P. Kaaret and N. Karlsson and M. Kertzman and D. Kieda and J. Kildea and A. Konopelko and H. Krawczynski and F. Krennrich",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements This research is supported by grants from the US Department of Energy, the US National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution, and by the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Science Foundation Ireland and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. We acknowledge the excellent work of the technical support staff at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory and the institutions that collaborated in the construction and operation of the VERITAS array.",

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AU - Aliu, E.

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AU - Aune, T.

AU - Bautista, M.

AU - Beilicke, M.

AU - Benbow, W.

AU - Boltuch, D.

AU - Bradbury, S. M.

AU - Buckley, J. H.

AU - Bugaev, V.

AU - Byrum, K.

AU - Cannon, A.

AU - Celik, O.

AU - Cesarini, A.

AU - Chow, Y. C.

AU - Ciupik, L.

AU - Cogan, P.

AU - Colin, P.

AU - Cui, W.

AU - Dickherber, R.

AU - Duke, C.

AU - Fegan, S. J.

AU - Finley, J. P.

AU - Finnegan, G.

AU - Fortin, P.

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AU - Furniss, A.

AU - Galante, N.

AU - Gall, D.

AU - Gibbs, K.

AU - Gillanders, G. H.

AU - Godambe, S.

AU - Grube, J.

AU - Guenette, R.

AU - Gyuk, G.

AU - Hanna, D.

AU - Holder, J.

AU - Horan, D.

AU - Hui, C. M.

AU - Humensky, T. B.

AU - Imran, A.

AU - Kaaret, P.

AU - Karlsson, N.

AU - Kertzman, M.

AU - Kieda, D.

AU - Kildea, J.

AU - Konopelko, A.

AU - Krawczynski, H.

AU - Krennrich, F.

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N2 - Although Galactic cosmic rays (protons and nuclei) are widely believed to be mainly accelerated by the winds and supernovae of massive stars, definitive evidence of this origin remains elusive nearly a century after their discovery. The active regions of starburst galaxies have exceptionally high rates of star formation, and their large sizeĝ€"more than 50 times the diameter of similar Galactic regionsĝ€"uniquely enables reliable calorimetric measurements of their potentially high cosmic-ray density. The cosmic rays produced in the formation, life and death of massive stars in these regions are expected to produce diffuse γ-ray emission through interactions with interstellar gas and radiation. M82, the prototype small starburst galaxy, is predicted to be the brightest starburst galaxy in terms of γ-ray emission. Here we report the detection of 700-GeV γ-rays from M82. From these data we determine a cosmic-ray density of 250 eV cm-3 in the starburst core, which is about 500 times the average Galactic density. This links cosmic-ray acceleration to star formation activity, and suggests that supernovae and massive-star winds are the dominant accelerators.

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A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the starburst galaxy M82

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