1. Analysis of Fermi Source 3FGL 2015.6+3709
Qiana Hunt, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Dr. John Hewitt, GSFC/University of North Florida

2. Contents of Discussion
Background information and definitions
Verifying 3FGL associations
Analyzing source component (PWN)
Project Conclusion
My NAC experience

3. Background Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope
Surveys entire gamma-ray sky 8 times daily
Launched 7 years ago; surveys sky 8x daily by rocking at an angle as it orbits earth;

4. Background Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope Large Area Telescope (LAT)
Surveys entire gamma-ray sky 8 times daily
Large Area Telescope (LAT)
Energy range: ~20 MeV – 300 GeV
Detects sources using one of its main instruments, the LAT; Detects energy range from ~20 MeV – 300 GeV; detects gamma-rays and is able to calculate the probable location of the source. So far has detected more than 3000 sources, of which 1000 are unassociated

5. Approximate location of our source
Background
“Source” – object or region likely emitting gamma-rays detected by Fermi
Fermi cannot tell us what the “source” is; must do multi-wavelength analyses, etc., to make “associations”
For this project, we are looking at one particular source: 3FGL
Approximate location of our source

6. Background 3FGL 2015.6+3709 was originally associated with a blazar
Blazar - A class of active galactic nuclei with jets pointed in the direction of the observer
A second association with a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) has been found!
Pulsar wind nebula – clouds of charges particles that have escaped along the B- fields of pulsars

7. Background

8. Verifying 3 FGL
We want to verify the second association with the PWN
The blazar emits in lower energies
The PWN emits in TeV
By analyzing Fermi data at different energies, we can test the associations

9. Estimated source location
Verifying 3FGL
Blazar B
PWN
VER J
Blazar
PWN
Estimated source location
Spectral Energy Distribution (SED)
Test-Statistic (TS) Map
Energy > 30 GeV

10. Analyzing the PWN Relation above from Acero et al. (2013)
From SED, calculated luminosity, assuming PWN distance of 6.1 kpc from Matheson (2013) = 1.7e33 ergs/s
X-ray luminosity in Matheson (2013) ~1.6e34 ergs/s
Matheson estimated an age of ~5-28 kyrs, based on 2D speed of pulsar shell expansion

11. Project Conclusion
Confirmed the Fermi source association with both a blazar and a PWN at different energies
Found a new estimate of the age of the PWN ~1000 years
Suggests lower age limit compared to Matheson’s calculations
Wrote a flexible Python script that can be used to analyze other Fermi sources
This method of analysis can be used to (re)identify other sources

12. NAC Congressional meeting
My NAC Experience
Goddard NAC Cohort
NAC Congressional meeting