Energy spectrum of Galactic gamma-ray sources detected by Milagro

ORAL

Abstract

The Milagro Gamma-Ray Observatory has detected numerous sources of VHE gamma-rays with a median energy above 10 TeV. The large collection area, high duty cycle and large aperture give Milagro unprecedented sensitivity particularly at E = 30 -100 TeV. In this energy regime, the contribution from inverse-Compton scattering of accelerated electrons is expected to attenuate, so the highest energy events are likely due to hadronic interactions. Gamma-ray sources with spectra that extend to 100 TeV without cutting off are therefore strong candidates for acceleration sites for Galactic cosmic rays. I will present the spectra from 5-100 TeV for all the high significance gamma-ray sources detected by Milagro.

Authors

  • Andrew Smith

    University of Maryland