Detection of gamma rays from a starburst galaxy

Acero F, Aharonian F, Akhperjanian AG, Anton G, De Almeida UB, Bazer-Bachi AR, Becherini Y, Behera B, Bernloehr K, Bochow A, Boisson C, Bolmont J, Borrel V, Brucker J, Brun F, Brun P, Buehler R, Bulik T, Buesching I, Boutelier T, Chadwick PM, Charbonnier A, Chaves RCG, Cheesebrough A, Chounet LM, Clapson AC, Coignet G, Dalton M, Daniel MK, Davids ID, Degrange B, Deil C, Dickinson HJ, Djannati-Atai A, Domainko W, Drury LO, Dubois F, Dubus G, Dyks J, Dyrda M, Egberts K, Emmanoulopoulos D, Espigat P, Farnier C, Fegan S, Feinstein F, Fiasson A, Foerster A, Fontaine G, Fuessling M, Gabici S, Gallant YA, Gerard L, Gerbig D, Giebels B, Glicenstein JF, Glueck B, Goret P, Göring D, Hauser D, Hauser M, Heinz S, Heinzelmann G, Henri G, Hermann G, Hinton JA, Hoffmann A, Hofmann W, Hofverberg P, Hoppe S, Horns D, Jacholkowska A, De Jager OC, Jahn C, Jung I, Katarzynski K, Katz U, Kaufmann S, Kerschhaggl M, Khangulyan D, Khelifi B, Keogh D, Klochkov D, Kluzniak W, Kneiske TM, Komin N, Kosack K, Kossakowski R, Lamanna G, Lenain JP, Lohse T, Marandon V, Martineau-Huynh O, Marcowith A, Masbou J, Maurin D, Mccomb TJL, Medina MC, Mehault J, Moderski R, Moulin E, Naumann-Godo M, De Naurois M, Nedbal D, Nekrassov D, Nicholas B, Niemiec J, Nolan SJ, Ohm S, Olive JF, Wilhelmi EDO, Orford KJ, Ostrowski M, Panter M, Arribas MP, Pedaletti G, Pelletier G, Petrucci PO, Pita S, Puehlhofer G, Punch M, Quirrenbach A, Raubenheimer BC, Raue M, Rayner SM, Reimer O, Renaud M, Rieger F, Ripken J, Rob L, Rosier-Lees S, Rowell G, Rudak B, Rulten CB, Ruppel J, Sahakian V, Santangelo A, Schlickeiser R, Schoeck FM, Schwanke U, Schwarzburg S, Schwemmer S, Shalchi A, Sikora M, Skilton JL, Sol H, Stawarz L, Steenkamp R, Stegmann C, Stinzing F, Superina G, Szostek A, Tam PH, Tavernet JP, Terrier R, Tibolla O, Tluczykont M, van Eldik C, Vasileiadis G, Venter C, Venter L, Vialle JP, Vincent P, Vivier M, Voelk HJ, Volpe F, Wagner SJ, Ward M, Zdziarski AA, Zech A (2009)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2009

Journal

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Book Volume: 326

Pages Range: 1080-1082

Journal Issue: 5956

DOI: 10.1126/science.1178826

Abstract

Starburst galaxies exhibit in their central regions a highly increased rate of supernovae, the remnants of which are thought to accelerate energetic cosmic rays up to energies of -10 electron volts. We report the detection of gamma rays-tracers of such cosmic rays-from the starburst galaxy NGC 253 using the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The gamma-ray flux above 220 billion electron volts is F = (5.5 = 1.0 ± 2.8) x 10 cm s, implying a cosmic-ray density about three orders of magnitude larger than that in the center of the Milky Way. The fraction of cosmic-ray energy channeled into gamma rays in this starburst environment is five times as large as that in our Galaxy.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

University of Montpellier / Université Montpellier France (FR) Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Germany (DE) Durham University United Kingdom (GB) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot France (FR) Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Germany (DE) Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier France (FR) French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) France (FR) Noordwes-Universiteit / North-West University South Africa (ZA) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay France (FR) University of Savoy Mont Blanc / Université Savoie Mont Blanc France (FR) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany (DE) Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) Ireland (IE) Université Joseph Fourier (UJF Grenoble 1) France (FR) Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences Poland (PL) Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN / Instytut Fizyki Jądrowej im. Henryka Niewodniczańskiego PAN Poland (PL) Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) Germany (DE) Universität Hamburg (UHH) Germany (DE) University of Leeds United Kingdom (GB) Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany (DE) Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) / Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu (UMK) Poland (PL) Univerzita Karlova v Praze / Charles University in Prague Czech Republic (CZ) University of Adelaide Australia (AU) Jagiellonian University / Uniwersytet Jagielloński (UJ) Poland (PL) Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck / University of Innsbruck Austria (AT) University of Namibia (UNAM) Namibia (NA) Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI) / Երևանի Ֆիզիկայի Ինստիտուտ Armenia (AM) University of Warsaw / Uniwersytet Warszawski Poland (PL)

How to cite

APA:

Acero, F., Aharonian, F., Akhperjanian, A.G., Anton, G., De Almeida, U.B., Bazer-Bachi, A.R.,... Zech, A. (2009). Detection of gamma rays from a starburst galaxy. Science, 326(5956), 1080-1082. https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1178826

MLA:

Acero, F., et al. "Detection of gamma rays from a starburst galaxy." Science 326.5956 (2009): 1080-1082.

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