Detection of a new molecular cloud in the LHAASO J2108+5157 region supporting a hadronic PeVatron scenario

PeVatrons are the most powerful naturally occurring particle accelerators in the Universe. The identification of counterparts associated to astrophysical objects such as dying massive stars, molecular gas, star-forming regions, and star clusters is essential to clarify the underlying nature of the PeV emission, i.e., hadronic or leptonic. We present ^12,13CO (J = 2→1) observations made with the 1.85 m radio-telescope of the Osaka Prefecture University toward the Cygnus OB7 molecular cloud, which contains the PeVatron candidate LHAASO J2108+5157. We investigate the nature of the sub-PeV (gamma-ray) emission by studying the nucleon density determined from the content of H I and H₂, derived from the CO observations. In addition to MML[2017]4607, detected via the observations of the optically thick ¹²CO (J = 1→0) emission, we infer the presence of an optically thin molecular cloud, named [FKT-MC]2022, whose angular size is 1${_{.}^{\circ}}$1 ± 0${_{.}^{\circ}}$2. We propose this cloud as a new candidate to produce the sub-PeV emission observed in LHAASO J2108+5157. Considering a distance of 1.7 kpc, we estimate a nucleon (H I + H₂) density of 37 ± 14 cm^-3, and a total nucleon mass(H I + H₂) of 1.5 ± 0.6 × 10⁴ M_⊙. On the other hand, we confirm that Kronberger 82 is a molecular clump with an angular size of 0${_{.}^{\circ}}$1, a nucleon density ~10³ cm^-3, and a mass ~10³ M_⊙. Although Kronberger 82 hosts the physical conditions to produce the observed emission of LHAASO J2108+5157, [FKT-MC]2022 is located closer to it, suggesting that the latter could be the one associated to the sub-PeV emission. Under this scenario, our results favour a hadronic origin for the emission.