Exploring Pulsar Wind Nebulae physics through TeV energy-dependent morphologies

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) detects gamma-rays in the TeV (Tera-electron Volt ≡ 10^12 eV) energy range, and has contributed significantly to our understanding of the high energy universe. A complete survey of the galaxy at the TeV energies was carried out by H.E.S.S., known as the H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey (HGPS). The HGPS recorded nearly one hundred objects with various source types identified, including shell-type supernova remnants, pulsar powered nebulae (PWNe), compact X-ray binary systems, etc. However, the exact nature of over 30% of these sources remain unknown. Since the release of the first HGPS catalog, many new observations have been taken which provide deeper insight into many sources. The second catalog (2HGPS) is currently under development, with its anticipate release in the near future.

The intern will utilise the data from the 2HGPS to expand on previous investigations of energy-dependent morphologies in the PWN source class. We are looking for signatures of radiative cooling of high-energy electrons, which are expected to give rise to energy-dependent morphology. In this situation, the gamma-ray morphology is expected to be extended at low energies away from the position of the pulsar, but at high energies the emission becomes more compact and towards the pulsar position.

The intern will gain valuable experience in data analysis algorithms, with an emphasis on analysing the H.E.S.S. data using the open source Python package Gammapy. They will focus on a specific source which shows clear indications of energy-dependent morphology and is part of the PWN source class. By analysing the spatial extent and spectral properties of the source vary with energy, the intern will construct and test models to explore the emission properties at the scale of the resolution of HESS. Such modelling will allow us to explore what these trends imply for PWN physics. The overall goal is to improve our understanding of the emission properties of PWNe.

The intern will work in the High Energy Group at APC with Kirsty Feijen and Régis Terrier. It is expected that the student is following astrophysics programs/lectures. The intern with utilise Python throughout the internship, so knowledge of this is advised. English will be the main language spoken for this internship. For further information or to apply please reach out to us via email.