Constraining the cosmic-ray pressure in the inner Virgo Cluster using H.E.S.S. observations of M 87

Aharonian F, Ait Benkhali F, Arcaro C, Aschersleben J, Backes M, Barbosa Martins V, Batzofin R, Becherini Y, Berge D, Bernlöhr K, Bi B, Böttcher M, Boisson C, Bolmont J, Borowska J, Bradascio F, Breuhaus M, Brose R, Brun F, Bruno B, Bulik T, Burger-Scheidlin C, Bylund T, Caroff S, Casanova S, Cecil R, Celic J, Cerruti M, Chand T, Chandra S, Chen A, Chibueze J, Chibueze O, Cotter G, Damascene Mbarubucyeye J, Djannati-Ataï A, Egberts K, Ernenwein JP, Fichet De Clairfontaine G, Filipovic M, Fontaine G, Füßling M, Funk S, Gabici S, Ghafourizadeh S, Giavitto G, Glawion D, Glicenstein JF, Goswami P, Grolleron G, Grondin MH, Haerer L, Haupt M, Hermann G, Hinton JA, Holch TL, Horns D, Jamrozy M, Jankowsky F, Joshi V, Jung-Richardt I, Kasai E, Katarzyński K, Khatoon R, Khélifi B, Kluåºniak W, Komin N, Kosack K, Kostunin D, Lang RG, Le Stum S, Leitl F, Lemière A, Lemoine-Goumard M, Lenain JP, Leuschner F, Lohse T, Luashvili A, Lypova I, MacKey J, Malyshev D, Malyshev D, Marandon V, Marchegiani P, Marcowith A, Marinos P, Martí-Devesa G, Marx R, Meyer M, Mitchell A, Moderski R, Mohrmann L, Montanari A, Moulin E, Muller J, Nakashima K, De Naurois M, Niemiec J, Priyana Noel A, O'Brien P, Ohm S, Olivera-Nieto L, De Ona Wilhelmi E, Panny S, Panter M, Parsons RD, Peron G, Pita S, Prokhorov DA, Prokoph H, Pühlhofer G, Punch M, Quirrenbach A, Reichherzer P, Reimer A, Reimer O, Renaud M, Rieger F, Rowell G, Rudak B, Ruiz-Velasco E, Sahakian V, Salzmann H, Sanchez DA, Santangelo A, Sasaki M, Schäfer J, Schüssler F, Schwanke U, Shapopi JN, Sol H, Specovius A, Spencer S, Stawarz , Steenkamp R, Steinmassl S, Steppa C, Sushch I, Suzuki H, Takahashi T, Tanaka T, Taylor AM, Terrier R, Tsirou M, Tsuji N, Uchiyama Y, Van Eldik C, Van Soelen B, Vecchi M, Veh J, Venter C, Vink J, Wach T, Wagner SJ, White R, Wierzcholska A, Wong YW, Zacharias M, Zargaryan D, Zdziarski AA, Zech A, Zouari S, Zywucka N (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Book Volume: 675

Article Number: A138

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202346056

Abstract

The origin of the gamma-ray emission from M 87 is currently a matter of debate. This work aims to localize the very high-energy (VHE; 100 GeV - 100 TeV) gamma-ray emission from M 87 and probe a potential extended hadronic emission component in the inner Virgo Cluster. The search for a steady and extended gamma-ray signal around M 87 can constrain the cosmic-ray energy density and the pressure exerted by the cosmic rays onto the intracluster medium and allow us to investigate the role of cosmic rays in the active galactic nucleus feedback as a heating mechanism in the Virgo Cluster. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) telescopes are sensitive to VHE gamma rays and have been used to observe M 87 since 2004. We utilized a Bayesian block analysis to identify M 87 emission states with H.E.S.S. observations from 2004 to 2021, dividing them into low, intermediate, and high states. Because of the causality argument, an extended (≳1 kpc) signal is allowed only in steady emission states. Hence, we fitted the morphology of the 120 h low-state data and find no significant gamma-ray extension. Therefore, we derive for the low state an upper limit of 58′ (corresponding to ≈4.6 kpc) in the extension of a single-component morphological model described by a rotationally symmetric 2D Gaussian model at the 99.7% confidence level. Our results exclude the radio lobes (≈30 kpc) as the principal component of the VHE gamma-ray emission from the low state of M 87. The gamma-ray emission is compatible with a single emission region at the radio core of M 87. These results, with the help of two multiple-component models, constrain the maximum cosmic-ray to thermal pressure ratio to XCR, max.≲0.32 and the total energy in cosmic-ray protons to UCR ≲ 5×1058 erg in the inner 20 kpc of the Virgo Cluster for an assumed cosmic-ray proton power-law distribution in momentum with spectral index αp=2.1.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Université Paris-Sud France (FR) Kapteyn Astronomical Institute Netherlands (NL) Rikkyo University / 立教大学 Japan (JP) Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LUTH) / Laboratory of the Universe and Theories France (FR) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY Germany (DE) Université Paris-Saclay France (FR) Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg Germany (DE) Riken Institute of Physical and Chemical Research / 理研 Japan (JP) University of Namibia (UNAM) Namibia (NA) Jagiellonian University / Uniwersytet Jagielloński (UJ) Poland (PL) Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Germany (DE) Linnaeus University (LNU) / Linnéuniversitetet Sweden (SE) Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN / Instytut Fizyki Jądrowej im. Henryka Niewodniczańskiego PAN Poland (PL) Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck / University of Innsbruck Austria (AT) Noordwes-Universiteit / North-West University South Africa (ZA) Institut national de physique nucléaire et de physique des particules (IN2P3) France (FR) Sorbonne Université France (FR) Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) Ireland (IE) Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany (DE) Université de Bordeaux France (FR) University of Montpellier / Université Montpellier France (FR) Institute of Research into the Fundamental Laws of the Universe / Institut de recherche sur les lois fondamentales de l'univers (IRFU) France (FR) Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences Poland (PL) Universität Potsdam Germany (DE) University of Savoy Mont Blanc / Université Savoie Mont Blanc France (FR) Konan University / 甲南大学 Japan (JP) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Germany (DE) University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) South Africa (ZA) University of Adelaide Australia (AU) Universität Hamburg (UHH) Germany (DE) Yerevan Physics Institute (YerPhI) / Երևանի Ֆիզիկայի Ինստիտուտ Armenia (AM) Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet (LLR) France (FR) University of Warsaw / Uniwersytet Warszawski Poland (PL) University of Tokyo Japan (JP) University of Western Sydney Australia (AU) University of Oxford United Kingdom (GB) University of Leicester United Kingdom (GB) University of the Free State South Africa (ZA) University of Amsterdam Netherlands (NL) Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) / Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu (UMK) Poland (PL)

How to cite

APA:

Aharonian, F., Ait Benkhali, F., Arcaro, C., Aschersleben, J., Backes, M., Barbosa Martins, V.,... Zywucka, N. (2023). Constraining the cosmic-ray pressure in the inner Virgo Cluster using H.E.S.S. observations of M 87. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 675. https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202346056

MLA:

Aharonian, F., et al. "Constraining the cosmic-ray pressure in the inner Virgo Cluster using H.E.S.S. observations of M 87." Astronomy & Astrophysics 675 (2023).

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