Speaker
Description
Massive star-forming regions (SFRs) are promising environments for the acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays. The M17 region, one of the most active star-forming complexes in the Galaxy, comprises a prominent $\mathrm{H\,II}$ region, a young stellar cluster (NGC 6618), and a giant molecular cloud. Its unique and complex structure makes it a key target for the search for high-energy $\gamma$-ray emission and an ideal laboratory for studying cosmic-ray acceleration and propagation in star-forming environments.
In this work, we present a preliminary analysis of the M17 region using LHAASO-WCDA and KM2A data. Significant $\gamma$-ray emission is detected, with TS values of 25 and 30 for WCDA and KM2A, respectively, yielding a combined TS value of 60. Preliminary morphological analysis reveals that the the emission observed by WCDA is consistent with an extended source of radius $\sim0.3^\circ$, centered at $(\mathrm{R.A.},\mathrm{Dec.})=(274.83^\circ,-15.48^\circ)$, while the KM2A emission appears point-like and is located at $(\mathrm{R.A.},\mathrm{Dec.})=(275.00^\circ,-15.48^\circ)$. Given the complexity of this region, which is located in a direction coincident with several supernova remnants (e.g., G15.4+0.1, G15.5-0.1, and G15.9+0.2), further investigation is ongoing to assess possible contributions from these overlapping sources and to clarify the origin of the observed high-energy emission.
