HESS J0632+057: A NEW GAMMA-RAY BINARY?

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) survey of the Galactic plane has established the existence of a substantial number (similar to 40) of Galactic TeV gamma-ray sources, a large fraction of which remain unidentified. HESS J0632+057 is one of a small fraction of these objects, which is point-like in nature (< 2' rms), and is one of only two point-like sources that remain unidentified. Follow-up observations of this object with XMM-Newton have revealed an X-ray source coincident with the TeV source and with the massive star MWC 148, of the spectral type B0pe. This source exhibits a hard spectrum, consistent with an absorbed power law with Gamma = 1.26 +/- 0.04, and shows significant variability on hour timescales. We discuss this spatial coincidence and the implied spectral energy distribution of this object and argue that it is likely a new gamma-ray binary system with a close resemblance to the three known members of this class and, in particular, to LS I+61 303. Further, X-ray, radio, and optical observations of this system are needed to firmly establish HESS J0632+057 as a new member of this rare class of Galactic objects.