VHE Source Research Articles

Modelling the Galactic very-high-energyγ-ray source population

Context.The High Energy Stereoscopic System Galactic plane survey (HGPS) is to date the most comprehensive census of Galacticγ-ray sources at very high energies (VHE; 100 GeV ≤ E ≤ 100 TeV). As a consequence of the limited sensitivity of this survey, the 78 detectedγ-ray sources comprise only a small and biased subsample of the overall population. The larger part consists of currently unresolved sources, which contribute to large-scale diffuse emission to a still uncertain amount.Aims.We study the VHEγ-ray source population in the Milky Way. For this purpose population-synthesis models are derived based on the distributions of source positions, extents, and luminosities.Methods.Several azimuth-symmetric and spiral-arm models are compared for spatial source distribution. The luminosity and radius function of the population are derived from the source properties of the HGPS data set and are corrected for the sensitivity bias of the HGPS. Based on these models, VHE source populations are simulated and the subsets of sources detectable according to the HGPS are compared with HGPS sources.Results.The power-law indices of luminosity and radius functions are determined to range between −1.6 and −1.9 for luminosity and −1.1 and −1.6 for radius. A two-arm spiral structure with central bar is discarded as spatial distribution of VHE sources, while azimuth-symmetric distributions and a distribution following a four-arm spiral structure without bar describe the HGPS data reasonably well. The total number of Galactic VHE sources is predicted to be in the range from 800 to 7000 with a total luminosity and flux of (1.6 − 6.3) × 1036ph s−1and (3 − 15) × 10−10ph cm−2s−1, respectively.Conclusions.Depending on the model, the HGPS sample accounts for (68 − 87)% of the emission of the population in the scanned region. This suggests that unresolved sources represent a critical component of the diffuse emission measurable in the HGPS. With the foreseen jump in sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, the number of detectable sources is predicted to increase by a factor between 5 and 9.

Observations of Sagittarius A* during the pericenter passage of the G2 object with MAGIC

Context. We present the results of a multi-year monitoring campaign of the Galactic Center (GC) with the MAGIC telescopes. These observations were primarily motivated by reports that a putative gas cloud (G2) would be passing in close proximity to the super-massive black hole (SMBH), associated with Sagittarius A*, located at the center of our galaxy. This event was expected to give astronomers a unique chance to study the effect of in-falling matter on the broad-band emission of a SMBH. Aims. We search for potential flaring emission of very-high-energy (VHE; $\geq$100 GeV) gamma rays from the direction of the SMBH at the GC due to the passage of the G2 object. Using these data we also study the morphology of this complex region. Methods. We observed the GC region with the MAGIC Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes during the period 2012-2015, collecting 67 hours of good-quality data. In addition to a search for variability in the flux and spectral shape of the GC gamma-ray source, we use a point-source subtraction technique to remove the known gamma-ray emitters located around the GC in order to reveal the TeV morphology of the extended emission inside that region. Results. No effect of the G2 object on the VHE gamma-ray emission from the GC was detected during the 4 year observation campaign. We confirm previous measurements of the VHE spectrum of Sagittarius A*, and do not detect any significant variability of the emission from the source. Furthermore, the known VHE gamma-ray emitter at the location of the supernova remnant G0.9+0.1 was detected, as well as the recently discovered VHE source close to the GG radio Arc.

Galactic very high energy sources and enhancements of material content

The association of very-high energy (VHE; E > 100GeV) sources with regions of the sky rich in dust and gas has been noticed in the study of individual VHE sources. However, the statistical significance of this correlation for the whole population of TeV detections has not been assessed yet. To trace the material content, we make use of the publicly released all-sky maps of astrophysical foregrounds of the Planck Collaboration, and of an extensive existing CO mapping of the Galactic sky. To test the correlation, we construct randomized samples of VHE source positions starting from the inner Galactic plane survey. A positive correlation cannot be firmly established yet. Additionally we explore the possibility that unidentified VHE sources are located in environment particularly rich in material content unaccounted by traditional tracers, including HI hyperfine transition at 21cm to trace atomic hydrogen in regions where the gas is diffuse. No additional gas component is found in the direction of unidentified VHE sources.

MAGIC long-term study of the distant TeV blazar PKS 1424+240 in a multiwavelength context

We present a study of the very high energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission of the blazar PKS 1424+240 observed with the MAGIC telescopes. The primary aim of this paper is the multiwavelength spectral characterization and modeling of this blazar, which is made particularly interesting by the recent discovery of a lower limit of its redshift of z > 0.6 and makes it a promising candidate to be the most distant VHE source. The source has been observed with the MAGIC telescopes in VHE gamma rays for a total observation time of ~33.6 h from 2009 to 2011. The source was marginally detected in VHE gamma rays during 2009 and 2010, and later, the detection was confirmed during an optical outburst in 2011. The combined significance of the stacked sample is ~7.2 sigma. The differential spectra measured during the different campaigns can be described by steep power laws with the indices ranging from 3.5 +/- 1.2 to 5.0 +/- 1.7. The MAGIC spectra corrected for the absorption due to the extragalactic background light connect smoothly, within systematic errors, with the mean spectrum in 2009-2011 observed at lower energies by the Fermi-LAT. The absorption-corrected MAGIC spectrum is flat with no apparent turn down up to 400 GeV. The multiwavelength light curve shows increasing flux in radio and optical bands that could point to a common origin from the same region of the jet. The large separation between the two peaks of the constructed non-simultaneous spectral energy distribution also requires an extremely high Doppler factor if an one zone synchrotron self-Compton model is applied. We find that a two-component synchrotron self-Compton model describes the spectral energy distribution of the source well, if the source is located at z~0.6.

On the possible correlation of Galactic very-high energy source locations and enhancements of the surface density in the Galactic plane

The association of very-high energy sources with regions of the sky rich in dust and gas has been noticed in the study of individual VHE sources. However, the statistical significance of such correlation for the whole population of TeV detections has not been assessed yet. Here we present a study of the association of VHE sources in the central Galactic region with positions of enhanced material content. We obtain estimates of the material content through two classical tracers: dust emission and intensity of the $^\textrm{12}$CO(1$\rightarrow$0) line. We make use of the recently released all-sky maps of astrophysical foregrounds of the Planck Collaboration and of the extensive existing CO mapping of the Galactic sky. In order to test the correlation, we construct randomized samples of VHE source positions starting from the inner Galactic plane survey sources detected by the H.E.S.S. array. We find hints of a positive correlation between positions of VHE sources and regions rich in molecular material, which in the best of cases reaches the 3.9sigma level. The latter confidence is however decreased if variations in the selection criteria are considered, what lead us to conclude that a positive correlation cannot be firmly established yet. Forthcoming VHE facilities will be needed in order to firmly establish the correlation.

A Monte Carlo template based analysis for air-Cherenkov arrays

We present a high-performance event reconstruction algorithm: an Image Pixel-wise fit for Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (ImPACT). The reconstruction algorithm is based around the likelihood fitting of camera pixel amplitudes to an expected image template. A maximum likelihood fit is performed to find the best-fit shower parameters. A related reconstruction algorithm has already been shown to provide significant improvements over traditional reconstruction for both the CAT and H.E.S.S. experiments. We demonstrate a significant improvement to the template generation step of the procedure, by the use of a full Monte Carlo air shower simulation in combination with a ray-tracing optics simulation to more accurately model the expected camera images. This reconstruction step is combined with an MVA-based background rejection.Examples are shown of the performance of the ImPACT analysis on both simulated and measured (from a strong VHE source) gamma-ray data from the H.E.S.S. array, demonstrating an improvement in sensitivity of more than a factor two in observation time over traditional image moments-fitting methods, with comparable performance to previous likelihood fitting analyses. ImPACT is a particularly promising approach for future large arrays such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) due to its improved high-energy performance and suitability for arrays of mixed telescope types.

Identification of HESS J1303−631 as a pulsar wind nebula throughγ-ray, X-ray, and radio observations

The previously unidentified very high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) \gamma-ray source HESS J1303-631, discovered in 2004, is re-examined including new data from the H.E.S.S. Cherenkov telescope array. Archival data from the XMM-Newton X-ray satellite and from the PMN radio survey are also examined. Detailed morphological and spectral studies of VHE \gamma-ray emission as well as of the XMM-Newton X-ray data are performed. Significant energy-dependent morphology of the \gamma-ray source is detected with high-energy emission (E > 10 TeV) positionally coincident with the pulsar PSR J1301-6305 and lower energy emission (E <2 TeV) extending \sim 0.4^{\circ} to the South-East of the pulsar. The spectrum of the VHE source can be described with a power-law with an exponential cut-off N_{0} = (5.6 \pm 0.5) X 10^{-12} TeV^-1 cm^-2 s^-1, \Gamma = 1.5 \pm 0.2) and E_{\rm cut} = (7.7 \pm 2.2) TeV. The PWN is also detected in X-rays, extending \sim 2-3' from the pulsar position towards the center of the \gamma-ray emission region. The spectral energy distribution (SED) is well described by a one zone leptonic scenario which, with its associated caveats, predicts a very low average magnetic field for this source. Significant energy-dependent morphology of this source, as well as the identification of an associated X-ray PWN from XMM-Newton observations enable identification of the VHE source as an evolved PWN associated to the pulsar PSR J1303-6305. However, the large discrepancy in emission region sizes and the low level of synchrotron radiation suggest a multi-population leptonic nature. The low implied magnetic field suggests that the PWN has undergone significant expansion. This would explain the low level of synchrotron radiation and the difficulty in detecting counterparts at lower energies, the reason this source was originally classified as a "dark" VHE \gamma-ray source.

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.

Discovery of VHE emission towards the Carina arm region with the H.E.S.S. telescope array: HESS J1018–589

The Carina arm region, containing the supernova remnant SNR G284.3–1.8, the high-energy (HE; E > 100 MeV) binary 1FGL J1018.6–5856 and the energetic pulsar PSR J1016–5857 and its nebula, has been observed with the H.E.S.S. telescope array. The observational coverage of the region in very-high-energy (VHE; E > 0.1 TeV) γ-rays benefits from deep exposure (40 h) of the neighboring open cluster Westerlund 2. The observations have revealed a new extended region of VHE γ-ray emission. The new VHE source HESS J1018–589 shows a bright, point-like emission region positionally coincident with SNR G284.3–1.8 and 1FGL J1018.6–5856 and a diffuse extension towards the direction of PSR J1016–5857. A soft (Γ = 2.7 ± 0.5stat) photon index, with a differential flux at 1 TeV of N0 = (4.2 ± 1.1) × 10-13 TeV-1 cm-2 s-1 is found for the point-like source, whereas the total emission region including the diffuse emission region is well fit by a power-law function with spectral index Γ = 2.9 ± 0.4stat and differential flux at 1 TeV of N0 = (6.8 ± 1.6) × 10-13 TeV-1 cm-2 s-1. This H.E.S.S. detection motivated follow-up X-ray observations with the XMM-Newton satellite to investigate the origin of the VHE emission. The analysis of the XMM-Newton data resulted in the discovery of a bright, non-thermal point-like source (XMMU J101855.4–58564) with a photon index of Γ = 1.65 ± 0.08 in the center of SNR G284.3–1.8, and a thermal, extended emission region coincident with its bright northern filament. The characteristics of this thermal emission are used to estimate the plasma density in the region as n ≈ 0.5 cm-3 (2.9 kpc/d)2. The position of XMMU J101855.4–58564 is compatible with the position reported by the Fermi-LAT collaboration for the binary system 1FGL J1018.6–5856 and the variable Swift XRT source identified with it. The new X-ray data are used alongside archival multi-wavelength data to investigate the relationship between the VHE γ-ray emission from HESS J1018–589 and the various potential counterparts in the Carina arm region.

VERITAS Very High Energy Gamma-ray Observations of Galaxies

Remarkable progress has been made in very high energy (VHE; E ≥ 100 GeV) gamma-ray astrophysics in the last decade. The VHE source catalog has increased tenfold, with a wide variety of source classes, and includes more than 45 extragalactic objects. Currently, the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) has made observations of numerous source candidates, both galactic and extragalactic, including more than 100 galaxies. The last 18 months of observations are especially noteworthy as they have been completed in a new array configuration, following the relocation of one of the four 12–meter telescopes. This new configuration has yielded a significant increase in the VERITAS sensitivity to gamma-ray sources above 100 GeV, resulting in several new source detections in the first few months of operations alone. To date, the VERITAS extragalactic source catalog includes various blazars, the radio galaxy M87 and the starburst galaxy M82. Highlights from the VERITAS extragalactic observation program are summarized here.

Very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from the direction of the Galactic globular cluster Terzan 5

The H.E.S.S. very-high-energy (VHE, E > 0.1 TeV) gamma-ray telescope system has discovered a new source, HESS J1747-248. The measured integral flux is (1.2 +/- 0.3) \times 10^-12 cm-2 s-1 above 440 GeV for a power-law photon spectral index of 2.5 +/- 0.3 stat +/- 0.2 sys. The VHE gamma-ray source is located in the close vicinity of the Galactic globular cluster Terzan 5 and extends beyond the H.E.S.S. point spread function (0.07 degree). The probability of a chance coincidence with Terzan 5 and an unrelated VHE source is quite low (~ 10^-4). With the largest population of identified millisecond pulsars (msPSRs), a very high core stellar density and the brightest GeV range flux as measured by Fermi-LAT, Terzan 5 stands out among Galactic globular clusters. The properties of the VHE source are briefly discussed in the context of potential emission mechanisms, notably in relation to msPSRs. Interpretation of the available data accommodates several possible origins for this VHE gamma-ray source, although none of them offers a satisfying explanation of its peculiar morphology.

A multi-wavelength study of the unidentified TeV gamma-ray source HESS J1626−490

HESS J1626-490, so far only detected with the H.E.S.S. array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, could not be unambiguously identified with any source seen at lower energies. Therefore, we analyzed data from an archival XMM-Newton observation, pointed towards HESS J1626-490, to classify detected X-ray point-sources according to their spectral properties and their near-infrared counterparts from the 2MASS catalog. Furthermore, we characterized in detail the diffuse X-ray emission from a region compatible with the extended VHE signal. To characterize the Interstellar Medium surrounding HESS J1626-490 we analyzed $^{12}$CO(J=1-0) molecular line data from the NANTEN Galactic plane survey, HI data from the Southern Galactic Plane Survey and Spitzer data from the GLIMPSE and MIPSGAL surveys. None of the detected X-ray point sources fulfills the energetic requirements to be considered as the synchrotron radiation (SR) counterpart to the VHE source assuming an Inverse Compton (IC) emission scenario. We did not detect any diffuse X-ray excess emission originating from the region around HESS J1626-490 above the Galactic Background and the derived upper limit for the total X-ray flux disfavors a purely leptonic emission scenario for HESS J1626-490. We found a good morphological match between molecular and atomic gas in the -27km/s to -18km/s line-of-sight velocity range and HESS J1626-490. The cloud has a mass of 1.8$times 10^4$M$_{odot}$ and is located at a mean kinematic distance of $d$ = 1.8 kpc. Furthermore, we found a density depression in the HI gas at a similar distance which is spatially consistent with the SNR G335.2+00.1. We discuss various scenarios for the VHE emission, including the CO molecular cloud being a passive target for cosmic ray protons accelerated by the nearby SNR G335.2+00.1.

Using X‐ray observations to identify the particle acceleration mechanisms in VHE SNRs and “dark” VHE sources

AbstractVery high energy (VHE) γ‐ray observations have proven to be very successful in localizing Galactic acceleration sites of VHE particles. Observations of shell‐type supernova remnants have confirmed that particles are accelerated to VHE energies in supernova blast waves; the interpretation of the γ‐ray data in terms of hadronic or leptonic particle components in these objects relies nevertheless strongly on input from X‐ray observations. The largest identified Galactic VHE source class consists of pulsar wind nebulae, as detected in X‐rays. Many of the remaining VHE sources remain however unidentified until now. With X‐ray observations of these enigmatic “dark” objects one hopes to solve the following questions: What is the astrophysical nature of these sources? Are they predominantly electron or hadron accelerators? And what is their contribution to the overall cosmic ray energy budget? The paper aims to provide an overview over the identification status of the Galactic VHE source population. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The Flux Variability of Markarian 501 in Very High Energy Gamma Rays

The BL Lacertae object Markarian 501 was identified as a source of gamma-ray emission at the Whipple Observatory in March 1995. Here we present a flux variability analysis on several times-scales of the 233 hour data set accumulated over 213 nights (from March 1995 to July 1998) with the Whipple Observatory 10 m atmospheric Cherenkov imaging telescope. In 1995, with the exception of a single night, the flux from Markarian 501 was constant on daily and monthly time-scales and had an average flux of only 10% that of the Crab Nebula, making it the weakest VHE source detected to date. In 1996, the average flux was approximately twice the 1995 flux and showed significant month-to-month variability. No significant day-scale variations were detected. The average gamma-ray flux above ~350 GeV in the 1997 observing season rose to 1.4 times that of the Crab Nebula -- 14 times the 1995 discovery level -- allowing a search for variability on time-scales shorter than one day. Significant hour-scale variability was present in the 1997 data, with the shortest, observed on MJD 50607, having a doubling time of ~2 hours. In 1998 the average emission level decreased considerably from that of 1997 (to ~20% of the Crab Nebula flux) but two significant flaring events were observed. Thus, the emission from Markarian 501 shows large amplitude and rapid flux variability at very high energies as does Markarian 421. It also shows large mean flux level variations on year-to-year time-scales, behaviour which has not been seen from Markarian 421 so far.

Constraints on the Very High Energy Emissivity of the Universe from the Diffuse G[CLC]e[/CLC]V Gamma-Ray Background

Very high energy (VHE, E 100 GeV) radiation emitted at cosmological distances will pair produce on low-energy diffuse extragalactic background radiation before ever reaching us. This prevents us from directly seeing most of the VHE emission in the universe. However, a VHE γ-ray that pair produces initiates an electromagnetic pair cascade. At low energies, this secondary cascade radiation has a spectrum insensitive to the spectrum of the primary γ-radiation and, unlike the original VHE radiation, is observable. Motivated by new measurements of the extragalactic MeV-GeV diffuse γ-ray background, we discuss the constraints placed on cosmological VHE source populations by requiring that the cascade background they produce not exceed the observed levels. We use a new, accurate cascading code and pay particular attention to the dependence of the constraints on the diffuse cosmic background at infrared/optical wavelengths. Despite considerable uncertainty in this background, we find that robust constraints may still be placed on the integrated emissivity of potential VHE sources in the universe. The limits are tighter than those obtained by considering cascading on the microwave background alone and restrict significantly, for example, the parameter space available for the exotic particle physics scenarios recently proposed to explain the highest energy cosmic-ray events. If direct emission from blazar AGNs in fact accounts for most of the observed GeV background, the resulting stronger limits rule out AGN emission scenarios that produce significant power above ~300 GeV.