Suzaku Observation of the Diffuse X-Ray Emission from the Open Cluster Westerlund 2: a Hypernova Remnant?

We present the analysis of Suzaku observations of the young open cluster Westerlund 2, which is filled with diffuse X-ray emission. We found that the emission consists of three thermal components or two thermal and one non-thermal components. The upper limit of the energy flux of the non-thermal component is smaller than that in the TeV band observed with H.E.S.S. This may indicate that active particle acceleration has stopped in this cluster, and that the accelerated electrons have already cooled. The gamma-ray emission observed with H.E.S.S. is likely to come from high-energy protons, which hardly cool in contrast with electrons. Metal abundances of the diffuse X-ray gas may indicate the explosion of a massive star in the past.Comment: Accepted for publication in PAS