SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL 72053

PROF. JULES PAUL HALPERN
JULES@ASTRO.COLUMBIA.EDU

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
550 WEST 120TH STREET
NEW YORK
NY USA 10027
Tel: (212) 854-2554 Fax: (212) 854-8121
Medium: CD ROM
Subject: SUPERNOVA REMNANTS AND GALACTIC DIFFUSE EMISSION

A POSSIBLE IDENTIFICATION FOR THE EGRET SOURCE 2EG 2227+6122


ABSTRACT

The identity of the persistent, high-energy gamma-ray sources in the Galactic plane remains a mystery. The most likely scenario is a population of middle-aged pulsars, many of which could be radio quiet like Geminga. We have an ongoing program of ROSAT, VLA, and optical observations of selected EGRET error circles at intermediate Galactic latitude. For one of these fields, at (l,b)=(106,+3), our complete census of X-ray and radio sources reveals a remarkable association between a radio shell with unique properties, and a compact X-ray source. It may be a pulsar with a wind-blown nebula. An ASCA observation is needed to determine whether or not this source has a hard X-ray spectrum like that of other gamma-ray pulssars and, ideally, to find its pulsations.

CO-INVESTIGATORS
CO-I NAME INSTITUTE COUNTRY
DAVID HELFANDCOLUMBIA U.USA

TARGETS

TARGET NAMEPRIRADECTIMETCOFFGISSIS CNTOBS
1)2EG 2227+6122
A
337.2708 61.2378
120 ks
N
N
P
0.01720
1