3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039

F. Aharonian; A. G. Akhperjanian; A. R. Bazer-Bachi; M. Beilicke; W. Benbow; D. Berge; K. Bernlöhr; C. Boisson; O. Bolz; V. Borrel; I. Braun; F. Breitling; A. M. Brown; R. Bühler; I. Büsching; S. Carrigan; P. M. Chadwick; L.-M. Chounet; R. Cornils; L. Costamante; B. Degrange; H. J. Dickinson; A. Djannati-Ataï; L. O'C. Drury; G. Dubus; K. Egberts; D. Emmanoulopoulos; P. Espigat; F. Feinstein; E. Ferrero; G. Fontaine; Seb. Funk; S. Funk; M. Füßling; Y.A. Gallant; B. Giebels; J. F. Glicenstein; P. Goret; C. Hadjichristidis; D. Hauser; M. Hauser; G. Heinzelmann; G. Henri; G. Hermann; J. A. Hinton; W. Hofmann; M. Holleran; D. Horns; A. Jacholkowska; O. C. de Jager; B. Khélifi; Nu. Komin; A. Konopelko; I. J. Latham; R. Le Gallou; A. Lemière; M. Lemoine-Goumard; T. Lohse; J. M. Martin; O. Martineau-Huynh; A. Marcowith; C. Masterson; T. J. L. Mccomb; M. de Naurois; D. Nedbal; S. J. Nolan; A. Noutsos; K. J. Orford; J. L. Osborne; M. Ouchrif; M. Panter; G. Pelletier; S. Pita; G. Pühlhofer; M. Punch; B. C. Raubenheimer; M. Raue; S. M. Rayner; A. Reimer; O. Reimer; J. Ripken; L. Rob; L. Rolland; G. Rowell; V. Sahakian; L. Saugé; S. Schlenker; R. Schlickeiser; U. Schwanke; H. Sol; D. Spangler; F. Spanier; R. Steenkamp; C. Stegmann; G. Superina; J.-P. Tavernet; R. Terrier; C.G. Théoret; M. Tluczykont; C. van Eldik; G. Vasileiadis; C. Venter; P. Vincent; H. J. Völk; S. J. Wagner; M. Ward

doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065940

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3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039

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3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039

F. Aharonian, A. G. Akhperjanian, A. R. Bazer-Bachi, M. Beilicke, W. Benbow, D. Berge, K. Bernlöhr, C. Boisson, O. Bolz, V. Borrel, …

Astronomy & Astrophysics - A&A, Vol.460, pp.743-749

2006

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20065940

Résumé

gamma rays: observations

acceleration of particles

block hole physics

stars: binaries: close

New observations of LS 5039, a High Mass X-ray Binary comprising a massive star and compact object, were carried out with the High Energy Stereoscopic System of Cherenkov Telescopes (H.E.S.S.) in 2005 at very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray energies. These observations reveal that its flux and energy spectrum are modulated with the 3.9 day orbital period of the binary system. This is the first time in gamma-ray astronomy that orbital modulation has been observed, and periodicity clearly established using ground-based gamma-ray detectors. The VHE gamma-ray emission is largely confined to half of the orbit, peaking around the inferior conjunction epoch of the compact object. For this epoch, there is also a hardening of the energy spectrum in the energy range between 0.2 TeV and a few TeV. The flux vs. orbital phase profile provides the first clear indication of gamma-ray absorption via pair production within an astrophysical source, a process which is expected to occur if the gamma-ray production site is situated within ~1 AU of the compact object. Moreover the production region size must be not significantly greater than the binary separation (~0.15 AU). Notably, these constraints are also considerably smaller than the collimated outflows or jets (extending out to ~1000 AU) observed in LS 5039. The spectral hardening could arise from variations with phase in the maximum electron energies, and/or the dominant VHE gamma-ray production mechanism.

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Titre: 3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039
Créateurs - sans rôle: F. Aharonian - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
A. G. Akhperjanian - A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory
A. R. Bazer-Bachi - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
M. Beilicke - Universität Hamburg
W. Benbow - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
D. Berge - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
K. Bernlöhr - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
C. Boisson - Observatoire de Paris
O. Bolz - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
V. Borrel - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
I. Braun - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
F. Breitling
A. M. Brown - Durham University
R. Bühler - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
I. Büsching - North-West University
S. Carrigan - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
P. M. Chadwick - Durham University
L.-M. Chounet - École Polytechnique
R. Cornils - Universität Hamburg
L. Costamante - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
B. Degrange - École Polytechnique
H. J. Dickinson - Durham University
A. Djannati-Ataï - APC - Astrophysique des Hautes Energies
L. O'C. Drury
G. Dubus - École Polytechnique
K. Egberts - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
D. Emmanoulopoulos - Heidelberg University
P. Espigat - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
F. Feinstein - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
E. Ferrero - Heidelberg University
G. Fontaine - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
Seb. Funk - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
S. Funk - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
M. Füßling - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Y.A. Gallant - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
B. Giebels - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
J. F. Glicenstein - CEA Paris-Saclay
P. Goret - CEA Paris-Saclay
C. Hadjichristidis - Durham University
D. Hauser - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
M. Hauser - Heidelberg University
G. Heinzelmann - Universität Hamburg
G. Henri - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
G. Hermann - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
J. A. Hinton - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
W. Hofmann - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
M. Holleran - North-West University
D. Horns - University of Tübingen
A. Jacholkowska - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
O. C. de Jager - North-West University
B. Khélifi - École Polytechnique
Nu. Komin - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
A. Konopelko - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
I. J. Latham - Durham University
R. Le Gallou - Durham University
A. Lemière - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
M. Lemoine-Goumard - École Polytechnique
T. Lohse - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
J. M. Martin - Observatoire de Paris
O. Martineau-Huynh - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
A. Marcowith - Centre d'étude spatiale des rayonnements
C. Masterson - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
T. J. L. Mccomb - Durham University
M. de Naurois - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
D. Nedbal - Charles University
S. J. Nolan - Durham University
A. Noutsos - Durham University
K. J. Orford - Durham University
J. L. Osborne - Durham University
M. Ouchrif - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
M. Panter - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
G. Pelletier - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
S. Pita - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
G. Pühlhofer - Heidelberg University
M. Punch - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
B. C. Raubenheimer - North-West University
M. Raue - Universität Hamburg
S. M. Rayner - Durham University
A. Reimer - Ruhr University Bochum
O. Reimer - Ruhr University Bochum
J. Ripken - Universität Hamburg
L. Rob - Charles University
L. Rolland - Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
G. Rowell - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
V. Sahakian - A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory
L. Saugé - Université Joseph Fourier
S. Schlenker - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
R. Schlickeiser - Ruhr University Bochum
U. Schwanke - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
H. Sol - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
D. Spangler - Durham University
F. Spanier
R. Steenkamp
C. Stegmann
G. Superina - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
J.-P. Tavernet
R. Terrier - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
C.G. Théoret - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
M. Tluczykont - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
C. van Eldik
G. Vasileiadis - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
C. Venter
P. Vincent
H. J. Völk
S. J. Wagner
M. Ward
Détails de publication: Astronomy & Astrophysics - A&A, Vol.460, pp.743-749
Identifiants: 99151500809311
Unité académique: Université de Montpellier
Langue: English
Type de ressource: Journal article
Champs locaux: in2p3-00124857