| 1. |
- Acharyya, A., et al.
(författare)
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Multiwavelength Observations of the Blazar PKS 0735+178 in Spatial and Temporal Coincidence with an Astrophysical Neutrino Candidate IceCube-211208A
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 954:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on multiwavelength target-of-opportunity observations of the blazar PKS 0735+178, located 2 degrees .2 away from the best -fit position of the IceCube neutrino event IceCube-211208A detected on 2021 December 8. The source was in a high -flux state in the optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, and GeV ?-ray bands around the time of the neutrino event, exhibiting daily variability in the soft X-ray flux. The X-ray data from Swift-XRT and NuSTAR characterize the transition between the low-energy and high-energy components of the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED), and the ?-ray data from Fermi-LAT, VERITAS, and H.E.S.S. require a spectral cutoff near 100 GeV. Both the X-ray and ?-ray measurements provide strong constraints on the leptonic and hadronic models. We analytically explore a synchrotron self-Compton model, an external Compton model, and a lepto-hadronic model. Models that are entirely based on internal photon fields face serious difficulties in matching the observed SED. The existence of an external photon field in the source would instead explain the observed ?-ray spectral cutoff in both the leptonic and lepto-hadronic models and allow a proton jet power that marginally agrees with the Eddington limit in the lepto-hadronic model. We show a numerical lepto-hadronic model with external target photons that reproduces the observed SED and is reasonably consistent with the neutrino event despite requiring a high jet power.
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| 2. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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Detection of extended gamma-ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with HESS
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 673
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Geminga is an enigmatic radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsar located at a mere 250 pc distance from Earth. Extended very-high-energy gamma-ray emission around the pulsar was discovered by Milagro and later confirmed by HAWC, which are both water Cherenkov detector-based experiments. However, evidence for the Geminga pulsar wind nebula in gamma rays has long evaded detection by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) despite targeted observations. The detection of gamma-ray emission on angular scales greater than or similar to 2 degrees poses a considerable challenge for the background estimation in IACT data analysis. With recent developments in understanding the complementary background estimation techniques of water Cherenkov and atmospheric Cherenkov instruments, the H.E.S.S. IACT array can now confirm the detection of highly extended gamma-ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with a radius of at least 3 degrees in the energy range 0.5-40 TeV. We find no indications for statistically significant asymmetries or energy-dependent morphology. A flux normalisation of (2.8 +/- 0.7) x 10-12 cm-2 s-1 TeV-1 at 1 TeV is obtained within a 1 degrees radius region around the pulsar. To investigate the particle transport within the halo of energetic leptons around the pulsar, we fitted an electron diffusion model to the data. The normalisation of the diffusion coefficient obtained of D-0 = 7.6-1.2+1.5 x 1027 cm2 s-1, at an electron energy of 100 TeV, is compatible with values previously reported for the pulsar halo around Geminga, which is considerably below the Galactic average.
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| 3. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of a radiation component from the Vela pulsar reaching 20 teraelectronvolts
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature Astronomy. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2397-3366. ; 7:11, s. 1341-1350
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gamma-ray observations have established energetic isolated pulsars as outstanding particle accelerators and antimatter factories. However, many questions are still open regarding the acceleration and radiation processes involved, as well as the locations where they occur. The radiation spectra of all gamma-ray pulsars observed to date show strong cutoffs or a break above energies of a few gigaelectronvolts. Using the High Energy Stereoscopic System's Cherenkov telescopes, we discovered a radiation component from the Vela pulsar which emerges beyond this generic cutoff and extends up to energies of at least 20 teraelectronvolts. This is an order of magnitude larger than in the case of the Crab pulsar, the only other pulsar detected in the teraelectronvolt energy range. Our results challenge the state-of-the-art models for the high-energy emission of pulsars. Furthermore, they pave the way for investigating other pulsars through their multiteraelectronvolt emission, thereby imposing additional constraints on the acceleration and emission processes in their extreme energy limit. The H.E.S.S. gamma-ray observatory has observed gamma rays with energies of at least 20 TeV from a pulsar, an energy regime that is hard to reconcile with the existing theories of gamma-ray production for such objects.
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| 4. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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HESS J1809-193 : A halo of escaped electrons around a pulsar wind nebula?
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 672
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. HESS J1809-193 is an unassociated very-high-energy gamma-ray source located on the Galactic plane. While it has been connected to the nebula of the energetic pulsar PSR J1809-1917, supernova remnants and molecular clouds present in the vicinity also constitute possible associations. Recently, the detection of gamma-ray emission up to energies of similar to 100 TeV with the HAWC observatory has led to renewed interest in HESS J1809-193.Aims. We aim to understand the origin of the gamma-ray emission of HESS J1809-193.Methods. We analysed 93.2 h of data taken on HESS J1809-193 above 0.27 TeV with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), using a multi-component, three-dimensional likelihood analysis. In addition, we provide a new analysis of 12.5 yr of Fermi-LAT data above 1 GeV within the region of HESS J1809-193. The obtained results are interpreted in a time-dependent modelling framework.Results. For the first time, we were able to resolve the emission detected with H.E.S.S. into two components: an extended component (modelled as an elongated Gaussian with a 1-sigma semi-major and semi-minor axis of similar to 0.62 degrees and similar to 0.35 degrees, respectively) that exhibits a spectral cutoff at similar to 13 TeV, and a compact component (modelled as a symmetric Gaussian with a 1-sigma radius of similar to 0.1 degrees) that is located close to PSR J1809-1917 and shows no clear spectral cutoff. The Fermi-LAT analysis also revealed extended gamma-ray emission, on scales similar to that of the extended H.E.S.S. component.Conclusions. Our modelling indicates that based on its spectrum and spatial extent, the extended H.E.S.S. component is likely caused by inverse Compton emission from old electrons that form a halo around the pulsar wind nebula. The compact component could be connected to either the pulsar wind nebula or the supernova remnant and molecular clouds. Due to its comparatively steep spectrum, modelling the Fermi-LAT emission together with the H.E.S.S. components is not straightforward.
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| 5. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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A deep spectromorphological study of the ϒ-ray emission surrounding the young massive stellar cluster Westerlund 1
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EPD Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Young massive stellar clusters are extreme environments and potentially provide the means for efficient particle acceleration. Indeed, they are increasingly considered as being responsible for a significant fraction of cosmic rays (CRs) that are accelerated within the Milky Way. Westerlund 1, the most massive known young stellar cluster in our Galaxy, is a prime candidate for studying this hypothesis. While the very-high-energy gamma-ray source HESS J1646-458 has been detected in the vicinity of Westerlund 1 in the past, its association could not be firmly identified. Aims. We aim to identify the physical processes responsible for the gamma-ray emission around Westerlund 1 and thus to understand the role of massive stellar clusters in the acceleration of Galactic CRs better. Methods. Using 164 h of data recorded with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), we carried out a deep spectromorphological study of the gamma-ray emission of HESS J1646-458. We furthermore employed H I and CO observations of the region to infer the presence of gas that could serve as target material for interactions of accelerated CRs. Results. We detected large-scale (similar to 2 degrees diameter) gamma-ray emission with a complex morphology, exhibiting a shell-like structure and showing no significant variation with gamma-ray energy. The combined energy spectrum of the emission extends to several tens of TeV, and it is uniform across the entire source region. We did not find a clear correlation of the gamma-ray emission with gas clouds as identified through H I and CO observations. Conclusions. We conclude that, of the known objects within the region, only Westerlund 1 can explain the majority of the gamma-ray emission. Several CR acceleration sites and mechanisms are conceivable and discussed in detail. While it seems clear that Westerlund 1 acts as a powerful particle accelerator, no firm conclusions on the contribution of massive stellar clusters to the flux of Galactic CRs in general can be drawn at this point.
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| 6. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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Constraining the cosmic-ray pressure in the inner Virgo Cluster using HESS observations of M 87
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 675
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The origin of the gamma-ray emission from M 87 is currently a matter of debate. This work aims to localize the very high-energy (VHE; 100 GeV - 100 TeV) gamma-ray emission from M 87 and probe a potential extended hadronic emission component in the inner Virgo Cluster. The search for a steady and extended gamma-ray signal around M 87 can constrain the cosmic-ray energy density and the pressure exerted by the cosmic rays onto the intracluster medium and allow us to investigate the role of cosmic rays in the active galactic nucleus feedback as a heating mechanism in the Virgo Cluster. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) telescopes are sensitive to VHE gamma rays and have been used to observe M 87 since 2004. We utilized a Bayesian block analysis to identify M 87 emission states with H.E.S.S. observations from 2004 to 2021, dividing them into low, intermediate, and high states. Because of the causality argument, an extended (≳1 kpc) signal is allowed only in steady emission states. Hence, we fitted the morphology of the 120 h low-state data and find no significant gamma-ray extension. Therefore, we derive for the low state an upper limit of 58″(corresponding to ≈4.6 kpc) in the extension of a single-component morphological model described by a rotationally symmetric 2D Gaussian model at the 99.7% confidence level. Our results exclude the radio lobes (≈30 kpc) as the principal component of the VHE gamma-ray emission from the low state of M 87. The gamma-ray emission is compatible with a single emission region at the radio core of M 87. These results, with the help of two multiple-component models, constrain the maximum cosmic-ray to thermal pressure ratio to XCR, max. ≲ 0.32 and the total energy in cosmic-ray protons to UCR ≲ 5 × 1058 erg in the inner 20 kpc of the Virgo Cluster for an assumed cosmic-ray proton power-law distribution in momentum with spectral index αp = 2.1
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| 7. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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Search for the evaporation of primordial black holes with HESS
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 1475-7516. ; :4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) are hypothetical black holes predicted to have been formed from density fluctuations in the early Universe. PBHs with an initial mass around 1014-1015 g are expected to end their evaporation at present times in a burst of particles and very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays. Those gamma rays may be detectable by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), an array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. This paper reports on the search for evaporation bursts of VHE gamma rays with H.E.S.S., ranging from 10 to 120 seconds, as expected from the final stage of PBH evaporation and using a total of 4816 hours of observations. The most constraining upper limit on the burst rate of local PBHs is 2000 pc-3 yr-1 for a burst interval of 120 seconds, at the 95% confidence level. The implication of these measurements for PBH dark matter are also discussed.
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| 8. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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The Vanishing of the Primary Emission Region in PKS 1510-089
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 952:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2021 July, PKS 1510-089 exhibited a significant flux drop in the high-energy & gamma;-ray (by a factor 10) and optical (by a factor 5) bands and remained in this low state throughout 2022. Similarly, the optical polarization in the source vanished, resulting in the optical spectrum being fully explained through the steady flux of the accretion disk and the broad-line region. Unlike the aforementioned bands, the very-high-energy & gamma;-ray and X-ray fluxes did not exhibit a significant flux drop from year to year. This suggests that the steady-state very-high-energy & gamma;-ray and X-ray fluxes originate from a different emission region than the vanished parts of the high-energy & gamma;-ray and optical jet fluxes. The latter component has disappeared through either a swing of the jet away from the line of sight or a significant drop in the photon production efficiency of the jet close to the black hole. Either change could become visible in high-resolution radio images.
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| 9. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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Constraints on the Intergalactic Magnetic Field Using Fermi-LAT and HESS Blazar Observations
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 950:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Magnetic fields in galaxies and galaxy clusters are believed to be the result of the amplification of intergalactic seed fields during the formation of large-scale structures in the universe. However, the origin, strength, and morphology of this intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) remain unknown. Lower limits on (or indirect detection of) the IGMF can be obtained from observations of high-energy gamma rays from distant blazars. Gamma rays interact with the extragalactic background light to produce electron-positron pairs, which can subsequently initiate electromagnetic cascades. The gamma-ray signature of the cascade depends on the IGMF since it deflects the pairs. Here we report on a new search for this cascade emission using a combined data set from the Fermi Large Area Telescope and the High Energy Stereoscopic System. Using state-of-the-art Monte Carlo predictions for the cascade signal, our results place a lower limit on the IGMF of B > 7.1 x 10(-16) G for a coherence length of 1 Mpc even when blazar duty cycles as short as 10 yr are assumed. This improves on previous lower limits by a factor of 2. For longer duty cycles of 10(4) (10(7)) yr, IGMF strengths below 1.8 x 10(-14) G (3.9 x 10(-14) G) are excluded, which rules out specific models for IGMF generation in the early universe.
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| 10. |
- Aharonian, F., et al.
(författare)
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TeV flaring activity of the AGN PKS 0625-354 in November 2018
- 2024
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 683
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Most gamma-ray detected active galactic nuclei are blazars with one of their relativistic jets pointing towards the Earth. Only a few objects belong to the class of radio galaxies or misaligned blazars. Here, we investigate the nature of the object PKS 0625-354, its gamma-ray flux and spectral variability and its broad-band spectral emission with observations from H.E.S.S., Fermi-LAT, Swift-XRT, and UVOT taken in November 2018. The H.E.S.S. light curve above 200 GeV shows an outburst in the first night of observations followed by a declining flux with a halving time scale of 5.9 h. The gamma gamma-opacity constrains the upper limit of the angle between the jet and the line of sight to similar to 10 degrees. The broad-band spectral energy distribution shows two humps and can be well fitted with a single-zone synchrotron self Compton emission model. We conclude that PKS 0625-354, as an object showing clear features of both blazars and radio galaxies, can be classified as an intermediate active galactic nuclei. Multi-wavelength studies of such intermediate objects exhibiting features of both blazars and radio galaxies are sparse but crucial for the understanding of the broad-band emission of gamma-ray detected active galactic nuclei in general.
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