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Particle spectra from acceleration at forward and reverse shocks of young Type Ia Supernova Remnants
(2012)
We study cosmic-ray acceleration in young Type Ia Supernova Remnants (SNRs) by means of test-particle diffusive shock acceleration theory and 1-D hydrodynamical simulations of their evolution. In addition to acceleration at the forward shock, we explore the particle acceleration at the reverse shock in the presence of a possible substantial magnetic field, and consequently the impact of this acceleration on the particle spectra in the remnant. We investigate the time evolution of the spectra for various time-dependent profiles of the magnetic field in the shocked region of the remnant. We test a possible influence on particle spectra of the Alfvenic drift of scattering centers in the precursor regions of the shocks. In addition, we study the radiation spectra and morphology in a broad band from radio to gamma-rays. It is demonstrated that the reverse shock contribution to the cosmic-ray particle population of young Type la SNRs may be significant, modifying the spatial distribution of particles and noticeably affecting the volume-integrated particle spectra in young SNRs. In particular spectral structures may arise in test-particle calculations that are often discussed as signatures of non-linear cosmic-ray modification of shocks. Therefore, the spectrum and morphology of emission, and their time evolution, differ from pure forward-shock solutions.
Time-dependent escape of cosmic rays from supernova remnants, and their interaction with dense media
(2012)
Context. Supernova remnants (SNRs) are thought to be the main source of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) up to the "knee" in CR spectrum. During the evolution of a SNR, the bulk of the CRs are confined inside the SNR shell. The highest-energy particles leave the system continuously, while the remaining adiabatically cooled particles are released when the SNR has expanded sufficiently and decelerated so that the magnetic field at the shock is no longer able to confine them. Particles escaping from the parent system may interact with nearby molecular clouds, producing.-rays in the process via pion decay. The soft gamma-ray spectra observed for a number of SNRs interacting with molecular clouds, however, challenge current theories of non-linear particle acceleration that predict harder spectra.
Aims. We study how the spectrum of escaped particles depends on the time-dependent acceleration history in both Type Ia and core-collapse SNRs, as well as on different assumptions about the diffusion coefficient in the vicinity of the SNR.
Methods. We solve the CR transport equation in a test-particle approach combined with numerical simulations of SNR evolution.
Results. We extend our method for calculating the CR acceleration in SNRs to trace the escaped particles in a large volume around SNRs. We calculate the evolution of the spectra of CRs that have escaped from a SNR into a molecular cloud or dense shell for two diffusion models. We find a strong confinement of CRs in a close region around the SNR, and a strong dilution effect for CRs that were able to propagate out as far as a few SNR radii.
tAliu, E. ; Archambault, S. ; Arlen, T. ; Aune, T. ; Beilicke, M. ; Benbow, W. ; Bird, R. ; Bouvier, A. ; Bradbury, S. M. ; Buckley, J. H. ; Bugaev, V. ; Byrum, K. ; Cannon, A. ; Cesarini, A. ; Ciupik, L. ; Collins-Hughes, E. ; Connolly, M. P. ; Cui, W. ; Dickherber, R. ; Duke, C. ; Dumm, J. ; Dwarkadas, Vikram V. ; Errando, M. ; Falcone, A. ; Federici, Simone ; Feng, Q. ; Finley, J. P. ; Finnegan, G. ; Fortson, L. ; Furniss, A. ; Galante, N. ; Gall, D. ; Gillanders, G. H. ; Godambe, S. ; Gotthelf, E. V. ; Griffin, S. ; Grube, J. ; Gyuk, G. ; Hanna, D. ; Holder, J. ; Huan, H. ; Hughes, G. ; Humensky, T. B. ; Kaaret, P. ; Karlsson, N. ; Kertzman, M. ; Khassen, Y. ; Kieda, D. ; Krawczynski, H. ; Krennrich, F. ; Lang, M. J. ; Lee, K. ; Madhavan, A. S. ; Maier, G. ; Majumdar, P. ; McArthur, S. ; McCann, A. ; Millis, J. ; Moriarty, P. ; Mukherjee, R. ; Nelson, T. ; de Bhroithe, A. O'Faolain ; Ong, R. A. ; Orr, M. ; Otte, A. N. ; Pandel, D. ; Park, N. ; Perkins, J. S. ; Pohl, Martin ; Popkow, A. ; Prokoph, H. ; Quinn, J. ; Ragan, K. ; Reyes, L. C. ; Reynolds, P. T. ; Roache, E. ; Rose, H. J. ; Ruppel, Jens ; Saxon, D. B. ; Schroedter, M. ; Sembroski, G. H. ; Sentuerk, G. D. ; Skole, C. ; Telezhinsky, Igor O. ; Tesic, G. ; Theiling, M. ; Thibadeau, S. ; Tsurusaki, K. ; Tyler, J. ; Varlotta, A. ; Vassiliev, V. V. ; Vincent, S. ; Wakely, S. P. ; Ward, J. E. ; Weekes, T. C. ; Weinstein, A. ; Weisgarber, T. ; Welsing, R. ; Williams, D. A. ; Zitzer, B.
We report the discovery of an unidentified, extended source of very-high-energy gamma-ray emission, VER J2019+407, within the radio shell of the supernova remnant SNR G78.2+2.1, using 21.4 hr of data taken by the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory in 2009. These data confirm the preliminary indications of gamma-ray emission previously seen in a two-year (2007-2009) blind survey of the Cygnus region by VERITAS. VER J2019+407, which is detected at a post-trials significance of 7.5 standard deviations in the 2009 data, is localized to the northwestern rim of the remnant in a region of enhanced radio and X-ray emission. It has an intrinsic extent of 0 degrees.23 +/- 0 degrees.03(stat-0 degrees.02sys)(+0 degrees.04) and its spectrum is well-characterized by a differential power law (dN/dE = N-0 x (E/TeV)-Gamma) with a photon index of Gamma = 2.37 +/- 0.14(stat) +/- 0.20(sys) and a flux normalization of N-0 = 1.5 +/- 0.2(stat) +/- 0.4(sys) x 10(-12) photon TeV-1 cm(-2) s(-1). This yields an integral flux of 5.2 +/- 0.8(stat) +/- 1.4(sys) x 10(-12) photon cm(-2) s(-1) above 320 GeV, corresponding to 3.7% of the Crab Nebula flux. We consider the relationship of the TeV gamma-ray emission with the GeV gamma-ray emission seen from SNR G78.2+2.1 as well as that seen from a nearby cocoon of freshly accelerated cosmic rays. Multiple scenarios are considered as possible origins for the TeV gamma-ray emission, including hadronic particle acceleration at the SNR shock.
Context. radio spectra of many shell-type supernova remnants show deviations from those expected on theoretical grounds.
Aims. In this paper we determine the effect of stochastic reacceleration on the spectra of electrons in the GeV band and at lower energies, and we investigate whether reacceleration can explain the observed variation in radio spectral indices.
Methods. We explicitely calculated the momentum diffusion coefficient for 3 types of turbulence expected downstream of the forward shock: fast-mode waves, small-scale non-resonant modes, and large-scale modes arising from turbulent dynamo activity. After noting that low-energy particles are efficiently coupled to the quasi-thermal plasma, a simplified cosmic-ray transport equation can be formulated and is numerically solved.
Results. Only fast-mode waves can provide momentum diffusion fast enough to significantly modify the spectra of particles. Using a synchrotron emissivity that accurately reflects a highly turbulent magnetic field, we calculated the radio spectral index and find that soft spectra with index a alpha less than or similar to -0.6 can be maintained over more than 2 decades in radio frequency, even if the electrons experience reacceleration for only one acceleration time. A spectral hardening is possible but considerably more frequency-dependent. The spectral modification imposed by stochastic reacceleration downstream of the forward shock depends only weakly on the initial spectrum provided by, e.g., diffusive shock acceleration at the shock itself.
Orienti, M. ; Finke, J. ; Raiteri, C. M. ; Hovatta, T. ; Larsson, J. ; Max-Moerbeck, W. ; Perkins, J. ; Readhead, A. C. S. ; Richards, J. L. ; Beilicke, M. ; Benbow, W. ; Berger, K. ; Bird, R. ; Bugaev, V. ; Cardenzana, J. V. ; Cerruti, M. ; Chen, Xuhui ; Ciupik, L. ; Dickinson, H. J. ; Eisch, J. D. ; Errando, M. ; Falcone, A. ; Finley, J. P. ; Fleischhack, H. ; Fortin, P. ; Fortson, L. ; Furniss, A. ; Gerard, L. ; Gillanders, G. H. ; Griffiths, S. T. ; Grube, J. ; Gyuk, G. ; Hakansson, Nils ; Holder, J. ; Humensky, T. B. ; Kar, P. ; Kertzman, M. ; Khassen, Y. ; Kieda, D. ; Krennrich, F. ; Kumar, S. ; Lang, M. J. ; Maier, G. ; McCann, A. ; Meagher, K. ; Moriarty, P. ; Mukherjee, R. ; Nieto, D. ; Ong, R. A. ; Otte, A. N. ; Pohl, Manuela ; Popkow, A. ; Prokoph, H. ; Pueschel, Elisa ; Quinn, J. ; Ragan, K. ; Reynolds, P. T. ; Richards, G. T. ; Roache, E. ; Rousselle, J. ; Santander, M. ; Sembroski, G. H. ; Smith, A. W. ; Staszak, D. ; Telezhinsky, Igor O. ; Tucci, J. V. ; Tyler, J. ; Varlotta, A. ; Vassiliev, V. V. ; Wakely, S. P. ; Weinstein, A. ; Welsing, R. ; Williams, D. A. ; Zitzer, B.
We report on multifrequency observations performed during 2012 December-2013 August of the first narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy detected in gamma-rays, PMN J0948+0022 (z = 0.5846). A y -ray flare was observed by the Large Area Telescope on board Fermi during 2012 December-2013 January, reaching a daily peak flux in the 0.1-100 GeV energy range of (155 31) x 10 8 ph cm(-2) S-1 on 2013 January 1, corresponding to an apparent isotropic luminosity of similar to 1.5 x 1048 erg s(-1). The y -ray flaring period triggered Swift and Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) observations in addition to radio and optical monitoring by Owens Valley Radio Observatory, Monitoring Of Jets in Active galactic nuclei with VLBA Experiments, and Catalina Real-time Transient Survey. A strong flare was observed in optical, UV, and X-rays on 2012 December 30, quasi-simultaneously to the y -ray flare, reaching a record flux for this source from optical to y gamma-rays. VERITAS observations at very high energy (E > 100 GeV) during 2013 January 6-17 resulted in an upper limit of F>0.2 Trev < 4.0 x 10(-12) ph cm(-2) s(-1). We compared the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the flaring state in 2013 January with that of an intermediate state observed in 2011. The two SEDs, modelled as synchrotron emission and an external Compton scattering of seed photons from a dust torus, can be modelled by changing both the electron distribution parameters and the magnetic field.
Furniss, A. ; Noda, K. ; Boggs, S. ; Chiang, J. ; Christensen, F. ; Craig, W. ; Giommi, P. ; Hailey, C. ; Harisson, F. ; Madejski, G. ; Nalewajko, K. ; Perri, M. ; Stern, D. ; Urry, M. ; Verrecchia, F. ; Zhang, W. ; Ahnen, M. L. ; Ansoldi, S. ; Antonelli, L. A. ; Antoranz, P. ; Babic, A. ; Banerjee, B. ; Bangale, P. ; de Almeida, U. Barres ; Barrio, J. A. ; Becerra Gonzalez, J. ; Bednarek, W. ; Bernardini, E. ; Biasuzzi, B. ; Biland, A. ; Blanch Bigas, O. ; Bonnefoy, S. ; Bonnoli, G. ; Borracci, F. ; Bretz, T. ; Carmona, E. ; Carosi, A. ; Chatterjee, A. ; Clavero, R. ; Colin, P. ; Colombo, E. ; Contreras, J. L. ; Cortina, J. ; Covino, S. ; Da Vela, P. ; Dazzi, F. ; De Angelis, A. ; De Caneva, G. ; De Lotto, B. ; de Ona Wilhelmi, E. ; Delgado Mendez, C. ; Di Pierro, F. ; Prester, Dijana Dominis ; Dorner, D. ; Doro, M. ; Einecke, S. ; Eisenacher Glawion, D. ; Elsaesser, D. ; Fernandez-Barral, A. ; Fidalgo, D. ; Fonseca, M. V. ; Font, L. ; Frantzen, K. ; Fruck, C. ; Galindo, D. ; Garcia Lopez, R. J. ; Garczarczyk, M. ; Garrido Terrats, D. ; Gaug, M. ; Giammaria, P. ; Godinovic, N. ; Gonzalez Munoz, A. ; Guberman, D. ; Hanabata, Y. ; Hayashida, M. ; Herrera, J. ; Hose, J. ; Hrupec, D. ; Hughes, G. ; Idec, W. ; Kellermann, H. ; Kodani, K. ; Konno, Y. ; Kubo, H. ; Kushida, J. ; La Barbera, A. ; Lelas, D. ; Lewandowska, N. ; Lindfors, E. ; Lombardi, S. ; Longo, F. ; Lopez, M. ; Lopez-Coto, R. ; Lopez-Oramas, A. ; Lorenz, E. ; Majumdar, P. ; Makariev, M. ; Mallot, K. ; Maneva, G. ; Manganaro, M. ; Mannheim, K. ; Maraschi, L. ; Marcote, B. ; Mariotti, M. ; Martinez, M. ; Mazin, D. ; Menzel, U. ; Miranda, J. M. ; Mirzoyan, R. ; Moralejo, A. ; Nakajima, D. ; Neustroev, V. ; Niedzwiecki, A. ; Nievas Rosillo, M. ; Nilsson, K. ; Nishijima, K. ; Orito, R. ; Overkemping, A. ; Paiano, S. ; Palacio, J. ; Palatiello, M. ; Paneque, D. ; Paoletti, R. ; Paredes, J. M. ; Paredes-Fortuny, X. ; Persic, M. ; Poutanen, J. ; Moroni, P. G. Prada ; Prandini, E. ; Puljak, I. ; Reinthal, R. ; Rhode, W. ; Ribo, M. ; Rico, J. ; Garcia, J. Rodriguez ; Saito, T. ; Saito, K. ; Satalecka, K. ; Scapin, V. ; Schultz, C. ; Schweizer, T. ; Shore, S. N. ; Sillanpaa, A. ; Sitarek, J. ; Snidaric, I. ; Sobczynska, D. ; Stamerra, A. ; Steinbring, T. ; Strzys, M. ; Takalo, L. ; Takami, H. ; Tavecchio, F. ; Temnikov, P. ; Terzic, T. ; Tescaro, D. ; Teshima, M. ; Thaele, J. ; Torres, D. F. ; Toyama, T. ; Treves, A. ; Verguilov, V. ; Vovk, I. ; Will, M. ; Zanin, R. ; Archer, A. ; Benbow, W. ; Bird, R. ; Biteau, Jonathan ; Bugaev, V. ; Cardenzana, J. V. ; Cerruti, M. ; Chen, Xuhui ; Ciupik, L. ; Connolly, M. P. ; Cui, W. ; Dickinson, H. J. ; Dumm, J. ; Eisch, J. D. ; Falcone, A. ; Feng, Q. ; Finley, J. P. ; Fleischhack, H. ; Fortin, P. ; Fortson, L. ; Gerard, L. ; Gillanders, G. H. ; Griffin, S. ; Griffiths, S. T. ; Grube, J. ; Gyuk, G. ; Hakansson, Nils ; Holder, J. ; Humensky, T. B. ; Johnson, C. A. ; Kaaret, P. ; Kertzman, M. ; Kieda, D. ; Krause, M. ; Krennrich, F. ; Lang, M. J. ; Lin, T. T. Y. ; Maier, G. ; McArthur, S. ; McCann, A. ; Meagher, K. ; Moriarty, P. ; Mukherjee, R. ; Nieto, D. ; Ong, R. A. ; Park, N. ; Petry, D. ; Pohl, Martin ; Popkow, A. ; Ragan, K. ; Ratliff, G. ; Reyes, L. C. ; Reynolds, P. T. ; Richards, G. T. ; Roache, E. ; Santander, M. ; Sembroski, G. H. ; Shahinyan, K. ; Staszak, D. ; Telezhinsky, Igor O. ; Tucci, J. V. ; Tyler, J. ; Vassiliev, V. V. ; Wakely, S. P. ; Weiner, O. M. ; Weinstein, A. ; Wilhelm, Alina ; Williams, D. A. ; Zitzer, B. ; Vince, O. ; Fuhrmann, L. ; Angelakis, E. ; Karamanavis, V. ; Myserlis, I. ; Krichbaum, T. P. ; Zensus, J. A. ; Ungerechts, H. ; Sievers, A. ; Bachev, R. ; Boettcher, Markus ; Chen, W. P. ; Damljanovic, G. ; Eswaraiah, C. ; Guver, T. ; Hovatta, T. ; Hughes, Z. ; Ibryamov, S. I. ; Joner, M. D. ; Jordan, B. ; Jorstad, S. G. ; Joshi, M. ; Kataoka, J. ; Kurtanidze, O. M. ; Kurtanidze, S. O. ; Lahteenmaki, A. ; Latev, G. ; Lin, H. C. ; Larionov, V. M. ; Mokrushina, A. A. ; Morozova, D. A. ; Nikolashvili, M. G. ; Raiteri, C. M. ; Ramakrishnan, V. ; Readhead, A. C. R. ; Sadun, A. C. ; Sigua, L. A. ; Semkov, E. H. ; Strigachev, A. ; Tammi, J. ; Tornikoski, M. ; Troitskaya, Y. V. ; Troitsky, I. S. ; Villata, M.
We report on simultaneous broadband observations of the TeV-emitting blazar Markarian 501 between 2013 April 1 and August 10, including the first detailed characterization of the synchrotron peak with Swift and NuSTAR. During the campaign, the nearby BL Lac object was observed in both a quiescent and an elevated state. The broadband campaign includes observations with NuSTAR, MAGIC, VERITAS, the Fermi Large Area Telescope, Swift X-ray Telescope and UV Optical Telescope, various ground-based optical instruments, including the GASP-WEBT program, as well as radio observations by OVRO, Metsahovi, and the F-Gamma consortium. Some of the MAGIC observations were affected by a sand layer from the Saharan desert, and had to be corrected using event-by-event corrections derived with a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) facility. This is the first time that LIDAR information is used to produce a physics result with Cherenkov Telescope data taken during adverse atmospheric conditions, and hence sets a precedent for the current and future ground-based gamma-ray instruments. The NuSTAR instrument provides unprecedented sensitivity in hard X-rays, showing the source to display a spectral energy distribution (SED) between 3 and 79 keV consistent with a log-parabolic spectrum and hard X-ray variability on hour timescales. None (of the four extended NuSTAR observations) show evidence of the onset of inverse-Compton emission at hard X-ray energies. We apply a single-zone equilibrium synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model to five simultaneous broadband SEDs. We find that the SSC model can reproduce the observed broadband states through a decrease in the magnetic field strength coinciding with an increase in the luminosity and hardness of the relativistic leptons responsible for the high-energy emission.
Context. RX J1713.7-3946 is the brightest shell-type supernova remnant (SNR) of the TeV gamma-ray sky. Earlier Fermi-LAT results on low energy gamma-ray emission suggested that, despite large uncertainties in the background determination, the spectrum is inconsistent with a hadronic origin.
Aims. We update the GeV-band spectra using improved estimates for the diffuse Galactic gamma-ray emission and more than double the volume of data. We further investigate the viability of hadronic emission models for RX J1713.7-3946.
Methods. We produced a high-resolution map of the diffuse Galactic gamma-ray background corrected for the HI self-absorption and used it in the analysis of more than five years worth of Fermi-LAT data. We used hydrodynamic scaling relations and a kinetic transport equation to calculate the acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays in SNR. We then determined spectra of hadronic gamma-ray emission from RX J1713.7-3946, separately for the SNR interior and the cosmic-ray precursor region of the forward shock, and computed flux variations that would allow us to test the model with observations.
Results. We find that RX J1713.7-3946 is now detected by Fermi-LAT with very high statistical significance, and the source morphology is best described by that seen in the TeV band. The measured spectrum of RX J1713.7-3946 is hard with index gamma = 1.53 +/- 0.07, and the integral flux above 500 MeV is F = (5 : 5 +/- 1 : 1) x 10(-9) photons cm(-2) s(-1). We demonstrate that scenarios based on hadronic emission from the cosmic-ray precursor region are acceptable for RX J1713.7-3946, and we predict a secular flux increase at a few hundred GeV at the level of around 15% over ten years, which may be detectable with the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory.
Context. Supernova remnants are known as sources of Galactic cosmic rays for their nonthermal emission of radio waves, X-rays, and gamma rays. However, the observed soft broken power-law spectra are hard to reproduce within standard acceleration theory based on the assumption of Bohm diffusion and steady-state calculations. Aims. We point out that a time-dependent treatment of the acceleration process together with a self-consistent treatment of the scattering turbulence amplification is necessary. Methods. We numerically solve the coupled system of transport equations for cosmic rays and isotropic Alfvenic turbulence. The equations are coupled through the growth rate of turbulence determined by the cosmic-ray gradient and the spatial diffusion coefficient of cosmic rays determined by the energy density of the turbulence. The system is solved on a comoving expanding grid extending upstream for dozens of shock radii, allowing for the self-consistent study of cosmic-ray diffusion in the vicinity of their acceleration site. The transport equation for cosmic rays is solved in a test-particle approach. Results. We demonstrate that the system is typically not in a steady state. In fact, even after several thousand years of evolution, no equilibrium situation is reached. The resulting time-dependent particle spectra strongly differ from those derived assuming a steady state and Bohm diffusion. Our results indicate that proper accounting for the evolution of the scattering turbulence and hence the particle diffusion coefficient is crucial for the formation of the observed soft spectra. In any case, the need to continuously develop magnetic turbulence upstream of the shock introduces nonlinearity in addition to that imposed by cosmic-ray feedback.
Arlen, T. ; Aune, T. ; Beilicke, M. ; Benbow, W. ; Bouvier, A. ; Buckley, J. H. ; Bugaev, V. ; Cesarini, A. ; Ciupik, L. ; Connolly, M. P. ; Cui, W. ; Dickherber, R. ; Dumm, J. ; Errando, M. ; Falcone, A. ; Federici, S. ; Feng, Q. ; Finley, J. P. ; Finnegan, G. ; Fortson, L. ; Furniss, A. ; Galante, N. ; Gall, D. ; Griffin, S. ; Grube, J. ; Gyuk, G. ; Hanna, D. ; Holder, J. ; Humensky, T. B. ; Kaaret, P. ; Karlsson, N. ; Kertzman, M. ; Khassen, Y. ; Kieda, D. ; Krawczynski, H. ; Krennrich, F. ; Maier, G. ; Moriarty, P. ; Mukherjee, R. ; Nelson, T. ; de Bhroithe, A. O'Faolain ; Ong, R. A. ; Orr, M. ; Park, N. ; Perkins, J. S. ; Pichel, A. ; Pohl, Martin ; Prokoph, H. ; Quinn, J. ; Ragan, K. ; Reyes, L. C. ; Reynolds, P. T. ; Roache, E. ; Saxon, D. B. ; Schroedter, M. ; Sembroski, G. H. ; Staszak, D. ; Telezhinsky, Igor O. ; Tesic, G. ; Theiling, M. ; Tsurusaki, K. ; Varlotta, A. ; Vincent, S. ; Wakely, S. P. ; Weekes, T. C. ; Weinstein, A. ; Welsing, R. ; Williams, D. A. ; Zitzer, B. ; Jorstad, S. G. ; MacDonald, N. R. ; Marscher, A. P. ; Smith, P. S. ; Walker, R. C. ; Hovatta, T. ; Richards, J. ; Max-Moerbeck, W. ; Readhead, A. ; Lister, M. L. ; Kovalev, Y. Y. ; Pushkarev, A. B. ; Gurwell, M. A. ; Lahteenmaki, A. ; Nieppola, E. ; Tornikoski, M. ; Jarvela, E.
We report on the detection of a very rapid TeV gamma-ray flare from BL Lacertae on 2011 June 28 with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS). The flaring activity was observed during a 34.6 minute exposure, when the integral flux above 200 GeV reached (3.4 +/- 0.6) x 10(-6) photons m(-2) s(-1), roughly 125% of the Crab Nebula flux measured by VERITAS. The light curve indicates that the observations missed the rising phase of the flare but covered a significant portion of the decaying phase. The exponential decay time was determined to be 13 +/- 4 minutes, making it one of the most rapid gamma-ray flares seen from a TeV blazar. The gamma-ray spectrum of BL Lacertae during the flare was soft, with a photon index of 3.6 +/- 0.4, which is in agreement with the measurement made previously by MAGIC in a lower flaring state. Contemporaneous radio observations of the source with the Very Long Baseline Array revealed the emergence of a new, superluminal component from the core around the time of the TeV gamma-ray flare, accompanied by changes in the optical polarization angle. Changes in flux also appear to have occurred at optical, UV, and GeV gamma-ray wavelengths at the time of the flare, although they are difficult to quantify precisely due to sparse coverage. A strong flare was seen at radio wavelengths roughly four months later, which might be related to the gamma-ray flaring activities. We discuss the implications of these multiwavelength results.
Arlen, T. ; Aune, T. ; Beilicke, M. ; Benbow, W. ; Bouvier, A. ; Buckley, J. H. ; Bugaev, V. ; Byrum, K. ; Cannon, A. ; Cesarini, A. ; Ciupik, L. ; Collins-Hughes, E. ; Connolly, M. P. ; Cui, W. ; Dickherber, R. ; Dumm, J. ; Falcone, A. ; Federici, S. ; Feng, Q. ; Finley, J. P. ; Finnegan, G. ; Fortson, L. ; Furniss, A. ; Galante, N. ; Gall, D. ; Godambe, S. ; Griffin, S. ; Grube, J. ; Gyuk, G. ; Holder, J. ; Huan, H. ; Hughes, G. ; Humensky, T. B. ; Imran, A. ; Kaaret, P. ; Karlsson, N. ; Kertzman, M. ; Khassen, Y. ; Kieda, D. ; Krawczynski, H. ; Krennrich, F. ; Lee, K. ; Madhavan, A. S. ; Maier, G. ; Majumdar, P. ; McArthur, S. ; McCann, A. ; Moriarty, P. ; Mukherjee, R. ; Nelson, T. ; de Bhroithe, A. O'Faolain ; Ong, R. A. ; Orr, M. ; Otte, A. N. ; Park, N. ; Perkins, J. S. ; Pohl, Martin ; Prokoph, H. ; Quinn, J. ; Ragan, K. ; Reyes, L. C. ; Reynolds, P. T. ; Roache, E. ; Ruppel, J. ; Saxon, D. B. ; Schroedter, M. ; Sembroski, G. H. ; Skole, C. ; Smith, A. W. ; Telezhinsky, Igor O. ; Tesic, G. ; Theiling, M. ; Thibadeau, S. ; Tsurusaki, K. ; Varlotta, A. ; Vivier, M. ; Wakely, S. P. ; Ward, J. E. ; Weinstein, A. ; Welsing, R. ; Williams, D. A. ; Zitzer, B. ; Pfrommer, C. ; Pinzke, A.
Observations of radio halos and relics in galaxy clusters indicate efficient electron acceleration. Protons should likewise be accelerated and, on account of weak energy losses, can accumulate, suggesting that clusters may also be sources of very high energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission. We report here on VHE gamma-ray observations of the Coma galaxy cluster with the VERITAS array of imaging Cerenkov telescopes, with complementing Fermi Large Area Telescope observations at GeV energies. No significant gamma-ray emission from the Coma Cluster was detected. Integral flux upper limits at the 99% confidence level were measured to be on the order of (2-5) x 10(-8) photonsm(-2) s(-1) (VERITAS, >220 GeV) and similar to 2 x 10(-6) photonsm(-2) s(-1) (Fermi, 1-3GeV), respectively. We use the gamma-ray upper limits to constrain cosmic rays (CRs) and magnetic fields in Coma. Using an analytical approach, the CR-to-thermal pressure ratio is constrained to be < 16% from VERITAS data and <1.7% from Fermi data (averaged within the virial radius). These upper limits are starting to constrain the CR physics in self-consistent cosmological cluster simulations and cap the maximum CR acceleration efficiency at structure formation shocks to be <50%. Alternatively, this may argue for non-negligible CR transport processes such as CR streaming and diffusion into the outer cluster regions. Assuming that the radio-emitting electrons of the Coma halo result from hadronic CR interactions, the observations imply a lower limit on the central magnetic field in Coma of similar to(2-5.5) mu G, depending on the radial magnetic field profile and on the gamma-ray spectral index. Since these values are below those inferred by Faraday rotation measurements in Coma (for most of the parameter space), this renders the hadronic model a very plausible explanation of the Coma radio halo. Finally, since galaxy clusters are dark matter (DM) dominated, the VERITAS upper limits have been used to place constraints on the thermally averaged product of the total self-annihilation cross section and the relative velocity of the DM particles, <sigma nu >.