Discovery of a Radiation Component from the Vela Pulsar Reaching 20 Teraelectronvolts

F Aharonian; F Ait Benkhali; J Aschersleben; H Ashkar; M Backes; V Barbosa Martins; R Batzofin; Y Becherini; D Berge; K Bernlöhr; B Bi; M Böttcher; C Boisson; J Bolmont; M de Bony de Lavergne; J Borowska; F Bradascio; M Breuhaus; R Brose; F Brun; B Bruno; T Bulik; C Burger-Scheidlin; T Bylund; F Cangemi; S Caroff; S Casanova; J Celic; M Cerruti; T Chand; S Chandra; A Chen; O Chibueze; G Cotter; J Damascene Mbarubucyeye; A Djannati-Atai; A Dmytriiev; K Egberts; J.-P Ernenwein; K Feijen; A Fiasson; G Fichet de Clairfontaine; G Fontaine; M Füßling; S Funk; S Gabici; Y.A Gallant; S Ghafourizadeh; G Giavitto; L Giunti; D Glawion; J.F Glicenstein; P Goswami; G Grolleron; M.-H Grondin; L Haerer; M Haupt; J.A Hinton; W Hofmann; T.L Holch; M Holler; D Horns; Zhiqiu Huang; M Jamrozy; F Jankowsky; V Joshi; I Jung-Richardt; E Kasai; K Katarzynski; B Khélifi; S Klepser; W Klúzniak; Nu Komin; K Kosack; D Kostunin; R.G Lang; S Le Stum; A Lemière; M Lemoine-Goumard; J.-P Lenain; F Leuschner; T Lohse; A Luashvili; I Lypova; J Mackey; D Malyshev; V Marandon; P Marchegiani; A Marcowith; P Marinos; G Martí-Devesa; R Marx; G Maurin; M Meyer; A Mitchell; R Moderski; L Mohrmann; A Montanari; E Moulin; J Muller; T Murach; K Nakashima; M de Naurois; J Niemiec; A. Priyana Noel; P O'Brien; S Ohm; L Olivera-Nieto; E de Ona Wilhelmi; M Ostrowski; S Panny; M Panter; R.D Parsons; G Peron; S Pita; D.A Prokhorov; H Prokoph; G Pühlhofer; M Punch; A Quirrenbach; P Reichherzer; A Reimer; O Reimer; M Renaud; F Rieger; G Rowell; B Rudak; E Ruiz-Velasco; V Sahakian; S Sailer; H Salzmann; D.A Sanchez; A Santangelo; M Sasaki; F Schüssler; U Schwanke; J.N.S Shapopi; A Sinha; H Sol; A Specovius; S Spencer; M Spir-Jacob; L Stawarz; R Steenkamp; S Steinmassl; C Steppa; I Sushch; H Suzuki; T Takahashi; T Tanaka; T Tavernier; R Terrier; C Thorpe-Morgan; M Tluczykont; M Tsirou; N Tsuji; C van Eldik; M Vecchi; J Veh; C Venter; J Vink; S.J Wagner; F Werner; R White; A Wierzcholska; Yu Wun Wong; H Yassin; M Zacharias; D Zargaryan; A.A Zdziarski; A Zech; S.J Zhu; S Zouari; N Zywucka; R Zanin; M Kerr; S Johnston; R.M Shannon; D.A Smith

doi:10.1038/s41550-023-02052-3

Journal article

Discovery of a Radiation Component from the Vela Pulsar Reaching 20 Teraelectronvolts

F Aharonian, F Ait Benkhali, J Aschersleben, H Ashkar, M Backes, V Barbosa Martins, R Batzofin, Y Becherini, D Berge, K Bernlöhr, …

Nature Astron, Vol.7(11), pp.1341-1350

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02052-3

Abstract

GeV

TeV

accelerator

Cherenkov counter

Lorentz

galaxy

HESS

pulsar, emission

antimatter, particle source

gamma ray

acceleration

Gamma-ray observations have established energetic isolated pulsars as outstanding particle accelerators and antimatter factories in the Galaxy. There is, however, no consensus regarding the acceleration mechanisms and the radiative processes at play, nor the locations where these take place. The spectra of all observed gamma-ray pulsars to date show strong cutoffs or a break above energies of a few gigaelectronvolt (GeV). Using the H.E.S.S. array of Cherenkov telescopes, we discovered a novel radiation component emerging beyond this generic GeV cutoff in the Vela pulsar's broadband spectrum. The extension of gamma-ray pulsation energies up to at least 20 teraelectronvolts (TeV) shows that Vela pulsar can accelerate particles to Lorentz factors higher than $4\times10^7$. This is an order of magnitude larger than in the case of the Crab pulsar, the only other pulsar detected in the TeV energy range. Our results challenge the state-of-the-art models for high-energy emission of pulsars while providing a new probe, i.e. the energetic multi-TeV component, for constraining the acceleration and emission processes in their extreme energy limit.

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Title: Discovery of a Radiation Component from the Vela Pulsar Reaching 20 Teraelectronvolts
Creators - without role: F Aharonian - Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies
F Ait Benkhali
J Aschersleben - University of Amsterdam
H Ashkar - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
M Backes - University of Namibia
V Barbosa Martins
R Batzofin - University of the Witwatersrand
Y Becherini - Université Paris Cité
D Berge - German Institute for Adult Education
K Bernlöhr - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
B Bi - Université Paris Cité
M Böttcher - North-West University
C Boisson - Université Paris Cité
J Bolmont - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
M de Bony de Lavergne - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
J Borowska - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
F Bradascio - Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
M Breuhaus - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
R Brose - Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies
F Brun - Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
B Bruno - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
T Bulik - University of Warsaw
C Burger-Scheidlin - Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies
T Bylund - Linnaeus University
F Cangemi - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
S Caroff - Université Paris Cité
S Casanova - Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
J Celic - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
M Cerruti - Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie
T Chand - North-West University
S Chandra - North-West University
A Chen - University of the Witwatersrand
O Chibueze - North-West University
G Cotter - University of Oxford
J Damascene Mbarubucyeye
A Djannati-Atai - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
A Dmytriiev - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres
K Egberts - University of Potsdam
J.-P Ernenwein - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
K Feijen - University of Adelaide
A Fiasson - Laboratoire d’Annecy de Physique des Particules
G Fichet de Clairfontaine - Laboratoire Univers et Théories
G Fontaine - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
M Füßling - German Institute for Adult Education
S Funk - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
S Gabici - Université Paris Cité
Y.A Gallant - Université de Montpellier, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier - LUPM
S Ghafourizadeh - Heidelberg University
G Giavitto - German Institute for Adult Education
L Giunti - Université Paris Cité
D Glawion - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
J.F Glicenstein - Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
P Goswami - North-West University
G Grolleron - Sorbonne Paris Cité
M.-H Grondin - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
L Haerer - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
M Haupt - German Institute for Adult Education
J.A Hinton - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
W Hofmann - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
T.L Holch - German Institute for Adult Education
M Holler - Universität Innsbruck
D Horns - Universität Hamburg
Zhiqiu Huang - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
M Jamrozy
F Jankowsky - Heidelberg University
V Joshi - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
I Jung-Richardt - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
E Kasai - University of Namibia
K Katarzynski
B Khélifi - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
S Klepser - German Institute for Adult Education
W Klúzniak
Nu Komin - University of the Witwatersrand
K Kosack - Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
D Kostunin - German Institute for Adult Education
R.G Lang - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
S Le Stum - Aix-Marseille Université
A Lemière - Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie
M Lemoine-Goumard - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
J.-P Lenain - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies
F Leuschner - University of Tübingen
T Lohse - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
A Luashvili - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres
I Lypova - Heidelberg University
J Mackey - Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies
D Malyshev - University of Tübingen
D Malyshev - University of Tübingen
V Marandon - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
P Marchegiani
A Marcowith - Université de Montpellier, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier - LUPM
P Marinos - University of Adelaide
G Martí-Devesa - Universität Innsbruck
R Marx - Heidelberg University
G Maurin - Laboratoire d’Annecy de Physique des Particules
M Meyer - Universität Hamburg
A Mitchell - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
R Moderski - Polish Academy of Sciences
L Mohrmann - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
A Montanari - Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
E Moulin - Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
J Muller - École Polytechnique
T Murach - German Institute for Adult Education
K Nakashima - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
M de Naurois - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
J Niemiec - Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
A. Priyana Noel
P O'Brien
S Ohm - German Institute for Adult Education
L Olivera-Nieto - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
E de Ona Wilhelmi - German Institute for Adult Education
M Ostrowski
S Panny - Universität Innsbruck
M Panter - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
R.D Parsons - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
G Peron - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
S Pita - Université Paris Cité
D.A Prokhorov
H Prokoph - German Institute for Adult Education
G Pühlhofer - University of Tübingen
M Punch - Linnaeus University
A Quirrenbach - Heidelberg University
P Reichherzer - Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
A Reimer - Universität Innsbruck
O Reimer - Universität Innsbruck
M Renaud - Université de Montpellier, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier - LUPM
F Rieger - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
G Rowell - University of Adelaide
B Rudak - Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center
E Ruiz-Velasco - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
V Sahakian - A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory
S Sailer - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
H Salzmann - University of Tübingen
D.A Sanchez - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
A Santangelo - University of Tübingen
M Sasaki - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
F Schüssler - Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
U Schwanke - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
J.N.S Shapopi - University of Namibia
A Sinha - Université de Montpellier, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier - LUPM
H Sol - Laboratoire Univers et Théories
A Specovius - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
S Spencer - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
M Spir-Jacob - Université Paris Cité
L Stawarz
R Steenkamp - University of Namibia
S Steinmassl - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
C Steppa - University of Potsdam
I Sushch - North-West University
H Suzuki - Konan University
T Takahashi - Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe
T Tanaka - Konan University
T Tavernier - Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers
R Terrier - Université Paris Cité
C Thorpe-Morgan - University of Tübingen
M Tluczykont - Universität Hamburg
M Tsirou - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
N Tsuji - RIKEN
C van Eldik - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
M Vecchi - University of Amsterdam
J Veh - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
C Venter - North-West University
J Vink - University of Amsterdam
S.J Wagner - Heidelberg University
F Werner - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
R White - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
A Wierzcholska - Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
Yu Wun Wong - Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
H Yassin - North-West University
M Zacharias - Université Paris Cité
D Zargaryan - Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies
A.A Zdziarski - Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center
A Zech - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
S.J Zhu - German Institute for Adult Education
S Zouari - Université Paris Cité
N Zywucka - North-West University
R Zanin - CTA Observatory
M Kerr - United States Naval Research Laboratory
S Johnston - Australia Telescope National Facility
R.M Shannon - Australia Telescope National Facility
D.A Smith - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
Publication Details: Nature Astron, Vol.7(11), pp.1341-1350
Identifiers: 9935078609311
Academic Unit: Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier - LUPM
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
Local Fields: hal-04239438