Gamma-ray astronomy

Abstract:

Purpose. When ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) propagate through the universe they produce secondary neutrinos as well as photons, electrons and positrons (initiating electromagnetic cascades) in different kinds of interactions. These neutrinos and electromagnetic cascades are detected at Earth as isotropic extragalactic fluxes. The level of these fluxes can be predicted and used to constrain UHECR source models. Methods. The public astrophysical simulation framework CRPropa 3, designed for simulating the propagating extraterrestrial ultra-high energy particles, is ideally suited for this purpose. CRPropa includes all relevant UHECR interactions as well as secondary neutrino and electromagnetic cascade production and propagation. It is designed for high-performance computing and provides the flexibility to scan large parameter ranges of UHECR models. Results. The expected cosmogenic neutrino and gamma-ray spectra depend strongly on the evolution with redshift of the UHECR sources and on the chemical composition of UHECRs at injection. The isotropic diffuse gamma-ray background measured by Fermi/LAT is already close to touching upon a model with co-moving source evolution and with the chemical composition, spectral index and maximum acceleration energy optimized to provide the best fit to the UHECR spectrum and composition measured by the Pierre Auger Collaboration. Additionally, the detectable fraction of protons present at the highest energies in UHECRs is shown as a function of the evolution of UHECR sources for a range of sensitivities of neutrino detectors at an energy of ∼ 1 EeV. Conclusions. Neutrino and gamma-ray measurements are starting to constrain realistic UHECR models. Current and future neutrino experiments with sensitivities in the range of ∼ 10-8 - 10-10 GeV cm-2 s-1 sr-1 for the single-flavor neutrino flux at ∼ 1 EeV will be able to significantly constrain the proton fraction for realistic source evolution models.

Abstract:

The Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT) is a candidate for the Small Size Telescopes (SSTs) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Its purpose is to extend the sensitivity of CTA to gamma-ray energies reaching 300 TeV. Its dual-mirror optical design and curved focal plane enables the use of a compact camera of 0.4 m diameter, while achieving a field of view of above 8 degrees. Through the use of the digitising TARGET ASICs, the Cherenkov flash is sampled once per nanosecond contin-uously and then digitised when triggering conditions are met within the analogue outputs of the photosensors. Entire waveforms (typically covering 96 ns) for all 2048 pixels are then stored for analysis, allowing for a broad spectrum of investigations to be performed on the data. Two prototypes of the GCT camera are under development, with differing photosensors: Multi-Anode Photomultipliers (MAPMs) and Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). During November 2015, the GCT MAPM (GCT-M) prototype camera was integrated onto the GCT structure at the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, where it observed the first Cherenkov light detected by a prototype instrument for CTA.

Abstract:

© Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). At TeV energies and above gamma rays can induce electromagnetic cascades, whose charged component is sensitive to intervening intergalactic magnetic fields (IGMFs). When interpreting gamma-ray measurements in the energy range between a few GeV and hundreds of TeV, one has to carefully account for effects due to IGMFs, which depend on their strength and power spectrum. Therefore, gamma-ray-induced electromagnetic cascades can be used as probes of cosmic magnetism, since their arrival distribution as well as spectral and temporal properties can provide unique information about IGMFs, whose origin and properties are currently poorly understood. In this contribution we present an efficient three-dimensional Monte Carlo code for simulations of gamma-ray propagation. We focus on the effects of different configurations of IGMFs, in particular magnetic helicity and the power spectrum of stochastic fields, on the morphology of the arrival directions of gamma rays, and discuss the prospects for detecting pair haloes around distant blazars.

Abstract:

The connection between accretion and jet production in accreting white dwarf binary systems, especially dwarf novae, is not well understood. Radio wavelengths provide key insights into the mechanisms responsible for accelerating electrons, including jets and outflows. Here we present densely-sampled radio coverage, obtained with the Arcminute MicroKelvin Imager Large Array, of the dwarf nova SS Cyg during its February 2016 anomalous outburst. The outburst displayed a slower rise (3 days mag^-1) in the optical than typical ones, and lasted for more than 3 weeks. Rapid radio flaring on timescales <1 hour was seen throughout the outburst. The most intriguing behavior in the radio was towards the end of the outburst where a fast, luminous (“giant”), flare peaking at ~20 mJy and lasting for 15 minutes was observed. This is the first time that such a flare has been observed in SS Cyg, and insufficient coverage could explain its non-detection in previous outbursts. These data, together with past radio observations, are consistent with synchrotron emission from plasma ejection events as being the origin of the radio flares. However, the production of the giant flare during the declining accretion rate phase remains unexplained within the standard accretion-jet framework and appears to be markedly different to similar patterns of behavior in X-ray binaries.

Abstract:

The measurement of γ-rays originating from active galactic nuclei offers the unique opportunity to study the propagation of very-high-energy photons over cosmological distances. Most prominently, γ-rays interact with the extragalactic background light (EBL) to produce e+e- pairs, imprinting an attenuation signature on γ-ray spectra. The e+e- pairs can also induce electromagnetic cascades whose detectability in γ-rays depends on the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF). Furthermore, physics beyond the Standard Model such as Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) or oscillations between photons and weakly interacting sub-eV particles (WISPs) could affect the propagation of γ-rays. The future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), with its unprecedented γ-ray source sensitivity, as well as enhanced energy and spatial resolution at very high energies, is perfectly suited to study cosmological effects on γ-ray propagation. Here, we present first results of a study designed to realistically assess the capabilities of CTA to probe the EBL, IGMF, LIV, and WISPs.