The Fermi-LAT view of the colliding wind binaries

Colliding wind binaries (CWBs) have been considered as a possible high-energy γ-ray sources for some time, however no system other than η Car has been detected. In the Letter, a sample of seven CWBs (WR 11, WR 70, WR 137, WR 140, WR 146, WR 147) which, by means of theoretic modelling, were deemed most promising candidates, was analysed using almost 7 yr of the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) data. WR 11 (γ2 Vel) was detected at 6.1σ confidence level with a photon flux in 0.1–100 GeV range (1.8 ± 0.6) × 10−9 ph cm−2 s−1 and an energy flux (2.7 ± 0.5) × 10−12 erg cm−2 s−1. At the adopted distance d = 340 pc this corresponds to a luminosity L = (3.7 ± 0.7) × 1031 erg s−1. This luminosity amounts to ∼6 × 10−6 fraction of the total wind kinetic power and ∼1.6 × 10−4 fraction of the power injected into the wind–wind interaction region of this system. Upper limits were set on the high energy flux from the WR 70 and WR 140 systems.