Detection of the Small Magellanic Cloud in gamma-rays with Fermi/LAT

A. A. Abdo; M. Ackermann; M. Ajello; L. Baldini; Jean Ballet; G. Barbiellini; D. Bastieri; K. Bechtol; R. Bellazzini; B. Berenji; R. D. Blandford; E. D. Bloom; E. Bonamente; A. W. Borgland; A. Bouvier; T. J. Brandt; J. Bregeon; A. Brez; M. Brigida; Pascal Bruel; R. Buehler; S. Buson; G. A. Caliandro; R. A. Cameron; P. A. Caraveo; S. Carrigan; J. M. Casandjian; C. Cecchi; Ö. Çelik; E. Charles; A. Chekhtman; C. C. Cheung; J. Chiang; S. Ciprini; R. Claus; J. Cohen-Tanugi; J. Conrad; C. D. Dermer; F. de Palma; S. W. Digel; E. Do Couto e Silva; P. S. Drell; R. Dubois; D. Dumora; C. Favuzzi; S. J. Fegan; Y. Fukazawa; S. Funk; P. Fusco; F. Gargano; D. Gasparrini; N. Gehrels; S. Germani; N. Giglietto; F. Giordano; M. Giroletti; T. Glanzman; G. Godfrey; I. A. Grenier; M.-H. Grondin; J. E. Grove; S. Guiriec; D. Hadasch; A. K. Harding; M. Hayashida; E. Hays; D. Horan; R. E. Hughes; P. Jean; G. Jóhannesson; A. S. Johnson; W. N. Johnson; T. Kamae; H. Katagiri; J. Kataoka; M. Kerr; Jürgen Knödlseder; M. Kuss; J. Lande; L. Latronico; S.-H. Lee; M. Lemoine-Goumard; M. Llena Garde; F. Longo; F. Loparco; M. N. Lovellette; P. Lubrano; A. Makeev; P. Martin; M. N. Mazziotta; J. E. Mcenery; P. F. Michelson; W. Mitthumsiri; T. Mizuno; C. Monte; M. E. Monzani; A. Morselli; I. V. Moskalenko; S. Murgia; T. Nakamori; M. Naumann-Godo; P. L. Nolan; J. P. Norris; E. Nuss; T. Ohsugi; A. Okumura; N. Omodei; E. Orlando; J. F. Ormes; J. H. Panetta; D. Parent; V. Pelassa; M. Pepe; M. Pesce-Rollins; F. Piron; T. A. Porter; S. Rainò; R. Rando; M. Razzano; A. Reimer; O. Reimer; T. Reposeur; J. Ripken; S. Ritz; R. W. Romani; H. F.-W. Sadrozinski; A. Sander; P. M. Saz Parkinson; J. D. Scargle; C. Sgrò; E. J. Siskind; David Stanley Smith; P. D. Smith; G. Spandre; P. Spinelli; M. S. Strickman; A. W. Strong; D. J. Suson; H. Takahashi; T. Takahashi; T. Tanaka; J. B. Thayer; J. G. Thayer; D. J. Thompson; L. Tibaldo; D. F. Torres; G. Tosti; A. Tramacere; Y. Uchiyama; T. L. Usher; J. Vandenbroucke; V. Vasileiou; N. Vilchez; V. Vitale; A. P. Waite; P. Wang; B. L. Winer; K. S. Wood; Z. Yang; T. Ylinen; M. Ziegler

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201014855

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Detection of the Small Magellanic Cloud in gamma-rays with Fermi/LAT

Journal article

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Detection of the Small Magellanic Cloud in gamma-rays with Fermi/LAT

A. A. Abdo, M. Ackermann, M. Ajello, L. Baldini, Jean Ballet, G. Barbiellini, D. Bastieri, K. Bechtol, R. Bellazzini, B. Berenji, …

Astronomy & Astrophysics - A&A, Vol.523

11/2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201014855

Abstract

acceleration of particles

cosmic rays

Magellanic Clouds

gamma rays: general

The flux of gamma rays with energies >100MeV is dominated by diffuse emission from CRs illuminating the ISM of our Galaxy through the processes of Bremsstrahlung, pion production and decay, and inverse-Compton scattering. The study of this diffuse emission provides insight into the origin and transport of CRs. We searched for gamma-ray emission from the SMC in order to derive constraints on the CR population and transport in an external system with properties different from the Milky Way. We analysed the first 17 months of continuous all-sky observations by the Large Area Telescope of the Fermi mission to determine the spatial distribution, flux and spectrum of the gamma-ray emission from the SMC. We also used past radio synchrotron observations of the SMC to study the population of CR electrons specifically. We obtained the first detection of the SMC in high-energy gamma rays, with an integrated >100MeV flux of (3.7 +/-0.7) x10e-8 ph/cm2/s, with additional systematic uncertainty of <16%. The emission is steady and from an extended source ~3{\deg} in size. It is not clearly correlated with the distribution of massive stars or neutral gas, nor with known pulsars or SNRs, but a certain correlation with supergiant shells is observed. The observed flux implies an upper limit on the average CR nuclei density in the SMC of ~15% of the value measured locally in the Milky Way. The population of high-energy pulsars of the SMC may account for a substantial fraction of the gamma-ray flux, which would make the inferred CR nuclei density even lower. The average density of CR electrons derived from radio synchrotron observations is consistent with the same reduction factor but the uncertainties are large. From our current knowledge of the SMC, such a low CR density does not seem to be due to a lower rate of CR injection and rather indicates a smaller CR confinement volume characteristic size.

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Title: Detection of the Small Magellanic Cloud in gamma-rays with Fermi/LAT
Creators - without role: A. A. Abdo - National Academy of Sciences
M. Ackermann - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
M. Ajello - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
L. Baldini - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
Jean Ballet - Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation
G. Barbiellini - University of Trieste
D. Bastieri - INFN Sezione di Padova
K. Bechtol - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
R. Bellazzini - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
B. Berenji - Stanford University
R. D. Blandford - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
E. D. Bloom - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
E. Bonamente - University of Perugia
A. W. Borgland - Stanford University
A. Bouvier - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
T. J. Brandt - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
J. Bregeon - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
A. Brez - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
M. Brigida - Polytechnic University of Bari
Pascal Bruel - École Polytechnique
R. Buehler - Stanford University
S. Buson - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova
G. A. Caliandro - Institute of Space Sciences
R. A. Cameron - Stanford University
P. A. Caraveo - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano
S. Carrigan - University of Padua
J. M. Casandjian - Université Paris Cité
C. Cecchi - University of Perugia
Ö. Çelik - Goddard Space Flight Center
E. Charles - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
A. Chekhtman - George Mason University
C. C. Cheung - United States Naval Research Laboratory
J. Chiang - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
S. Ciprini - University of Perugia
R. Claus - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
J. Cohen-Tanugi - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
J. Conrad - AlbaNova
C. D. Dermer - United States Naval Research Laboratory
F. de Palma - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari
S. W. Digel - Stanford University
E. Do Couto e Silva
P. S. Drell - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
R. Dubois - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
D. Dumora - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
C. Favuzzi - Polytechnic University of Bari
S. J. Fegan - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
Y. Fukazawa - Hiroshima University
S. Funk - Stanford University
P. Fusco - Polytechnic University of Bari
F. Gargano - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari
D. Gasparrini - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
N. Gehrels - Goddard Space Flight Center
S. Germani - University of Perugia
N. Giglietto - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari
F. Giordano - Polytechnic University of Bari
M. Giroletti - Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna
T. Glanzman - Stanford University
G. Godfrey - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
I. A. Grenier - CEA Paris-Saclay
M.-H. Grondin - Université de Bordeaux
J. E. Grove - United States Naval Research Laboratory
S. Guiriec - University of Alabama in Huntsville
D. Hadasch - Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats
A. K. Harding - Goddard Space Flight Center
M. Hayashida - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
E. Hays - Goddard Space Flight Center
D. Horan - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
R. E. Hughes - The Ohio State University
P. Jean - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
G. Jóhannesson - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
A. S. Johnson - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
W. N. Johnson - United States Naval Research Laboratory
T. Kamae - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
H. Katagiri - Hiroshima University
J. Kataoka - Waseda University
M. Kerr - University of Washington
Jürgen Knödlseder - Centre National d'Études Spatiales
M. Kuss - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
J. Lande - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
L. Latronico - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
S.-H. Lee - Stanford University
M. Lemoine-Goumard - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
M. Llena Garde
F. Longo - University of Trieste
F. Loparco - Polytechnic University of Bari
M. N. Lovellette - United States Naval Research Laboratory
P. Lubrano - University of Perugia
A. Makeev - United States Naval Research Laboratory
P. Martin - Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
M. N. Mazziotta - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari
J. E. Mcenery - University of Maryland, College Park
P. F. Michelson - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
W. Mitthumsiri - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
T. Mizuno - Hiroshima University
C. Monte - Polytechnic University of Bari
M. E. Monzani - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
A. Morselli - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Roma Tor Vergata
I. V. Moskalenko - Stanford University
S. Murgia - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
T. Nakamori - Waseda University
M. Naumann-Godo - CEA Paris-Saclay
P. L. Nolan - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
J. P. Norris - University of Denver
E. Nuss - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
T. Ohsugi - Hiroshima University
A. Okumura - Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
N. Omodei - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
E. Orlando - Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
J. F. Ormes - University of Denver
J. H. Panetta - Stanford University
D. Parent - George Mason University
V. Pelassa - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
M. Pepe - University of Perugia
M. Pesce-Rollins - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
F. Piron - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
T. A. Porter - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
S. Rainò - Polytechnic University of Bari
R. Rando - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova
M. Razzano - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
A. Reimer - Universität Innsbruck
O. Reimer - Universität Innsbruck
T. Reposeur - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
J. Ripken - AlbaNova
S. Ritz - University of California, Santa Cruz
R. W. Romani - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
H. F.-W. Sadrozinski - University of California, Santa Cruz
A. Sander - The Ohio State University
P. M. Saz Parkinson
J. D. Scargle - Ames Research Center
C. Sgrò - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
E. J. Siskind - Real Time Tomography
David Stanley Smith - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
P. D. Smith - The Ohio State University
G. Spandre - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
P. Spinelli - Polytechnic University of Bari
M. S. Strickman - United States Naval Research Laboratory
A. W. Strong - Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
D. J. Suson - Purdue University Northwest
H. Takahashi - Hiroshima University
T. Takahashi - Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
T. Tanaka - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
J. B. Thayer - Stanford University
J. G. Thayer - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
D. J. Thompson - Goddard Space Flight Center
L. Tibaldo - CEA Paris-Saclay
D. F. Torres - Institute of Space Sciences
G. Tosti - University of Perugia
A. Tramacere - Consorzio Interuniversitario Fisica Spaziale
Y. Uchiyama - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
T. L. Usher - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
J. Vandenbroucke - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
V. Vasileiou - Goddard Space Flight Center
N. Vilchez - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
V. Vitale - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Roma Tor Vergata
A. P. Waite - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
P. Wang - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
B. L. Winer - The Ohio State University
K. S. Wood - United States Naval Research Laboratory
Z. Yang - AlbaNova
T. Ylinen - Fraunhofer Chalmers Research Centre for Industrial Mathematics
M. Ziegler - University of California, Santa Cruz
Publication Details: Astronomy & Astrophysics - A&A, Vol.523
Identifiers: 9964459109311
Academic Unit: Université de Montpellier
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
Local Fields: in2p3-00585465