Extragalactic Background Light Spectrum Research Articles

Constraining z ≲ 2 ultraviolet emission with the upcoming ULTRASAT satellite

Context. The extragalactic background light (EBL) carries a huge astrophysical and cosmological content. Its frequency spectrum and redshift evolution are determined by the integrated emission of unresolved sources, with these being galaxies, active galactic nuclei, or more exotic components. The near-UV region of the EBL spectrum is currently not well constrained, yet a significant improvement can be expected thanks to the soon-to-be launched Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite (ULTRASAT). Intended to study transient events in the 2300–2900 Å observed band, this detector will provide wide field maps tracing the UV intensity fluctuations at the largest scales. Aims. In this paper, we suggest how to exploit the ULTRASAT full-sky map as well as its low-cadence survey in order to reconstruct the redshift evolution of the UV-EBL volume emissivity. We build upon the work of Chiang et al. (2019, ApJ, 870, 120), who used the clustering-based redshift (CBR) technique to study diffuse light maps from GALEX. Their results showed the capability of the cross correlation between GALEX and SDSS spectroscopic catalogs in constraining UV emissivity, highlighting how CBR is sensitive only to extragalactic emissions, avoiding foregrounds and Galactic contributions. Methods. In our analysis, we introduce a framework to forecast the CBR constraining power when applied to ULTRASAT and GALEX in cross correlation with the five-year DESI spectroscopic survey. Results. We show that these will yield a strong improvement in the measurement of the UV-EBL volume emissivity. For λ = 1500 Å non-ionizing continuum below z ∼ 2, we forecast a 1σ uncertainty ≲26% (9%) with conservative (optimistic) bias priors using the ULTRASAT full-sky map. Similar constraints can be obtained from its low-cadence survey, which will provide a smaller but deeper map. Finally, we discuss how these results will foster our understanding of UV-EBL models.

Influence of cosmic voids on the propagation of TeV gamma-rays and the puzzle of GRB 221009A

ABSTRACT The recent detection of gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A has attracted attention due to its record brightness and first-ever detection of $\gtrsim 10$ TeV gamma-rays from a GRB. Despite being the second-nearest GRB ever detected, at a redshift of $z=0.151$, the distance is large enough for severe attenuation of gamma-ray flux at these energies due to $\gamma \gamma \rightarrow e^\pm$ pair production with the extragalactic background light (EBL). Here, we investigate whether the presence of cosmic voids along the line of sight can significantly impact the detectability of very high energy (VHE, $\gt $100 GeV) gamma-rays from distant sources. Notably, we find that the gamma–gamma opacity for VHE gamma-rays can be reduced by approximately 10 per cent and up to 30 per cent at around 13 TeV, the highest-energy photon detected from GRB 221009A, for intervening cosmic voids along the line of sight with a combined radius of 110 Mpc, typically found from void catalogues, and 250 Mpc, respectively. This reduction is substantially higher for TeV photons compared to GeV photons, attributable to the broader target photon spectrum that TeV photons interact with. This finding implies that VHE photons are more susceptible to variations in the EBL spectrum, especially in regions dominated by cosmic voids. Our study sheds light on the detection of $\gtrsim 10$ TeV gamma-rays from GRB 221009A in particular, and on the detection of extragalactic VHE sources in general.

Cosmic Near-infrared Background Tomography with SPHEREx Using Galaxy Cross-correlations

Abstract The extragalactic background light (EBL) consists of integrated light from all sources of emission throughout the history of the universe. At near-infrared wavelengths, the EBL is dominated by stellar emission across cosmic time; however, the spectral and redshift information of the emitting sources is entangled and cannot be directly measured by absolute photometry or fluctuation measurements. Cross-correlating near-infrared maps with tracers of known redshift enables EBL redshift tomography, as EBL emission will only correlate with external tracers from the same redshift. Here, we forecast the sensitivity of probing the EBL spectral energy distribution as a function of redshift by cross-correlating the upcoming near-infrared spectro-imaging survey, SPHEREx, with several current and future galaxy redshift surveys. Using a model galaxy luminosity function, we estimate the cross power spectrum clustering amplitude on large scales, and forecast that the near-infrared EBL spectrum can be detected tomographically out to z ∼ 6. We also predict a high-significance measurement (∼102–104 σ) of the small-scale cross power spectrum out to z ∼ 10. The amplitudes of the large-scale cross power spectra can constrain the cosmic evolution of the stellar synthesis process through both continuum and the line emission, while on the nonlinear and Poisson noise scales, the high-sensitivity measurements can probe the mean spectra associated with the tracer population across redshift.

Search for decaying eV-mass axion-like particles using gamma-ray signal from blazars

Decaying axion-like particles (ALP) with masses in the eV range which might occupy dark matter halos of the Milky Way and other galaxies produce a characteristic “bump” feature in the spectrum of extragalactic background light (EBL). This feature leaves an imprint on the gamma-ray spectra of distant extragalactic sources. We derive constraints on the ALP coupling to photons based on analysis of spectra of very-high-energy gamma-ray loud blazars. We combine gamma-ray spectral measurements by Fermi/LAT and Cherenkov telescopes and fit a model in which the intrinsic source spectrum is modified by pair production on photons produced by ALP decays. We constrain the amplitude of gamma-ray flux suppression by this effect. We find that the combined Fermi/LAT and VERITAS data set for the source 1ES 1218+304 currently provides the tightest constraint on ALP-two-photon coupling which is complementary to the constraints imposed by non-observation of excess energy loss in Horizontal Branch stars, by the high-resolution spectroscopic observations of galaxy clusters with optical telescopes and by the searches of ALP signal with CERN Solar Axion Telescope. Our analysis favours existence of a bump in the EBL spectrum which could be produced by ALPs in the mass range 2–3 eV and axion-photon coupling ∼ 10−10 GeV−1. We discuss possibilities for verification of this hint with deeper Cherenkov telescope observations of large number of blazars with current generation instruments and with the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

Search for spectral features in extragalactic background light with gamma-ray telescopes

Context. Cumulative optical and infrared emission from galaxies accumulated over cosmological time scales, the extragalactic background light (EBL), could be probed by complementary techniques of direct observations and source counting in the visible and infrared as well as via its imprint on the signal of distant active galactic nuclei in γ-rays. Aims. We compare the visible and infrared measurements with the γ-ray constraints and study if the discrepancies of the measurements with different methods could be due to the presence of features in the EBL spectrum that are localised in the micron wavelength range. Methods. We combined data on time-averaged spectra of selected blazars that were obtained by Fermi and ground-based gamma-ray telescopes. We also modelled the effect of absorption on EBL while allowing for the existence of a previously unaccounted spectral feature. Results. We show that a previously reported “excess” in EBL flux in the ∼1 micron wavelength range is consistent with γ-ray measurements, that is, if the excess has the form of a narrow feature of the width δλ < λ and an overall flux of up to 15 nW m−2 sr−1 above the “minimal” EBL, which is estimated from the visible and infrared source counts. Such ’bump-like’ spectral features could originate, for example, from decaying dark-matter particles, or either axions or peculiar astrophysical processes in the course of star-formation history. We discuss the possibilities for the search of spectral features in the EBL with the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

Constraining the star formation rate with the extragalactic background light

The present day spectrum of the extragalactic background light (EBL) in UV, optical and IR wavelengths is the integral result of multiple astrophysical processes going on throughout the evolution of the Universe. The relevant processes include star formation, stellar evolution, light absorption and emission by the cosmic dust. The properties of these processes are known with uncertainties which contribute to the EBL spectrum precision. In the present paper we develop a numerical model of the EBL spectrum while maintaining the explicit dependence on the astrophysical parameters involved. We constructed a Markov Chain in the parameter space by using the likelihood function built with the up-to-date upper and lower bounds on the EBL intensity. The posterior distributions built with the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method are used to determine an allowed range of the individual parameters of the model. Consequently, the star formation rate multiplication factor is constrained in the range $1.01 < C_{\mbox{sfr}} < 1.69$ at $68\%$ C.L. The method also results in the bounds on the lifetime, radius, dust particle density and opacity of the molecular clouds that have large ambiguity otherwise. It is shown that there is a reasonable agreement between the model and the intensity bounds while the astrophysical parameters of the best fit model are close to their estimates from literature.

Extragalactic background light: a measurement at 400 nm using dark cloud shadow – II. Spectroscopic separation of the dark cloud’s light, and results★

In a project aimed at measuring the optical Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) we are using the shadow of a dark cloud.We have performed, with the ESO VLT/FORS, spectrophotometry of the surface brightness towards the high-galactic-latitude dark cloud Lynds 1642. A spectrum representing the difference between the opaque core of the cloud and several unobscured positions around the cloud was presented in Paper I (Mattila et al. 2017a). The topic of the present paper is the separation of the scattered starlight from the dark cloud itself which is the only remaining foreground component in this difference. While the scattered starlight spectrum has the characteristic Fraunhofer lines and the discontinuity at 400 nm, typical of integrated light of galaxies, the EBL spectrum is a smooth one without these features. As template for the scattered starlight we make use of the spectra at two semi-transparent positions. The resulting EBL intensity at 400 nm is $I_{\rm EBL} = 2.9\pm1.1$ $10^{-9}$ erg cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$sr$^{-1}$\AA$^{-1}$, or $11.6\pm4.4$ nW m$^{-2}$sr$^{-1}$, which represents a 2.6$\sigma$ detection; the scaling uncertainty is +20%/-16%. At 520 nm we have set a 2$\sigma$ upper limit of $I_{\rm EBL} \le$4.5 $10^{-9}$ erg cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$sr$^{-1}$\AA$^{-1}$ or $\le$23.4 nW m$^{-2}$sr$^{-1}$ +20%/-16%. Our EBL value at 400 nm is $\ge 2$ times as high as the integrated light of galaxies. No known diffuse light sources, such as light from Milky Way halo, intra-cluster or intra-group stars appear capable of explaining the observed EBL excess over the integrated light of galaxies.

Extragalactic background light: a measurement at 400 nm using dark cloud shadow*†– I. Low surface brightness spectrophotometry in the area of Lynds 1642

We present the method and observations for the measurement of the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) utilizing the shadowing effect of a dark cloud. We measure the surface brightness difference between the opaque cloud core and its unobscured surroundings. In the difference the large atmospheric and Zodiacal light components are eliminated and the only remaining foreground component is the scattered starlight from the cloud itself. Although much smaller, its separation is the key problem in the method. For its separation we use spectroscopy. While the scattered starlight has the characteristic Fraunhofer lines and 400 nm discontinuity the EBL spectrum is smooth and without these features. Medium resolution spectrophotometry at $\lambda$ = 380 - 580 nm was performed with ${VLT}$/FORS at ESO of the surface brightness in and around the high-galactic-latitude dark cloud Lynds 1642. Besides the spectrum for the core with $A_V \ge 15$ mag, further spectra were obtained for intermediate-opacity cloud positions. They are used as proxy for the spectrum of the impinging starlight spectrum and facilitate the separation of the scattered starlight (cf. Paper II, Mattila et al. 2017b). Our spectra reach a precision of $\sim 0.5$ $10^{-9}$ erg cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$sr$^{-1}$\AA$^{-1}$ as required to measure an EBL intensity in range of $\sim$1 to a few times $10^{-9}$ erg cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$sr$^{-1}$\AA$^{-1}$. Because all surface brightness components are measured using the same equipment the method does not require unusually high absolute calibration accuracy, a condition which has been a problem for some previous EBL projects

THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT, THE HUBBLE CONSTANT, AND ANOMALIES: CONCLUSIONS FROM 20 YEARS OF TeV GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS

Ground-based observatories have been collecting 0.2 - 20 TeV gamma rays from blazars for about twenty years. These gamma rays can experience absorption along the line of sight due to interactions with the extragalactic background light (EBL). In this paper, we show that the gamma-ray optical depth can be reduced to the convolution product of an EBL kernel with the EBL intensity, assuming a particular form for the EBL evolution. We extract the absorption signal from the most extensive set of TeV spectra from blazars collected so far and unveil a broad-band EBL spectrum from mid-ultraviolet to far infrared. This spectrum is in good agreement with the accumulated emission of galaxies, constraining unresolved populations of sources. We propose a data-driven estimate of the Hubble constant based on the comparison of local and gamma-ray measurements of the EBL. After setting stringent upper-limits on the redshift of four TeV blazars, we investigate the 106 gamma-ray spectra in our sample and find no significant evidence for anomalies. The intrinsic TeV spectra are not harder than their GeV counterpart, and no spectral upturn is visible at the highest optical depths. Finally, we investigate a modification of the pair-creation threshold due to Lorentz invariance violation. A mild excess prevents us from ruling out an effect at the Planck energy, and we constrain for the first time the energy scale of the modification to values larger than sixty percent of the Planck energy.

ESTIMATION OF THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT USING TeV OBSERVATIONS OF BL Lac OBJECTS

The very high energy (VHE) gamma ray spectral index of high energy peaked blazars correlates strongly with its corresponding redshift whereas no such correlation is observed in the X-ray or the GeV bands. We attribute this correlation to a result of photon-photon absorption of TeV photons with the extragalactic background light (EBL) and utilizing this, we compute the allowed flux range for the EBL, which is independent of previous estimates. The observed VHE spectrum of the sources in our sample can be well approximated by a power-law, and if the de-absorbed spectrum is also assumed to be a power law, then we show that the spectral shape of EBL will be $\epsilon n(\epsilon) \sim k log(\frac{\epsilon}{\epsilon_p}) $. We estimate the range of values for the parameters defining the EBL spectrum, $k$ and $\epsilon_p$, such that the correlation of the intrinsic VHE spectrum with redshift is nullified. The estimated EBL depends only on the observed correlation and the assumption of a power law source spectrum. Specifically, it does not depend on the spectral modeling or radiative mechanism of the sources, nor does it depend on any theoretical shape of the EBL spectrum obtained through cosmological calculations. The estimated EBL spectrum is consistent with the upper and lower limits imposed by different observations. Moreover, it also agrees closely with the theoretical estimates obtained through cosmological evolution models.

Understanding the spectrum of a distant blazar PKS 1424 + 240 and its implications

We calculate the gamma-ray spectrum of a distant blazar, PKS 1424+240, located at redshift z⩾0.6035, where the optical depth to primary gamma rays of the highest observed energies is τ⩾5. The spectral shape agrees well with what is expected from secondary gamma rays produced in line-of-sight interactions of cosmic rays with background photons. In particular, we find an acceptable agreement with the source redshifts in the range 0.6⩽z⩽1.3. We discuss the implications of existing and future data for models of extragalactic background light (EBL) and for the redshift of the source. In the case of a future detection of temporal variability at lower energies, one can set more restrictive limits on both the source redshift and the EBL spectrum.

The TeV blazar measurement of the extragalactic background light

Gamma-rays propagating through space are likely to be extinguished via electron-positron pair production off of the ambient extragalactic background light (EBL). The spectrum of the EBL is produced by starlight (and starlight reprocessed by dust) from all galaxies throughout the history of the Universe. The attenuation of 40–400 GeV gamma-rays has been observed by Fermi and used to measure the EBL spectrum over energies 1 eV–10 eV out to redshift z ∼ 1. Measurements of several TeV blazers are consistent with attenuation, attributed to the EBL at redshift z ∼ 0.1. Here we simultaneously analyze a set of TeV blazers at z ∼ 0.1 to measure the optical depth for 100 GeV–10 TeV gamma-rays, which interact with EBL of energies 0.05 eV–5 eV. Using a suite of models for the EBL, we show that the optical depth indicated by TeV blazar attenuation is in good agreement with the optical depths measured by Fermi at lower gamma-ray energies and higher redshifts.

THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT FROM THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATTENUATION OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SPECTRUM

The attenuation of high-energy gamma-ray spectrum due to the electron-positron pair production against the extragalactic background light (EBL) provides an indirect method to measure the EBL of the universe. We use the measurements of the absorption features of the gamma-rays from blazars as seen by Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to explore the EBL flux density and constrain the EBL spectrum, star formation rate density (SFRD) and photon escape fraction from galaxies out to z=6. Our results are basically consistent with the existing determinations of the quantities. We find a larger photon escape fraction at high redshifts, especially at z=3, compared to the result from the recent Ly-alpha measurements. Our SFRD result is consistent with the data from both gamma-ray burst and UV observations in 1-sigma level. However, the average SFRD we obtain at z>~3 matches the gamma-ray data better than the UV data. Thus our SFRD result at z>~6 favors that it is sufficiently high enough to reionize the universe.

Extragalactic Background Light expected from photon-photon absorption on spectra of distant Active Galactic Nuclei

Extragalactic background radiation blocks the propagation of TeV gamma-ray over large distances by producing e + e − pairs. As a result, primary spectrum of gamma-source is changed, depending on spectrum of background light. So, hard spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei with high red shifts allow the determination of a EBL spectrum. The redshifts of SHALON TeV gamma-ray sources range from 0.018 to 1.375 those spectra are resolved at the energies from 800GeV to 30 TeV. Spectral energy distribution of EBL constrained from observations of Mkn421 (z=0.031), Mkn501 (z=0.034), Mkn180 (z=0.046), OJ287 (z=0.306), 3c454.3 (z=0.859) and 1739+522 (z=1.375) together with models and measurements are presented. The cosmological processes, connecting the physics of matter in Active Galactic Nuclei will be observed in the energy spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. The un- derstanding of mechanisms in active galactic nuclei re- quires the detection of a large sample of very high en- ergy gamma-ray objects at varying redshifts. The detec- tion of the very high energy -ray sources at the red- shifts z=0.0179 to z=1.375 with SHALON telescope gives an opportunity to constrain extragalactic background light (EBL) density, based on modification to gamma-ray spec- tra and thus it will help to reconstruct the the cosmological history of the EBL.

The extragalactic background light and the gamma-ray opacity of the universe

The extragalactic background light (EBL) is one of the fundamental observational quantities in cosmology. All energy releases from resolved and unresolved extragalactic sources, and the light from any truly diffuse background, excluding the cosmic microwave background (CMB), contribute to its intensity and spectral energy distribution. It therefore plays a crucial role in cosmological tests for the formation and evolution of stellar objects and galaxies, and for setting limits on exotic energy releases in the universe. The EBL also plays an important role in the propagation of very high energy γ-rays which are attenuated en route to Earth by pair producing γ–γ interactions with the EBL and CMB. The EBL affects the spectrum of the sources, predominantly blazars, in the ∼10GeV–10TeV energy regime. Knowledge of the EBL intensity and spectrum will allow the determination of the intrinsic blazar spectrum in a crucial energy regime that can be used to test particle acceleration mechanisms and very high energy (VHE) γ-ray production models. Conversely, knowledge of the intrinsic γ-ray spectrum and the detection of blazars at increasingly higher redshifts will set strong limits on the EBL and its evolution. This paper reviews the latest developments in the determination of the EBL and its impact on the current understanding of the origin and production mechanisms of γ-rays in blazars, and on energy releases in the universe. The review concludes with a summary and future directions in Cherenkov Telescope Array techniques and in infrared ground-based and space observatories that will greatly improve our knowledge of the EBL and the origin and production of very high energy γ-rays.

Spectrophotometric measurement of the Extragalacic Background Light

AbstractThe Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) at UV, optical and NIR wavelengths consists of the integrated light of all unresolved galaxies along the line of sight plus any contributions by intergalactic matter including hypothetical decaying relic particles. The measurement of the EBL has turned out to be a tedious problem. This is because of the foreground components of the night sky brightness, much larger than the EBL itself: the Zodiacal Light (ZL), Integrated Starlight (ISL), Diffuse Galactic Light (DGL) and, for ground-based observations, the Airglow (AGL) and the tropospheric scattered light. We have been developing a method for the EBL measurement which utilises the screening effect of a dark nebula on the EBL. A differential measurement in the direction of a high-latitude dark nebula and its surrounding area provides a signal that is due to two components only, i.e. the EBL and the diffusely scattered ISL from the cloud. We present a progress report of this method where we are now utilising intermediate resolution spectroscopy with ESO's VLT telescope. We detect and remove the scattered ISL component by using its characteristic Fraunhofer line spectral signature. In contrast to the ISL, in the EBL spectrum all spectral lines are washed out. We present a high quality spectrum representing the difference between an opaque position within our target cloud and several clear OFF positions around the cloud. We derive a preliminary EBL value at 400 nm and an upper limit to the EBL at 520 nm. These values are in the same range as the EBL lower limits derived from galaxy counts.Unit: We will use in this paper the abbreviation 1 cgs = 10−9erg s−1cm−2sr−1Å−1

A Novel Method for Measuring the Extragalactic Background Light: Fermi Application to the Lobes of Fornax A

We describe a new method for measuring the extragalactic background light (EBL) through the detection of γ-ray inverse Compton (IC) emission due to scattering of the EBL photons off relativistic electrons in the lobes of radio galaxies. Our method has no free physical parameters and is a powerful tool when the lobes are characterized by a high-energy sharp break or cutoff in their electron energy distribution (EED). We show that such a feature will produce a high-energy IC imprint of the EBL spectrum in which the radio lobes are embedded and show how this imprint can be used to derive the EBL. We apply our method to the bright nearby radio galaxy Fornax A, for which we demonstrate, using Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and EGRET observations, that the EED of its lobes is characterized by a conveniently located cutoff, bringing the IC EBL emission into the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope energy range. We show that Fermi will set upper limits to the optical EBL and measure the more elusive infrared EBL.

New constraints on the mid-IR EBL from the HESS discovery of VHE γ-rays from 1ES 0229+200

Aims:To investigate the very high energy (VHE: >100 GeV) γ-ray emission from the high-frequency peaked BL Lac 1ES 0229+200. Methods: Observations of 1ES 0229+200 at energies above 580 GeV were performed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) in 2005 and 2006. Results: 1ES 0229+200 is discovered by HESS to be an emitter of VHE photons. A signal is detected at the 6.6σ level in the HESS observations (41.8 h live time). The integral flux above 580 GeV is (9.4±1.5_stat±1.9_syst) × 10-13 cm-2 s-1, corresponding to ~1.8% of the flux observed from the Crab Nebula. The data show no evidence for significant variability on any time scale. The observed spectrum is characterized by a hard power law (Γ = 2.50±0.19_stat±0.10_syst) from 500 GeV to ~15 TeV. Conclusions: The high-energy range and hardness of the observed spectrum, coupled with the object's relatively large redshift (z = 0.1396), enable the strongest constraints so far on the density of the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) in the mid-infrared band. Assuming that the emitted spectrum is not harder than Γ_int ≈ 1.5, the HESS data support an EBL spectrum ∝λ-1 and density close to the lower limit from source counts measured by Spitzer, confirming the previous indications from the HEGRA data of 1ES 1426+428 (z=0.129). Irrespective of the EBL models used, the intrinsic spectrum of 1ES 0229+200 is hard, thus locating the high-energy peak of its spectral energy distribution above a few TeV.

The 1- m discontinuity in the extragalactic background light spectrum: an artefact of foreground subtraction

Several recent papers claim the detection of a near-infrared (NIR) extragalactic background light (EBL) intensity at 1.25-4 μm that exceeds the integrated light of galaxies by factors of >3. When combined with a claimed optical detection of the EBL at 0.80 μm the EBL excess emission spectrum has a discontinuity at ∼1 μm. This discontinuity has given rise to an interpretation in terms of ultraviolet radiation emanating from the first generation of massive stars at redshifts of 7-20 (so-called Population III stars). The interpretation of the NIR excess emission as being of extragalactic origin depends crucially on the model used in the subtraction of the zodiacal light (ZL), the dominant foreground contaminant. We estimate the ZL at 0.80 μm using on the one hand the measurement by Bernstein et al., with corrections for some omitted effects of atmospheric scattering and calibration, and on the other hand the model of Kelsall et al. There is in neither case any evidence for a step in the EBL at ∼1 μm. We emphasize that in order to avoid systematic effects it is essential to use the same ZL model for both the NIR (1.25-4 μm) and optical (0.80 μm) data. We emphasize, however, that our analysis does not allow a statement on the overall level of the NIR EBL. The contribution of the diffuse galactic light to the 'EBL excess' emission is estimated. It is found to be significant at 3-4 μm and should be carefully evaluated in future measurements which aim at detecting an EBL signal at the level of ∼10 nW m -2 sr -1 , that is, at the level of the integrated light of (known) galaxies.

Constraining the Emission Properties of TeV Blazar H1426+428 by the Synchrotron Self‐Compton Model

H1426+428 is one of blazars that are observed by $\gamma$-rays in the TeV region. Because TeV $\gamma$-rays from distant sources are subject to attenuation by the extragalactic background light (EBL) via electron-positron pair production, the intrinsic spectrum of the TeV $\gamma$-rays should be inferred by using the models of radiation processes and EBL spectrum. We set constraints on the physical condition of H1426+428 with the synchrotron-self-Compton model applying several EBL models. We find that the emission region of H1426+428 is moving toward us with the bulk Lorentz factor of $\sim 20$ and that its magnetic field strength is $\sim 0.1$ G. These properties are similar to other TeV blazars such as Mrk 421 and Mrk 501. However, the ratio of the energy density of nonthermal electrons to that of the magnetic fields is about 190 and fairly larger than those of Mrk 421 and Mrk 501, which are about 5 -- 20. It is also found that the intensity of EBL in the middle and near infrared wavelengths should be low, i.e., the intensity at 10 $\mu$m is about 1 nW m$^{-2}$ sr$^{-1}$ to account for the observed TeV $\gamma$-ray flux. Because the spectral data of H1426+428 in X-rays and $\gamma$-rays used in our analysis were not obtained simultaneously, further observations of TeV blazars are necessary to make the constraints on EBL more stringent.