Constraints on the multi-TeV particle population in the Coma galaxy cluster with HESS observations

Aharonian F, Akhperjanian AG, Anton G, De Almeida UB, Bazer-Bachi AR, Becherini Y, Behera B, Bernloehr K, Boisson C, Bochow A, Borrel V, Brion E, Brucker J, 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, Feinstein F, Fiasson A, Foerster A, Fontaine G, Fuessling M, Gabici S, Gallant YA, Gerard L, Giebels B, Glicenstein JF, Glueck B, Goret P, Goehring D, Hauser D, Hauser M, Heinz S, Heinzelmann G, Henri G, Hermann G, Hinton JA, Hoffmann A, Hofmann W, Holleran M, Hoppe S, Horns D, Inoue S, Jacholkowska A, De Jager OC, Jahn C, Jung I, Katarzynski K, Katz U, Kaufmann S, Kendziorra E, Kerschhaggl M, Khangulyan D, Khelifi B, Keogh D, Kluzniak W, Kneiske TM, Komin N, Kosack K, Lamanna G, Lenain JP, Lohse T, Marandon V, Martin JM, Martineau-Huynh O, Marcowith A, Maurin D, Mccomb TJL, Medina MC, Moderski R, Moulin E, Naumann-Godo M, De Naurois M, Nedbal D, Nekrassov D, 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, Renaud M, Reimer O, 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, Schroeder R, Schwanke U, Schwarzburg S, Schwemmer S, Shalchi A, Sikora M, Skilton JL, Sol H, Spanglfoer D, Stawarz L, Steenkamp R, Stegmann C, 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: EDP Sciences

Book Volume: 502

Pages Range: 437-443

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/200912086

Abstract

Alms. Galaxy clusters are key targets in the search for ultra high energy particle accelerators. The Coma cluster represents one of the best candidates for such a search owing to its high mass, proximity, and the established non-thermal radio emission centred on the cluster core. Methods. The HESS (High Energy Stereoscopic System) telescopes observed Coma for ∼8 h in a search for γ-ray emission at energies >1 TeV. The large 3.5° FWHM field of view of HESS is ideal for viewing a range of targets at various sizes including the Coma cluster core, the radio-relic (1253+275) and merger/infall (NGC 4839) regions to the southwest, and features greater than 1° away. Results. No evidence for point-like nor extended TeV γ-ray emission was found and upper limits to the TeV flux F(E) for E > 1, >5, and > 10 TeV were set for the Coma core and other regions. Converting these limits to an energy flux E F(E) the lowest or most constraining is the E > 5 TeV upper limit for the Coma core (0.2° radius) at ∼8% Crab flux units or ∼10 ph cm s . Conclusions. The upper limits for the Coma core were compared with a prediction for the γ-ray emission from proton-proton interactions, the level of which ultimately scales with the mass of the Coma cluster. A direct constraint using our most stringent limit for E > 5 TeV, on the total energy content in non-thermal protons with injection energy spectrum αE and spatial distribution following the thermal gas in the cluster, is found to be ∼0.2 times the thermal energy, or ∼10 erg. The E > 5 TeV γ-ray threshold in this case corresponds to cosmic- ray proton energies ≳50 TeV. Our upper limits rule out the most optimistic theoretical models for gamma ray emission from clusters and complement radio observations which constrain the cosmic ray content in clusters at significantly lower proton energies, subject to assumptions on the magnetic field strength. ©ESO 2009.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Germany (DE) University of Paris 7 - Denis Diderot / Université Paris VII Denis Diderot France (FR) Durham University United Kingdom (GB) Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences Poland (PL) Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) Ireland (IE) Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Germany (DE) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay France (FR) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany (DE) Noordwes-Universiteit / North-West University South Africa (ZA) Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier France (FR) University of Montpellier / Université Montpellier France (FR) Universität Hamburg (UHH) Germany (DE) Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN / Instytut Fizyki Jądrowej im. Henryka Niewodniczańskiego PAN Poland (PL) Université Joseph Fourier (UJF Grenoble 1) France (FR) Centre CEA de Saclay (Essonne) France (FR) Institut national de physique nucléaire et de physique des particules (IN2P3) France (FR) Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany (DE) Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) Germany (DE) Jagiellonian University / Uniwersytet Jagielloński (UJ) Poland (PL) Kyoto University / 京都大学 Kyōto daigaku Japan (JP) Stanford University United States (USA) (US) University of Leeds United Kingdom (GB) Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI) / Երևանի Ֆիզիկայի Ինստիտուտ Armenia (AM) University of Namibia (UNAM) Namibia (NA) University of Adelaide Australia (AU) Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) / Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu (UMK) Poland (PL) Univerzita Karlova v Praze / Charles University in Prague Czech Republic (CZ)

How to cite

APA:

Aharonian, F., Akhperjanian, A.G., Anton, G., De Almeida, U.B., Bazer-Bachi, A.R., Becherini, Y.,... Zech, A. (2009). Constraints on the multi-TeV particle population in the Coma galaxy cluster with HESS observations. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 502(2), 437-443. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/200912086

MLA:

Aharonian, F., et al. "Constraints on the multi-TeV particle population in the Coma galaxy cluster with HESS observations." Astronomy & Astrophysics 502.2 (2009): 437-443.

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