GeV emission in the region of the supernova remnant G51.26+0.11

Abstract

The supernova remnant (SNR) G51.26+0.11 was recently discovered and little is known about its properties and environment. Using data from the \emph{Fermi} Large Area Telescope we study the GeV emission seen in the direction of G51.26+0.11 to constrain the origin of the gamma rays and their possible relation to this SNR or to a star-forming region. We also search for emission from molecular gas in the region that could provide dense material for the production of gamma rays. By modeling the multi-wavelength spectrum of G51.26+0.11 from radio to gamma rays we derive the properties of the particle populations that could produce the emission in several possible scenarios. We rule out the star-forming regions (such as G051.010+00.060) seen nearby as the origin of the GeV emission. The correspondence seen between the gamma-ray and radio morphologies support a scenario where G51.26+0.11 is the cause of the gamma rays. The flat spectral energy distribution observed at GeV energies is best fit by hadronic or inverse Compton emission, while a bremsstrahlung model cannot properly account for the radio fluxes under a simple one-zone scenario. A pulsar wind nebula origin of the high-energy photons cannot be ruled out or confirmed.