• search hit 3 of 62
Back to Result List

Search for Magnetically Broadened Cascade Emission from Blazars with VERITAS

  • We present a search for magnetically broadened gamma-ray emission around active galactic nuclei (AGNs), using VERITAS observations of seven hard-spectrum blazars. A cascade process occurs when multi-TeV gamma-rays from an AGN interact with extragalactic background light (EBL) photons to produce electron-positron pairs, which then interact with cosmic microwave background photons via inverse-Compton scattering to produce gamma-rays. Due to the deflection of the electron- positron pairs, a non-zero intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) would potentially produce detectable effects on the angular distribution of the cascade emission. In particular, an angular broadening compared to the unscattered emission could occur. Through non-detection of angularly broadened emission from 1ES 1218 vertical bar 304, the source with the largest predicted cascade fraction, we exclude a range of IGMF strengths around 10(-14) G at the 95% confidence level. The extent of the exclusion range varies with the assumptions made about the intrinsic spectrum ofWe present a search for magnetically broadened gamma-ray emission around active galactic nuclei (AGNs), using VERITAS observations of seven hard-spectrum blazars. A cascade process occurs when multi-TeV gamma-rays from an AGN interact with extragalactic background light (EBL) photons to produce electron-positron pairs, which then interact with cosmic microwave background photons via inverse-Compton scattering to produce gamma-rays. Due to the deflection of the electron- positron pairs, a non-zero intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) would potentially produce detectable effects on the angular distribution of the cascade emission. In particular, an angular broadening compared to the unscattered emission could occur. Through non-detection of angularly broadened emission from 1ES 1218 vertical bar 304, the source with the largest predicted cascade fraction, we exclude a range of IGMF strengths around 10(-14) G at the 95% confidence level. The extent of the exclusion range varies with the assumptions made about the intrinsic spectrum of 1ES. 1218+304 and the EBL model used in the simulation of the cascade process. All of the sources are used to set limits on the flux due to extended emission.show moreshow less

Export metadata

Additional Services

Search Google Scholar Statistics
Metadaten
Author details:S. Archambault, A. Archer, W. Benbow, M. Buchovecky, V. Bugaev, M. Cerruti, M. P. Connolly, W. Cui, A. Falcone, M. Fernandez Alonso, J. P. Finley, H. Fleischhack, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, S. Griffin, M. Hutten, O. Hervet, J. Holder, T. B. Humensky, C. A. Johnson, P. Kaaret, P. Kar, D. Kieda, M. Krause, F. Krennrich, M. J. Lang, T. T. Y. Lin, G. Maier, S. McArthur, P. Moriarty, D. Nieto, R. A. Ong, A. N. Otte, M. Pohl, A. Popkow, Elisa PueschelORCiD, J. Quinn, K. Ragan, P. T. Reynolds, G. T. Richards, E. Roache, A. C. Rovero, I. Sadeh, K. Shahinyan, D. Staszak, Igor O. TelezhinskyORCiD, J. Tyler, S. P. Wakely, A. Weinstein, T. Weisgarber, P. Wilcox, Alina WilhelmORCiDGND, D. A. Williams, B. Zitzer
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/288
ISSN:0004-637X
ISSN:1538-4357
Title of parent work (English):The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics
Publisher:IOP Publ. Ltd.
Place of publishing:Bristol
Publication type:Article
Language:English
Date of first publication:2017/02/02
Publication year:2017
Release date:2022/06/27
Tag:BL Lacertae objects: general; galaxies: active; gamma rays: galaxies; magnetic fields
Volume:835
Issue:2
Number of pages:12
Organizational units:Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie
DDC classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 53 Physik
Peer review:Referiert
Accept ✔
This website uses technically necessary session cookies. By continuing to use the website, you agree to this. You can find our privacy policy here.