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1.
  • Acharya, B. S., et al. (författare)
  • Introducing the CTA concept
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Astroparticle physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0927-6505 .- 1873-2852. ; 43, s. 3-18
  • Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
    • The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a new observatory for very high-energy (VHE) gamma rays. CTA has ambitions science goals, for which it is necessary to achieve full-sky coverage, to improve the sensitivity by about an order of magnitude, to span about four decades of energy, from a few tens of GeV to above 100 TeV with enhanced angular and energy resolutions over existing VHE gamma-ray observatories. An international collaboration has formed with more than 1000 members from 27 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America. In 2010 the CTA Consortium completed a Design Study and started a three-year Preparatory Phase which leads to production readiness of CTA in 2014. In this paper we introduce the science goals and the concept of CTA, and provide an overview of the project. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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2.
  • Actis, M., et al. (författare)
  • Design concepts for the Cherenkov Telescope Array CTA : an advanced facility for ground-based high-energy gamma-ray astronomy
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 32:3, s. 193-316
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has had a major breakthrough with the impressive results obtained using systems of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has a huge potential in astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology. CTA is an international initiative to build the next generation instrument, with a factor of 5-10 improvement in sensitivity in the 100 GeV-10 TeV range and the extension to energies well below 100 GeV and above 100 TeV. CTA will consist of two arrays (one in the north, one in the south) for full sky coverage and will be operated as open observatory. The design of CTA is based on currently available technology. This document reports on the status and presents the major design concepts of CTA.
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3.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE FIRST SOURCE CATALOG
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 188:2, s. 405-436
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present a catalog of high-energy gamma-ray sources detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT), the primary science instrument on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi), during the first 11 months of the science phase of the mission, which began on 2008 August 4. The First Fermi-LAT catalog (1FGL) contains 1451 sources detected and characterized in the 100 MeV to 100 GeV range. Source detection was based on the average flux over the 11 month period, and the threshold likelihood Test Statistic is 25, corresponding to a significance of just over 4 sigma. The 1FGL catalog includes source location regions, defined in terms of elliptical fits to the 95% confidence regions and power-law spectral fits as well as flux measurements in five energy bands for each source. In addition, monthly light curves are provided. Using a protocol defined before launch we have tested for several populations of gamma-ray sources among the sources in the catalog. For individual LAT-detected sources we provide firm identifications or plausible associations with sources in other astronomical catalogs. Identifications are based on correlated variability with counterparts at other wavelengths, or on spin or orbital periodicity. For the catalogs and association criteria that we have selected, 630 of the sources are unassociated. Care was taken to characterize the sensitivity of the results to the model of interstellar diffuse gamma-ray emission used to model the bright foreground, with the result that 161 sources at low Galactic latitudes and toward bright local interstellar clouds are flagged as having properties that are strongly dependent on the model or as potentially being due to incorrectly modeled structure in the Galactic diffuse emission.
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4.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • The first catalog of active galactic nuclei detected by the Fermi large area telescope
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 715:1, s. 429-457
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present the first catalog of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT), corresponding to 11 months of data collected in scientific operation mode. The First LAT AGN Catalog (1LAC) includes 671 gamma-ray sources located at high Galactic latitudes (|b| > 10 degrees) that are detected with a test statistic greater than 25 and associated statistically with AGNs. Some LAT sources are associated with multiple AGNs, and consequently, the catalog includes 709 AGNs, comprising 300 BL Lacertae objects, 296 flat-spectrum radio quasars, 41 AGNs of other types, and 72 AGNs of unknown type. We also classify the blazars based on their spectral energy distributions as archival radio, optical, and X-ray data permit. In addition to the formal 1LAC sample, we provide AGN associations for 51 low-latitude LAT sources and AGN "affiliations" (unquantified counterpart candidates) for 104 high-latitude LAT sources without AGN associations. The overlap of the 1LAC with existing gamma-ray AGN catalogs (LBAS, EGRET, AGILE, Swift, INTEGRAL, TeVCat) is briefly discussed. Various properties-such as gamma-ray fluxes and photon power-law spectral indices, redshifts, gamma-ray luminosities, variability, and archival radio luminosities-and their correlations are presented and discussed for the different blazar classes. We compare the 1LAC results with predictions regarding the gamma-ray AGN populations, and we comment on the power of the sample to address the question of the blazar sequence.
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5.
  • Nolan, P. L., et al. (författare)
  • Fermi large area telescope second source catalog
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 199:2, s. 31-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present the second catalog of high-energy gamma-ray sources detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT), the primary science instrument on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi), derived from data taken during the first 24 months of the science phase of the mission, which began on 2008 August 4. Source detection is based on the average flux over the 24 month period. The second Fermi-LAT catalog (2FGL) includes source location regions, defined in terms of elliptical fits to the 95% confidence regions and spectral fits in terms of power-law, exponentially cutoff power-law, or log-normal forms. Also included are flux measurements in five energy bands and light curves on monthly intervals for each source. Twelve sources in the catalog are modeled as spatially extended. We provide a detailed comparison of the results from this catalog with those from the first Fermi-LAT catalog (1FGL). Although the diffuse Galactic and isotropic models used in the 2FGL analysis are improved compared to the 1FGL catalog, we attach caution flags to 162 of the sources to indicate possible confusion with residual imperfections in the diffuse model. The 2FGL catalog contains 1873 sources detected and characterized in the 100 MeV to 100 GeV range of which we consider 127 as being firmly identified and 1171 as being reliably associated with counterparts of known or likely gamma-ray-producing source classes.
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6.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • The first fermi large area telescope catalog of gamma-ray pulsars
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 187:2, s. 460-494
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The dramatic increase in the number of known gamma-ray pulsars since the launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST) offers the first opportunity to study a sizable population of these high-energy objects. This catalog summarizes 46 high-confidence pulsed detections using the first six months of data taken by the Large Area Telescope (LAT), Fermi's main instrument. Sixteen previously unknown pulsars were discovered by searching for pulsed signals at the positions of bright gamma-ray sources seen with the LAT, or at the positions of objects suspected to be neutron stars based on observations at other wavelengths. The dimmest observed flux among these gamma-ray-selected pulsars is 6.0 x 10(-8) ph cm(-2) s(-1) (for E > 100 MeV). Pulsed gamma-ray emission was discovered from 24 known pulsars by using ephemerides (timing solutions) derived from monitoring radio pulsars. Eight of these new gamma-ray pulsars are millisecond pulsars. The dimmest observed flux among the radio-selected pulsars is 1.4 x 10(-8) ph cm(-2) s(-1) (for E > 100 MeV). The remaining six gamma-ray pulsars were known since the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory mission, or before. The limiting flux for pulse detection is non-uniform over the sky owing to different background levels, especially near the Galactic plane. The pulsed energy spectra can be described by a power law with an exponential cutoff, with cutoff energies in the range similar to 1-5 GeV. The rotational energy-loss rate ((E) over dot) of these neutron stars spans five decades, from similar to 3 x 10(33) erg s(-1) to 5 x 10(38) erg s(-1), and the apparent efficiencies for conversion to gammaray emission range from similar to 0.1% to similar to unity, although distance uncertainties complicate efficiency estimates. The pulse shapes show substantial diversity, but roughly 75% of the gamma-ray pulse profiles have two peaks, separated by greater than or similar to 0.2 of rotational phase. For most of the pulsars, gamma-ray emission appears to come mainly from the outer magnetosphere, while polar-cap emission remains plausible for a remaining few. Spatial associations imply that many of these pulsars power pulsar wind nebulae. Finally, these discoveries suggest that gamma-ray-selected young pulsars are born at a rate comparable to that of their radio-selected cousins and that the birthrate of all young gamma-ray-detected pulsars is a substantial fraction of the expected Galactic supernova rate.
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7.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Fermi Gamma-Ray Imaging of a Radio Galaxy
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 328:5979, s. 725-729
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected the gamma-ray glow emanating from the giant radio lobes of the radio galaxy Centaurus A. The resolved gamma-ray image shows the lobes clearly separated from the central active source. In contrast to all other active galaxies detected so far in high-energy gamma-rays, the lobe flux constitutes a considerable portion (greater than one-half) of the total source emission. The gamma-ray emission from the lobes is interpreted as inverse Compton-scattered relic radiation from the cosmic microwave background, with additional contribution at higher energies from the infrared-to-optical extragalactic background light. These measurements provide gamma-ray constraints on the magnetic field and particle energy content in radio galaxy lobes, as well as a promising method to probe the cosmic relic photon fields.
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8.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI Large Area Telescope and multi-wavelength observations of the flaring activity of PKS 1510-089 between 2008 september and 2009 june
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 721:2, s. 1425-1447
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on the multi-wavelength observations of PKS 1510-089 (a flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) at z = 0.361) during its high activity period between 2008 September and 2009 June. During this 11 month period, the source was characterized by a complex variability at optical, UV, and gamma-ray bands, on timescales down to 6-12 hr. The brightest gamma-ray isotropic luminosity, recorded on 2009 March 26, was similar or equal to 2 x 1048 erg s-1. The spectrum in the Fermi Large Area Telescope energy range shows a mild curvature described well by a log-parabolic law, and can be understood as due to the Klein-Nishina effect. The. -ray flux has a complex correlation with the other wavelengths. There is no correlation at all with the X-ray band, a weak correlation with the UV, and a significant correlation with the optical flux. The. -ray flux seems to lead the optical one by about 13 days. From the UV photometry, we estimated a black hole mass of similar or equal to 5.4 x 10(8)M(circle dot) and an accretion rate of similar or equal to 0.5M(circle dot) yr(-1). Although the power in the thermal and non-thermal outputs is smaller compared to the very luminous and distant FSRQs, PKS 1510-089 exhibits a quite large Compton dominance and a prominent big blue bump (BBB) as observed in the most powerful gamma-ray quasars. The BBB was still prominent during the historical maximum optical state in 2009 May, but the optical/ UV spectral index was softer than in the quiescent state. This seems to indicate that the BBB was not completely dominated by the synchrotron emission during the highest optical state. We model the broadband spectrum assuming a leptonic scenario in which the inverse Compton emission is dominated by the scattering of soft photons produced externally to the jet. The resulting model-dependent jet energetic content is compatible with a scenario in which the jet is powered by the accretion disk, with a total efficiency within the Kerr black hole limit.
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9.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE VIEW OF THE CORE OF THE RADIO GALAXY CENTAURUS A
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 719:2, s. 1433-1444
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present gamma-ray observations with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope of the nearby radio galaxy Centaurus A (Cen A). The previous EGRET detection is confirmed, and the localization is improved using data from the first 10 months of Fermi science operation. In previous work, we presented the detection of the lobes by the LAT; in this work, we concentrate on the gamma-ray core of Cen A. Flux levels as seen by the LAT are not significantly different from that found by EGRET, nor is the extremely soft LAT spectrum (Gamma = 2.67 +/- 0.10(stat) +/- 0.08(sys) where the photon flux is Phi alpha E-Gamma). The LAT core spectrum, extrapolated to higher energies, is marginally consistent with the non-simultaneous HESS spectrum of the source. The LAT observations are complemented by simultaneous observations from Suzaku, the Swift Burst Alert Telescope and X-ray Telescope, and radio observations with the Tracking Active Galactic Nuclei with Austral Milliarcsecond Interferometry program, along with a variety of non-simultaneous archival data from a variety of instruments and wavelengths to produce a spectral energy distribution (SED). We fit this broadband data set with a single-zone synchrotron/synchrotron self-Compton model, which describes the radio through GeV emission well, but fails to account for the non-simultaneous higher energy TeV emission observed by HESS from 2004 to 2008. The fit requires a low Doppler factor, in contrast to BL Lac objects which generally require larger values to fit their broadband SEDs. This indicates that the gamma-ray emission originates from a slower region than that from BL Lac objects, consistent with previous modeling results from Cen A. This slower region could be a slower moving layer around a fast spine, or a slower region farther out from the black hole in a decelerating flow. The fit parameters are also consistent with Cen A being able to accelerate ultra-high energy cosmic-rays, as hinted at by results from the Auger observatory.
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10.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • THE VELA PULSAR : RESULTS FROM THE FIRST YEAR OF FERMI LAT OBSERVATIONS
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 713:1, s. 154-165
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on analysis of timing and spectroscopy of the Vela pulsar using 11 months of observations with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The intrinsic brightness of Vela at GeV energies combined with the angular resolution and sensitivity of the LAT allows us to make the most detailed study to date of the energy-dependent light curves and phase-resolved spectra, using a LAT-derived timing model. The light curve consists of two peaks (P1 and P2) connected by bridge emission containing a third peak (P3). We have confirmed the strong decrease of the P1/P2 ratio with increasing energy seen with EGRET and previous Fermi LAT data, and observe that P1 disappears above 20 GeV. The increase with energy of the mean phase of the P3 component can be followed with much greater detail, showing that P3 and P2 are present up to the highest energies of pulsation. We find significant pulsed emission at phases outside the main profile, indicating that magnetospheric emission exists over 80% of the pulsar period. With increased high-energy counts the phase-averaged spectrum is seen to depart from a power law with simple exponential cutoff, and is better fit with a more gradual cutoff. The spectra in fixed-count phase bins are well fit with power laws with exponential cutoffs, revealing a strong and complex phase dependence of the cutoff energy, especially in the peaks. By combining these results with predictions of the outer magnetosphere models that map emission characteristics to phase, it will be possible to probe the particle acceleration and the structure of the pulsar magnetosphere with unprecedented detail.
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11.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • DETECTION OF GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM THE STARBURST GALAXIES M82 AND NGC 253 WITH THE LARGE AREA TELESCOPE ON FERMI
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: The Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 709:2, s. l152-L157
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report the detection of high-energy gamma-ray emission from two starburst galaxies using data obtained with the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Steady point-like emission above 200 MeV has been detected at significance levels of 6.8 sigma and 4.8 sigma, respectively, from sources positionally coincident with locations of the starburst galaxies M82 and NGC 253. The total fluxes of the sources are consistent with gamma-ray emission originating from the interaction of cosmic rays with local interstellar gas and radiation fields and constitute evidence for a link between massive star formation and gamma-ray emission in star-forming galaxies.
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12.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Fermi Large Area Telescope constraints on the gamma-ray opacity of the universe
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 723:2, s. 1082-1096
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The extragalactic background light (EBL) includes photons with wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared, which are effective at attenuating gamma rays with energy above similar to 10 GeV during propagation from sources at cosmological distances. This results in a redshift- and energy-dependent attenuation of the gamma-ray flux of extragalactic sources such as blazars and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The Large Area Telescope on board Fermi detects a sample of gamma-ray blazars with redshift up to z similar to 3, and GRBs with redshift up to z similar to 4.3. Using photons above 10 GeV collected by Fermi over more than one year of observations for these sources, we investigate the effect of gamma-ray flux attenuation by the EBL. We place upper limits on the gamma-ray opacity of the universe at various energies and redshifts and compare this with predictions from well-known EBL models. We find that an EBL intensity in the optical-ultraviolet wavelengths as great as predicted by the "baseline" model of Stecker et al. can be ruled out with high confidence.
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13.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI OBSERVATIONS OF CASSIOPEIA AND CEPHEUS : DIFFUSE GAMMA-RAY EMISSION IN THE OUTER GALAXY
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 710:1, s. 133-149
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present the analysis of the interstellar gamma-ray emission measured by the Fermi Large Area Telescope toward a region in the second Galactic quadrant at 100 degrees <= l <= 145 degrees and -15 degrees <= b <= +30 degrees. This region encompasses the prominent Gould Belt clouds of Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and the Polaris flare, as well as atomic and molecular complexes at larger distances, like that associated with NGC 7538 in the Perseus arm. The good kinematic separation in velocity between the local, Perseus, and outer arms, and the presence of massive complexes in each of them, make this region well suited to probe cosmic rays (CRs) and the interstellar medium beyond the solar circle. The gamma-ray emissivity spectrum of the gas in the Gould Belt is consistent with expectations based on the locally measured CR spectra. The gamma-ray emissivity decreases from the Gould Belt to the Perseus arm, but the measured gradient is flatter than expectations for CR sources peaking in the inner Galaxy as suggested by pulsars. The X-CO = N(H-2)/W-CO conversion factor is found to increase from (0.87 +/- 0.05) x 10(20) cm(-2) (K km s(-1))(-1) in the Gould Belt to (1.9 +/- 0.2) x 10(20) cm(-2) (K km s(-1))(-1) in the Perseus arm. We derive masses for the molecular clouds under study. Dark gas, not properly traced by radio and microwave surveys, is detected in the Gould Belt through a correlated excess of dust and gamma-ray emission: its mass amounts to similar to 50% of the CO-traced mass.
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14.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Fermi Observations of γ-Ray Emission from the Moon
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 758:2
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on the detection of high-energy gamma-ray emission from the Moon during the first 24 months of observations by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). This emission comes from particle cascades produced by cosmic-ray (CR) nuclei and electrons interacting with the lunar surface. The differential spectrum of the Moon is soft and can be described as a log-parabolic function with an effective cutoff at 2-3 GeV, while the average integral flux measured with the LAT from the beginning of observations in 2008 August to the end of 2010 August is F(> 100 MeV) = (1.04 +/- 0.01 [statistical error] +/- 0.1 [systematic error]) x 10(-6) cm(-2) s(-1). This flux is about a factor 2-3 higher than that observed between 1991 and 1994 by the EGRET experiment on boardthe Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, F(> 100 MeV) approximate to 5 x 10(-7) cm-2 s-1, when solar activity was relatively high. The higher gamma-ray flux measured by Fermi is consistent with the deep solar minimum conditions during the first 24 months of the mission, which reduced effects of heliospheric modulation, and thus increased the heliospheric flux of Galactic CRs. A detailed comparison of the light curve with McMurdo Neutron Monitor rates suggests a correlation of the trends. The Moon and the Sun are so far the only known bright emitters of gamma-rays with fast celestial motion. Their paths across thesky are projected onto the Galactic center and high Galactic latitudes as well as onto other areas crowded with high-energy gamma-ray sources. Analysis ofthe lunar and solar emission may thus be important for studies of weak and transient sources near the ecliptic.
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15.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • OBSERVATION OF SUPERNOVA REMNANT IC 443 WITH THE FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 712:1, s. 459-468
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report observation of the supernova remnant (SNR) IC 443 (G189.1+3.0) with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the energy band between 200 MeV and 50 GeV. IC 443 is a shell-type SNR with mixed morphology located off the outer Galactic plane where high-energy emission has been detected in the X-ray, GeV and TeV gamma-ray bands. Past observations suggest IC 443 has been interacting with surrounding interstellar matter. Proximity between dense shocked molecular clouds and GeV-TeV gamma-ray emission regions detected by EGRET, MAGIC, and VERITAS suggests an interpretation that cosmic-ray (CR) particles are accelerated by the SNR. With the high gamma-ray statistics and broad energy coverage provided by the LAT, we accurately characterize the gamma-ray emission produced by the CRs accelerated at IC 443. The emission region is extended in the energy band with theta(68) = 0 degrees.27 +/- 0 degrees.01(stat) +/- 0 degrees.03(sys) for an assumed two-dimensional Gaussian profile and overlaps almost completely with the extended source region of VERITAS. Its centroid is displaced significantly from the known pulsar wind nebula (PWN) which suggests the PWN is not the major contributor in the present energy band. The observed spectrum changes its power-law slope continuously and continues smoothly to the MAGIC and VERITAS data points. The combined gamma-ray spectrum (200 MeV < E < 2 TeV) is reproduced well by decays of neutral pions produced by a broken power-law proton spectrum with a break around 70 GeV.
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16.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • SPECTRAL PROPERTIES OF BRIGHT FERMI-DETECTED BLAZARS IN THE GAMMA-RAY BAND
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 710:2, s. 1271-1285
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The gamma-ray energy spectra of bright blazars of the LAT Bright AGN Sample LBAS) are investigated using Fermi-LAT data. Spectral properties hardness, curvature, and variability) established using a data set accumulated over 6 months of operation are presented and discussed for different blazar classes and subclasses: flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), low-synchrotron peaked BLLacs (LSP-BLLacs), intermediate-synchrotron peaked BLLacs (ISP-BLLacs), and high-synchrotron peaked BLLacs (HSP-BLLacs). The distribution of photon index G, obtained from a power-law fit above 100 MeV) is found to correlate strongly with blazar subclass. The change in spectral index from that averaged over the 6 months observing period is < 0.2-0.3 when the flux varies by about an order of magnitude, with a tendency toward harder spectra when the flux is brighter for FSRQs and LSP-BLLacs. A strong departure from a single power-law spectrum appears to be a common feature for FSRQs. This feature is also present for some high-luminosity LSP-BLLacs, and a small number of ISP-BLLacs. It is absent in all LBAS HSP-BLLacs. For 3C 454.3 and AO 0235+164, the two brightest FSRQ source and LSP-BLLac source, respectively, a broken power law (BPL) gives the most acceptable of power law, BPL, and curved forms. The consequences of these findings are discussed.
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17.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • The spectral energy distribution of fermi bright blazars
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 716:1, s. 30-70
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We have conducted a detailed investigation of the broadband spectral properties of the gamma-ray selected blazars of the Fermi LAT Bright AGN Sample (LBAS). By combining our accurately estimated Fermi gamma-ray spectra with Swift, radio, infra-red, optical, and other hard X-ray/gamma-ray data, collected within 3 months of the LBAS data taking period, we were able to assemble high-quality and quasi-simultaneous spectral energy distributions (SED) for 48 LBAS blazars. The SED of these gamma-ray sources is similar to that of blazars discovered at other wavelengths, clearly showing, in the usual log nu-log nu F-nu representation, the typical broadband spectral signatures normally attributed to a combination of low-energy synchrotron radiation followed by inverse Compton emission of one or more components. We have used these SED to characterize the peak intensity of both the low-and the high-energy components. The results have been used to derive empirical relationships that estimate the position of the two peaks from the broadband colors (i.e., the radio to optical, alpha(ro), and optical to X-ray, alpha(ox), spectral slopes) and from the gamma-ray spectral index. Our data show that the synchrotron peak frequency (nu(S)(peak)) is positioned between 10(12.5) and 10(14.5) Hz in broad-lined flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and between 10(13) and 10(17) Hz in featureless BL Lacertae objects. We find that the gamma-ray spectral slope is strongly correlated with the synchrotron peak energy and with the X-ray spectral index, as expected at first order in synchrotron-inverse Compton scenarios. However, simple homogeneous, one-zone, synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) models cannot explain most of our SED, especially in the case of FSRQs and low energy peaked (LBL) BL Lacs. More complex models involving external Compton radiation or multiple SSC components are required to reproduce the overall SED and the observed spectral variability. While more than 50% of known radio bright high energy peaked (HBL) BL Lacs are detected in the LBAS sample, only less than 13% of known bright FSRQs and LBL BL Lacs are included. This suggests that the latter sources, as a class, may be much fainter gamma-ray emitters than LBAS blazars, and could in fact radiate close to the expectations of simple SSC models. We categorized all our sources according to a new physical classification scheme based on the generally accepted paradigm for Active Galactic Nuclei and on the results of this SED study. Since the LAT detector is more sensitive to flat spectrum gamma-ray sources, the correlation between nu(S)(peak) and gamma-ray spectral index strongly favors the detection of high energy peaked blazars, thus explaining the Fermi overabundance of this type of sources compared to radio and EGRET samples. This selection effect is similar to that experienced in the soft X-ray band where HBL BL Lacs are the dominant type of blazars.
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18.
  • Acciari, V. A., et al. (författare)
  • THE DISCOVERY OF gamma-RAY EMISSION FROM THE BLAZAR RGB J0710+591
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS. - 2041-8205. ; 715:1, s. L49-L55
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The high-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae object RGB J0710+591 was observed in the very high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) wave band by the VERITAS array of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The observations, taken between 2008 December and 2009 March and totaling 22.1 hr, yield the discovery of VHE gamma rays from the source. RGB J0710+591 is detected at a statistical significance of 5.5 standard deviations (5.5 sigma) above the background, corresponding to an integral flux of (3.9 +/- 0.8) x 10(-12) cm(-2) s(-1) (3% of the Crab Nebula's flux) above 300 GeV. The observed spectrum can be fit by a power law from 0.31 to 4.6 TeV with a photon spectral index of 2.69 +/- 0.26(stat) +/- 0.20(sys). These data are complemented by contemporaneous multiwavelength data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope, the Swift X-ray Telescope, the Swift Ultra-Violet and Optical Telescope, and the Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT observatory. Modeling the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) with an equilibrium synchrotron self-Compton model yields a good statistical fit to the data. The addition of an external-Compton component to the model does not improve the fit nor brings the system closer to equipartition. The combined Fermi and VERITAS data constrain the properties of the high-energy emission component of the source over 4 orders of magnitude and give measurements of the rising and falling sections of the SED.
  •  
19.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • The fermi large area telescope on orbit : Event classification, instrument response functions, and calibration
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 203:1, s. 4-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT, hereafter LAT), the primary instrument on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi) mission, is an imaging, wide field-of-view, high-energy γ-ray telescope, covering the energy range from 20MeV to more than 300GeV. During the first years of the mission, the LAT team has gained considerable insight into the in-flight performance of the instrument. Accordingly, we have updated the analysis used to reduce LAT data for public release as well as the instrument response functions (IRFs), the description of the instrument performance provided for data analysis. In this paper, we describe the effects that motivated these updates. Furthermore, we discuss how we originally derived IRFs from Monte Carlo simulations and later corrected those IRFs for discrepancies observed between flight and simulated data. We also give details of the validations performed using flight data and quantify the residual uncertainties in the IRFs. Finally, we describe techniques the LAT team has developed to propagate those uncertainties into estimates of the systematic errors on common measurements such as fluxes and spectra of astrophysical sources.
  •  
20.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • The Second Catalog of Active Galactic Nuclei Detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 743:2
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The second catalog of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) in two years of scientific operation is presented. The second LAT AGN catalog (2LAC) includes 1017 γ-ray sources located at high Galactic latitudes (|b| > 10°) that are detected with a test statistic (TS) greater than 25 and associated statistically with AGNs. However, some of these are affected by analysis issues and some are associated with multiple AGNs. Consequently, we define a Clean Sample which includes 886 AGNs, comprising 395 BL Lacertae objects (BL Lac objects), 310 flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), 157 candidate blazars of unknown type (i.e., with broadband blazar characteristics but with no optical spectral measurement yet), 8 misaligned AGNs, 4 narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1s), 10 AGNs of other types, and 2 starburst galaxies. Where possible, the blazars have been further classified based on their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) as archival radio, optical, and X-ray data permit. While almost all FSRQs have a synchrotron-peak frequency <1014 Hz, about half of the BL Lac objects have a synchrotron-peak frequency >1015 Hz. The 2LAC represents a significant improvement relative to the first LAT AGN catalog (1LAC), with 52% more associated sources. The full characterization of the newly detected sources will require more broadband data. Various properties, such as γ-ray fluxes and photon power-law spectral indices, redshifts, γ-ray luminosities, variability, and archival radio luminosities and their correlations are presented and discussed for the different blazar classes. The general trends observed in 1LAC are confirmed.
  •  
21.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Fermi large area telescope observations of PSR J1836+5925
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 712:2, s. 1209-1218
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The discovery of the gamma-ray pulsar PSR J1836+5925, powering the formerly unidentified EGRET source 3EG J1835+5918, was one of the early accomplishments of the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). Sitting 25 degrees off the Galactic plane, PSR J1836+5925 is a 173 ms pulsar with a characteristic age of 1.8 million years, a spindown luminosity of 1.1 x 10(34) erg s(-1), and a large off-peak (OP) emission component, making it quite unusual among the known gamma-ray pulsar population. We present an analysis of one year of LAT data, including an updated timing solution, detailed spectral results, and a long-term light curve showing no indication of variability. No evidence for a surrounding pulsar wind nebula is seen and the spectral characteristics of the OP emission indicate it is likely magnetospheric. Analysis of recent XMM-Newton observations of the X-ray counterpart yields a detailed characterization of its spectrum, which, like Geminga, is consistent with that of a neutron star showing evidence for both magnetospheric and thermal emission.
  •  
22.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Fermi-large area telescope observations of the exceptional gamma-ray outbursts of 3C 273 in 2009 September
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS. - 2041-8205. ; 714:1, s. L73-L78
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present the light curves and spectral data of two exceptionally luminous gamma-ray outbursts observed by the Large Area Telescope experiment on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope from 3C 273 in 2009 September. During these flares, having a duration of a few days, the source reached its highest gamma-ray flux ever measured. This allowed us to study, in some details, their spectral and temporal structures. The rise and the decay are asymmetric on timescales of 6 hr, and the spectral index was significantly harder during the flares than during the preceding 11 months. We also found that short, very intense flares put out the same time-integrated energy as long, less intense flares like that observed in 2009 August.
  •  
23.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Fermi Large Area Telescope Search for Photon Lines from 30 to 200 GeV and Dark Matter Implications
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 104:9, s. 091302-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Dark matter (DM) particle annihilation or decay can produce monochromatic gamma rays readily distinguishable from astrophysical sources. gamma- ray line limits from 30 to 200 GeV obtained from 11 months of Fermi Large Area Space Telescope data from 20-300 GeV are presented using a selection based on requirements for a gamma-ray line analysis, and integrated over most of the sky. We obtain gamma-ray line flux upper limits in the range 0.6-4.5 x 10(-9) cm(-2) s(-1), and give corresponding DM annihilation cross-section and decay lifetime limits. Theoretical implications are briefly discussed.
  •  
24.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI-LAT DISCOVERY OF GeV GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM THE YOUNG SUPERNOVA REMNANT CASSIOPEIA A
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: The Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 0004-6388 .- 2041-8205. ; 710:1, s. l92-L97
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on the first detection of GeV high-energy gamma-ray emission from a young supernova remnant (SNR) with the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. These observations reveal a source with no discernible spatial extension detected at a significance level of 12.2 sigma above 500 MeV a a location that is consistent with the position of the remnant of the supernova explosion that occurred around 1680 in the Cassiopeia constellation-Cassiopeia A (Cas A). The gamma-ray flux and spectral shape of the source are consistent with a scenario in which the gamma-ray emission originates from relativistic particles accelerated in the shell of this remnant. The total content of cosmic rays (electrons and protons) accelerated in Cas A can be estimated as W-CR similar or equal to (1-4) x 10(49) erg thanks to the well-known density in the remnant assuming that the observed gamma ray originates in the SNR shell(s). The magnetic field in the radio-emitting plasma can be robustly constrained as B >= 0.1 mG, providing new evidence of the magnetic field amplification at the forward shock and the strong field in the shocked ejecta.
  •  
25.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI-LAT OBSERVATIONS OF THE GEMINGA PULSAR
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 720:1, s. 272-283
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on the Fermi-LAT observations of the Geminga pulsar, the second brightest non-variable GeV source in the gamma-ray sky and the first example of a radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsar. The observations cover one year, from the launch of the Fermi satellite through 2009 June 15. A data sample of over 60,000 photons enabled us to build a timing solution based solely on gamma-rays. Timing analysis shows two prominent peaks, separated by Delta phi = 0.497 +/- 0.004 in phase, which narrow with increasing energy. Pulsed gamma-rays are observed beyond 18 GeV, precluding emission below 2.7 stellar radii because of magnetic absorption. The phase-averaged spectrum was fitted with a power law with exponential cutoff of spectral index Gamma = (1.30 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.04), cutoff energy E-0 = (2.46 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.17) GeV, and an integral photon flux above 0.1 GeV of (4.14 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.32) x 10(-6) cm(-2) s(-1). The first uncertainties are statistical and the second ones are systematic. The phase-resolved spectroscopy shows a clear evolution of the spectral parameters, with the spectral index reaching a minimum value just before the leading peak and the cutoff energy having maxima around the peaks. The phase-resolved spectroscopy reveals that pulsar emission is present at all rotational phases. The spectral shape, broad pulse profile, and maximum photon energy favor the outer magnetospheric emission scenarios.
  •  
26.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Gamma-ray emission concurrent with the nova in the symbiotic binary V407 cygni
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 329:5993, s. 817-821
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Novae are thermonuclear explosions on a white dwarf surface fueled by mass accreted from a companion star. Current physical models posit that shocked expanding gas from the nova shell can produce x-ray emission, but emission at higher energies has not been widely expected. Here, we report the Fermi Large Area Telescope detection of variable γ-ray emission (0.1 to 10 billion electron volts) from the recently detected optical nova of the symbiotic star V407 Cygni. We propose that the material of the nova shell interacts with the dense ambient medium of the red giant primary and that particles can be accelerated effectively to produce π0 decay γ-rays from proton-proton interactions. Emission involving inverse Compton scattering of the red giant radiation is also considered and is not ruled out.
  •  
27.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Gamma-ray light curves and variability of bright fermi-detected blazars
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 722:1, s. 520-542
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • This paper presents light curves as well as the first systematic characterization of variability of the 106 objects in the high-confidence Fermi Large Area Telescope Bright AGN Sample (LBAS). Weekly light curves of this sample, obtained during the first 11 months of the Fermi survey (2008 August 4-2009 July 4), are tested for variability and their properties are quantified through autocorrelation function and structure function analysis. For the brightest sources, 3 or 4 day binned light curves are extracted in order to determine power density spectra (PDSs) and to fit the temporal structure of major flares. More than 50% of the sources are found to be variable with high significance, where high states do not exceed 1/4 of the total observation range. Variation amplitudes are larger for flat spectrum radio quasars and low/intermediate synchrotron frequency peaked BL Lac objects. Autocorrelation timescales derived from weekly light curves vary from four to a dozen of weeks. Variable sources of the sample have weekly and 3-4 day bin light curves that can be described by 1/f(alpha) PDS, and show two kinds of gamma-ray variability: (1) rather constant baseline with sporadic flaring activity characterized by flatter PDS slopes resembling flickering and red noise with occasional intermittence and (2)-measured for a few blazars showing strong activity-complex and structured temporal profiles characterized by long-term memory and steeper PDS slopes, reflecting a random walk underlying mechanism. The average slope of the PDS of the brightest 22 FSRQs and of the 6 brightest BL Lacs is 1.5 and 1.7, respectively. The study of temporal profiles of well-resolved flares observed in the 10 brightest LBAS sources shows that they generally have symmetric profiles and that their total duration vary between 10 and 100 days. Results presented here can assist in source class recognition for unidentified sources and can serve as reference for more detailed analysis of the brightest gamma-ray blazars.
  •  
28.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • THE FERMI-LAT HIGH-LATITUDE SURVEY : SOURCE COUNT DISTRIBUTIONS AND THE ORIGIN OF THE EXTRAGALACTIC DIFFUSE BACKGROUND
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 720:1, s. 435-453
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • This is the first of a series of papers aimed at characterizing the populations detected in the high-latitude sky of the Fermi-LAT survey. In this work, we focus on the intrinsic spectral and flux properties of the source sample. We show that when selection effects are properly taken into account, Fermi sources are on average steeper than previously found (e.g., in the bright source list) with an average photon index of 2.40 +/- 0.02 over the entire 0.1-100 GeV energy band. We confirm that flat spectrum radio quasars have steeper spectra than BL Lacertae objects with an average index of 2.48 +/- 0.02 versus 2.18 +/- 0.02. Using several methods, we build the deepest source count distribution at GeV energies, deriving that the intrinsic source (i.e., blazar) surface density at F-100 >= 10(-9) ph cm(2) s(-1) is 0.12(-0.02)(+0.03) deg(-2). The integration of the source count distribution yields that point sources contribute 16(+/- 1.8)% (+/- 7% systematic uncertainty) of the GeV isotropic diffuse background. At the fluxes currently reached by LAT, we can rule out the hypothesis that pointlike sources (i.e., blazars) produce a larger fraction of the diffuse emission.
  •  
29.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • The second Fermi large area telescope catalog of gamma-ray pulsars
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 208:2, s. 17-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • This catalog summarizes 117 high-confidence ≥0.1 GeV gamma-ray pulsar detections using three years of data acquired by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi satellite. Half are neutron stars discovered using LAT data through periodicity searches in gamma-ray and radio data around LAT unassociated source positions. The 117 pulsars are evenly divided into three groups: millisecond pulsars, young radio-loud pulsars, and young radio-quiet pulsars. We characterize the pulse profiles and energy spectra and derive luminosities when distance information exists. Spectral analysis of the off-peak phase intervals indicates probable pulsar wind nebula emission for four pulsars, and off-peak magnetospheric emission for several young and millisecond pulsars. We compare the gamma-ray properties with those in the radio, optical, and X-ray bands. We provide flux limits for pulsars with no observed gamma-ray emission, highlighting a small number of gamma-faint, radio-loud pulsars. The large, varied gamma-ray pulsar sample constrains emission models. Fermi's selection biases complement those of radio surveys, enhancing comparisons with predicted population distributions.
  •  
30.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • A STATISTICAL APPROACH TO RECOGNIZING SOURCE CLASSES FOR UNASSOCIATED SOURCES IN THE FIRST FERMI-LAT CATALOG
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 753:1, s. 83-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) First Source Catalog (1FGL) provided spatial, spectral, and temporal properties for a large number of gamma-ray sources using a uniform analysis method. After correlating with the most-complete catalogs of source types known to emit gamma rays, 630 of these sources are unassociated (i.e., have no obvious counterparts at other wavelengths). Here, we employ two statistical analyses of the primary gamma-ray characteristics for these unassociated sources in an effort to correlate their gamma-ray properties with the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and pulsar populations in 1FGL. Based on the correlation results, we classify 221 AGN-like and 134 pulsar-like sources in the 1FGL unassociated sources. The results of these source classifications appear to match the expected source distributions, especially at high Galactic latitudes. While useful for planning future multiwavelength follow-up observations, these analyses use limited inputs, and their predictions should not be considered equivalent to probable source classes for these sources. We discuss multiwavelength results and catalog cross-correlations to date, and provide new source associations for 229 Fermi-LAT sources that had no association listed in the 1FGL catalog. By validating the source classifications against these new associations, we find that the new association matches the predicted source class in similar to 80% of the sources.
  •  
31.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • Constraining Dark Matter Models from a Combined Analysis of Milky Way Satellites with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 107:24
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are among the most promising targets for dark matter searches in gamma rays. We present a search for dark matter consisting of weakly interacting massive particles, applying a joint likelihood analysis to 10 satellite galaxies with 24 months of data of the Fermi Large Area Telescope. No dark matter signal is detected. Including the uncertainty in the dark matter distribution, robust upper limits are placed on dark matter annihilation cross sections. The 95% confidence level upper limits range from about 10(-26) cm(3) s(-1) at 5 GeV to about 5 x 10(-23) cm(3) s(-1) at 1 TeV, depending on the dark matter annihilation final state. For the first time, using gamma rays, we are able to rule out models with the most generic cross section (similar to 3 x 10(-26) cm(3) s(-1) for a purely s-wave cross section), without assuming additional boost factors.
  •  
32.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • Fermi LAT observations of cosmic-ray electrons from 7 GeV to 1 TeV
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: PHYSICAL REVIEW D. - 1550-7998. ; 82:9, s. 092004-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present the results of our analysis of cosmic-ray electrons using about 8 x 10(6) electron candidates detected in the first 12 months on-orbit by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This work extends our previously published cosmic-ray electron spectrum down to 7 GeV, giving a spectral range of approximately 2.5 decades up to 1 TeV. We describe in detail the analysis and its validation using beam-test and on-orbit data. In addition, we describe the spectrum measured via a subset of events selected for the best energy resolution as a cross-check on the measurement using the full event sample. Our electron spectrum can be described with a power law proportional to E-3.08+/-0.05 with no prominent spectral features within systematic uncertainties. Within the limits of our uncertainties, we can accommodate a slight spectral hardening at around 100 GeV and a slight softening above 500 GeV.
  •  
33.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI-LAT OBSERVATIONS OF THE DIFFUSE γ-RAY EMISSION : IMPLICATIONS FOR COSMIC RAYS AND THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 750:1, s. 3-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The gamma-ray sky >100MeVis dominated by the diffuse emissions from interactions of cosmic rays with the interstellar gas and radiation fields of the Milky Way. Observations of these diffuse emissions provide a tool to study cosmic-ray origin and propagation, and the interstellar medium. We present measurements from the first 21 months of the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) mission and compare with models of the diffuse gamma-ray emission generated using the GALPROP code. The models are fitted to cosmic-ray data and incorporate astrophysical input for the distribution of cosmic-ray sources, interstellar gas, and radiation fields. To assess uncertainties associated with the astrophysical input, a grid of models is created by varying within observational limits the distribution of cosmic-ray sources, the size of the cosmic-ray confinement volume (halo), and the distribution of interstellar gas. An all-sky maximum-likelihood fit is used to determine the X-CO factor, the ratio between integrated CO-line intensity and H-2 column density, the fluxes and spectra of the gamma-ray point sources from the first Fermi-LAT catalog, and the intensity and spectrum of the isotropic background including residual cosmic rays that were misclassified as gamma-rays, all of which have some dependency on the assumed diffuse emission model. The models are compared on the basis of their maximum-likelihood ratios as well as spectra, longitude, and latitude profiles. We also provide residual maps for the data following subtraction of the diffuse emission models. The models are consistent with the data at high and intermediate latitudes but underpredict the data in the inner Galaxy for energies above a few GeV. Possible explanations for this discrepancy are discussed, including the contribution by undetected point-source populations and spectral variations of cosmic rays throughout the Galaxy. In the outer Galaxy, we find that the data prefer models with a flatter distribution of cosmic-ray sources, a larger cosmic-ray halo, or greater gas density than is usually assumed. Our results in the outer Galaxy are consistent with other Fermi-LAT studies of this region that used different analysis methods than employed in this paper.
  •  
34.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • THE FIRST FERMI-LAT CATALOG OF SOURCES ABOVE 10 GeV
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 209:2
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present a catalog of gamma-ray sources at energies above 10 GeV based on data from the Large Area Telescope (LAT) accumulated during the first 3 yr of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. The first Fermi catalog of > 10 GeV sources (1FHL) has 514 sources. For each source we present location, spectrum, a measure of variability, and associations with cataloged sources at other wavelengths. We found that 449 (87%) could be associated with known sources, of which 393 (76% of the 1FHL sources) are active galactic nuclei. Of the 27 sources associated with known pulsars, we find 20 (12) to have significant pulsations in the range > 10 GeV (> 25 GeV). In this work we also report that, at energies above 10 GeV, unresolved sources account for 27% +/- 8% of the isotropic. gamma-ray background, while the unresolved Galactic population contributes only at the few percent level to the Galactic diffuse background. We also highlight the subset of the 1FHL sources that are best candidates for detection at energies above 50-100 GeV with current and future ground-based gamma-ray observatories.
  •  
35.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • DETECTION OF THE ENERGETIC PULSAR PSR B1509-58 AND ITS PULSAR WIND NEBULA IN MSH 15-52 USING THE FERMI-LARGE AREA TELESCOPE
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 714:1, s. 927-936
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report the detection of high-energy gamma-ray emission from the young and energetic pulsar PSR B1509-58 and its pulsar wind nebula (PWN) in the composite supernova remnant G320.4-1.2 (aka MSH 15-52). Using 1 yr of survey data with the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT), we detected pulsations from PSR B1509-58 up to 1 GeV and extended gamma-ray emission above 1 GeV spatially coincident with the PWN. The pulsar light curve presents two peaks offset from the radio peak by phases 0.96 +/- 0.01 and 0.33 +/- 0.02. New constraining upper limits on the pulsar emission are derived below 1 GeV and confirm a severe spectral break at a few tens of MeV. The nebular spectrum in the 1-100 GeV energy range is well described by a power law with a spectral index of (1.57 +/- 0.17 +/- 0.13) and a flux above 1 GeV of (2.91 +/- 0.79 +/- 1.35) x 10(-9) cm(-2) s(-1). The first errors represent the statistical errors on the fit parameters, while the second ones are the systematic uncertainties. The LAT spectrum of the nebula connects nicely with Cherenkov observations, and indicates a spectral break between GeV and TeV energies.
  •  
36.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF THE VELA-X PULSAR WIND NEBULA
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 713:1, s. 146-153
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on gamma-ray observations in the off-pulse window of the Vela pulsar PSR B0833-45 using 11 months of survey data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). This pulsar is located in the 8 degrees diameter Vela supernova remnant, which contains several regions of non-thermal emission detected in the radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands. The gamma-ray emission detected by the LAT lies within one of these regions, the 2 degrees x 3 degrees area south of the pulsar known as Vela-X. The LAT flux is significantly spatially extended with a best-fit radius of 0.degrees 88 +/- 0.degrees 12 for an assumed radially symmetric uniform disk. The 200 MeV to 20 GeV LAT spectrum of this source is well described by a power law with a spectral index of 2.41 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.15 and integral flux above 100 MeV of (4.73 +/- 0.63 +/- 1.32) x 10(-7) cm(-2) s(-1). The first errors represent the statistical error on the fit parameters, while the second ones are the systematic uncertainties. Detailed morphological and spectral analyses give strong constraints on the energetics and magnetic field of the pulsar wind nebula system and favor a scenario with two distinct electron populations.
  •  
37.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF TWO GAMMA-RAY EMISSION COMPONENTS FROM THE QUIESCENT SUN
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 734:2, s. 116-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report the detection of high-energy gamma-rays from the quiescent Sun with the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope (Fermi) during the first 18 months of the mission. These observations correspond to the recent period of low solar activity when the emission induced by cosmic rays (CRs) is brightest. For the first time, the high statistical significance of the observations allows clear separation of the two components: the point-like emission from the solar disk due to CR cascades in the solar atmosphere and extended emission from the inverse Compton (IC) scattering of CR electrons on solar photons in the heliosphere. The observed integral flux (>= 100 MeV) from the solar disk is (4.6 +/- 0.2inverted right perpendicularstatistical errorinverted left perpendicular(-0.08)(+1.0)inverted right perpendicularsystematic errorinverted left perpendicular) x 10(-7) cm(-2) s(-1), which is similar to 7 times higher than predicted by the nominal model of Seckel et al. In contrast, the observed integral flux (>= 100 MeV) of the extended emission from a region of 20 degrees radius centered on the Sun, but excluding the disk itself, (6.8 +/- 0.7[stat.](-0.4)(+0.5)[syst.]) x 10(-7) cm(-2) s(-1), along with the observed spectrum and the angular profile, is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions for the IC emission.
  •  
38.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • Multi-wavelength observations of the flaring gamma-ray blazar 3C 66A in 2008 October
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 726:1, s. 43-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The BL Lacertae object 3C 66A was detected in a flaring state by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and VERITAS in 2008 October. In addition to these gamma-ray observations, F-GAMMA, GASP-WEBT, PAIRITEL, MDM, ATOM, Swift, and Chandra provided radio to X-ray coverage. The available light curves show variability and, in particular, correlated flares are observed in the optical and Fermi-LAT gamma-ray band. The resulting spectral energy distribution can be well fitted using standard leptonic models with and without an external radiation field for inverse Compton scattering. It is found, however, that only the model with an external radiation field can accommodate the intra-night variability observed at optical wavelengths.
  •  
39.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • THE FIRST FERMI MULTIFREQUENCY CAMPAIGN ON BL LACERTAE : CHARACTERIZING THE LOW-ACTIVITY STATE OF THE EPONYMOUS BLAZAR
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 730:2, s. 101-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on observations of BL Lacertae during the first 18 months of Fermi LAT science operations and present results from a 48 day multifrequency coordinated campaign from 2008 August 19 to 2008 October 7. The radio to gamma-ray behavior of BL Lac is unveiled during a low-activity state thanks to the coordinated observations of radio-band (Metsahovi and VLBA), near-IR/optical (Tuorla, Steward, OAGH, and MDM), and X-ray (RXTE and Swift) observatories. No variability was resolved in gamma rays during the campaign, and the brightness level was 15 times lower than the level of the 1997 EGRET outburst. Moderate and uncorrelated variability has been detected in UV and X-rays. The X-ray spectrum is found to be concave, indicating the transition region between the low- and high-energy components of the spectral energy distribution (SED). VLBA observation detected a synchrotron spectrum self-absorption turnover in the innermost part of the radio jet appearing to be elongated and inhomogeneous, and constrained the average magnetic field there to be less than 3 G. Over the following months, BL Lac appeared variable in gamma rays, showing flares (in 2009 April and 2010 January). There is no evidence for the correlation of gamma rays with the optical flux monitored from the ground in 18 months. The SED may be described by a single-zone or a two-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model, but a hybrid SSC plus external radiation Compton model seems to be preferred based on the observed variability and the fact that it provides a fit closest to equipartition.
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40.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • DETECTION OF A SPECTRAL BREAK IN THE EXTRA HARD COMPONENT OF GRB 090926A
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 729:2, s. 114-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on the observation of the bright, long gamma-ray burst, GRB 090926A, by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope (LAT) instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. GRB 090926A shares several features with other bright LAT bursts. In particular, it clearly shows a short spike in the light curve that is present in all detectors that see the burst, and this in turn suggests that there is a common region of emission across the entire Fermi energy range. In addition, while a separate high-energy power-law component has already been observed in other gamma-ray bursts, here we report for the first time the detection with good significance of a high-energy spectral break (or cutoff) in this power-law component around 1.4 GeV in the time-integrated spectrum. If the spectral break is caused by opacity to electron-positron pair production within the source, then this observation allows us to compute the bulk Lorentz factor for the outflow, rather than a lower limit.
  •  
41.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • Determination of the point-spread function for the fermi large area telescope from on-orbit data and limits on pair halos of active galactic nuclei
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 765:1, s. 54-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is a pair-conversion telescope designed to detect photons with energies from approximate to 20 MeV to > 300 GeV. The pre-launch response functions of the LAT were determined through extensive Monte Carlo simulations and beam tests. The point-spread function (PSF) characterizing the angular distribution of reconstructed photons as a function of energy and geometry in the detector is determined here from two years of on-orbit data by examining the distributions of gamma rays from pulsars and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Above 3 GeV, the PSF is found to be broader than the pre-launch PSF. We checked for dependence of the PSF on the class of gamma-ray source and observation epoch and found none. We also investigated several possible spatial models for pair-halo emission around BL Lac AGNs. We found no evidence for a component with spatial extension larger than the PSF and set upper limits on the amplitude of halo emission in stacked images of low-and high-redshift BL Lac AGNs and the TeV blazars 1ES0229 + 200 and 1ES0347-121.
  •  
42.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • In-flight measurement of the absolute energy scale of the Fermi Large Area Telescope
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Astroparticle physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0927-6505 .- 1873-2852. ; 35:6, s. 346-353
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on-board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is a pair-conversion telescope designed to survey the gamma-ray sky from 20 MeV to several hundreds of GeV. In this energy band there are no astronomical sources with sufficiently well known and sharp spectral features to allow an absolute calibration of the LAT energy scale. However, the geomagnetic cutoff in the cosmic ray electron-plus-positron (CRE) spectrum in low Earth orbit does provide such a spectral feature. The energy and spectral shape of this cutoff can be calculated with the aid of a numerical code tracing charged particles in the Earth's magnetic field. By comparing the cutoff value with that measured by the LAT in different geomagnetic positions, we have obtained several calibration points between ∌6 and ∌13 GeV with an estimated uncertainty of ∌2%. An energy calibration with such high accuracy reduces the systematic uncertainty in LAT measurements of, for example, the spectral cutoff in the emission from gamma ray pulsars.
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43.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • Measurement of Separate Cosmic-Ray Electron and Positron Spectra with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 108:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We measured separate cosmic-ray electron and positron spectra with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Because the instrument does not have an onboard magnet, we distinguish the two species by exploiting Earth's shadow, which is offset in opposite directions for opposite charges due to Earth's magnetic field. We estimate and subtract the cosmic-ray proton background using two different methods that produce consistent results. We report the electron-only spectrum, the positron-only spectrum, and the positron fraction between 20 and 200 GeV. We confirm that the fraction rises with energy in the 20-100 GeV range. The three new spectral points between 100 and 200 GeVare consistent with a fraction that is continuing to rise with energy.
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44.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • Periodic Emission from the Gamma-Ray Binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 335:6065, s. 189-193
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Gamma-ray binaries are stellar systems containing a neutron star or black hole, with gamma-ray emission produced by an interaction between the components. These systems are rare, even though binary evolution models predict dozens in our Galaxy. A search for gamma-ray binaries with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) shows that 1FGL J1018.6-5856 exhibits intensity and spectral modulation with a 16.6-day period. We identified a variable x-ray counterpart, which shows a sharp maximum coinciding with maximum gamma-ray emission, as well as an O6V((f)) star optical counterpart and a radio counterpart that is also apparently modulated on the orbital period. 1FGL J1018.6-5856 is thus a gamma-ray binary, and its detection suggests the presence of other fainter binaries in the Galaxy.
  •  
45.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • Searches for cosmic-ray electron anisotropies with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: PHYS REV D. - 1550-7998. ; 82:9, s. 092003-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi satellite (Fermi LAT) detected more than 1.6 x 10(6) cosmic-ray electrons/positrons with energies above 60 GeV during its first year of operation. The arrival directions of these events were searched for anisotropies of angular scale extending from similar to 10 degrees up to 90 degrees, and of minimum energy extending from 60 GeV up to 480 GeV. Two independent techniques were used to search for anisotropies, both resulting in null results. Upper limits on the degree of the anisotropy were set that depended on the analyzed energy range and on the anisotropy's angular scale. The upper limits for a dipole anisotropy ranged from similar to 0.5% to similar to 10%.
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46.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • The Fermi All-Sky Variability Analysis : A List Of Flaring Gamma-Ray Sources And The Search For Transients In Our Galaxy
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 771:1, s. 57-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • In this paper, we present the Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis (FAVA), a tool to systematically study the variability of the gamma-ray sky measured by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. For each direction on the sky, FAVA compares the number of gamma-rays observed in a given time window to the number of gamma-rays expected for the average emission detected from that direction. This method is used in weekly time intervals to derive a list of 215 flaring gamma-ray sources. We proceed to discuss the 27 sources found at Galactic latitudes smaller than 10 degrees and show that, despite their low latitudes, most of them are likely of extragalactic origin.
  •  
47.
  • Abdo, A. A., et al. (författare)
  • DISCOVERY OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM THE BINARY SYSTEM PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 AROUND PERIASTRON WITH FERMI
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8205. ; 736:1, s. L11-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on the discovery of >= 100 MeV gamma-rays from the binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 using the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board Fermi. The system comprises a radio pulsar in orbit around a Be star. We report on LAT observations from near apastron to similar to 128 days after the time of periastron, t(p), on 2010 December 15. No gamma-ray emission was detected from this source when it was far from periastron. Faint gamma-ray emission appeared as the pulsar approached periastron. At similar to t(p) + 30 days, the >= 100 MeV gamma-ray flux increased over a period of a few days to a peak flux 20-30 times that seen during the pre-periastron period, but with a softer spectrum. For the following month, it was seen to be variable on daily timescales, but remained at similar to(1-4) x 10(-6) cm(-2) s(-1) before starting to fade at similar to t(p) + 57 days. The total gamma-ray luminosity observed during this period is comparable to the spin-down power of the pulsar. Simultaneous radio and X-ray observations of the source showed no corresponding dramatic changes in radio and X-ray flux between the pre-periastron and post-periastron flares. We discuss possible explanations for the observed gamma-ray-only flaring of the source.
  •  
48.
  • Acero, F., et al. (författare)
  • Constraints on the galactic population of TeV pulsar wind nebulae using fermi large area telescope observations
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 773:1, s. 77-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) have been established as the most populous class of TeV gamma-ray emitters. Since launch, the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has identified five high-energy (100 MeV < E < 100 GeV) gamma-ray sources as PWNe and detected a large number of PWN candidates, all powered by young and energetic pulsars. The wealth of multi-wavelength data available and the new results provided by Fermi-LAT give us an opportunity to find new PWNe and to explore the radiative processes taking place in known ones. The TeV gamma-ray unidentified (UNID) sources are the best candidates for finding new PWNe. Using 45 months of Fermi-LAT data for energies above 10 GeV, an analysis was performed near the position of 58 TeV PWNe and UNIDs within 5. of the Galactic plane to establish new constraints on PWN properties and find new clues on the nature of UNIDs. Of the 58 sources, 30 were detected, and this work provides their gamma-ray fluxes for energies above 10 GeV. The spectral energy distributions and upper limits, in the multi-wavelength context, also provide new information on the source nature and can help distinguish between emission scenarios, i.e., between classification as a pulsar candidate or as a PWN candidate. Six new GeV PWN candidates are described in detail and compared with existing models. A population study of GeV PWN candidates as a function of the pulsar/PWN system characteristics is presented.
  •  
49.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • ASSOCIATING LONG-TERM gamma-RAY VARIABILITY WITH THE SUPERORBITAL PERIOD OF LS I+61 degrees 303
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS. - 2041-8205. ; 773:2, s. L35-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Gamma-ray binaries are stellar systems for which the spectral energy distribution (discounting the thermal stellar emission) peaks at high energies. Detected from radio to TeV gamma rays, the gamma-ray binary LS I + 61 degrees 303 is highly variable across all frequencies. One aspect of this system's variability is the modulation of its emission with the timescale set by the similar to 26.4960 day orbital period. Here we show that, during the time of our observations, the gamma-ray emission of LS I + 61 degrees 303 also presents a sinusoidal variability consistent with the previously known superorbital period of 1667 days. This modulation is more prominently seen at orbital phases around apastron, whereas it does not introduce a visible change close to periastron. It is also found in the appearance and disappearance of variability at the orbital period in the power spectrum of the data. This behavior could be explained by a quasi-cyclical evolution of the equatorial outflow of the Be companion star, whose features influence the conditions for generating gamma rays. These findings open the possibility to use gamma-ray observations to study the outflows of massive stars in eccentric binary systems.
  •  
50.
  • Ackermann, M., et al. (författare)
  • Constraints on the galactic halo dark matter from fermi-lat diffuse measurements
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 761:2, s. 91-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We have performed an analysis of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) in the Milky Way halo region, searching for a signal from dark matter annihilation or decay. In the absence of a robust dark matter signal, constraints are presented. We consider both gamma rays produced directly in the dark matter annihilation/decay and produced by inverse Compton scattering of the e(+)/e(-) produced in the annihilation/decay. Conservative limits are derived requiring that the dark matter signal does not exceed the observed diffuse gamma-ray emission. A second set of more stringent limits is derived based on modeling the foreground astrophysical diffuse emission using the GALPROP code. Uncertainties in the height of the diffusive cosmic-ray halo, the distribution of the cosmic-ray sources in the Galaxy, the index of the injection cosmic-ray electron spectrum, and the column density of the interstellar gas are taken into account using a profile likelihood formalism, while the parameters governing the cosmic-ray propagation have been derived from fits to local cosmic-ray data. The resulting limits impact the range of particle masses over which dark matter thermal production in the early universe is possible, and challenge the interpretation of the PAMELA/Fermi-LAT cosmic ray anomalies as the annihilation of dark matter.
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