Search for TeV Gamma Rays from the SNR RXJ1713.7-3946

Abstract

The shell type SNR RXJ1713.7-3946 is a new SNR discovered by the ROSAT all sky survey. Recently, strong non-thermal X-ray emission from the northwest part of the remnant was detected by the ASCA satellite. This synchrotron X-ray emission strongly suggests the existence of electrons with energies up to hundreds of TeV in the remnant. This SNR is, therefore, a good candidate TeV gamma ray source, due to the Inverse Compton scattering of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation by the shock accelerated ultra-relativistic electrons, as seen in SN1006. In this paper, we report a preliminary result of TeV gamma-ray observations of the SNR RXJ1713.7-3946 by the CANGAROO 3.8m telescope at Woomera, South Australia.