Evidence for New Unidentified TeV γ-ray Sources from Angularly Correlated Hot Spots Observed by Independent TeV γ-ray Sky Surveys

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Abstract
We have examined the directional cross-correlation of statistical "hot spots" between a northern sky TeV γ-ray survey by the Milagro observatory and a similar survey by the Tibet array. We find that the directions of these hot spots are angularly uncorrelated between the two surveys for large angular separations (Δθ > 4°), but there appears to be a statistically significant correlation between hot spot directions for Δθ < 15. Independent simulations indicate that the chance probability for the occurrence of this correlation is approximately 10-4, implying the existence of one or more previously unobserved TeV γ-ray sources in these directions. The data sets are consistent with both pointlike sources or diffuse sources with an angular extent of 1°-2°.
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