X-Ray Emission from the PeVatron-candidate Supernova Remnant G106.3+2.7

Abstract

We report the discovery of diffuse X-ray emission around the supernova remnant (SNR) G106.3+2.7, which is associated with VER J2227+608 and HAWC J2227+610 and is known as a candidate for a PeV cosmic-ray accelerator (PeVatron). We analyze observational data of Suzaku around the SNR and the adjacent pulsar PSR J2229+6114. We find diffuse X-ray emission that is represented by either thermal or nonthermal processes. However, the metal abundance for the thermal emission is <0.13 Z ⊙ , which may be too small in the Milky Way and suggests that the emission is nonthermal. The intensity of the diffuse emission increases toward PSR J2229+6114 in the same way as radio emission, and it is in contrast with gamma-ray emission concentrated on a molecular cloud. The X-ray photon index does not change with the distance from the pulsar and it indicates that radiative cooling is ineffective and particle diffusion is not extremely slow. The X-ray and radio emissions seem to be of leptonic origin and the parent electrons may originate from the pulsar. The gamma-ray emission appears to be of hadronic origin because of its spatial distribution. The parent protons may be tightly confined in the cloud separately from the diffusing electrons.