VERY HIGH ENERGY (VHE >50 GEV) GAMMA RAYS PROVIDE A DIRECT VIEW OF THE MOST EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS IN OUR GALAXY AND ARE AN EXCELLENT PROBE OF NON-THERMAL ASTROPHYSICAL PROCESSES. STUDIES OF THE NON-THERMAL GALACTIC SOURCE POPULATION ARE ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND WHERE AND HOW THE BULK OF THE COSMIC RAYS (CRS) ARE ACCELERATED IN OUR GALAXY. WE PROPOSE FOR A COMBINED NARROW-BAND IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPIC FOLLOW-UP WITH THE GEMINI-SOUTH GMOS INSTRUMENT OF AN INTRIGUING VHE SOURCE 2FHLJ0826.1-4500 A CANDIDATE SHOCK-CLOUD INTERACTION LOCATED ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE VELA SUPERNOVA REMNANT. WE AIM TO CHARACTERIZE THE SHOCK EMISSION MECHANISMS MEASURE ITS VELOCITY AND ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION AND TO DETERMINE IF 2FHLJ0826.1-4500 IS A SOURCE OF CRS EITHER FRESHLY ACCELERATED OR RE-ACCELERATED.

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators