Extragalactic Background Light Intensity Research Articles

Detection of Very High-energy Gamma-Ray Emission from the Radio Galaxy M87 with LHAASO

The nearby radio galaxy M87 is a very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emitter established by observations with ground-based gamma-ray detectors. Here we report the long-term monitoring of M87 from 2021 to 2024 with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). M87 has been detected by LHAASO with a statistical significance ∼ 9σ. The observed energy spectrum extends to 20 TeV, with a possible hardening at ∼20 TeV and then a clear softening at higher energies. Assuming that the intrinsic spectrum is described by a single power law up to 20 TeV, a tight upper bound on the extragalactic background light intensity is obtained. A strong VHE flare lasting 8 days, with a rise time of τrrise=1.05±0.49 days and decay time of τddecay=2.17±0.58 days, was found in early 2022. A possible GeV flare is seen also in Fermi Large Area Telescope data during the VHE flare period. The variability time as short as 1 day seen in the LHAASO data suggests a compact emission region with a size of ∼3 × 1015 δ cm (δ being the Doppler factor of the emitting region), corresponding to a few Schwarzschild radii of the central supermassive black hole in M87. The continuous monitoring of the source reveals a duty cycle of ∼1% for VHE flares with a flux above 10−11 erg cm−2 s−1.

Modeling the Extragalactic Background Light and the Cosmic Star Formation History

We present an updated model for the extragalactic background light (EBL) from stars and dust, over wavelengths ≈0.1–1000 μm. This model uses accurate theoretical stellar spectra, and tracks the evolution of star formation, stellar mass density, metallicity, and interstellar dust extinction and emission in the universe with redshift. Dust emission components are treated self-consistently, with stellar light absorbed by dust reradiated in the infrared as three blackbody components. We fit our model, with free parameters associated with star formation rate and dust extinction and emission, to a wide variety of data: luminosity density, stellar mass density, and dust extinction data from galaxy surveys; and γ-ray absorption optical depth data from γ-ray telescopes. Our results strongly constraint the star formation rate density and dust photon escape fraction of the universe out to redshift z = 10, about 90% of the history of the universe. We find our model result is, in some cases, below lower limits on the z = 0 EBL intensity, and below some low-z γ-ray absorption measurements.

Very-high-energy flat spectral radio quasar candidates

ABSTRACT The attenuation of very-high-energy (VHE) photons by the extragalactic background light (EBL) prevents the observation of high-redshift flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). However, the correlation of the VHE spectral index with source redshift suggests that the EBL intensity may be less than what is predicted. This deviation can draw new constraints on the opacity of the Universe to VHE gamma-rays. Therefore, more FSRQs may fall above the sensitivity of the forthcoming VHE telescopes than the ones predicted by the existing EBL models. In order to account for the lower EBL intensity predicted by the index–redshift correlation, we introduce a redshift-dependent correction factor to the opacity, estimated from a commonly used cosmological EBL model. Considering this modified opacity, we identify the plausible VHE FSRQ candidates by linearly extrapolating the Fermi gamma-ray spectrum at 10 GeV to the VHE regime. Our study suggests that among 744 FSRQs reported in the Fermi Fourth Catalogue Data Release 2, 32 FSRQs will be detectable by the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). Because FSRQs are proven to be highly variable, we assume a scenario where the average Fermi gamma-ray flux increases by a factor of 10, and this predicts an additional 90 FSRQs that can be detected by the CTAO.

Probing the Extragalactic Mid-infrared Background with HAWC

The extragalactic background light (EBL) contains all the radiation emitted by nuclear and accretion processes in stars and compact objects since the epoch of recombination. Measuring the EBL density directly is challenging, especially in the near-to-far-infrared wave band, mainly due to the zodiacal light foreground. Instead, gamma-ray astronomy offers the possibility to indirectly set limits on the EBL by studying the effects of gamma-ray absorption in the very high energy (VHE: >100 GeV) spectra of distant blazars. The High Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma Ray Observatory (HAWC) is one of the few instruments sensitive to gamma rays with energies above 10 TeV. This offers the opportunity to probe the EBL in the near/mid-IR region: λ = 1–100 μm. In this study, we fit physically motivated emission models to Fermi-LAT gigaelectronvolt data to extrapolate the intrinsic teraelectronvolt spectra of blazars. We then simulate a large number of absorbed spectra for different randomly generated EBL model shapes and calculate Bayesian credible bands in the EBL intensity space by comparing and testing the agreement between the absorbed spectra and HAWC extragalactic observations of two blazars. The resulting bands are in agreement with current EBL lower and upper limits, showing a downward trend toward higher wavelength values λ > 10 μm also observed in previous measurements.

The Isotropic Interplanetary Dust Cloud and Near-infrared Extragalactic Background Light Observed with COBE/DIRBE

Abstract We report observation of isotropic interplanetary dust (IPD) by analyzing the infrared (IR) maps of the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) on board the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) spacecraft. To search for the isotropic IPD, we perform new analysis in terms of the solar elongation angle (ϵ), because we expect the zodiacal light (ZL) intensity from the isotropic IPD to decrease as a function of ϵ. We use the DIRBE weekly averaged maps covering 64° ≲ ϵ ≲ 124° and inspect the ϵ dependence of residual intensity after subtracting conventional ZL components. We find the ϵ dependence of the residuals, indicating the presence of the isotropic IPD. However, the mid-IR ϵ dependence is different from that of the isotropic IPD model at ϵ ≳ 90°, where the residual intensity increases as a function of ϵ. To explain the observed ϵ dependence, we assume a spheroidal IPD cloud showing higher density farther away from the Sun. We estimate the intensity of the near-IR extragalactic background light (EBL) by subtracting the spheroidal component, assuming the spectral energy distribution from the residual brightness at 12 μm. The EBL intensity is derived as , , and at 1.25, 2.2, and 3.5 μm, respectively. The EBL is still a few times larger than the integrated light of normal galaxies, suggesting the existence of unaccounted-for extragalactic sources.

Detailed modelling of the EBL along VHE γ-ray paths

Interactions between the extragalactic background light (EBL) and very high energy {\gamma} rays (VHE; E > 10 GeV) from cosmological sources alter their {\gamma}-ray spectrum. The stronger absorption of harder {\gamma} rays causes a steepening of the observed {\gamma}-ray spectrum at the high energy tail which can be expressed by an increase of the power index. The effect provides a link between high energy astrophysics and the evolution of galaxies. In this work we develop a new hybrid EBL model by augmenting our previous analytic model with information from semi-analytic galaxy catalogues. The model allows us to study the {\gamma}-ray opacities of individual {\gamma}-ray paths through the (simulated) universe and evaluate the effect of local fluctuations in the EBL intensity along each path. We confirm an order of magnitude fluctuations in the local EBL (based on the cumulative light from model galaxy distributions within spheres of 50 $h^{-1}$Mpc). However, the effect of these fluctuations on the VHE {\gamma}-ray opacity is insignificant due to the overall very small contribution of the local EBL to the total EBL. We also investigate the effect which a galaxy crossing the line of sight of the {\gamma}-ray source may have on the VHE spectrum. We find that galaxies with stellar masses of M$ > 10^{11}$ M$_{\odot}$ could have significant effect on the {\gamma}-ray absorption. It is unlikely that the observed variation in the spectral index is caused by the proximity of single galaxies to the {\gamma}-ray paths as these are extremely rare.

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*†– 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

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.

GAMMA-RAYS FROM THE QUASAR PKS 1441+25: STORY OF AN ESCAPE

Outbursts from gamma-ray quasars provide insights on the relativistic jets of active galactic nuclei and constraints on the diffuse radiation fields that fill the Universe. The detection of significant emission above 100 GeV from a distant quasar would show that some of the radiated gamma rays escape pair-production interactions with low-energy photons, be it the extragalactic background light (EBL), or the radiation near the supermassive black hole lying at the jet's base. VERITAS detected gamma-ray emission up to 200 GeV from PKS 1441+25 (z=0.939) during April 2015, a period of high activity across all wavelengths. This observation of PKS 1441+25 suggests that the emission region is located thousands of Schwarzschild radii away from the black hole. The gamma-ray detection also sets a stringent upper limit on the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared EBL intensity, suggesting that galaxy surveys have resolved most, if not all, of the sources of the EBL at these wavelengths.

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.

On the origin of near-infrared extragalactic background light anisotropy.

Extragalactic background light (EBL) anisotropy traces variations in the total production of photons over cosmic history and may contain faint, extended components missed in galaxy point-source surveys. Infrared EBL fluctuations have been attributed to primordial galaxies and black holes at the epoch of reionization (EOR) or, alternately, intrahalo light (IHL) from stars tidally stripped from their parent galaxies at low redshift. We report new EBL anisotropy measurements from a specialized sounding rocket experiment at 1.1 and 1.6 micrometers. The observed fluctuations exceed the amplitude from known galaxy populations, are inconsistent with EOR galaxies and black holes, and are largely explained by IHL emission. The measured fluctuations are associated with an EBL intensity that is comparable to the background from known galaxies measured through number counts and therefore a substantial contribution to the energy contained in photons in the cosmos.

TeV GAMMA RAYS: OBSERVATIONS VERSUS EXPECTATIONS &amp; THEORY

The scope of this paper is to discuss two important questions relevant for TeV γ-ray astronomy; the pursuit to reveal the origin of cosmic rays in our galaxy, and the opacity of the universe in γ-rays. The origin of cosmic rays stipulated the field of TeV astronomy in the first place, and led to the development of the atmospheric Cherenkov technique; significant progress has been made in the last decade through the detection of several supernova remnants, the primary suspects for harboring the acceleration sites of cosmic rays. TeV γ-rays propagate mostly unhindered through the galactic plane, making them excellent probes of processes in SNRs and other galactic sources. Key results related to the SNR origin of cosmic rays are discussed. TeV γ-ray spectra from extragalactic sources experience significant absorption when traversing cosmological distances. The opacity of the universe to γ-rays above 10 GeV progressively increases with energy and redshift; the reason lies in their pair production with ambient soft photons from the extragalactic background light (EBL). While this limits the γ-ray horizon, it offers the opportunity to gain information about cosmology, i.e. the EBL intensity, physical conditions in intergalactic space, and potentially new interaction processes. Results and implications pertaining to the EBL are given.

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.

Limits on the extragalactic background light in theFermiera

Very high energy (VHE, energy $E \gtrsim 100$\,GeV) \gamma-rays from cosmological sources are attenuated due to the interaction with photons of the extragalactic background light (EBL) in the ultraviolet to infrared wavelength band. The EBL, thus, leaves an imprint on the observed energy spectra of these objects. In the last four years, the number of extragalactic VHE sources discovered with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), such as MAGIC, H.E.S.S., and VERITAS, has doubled. Furthermore, the measurements of the \emph{Fermi} satellite brought new insights into the intrinsic spectra of the sources at GeV energies. In this paper, upper limits on the EBL intensity are derived by considering the most extensive VHE source sample ever used in this context. This is accomplished by constructing a large number of generic EBL shapes and combining spectral informations from \emph{Fermi} and IACTs together with minimal assumptions about the source physics at high and very high \gamma-ray energies. The evolution of the EBL with redshift is accounted for and the possibility of the formation of an electromagnetic cascade and the implications on the upper limits are explored. The EBL density at $z=0$ is constrained over a broad wavelength range between 0.4 and 100\,\mu m. At optical wavelengths, the EBL density is constrained below 24\,nW\,m$^{-2}$\,sr$^{-1}$ and below 5\,nW\,m$^{-2}$\,sr$^{-1}$ between 8\,\mu m and 31\,\mu m.

DARK MATTER POWERED STARS: CONSTRAINTS FROM THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT

The existence of predominantly cold non-baryonic dark matter is unambiguously demonstrated by several observations (e.g., structure formation, big bang nucleosynthesis, gravitational lensing, and rotational curves of spiral galaxies). A candidate well motivated by particle physics is a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP). Self-annihilating WIMPs would affect the stellar evolution especially in the early universe. Stars powered by self-annihilating WIMP dark matter should possess different properties compared with standard stars. While a direct detection of such dark matter powered stars seems very challenging, their cumulative emission might leave an imprint in the diffuse metagalactic radiation fields, in particular in the mid-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this work the possible contributions of dark matter powered stars (dark stars; DSs) to the extragalactic background light (EBL) are calculated. It is shown that existing data and limits of the EBL intensity can already be used to rule out some DS parameter sets.

An empirical approach to the extragalactic background light from AEGIS galaxy SED-type fractions

AbstractThe extragalactic background light (EBL) is of fundamental importance both for understanding the entire process of galaxy evolution and for γ-ray astronomy. However, the overall spectrum of the EBL between 0.1 and 1000 μm has never been determined directly, neither from observed luminosity functions (LFs), over a wide redshift range, nor from any multiwavelength observation of galaxy spectral energy distributions (SEDs). The evolving overall spectrum of the EBL is derived here utilizing a novel method based on observations only. It is emphasized that the local EBL seems already well constrained from the UV up to the mid-IR. Different independent methodologies such as direct measurement, galaxy counts, γ-ray attenuation and realistic EBL modelings point towards the same EBL intensity level. Therefore, a relevant contribution from Pop III stars to the local EBL seems unlikely.

STRONG NEW CONSTRAINTS ON THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT IN THE NEAR- TO MID-INFRARED

Direct measurements of the extragalactic background light (EBL) in the near-IR to mid-IR waveband are extremely difficult due to an overwhelming foreground from the zodiacal light that outshines the faint cosmological diffuse radiation field by more than an order of magnitude. Indirect constraints on the EBL are provided by γ-ray observations of active galactic nuclei. Using the combination of the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope together with the current generation of ground-based air Cherenkov telescopes (H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS) provides unprecedented sensitivity and spectral coverage for constraining the EBL in the near- to mid-IR. In this paper, we present new limits on the EBL based on the analysis of the broadband spectra of a select set of γ-ray blazars covering 200 MeV to several TeV. The EBL intensity at 15 μm is constrained to be 1.36 ± 0.58 nW m−2 sr−1. We find that the fast evolution and baseline EBL models of Stecker et al., as well as the model of Kneiske et al., predict significantly higher EBL intensities in the mid-IR (15 μm) than is allowed by the constraints derived here. In addition, the model of Franceschini et al. and the fiducial model of Domínguez et al. predict near- to mid-IR ratios smaller than that derived from our analysis. Namely, their intensities in the near-IR are too low while their intensities in the mid-IR are marginally too high. All of the aforementioned models are inconsistent with our analysis at the >3σ level.

FERMILARGE AREA TELESCOPE CONSTRAINTS ON THE GAMMA-RAY OPACITY OF THE UNIVERSE

The Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) includes photons with wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared, which are effective at attenuating gamma rays with energy above ~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 onboard Fermi detects a sample of gamma-ray blazars with redshift up to z~3, and GRBs with redshift up to z~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. (2006) can be ruled out with high confidence.

Constraints on Energy Spectra of Blazars based on Recent EBL Limits from Galaxy Counts

We combine the recent estimate of the contribution of galaxies to the 3.6 μm intensity of the extragalactic background light (EBL) with optical and near-infrared (IR) galaxy counts to set new limits on intrinsic spectra of some of the most distant TeV blazars, 1ES 0229+200, 1ES 1218+30.4, and 1ES 1101–232, located at redshifts 0.1396, 0.182, and 0.186, respectively. The new lower limit on the 3.6 μm EBL intensity is significantly higher than the previous one set by the cumulative emission from resolved Spitzer galaxies. Correcting for attenuation by the revised EBL, we show that the differential spectral index of the intrinsic spectrum of the three blazars is -->1.28 ± 0.20 or harder. These results present blazar emission models with the challenge of producing extremely hard intrinsic spectra in the sub-TeV to multi-TeV regime. These results also question the reliability of recently derived upper limits on the near-IR EBL intensity that are solely based on the assumption that intrinsic blazar spectra should not be harder than 1.50.