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- Institut für Physik und Astronomie (189) (remove)
A new approach to achieve sub-pixel spatial resolution in a pnCCD detector with 75 x 75 mu m(2) pixel size is proposed for X-ray applications in single photon counting mode. The approach considers the energy dependence of the charge cloud created by a single photon and its split probabilities between neighboring pixels of the detector based on a rectangular model for the charge cloud density. For cases where the charge of this cloud becomes distributed over three or four pixels the center position of photon impact can be reconstructed with a precision better than 2 mu m. The predicted charge cloud sizes are tested at selected X-ray fluorescence lines emitting energies between 6.4 keV and 17.4 keV and forming charge clouds with size (rms) varying between 8 mu m and 10 mu m respectively. The 2 mu m enhanced spatial resolution of the pnCCD is verified by means of an x-ray transmission experiment throughout an optical grating.
A deep observation campaign carried out by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) on Centaurus A enabled the discovery of gamma-rays from the blazar 1ES 1312-423, 2 degrees away from the radio galaxy. With a differential flux at 1 TeV of phi(1 TeV) = (1.9 +/- 0.6(stat) +/- 0.4(sys)) x 10(-13) cm(-2) s(-1) TeV-1 corresponding to 0.5 per cent of the Crab nebula differential flux and a spectral index Gamma = 2.9 +/- 0.5(stat) +/- 0.2(sys), 1ES 1312-423 is one of the faintest sources ever detected in the very high energy (E > 100 GeV) extragalactic sky. A careful analysis using three and a half years of Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) data allows the discovery at high energies (E > 100 MeV) of a hard spectrum (Gamma = 1.4 +/- 0.4(stat) +/- 0.2(sys)) source coincident with 1ES 1312-423. Radio, optical, UV and X-ray observations complete the spectral energy distribution of this blazar, now covering 16 decades in energy. The emission is successfully fitted with a synchrotron self-Compton model for the non-thermal component, combined with a blackbody spectrum for the optical emission from the host galaxy.
Discovery of high and very high-energy emission from the BL Lacertae object SHBL J001355.9-185406
(2013)
The detection of the high-frequency peaked BL Lac object (HBL) SHBL J001355.9-185406 (z = 0.095) at high (HE; 100 MeV < E < 300 GeV) and very high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is reported. Dedicated observations were performed with the H. E. S. S. telescopes, leading to a detection at the 5.5 sigma significance level. The measured flux above 310 GeV is (8.3 +/- 1.7(stat) +/- 1.7(sys)) x 10(-13) photons cm(-2) s(-1) (about 0.6% of that of the Crab Nebula), and the power-law spectrum has a photon index of Gamma = 3.4 +/- 0.5(stat) +/- 0.2(sys). Using 3.5 years of publicly available Fermi-LAT data, a faint counterpart has been detected in the LAT data at the 5.5 sigma significance level, with an integrated flux above 300 MeV of (9.3 +/- 3.4(stat) +/- 0.8(sys)) x 10(-10) photons cm(-2) s(-1) and a photon index of Gamma = 1.96 +/- 0.20(stat) +/- 0.08(sys). X-ray observations with Swift-XRT allow the synchrotron peak energy in vF(v) representation to be located at similar to 1.0 keV. The broadband spectral energy distribution is modelled with a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model and the optical data by a black-body emission describing the thermal emission of the host galaxy. The derived parameters are typical of HBLs detected at VHE, with a particle-dominated jet.
The quasar PKS 1510-089 (z = 0.361) was observed with the H.E.S.S. array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes during high states in the optical and GeV bands, to search for very high energy (VHE, defined as E >= 0.1 TeV) emission. VHE gamma-rays were detected with a statistical significance of 9.2 standard deviations in 15.8 h of H. E. S. S. data taken during March and April 2009. A VHE integral flux of I(0.15 TeV < E < 1.0TeV) = (1.0 +/- 0.2(stat) +/- 0.2(sys)) x 10(-11) cm(-2) s(-1) is measured. The best-fit power law to the VHE data has a photon index of G = 5.4 +/- 0.7(stat) +/- 0.3(sys). The GeV and optical light curves show pronounced variability during the period of H.E.S.S. observations. However, there is insufficient evidence to claim statistically significant variability in the VHE data. Because of its relatively high redshift, the VHE flux from PKS 1510-089 should suffer considerable attenuation in the intergalactic space due to the extragalactic background light (EBL). Hence, the measured gamma-ray spectrum is used to derive upper limits on the opacity due to EBL, which are found to be comparable with the previously derived limits from relatively-nearby BL Lac objects. Unlike typical VHE-detected blazars where the broadband spectrum is dominated by nonthermal radiation at all wavelengths, the quasar PKS 1510-089 has a bright thermal component in the optical to UV frequency band. Among all VHE detected blazars, PKS 1510-089 has the most luminous broad line region. The detection of VHE emission from this quasar indicates a low level of gamma - gamma absorption on the internal optical to UV photon field.
Gamma-ray line signatures can be expected in the very-high-energy (E-gamma > 100 GeV) domain due to self-annihilation or decay of dark matter (DM) particles in space. Such a signal would be readily distinguishable from astrophysical gamma-ray sources that in most cases produce continuous spectra that span over several orders of magnitude in energy. Using data collected with the H. E. S. S. gamma-ray instrument, upper limits on linelike emission are obtained in the energy range between similar to 500 GeV and similar to 25 TeV for the central part of the Milky Way halo and for extragalactic observations, complementing recent limits obtained with the Fermi-LAT instrument at lower energies. No statistically significant signal could be found. For monochromatic gamma-ray line emission, flux limits of (2 x 10(-7)-2 x 10(-5)) m(-2)s(-1)sr(-1) and (1 x 10(-8)- 2 x 10(-6)) m(-2)s(-1)sr(-1) are obtained for the central part of the Milky Way halo and extragalactic observations, respectively. For a DM particle mass of 1 TeV, limits on the velocity- averaged DM annihilation cross section <sigma upsilon >(chi chi ->gamma gamma) reach similar to 10(-27)cm(3)s(-1), based on the Einasto parametrization of the Galactic DM halo density profile. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.041301
HESS observations of the binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 around the 2010/2011 periastron passage
(2013)
Aims. We present very high energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) data from the gamma-ray binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 taken around its periastron passage on 15th of December 2010 with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H. E. S. S.) of Cherenkov Telescopes. We aim to search for a possible TeV counterpart of the GeV flare detected by the Fermi LAT. In addition, we aim to study the current periastron passage in the context of previous observations taken at similar orbital phases, testing the repetitive behaviour of the source.
Methods. Observations at VHEs were conducted with H.E.S.S. from 9th to 16th of January 2011. The total dataset amounts to similar to 6 h of observing time. The data taken around the 2004 periastron passage were also re-analysed with the current analysis techniques in order to extend the energy spectrum above 3 TeV to fully compare observation results from 2004 and 2011.
Results. The source is detected in the 2011 data at a significance level of 11.5 sigma revealing an averaged integral flux above 1 TeV of (1.01 +/- 0.18(stat) +/- 0.20(sys)) x 10(-12) cm(-2) s(-1). The differential energy spectrum follows a power-law shape with a spectral index Gamma = 2.92 +/- 0.30(stat) +/- 0.20(sys) and a flux normalisation at 1 TeV of N-0 = (1.95 +/- 0.32(stat) +/- 0.39(sys)) x 10(-12) TeV-1 cm(-2) s(-1). The measured light curve does not show any evidence for variability of the source on the daily scale. The re-analysis of the 2004 data yields results compatible with the published ones. The differential energy spectrum measured up to similar to 10 TeV is consistent with a power law with a spectral index Gamma = 2.81 +/- 0.10(stat) +/- 0.20(sys) and a flux normalisation at 1 TeV of N-0 = (1.29 +/- 0.08(stat) +/- 0.26(sys)) x 10(-12) TeV-1 cm(-2) s(-1).
Conclusions. The measured integral flux and the spectral shape of the 2011 data are compatible with the results obtained around previous periastron passages. The absence of variability in the H.E.S.S. data indicates that the GeV flare observed by Fermi LAT in the time period covered also by H.E.S.S. observations originates in a different physical scenario than the TeV emission. Moreover, the comparison of the new results to the results from the 2004 observations made at a similar orbital phase provides a stronger evidence of the repetitive behaviour of the source.
Axionlike particles (ALPs) are hypothetical light (sub-eV) bosons predicted in some extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. In astrophysical environments comprising high-energy gamma rays and turbulent magnetic fields, the existence of ALPs can modify the energy spectrum of the gamma rays for a sufficiently large coupling between ALPs and photons. This modification would take the form of an irregular behavior of the energy spectrum in a limited energy range. Data from the H. E. S. S. observations of the distant BL Lac object PKS 2155 - 304 (z = 0.116) are used to derive upper limits at the 95% C. L. on the strength of the ALP coupling to photons, g(gamma a) < 2.1 x 10(-11) GeV-1 for an ALP mass between 15 and 60 neV. The results depend on assumptions on the magnetic field around the source, which are chosen conservatively. The derived constraints apply to both light pseudoscalar and scalar bosons that couple to the electromagnetic field.
Introducing the CTA concept
(2013)
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a new observatory for very high-energy (VHE) gamma rays. CTA has ambitions science goals, for which it is necessary to achieve full-sky coverage, to improve the sensitivity by about an order of magnitude, to span about four decades of energy, from a few tens of GeV to above 100 TeV with enhanced angular and energy resolutions over existing VHE gamma-ray observatories. An international collaboration has formed with more than 1000 members from 27 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America. In 2010 the CTA Consortium completed a Design Study and started a three-year Preparatory Phase which leads to production readiness of CTA in 2014. In this paper we introduce the science goals and the concept of CTA, and provide an overview of the project.
We report on the VERITAS observations of the high-frequency peaked BL Lac object 1ES 1959+650 in the period 2007-2011. This source is detected at TeV energies by VERITAS at 16.4 standard deviation (sigma) significance in 7.6 hr of observation in a low flux state. A multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) is constructed from contemporaneous data from VERITAS, Fermi-LAT, RXTE PCA, and Swift UVOT. Swift XRT data is not included in the SED due to a lack of simultaneous observations with VERITAS. In contrast to the orphan gamma-ray flare exhibited by this source in 2002, the X-ray flux of the source is found to vary by an order of magnitude, while other energy regimes exhibit less variable emission. A quasi-equilibrium synchrotron self-Compton model with an additional external radiation field is used to describe three SEDs corresponding to the lowest, highest, and average X-ray states. The variation in the X-ray spectrum is modeled by changing the electron injection spectral index, with minor adjustments of the kinetic luminosity in electrons. This scenario produces small-scale flux variability of the order of less than or similar to 2 in the high energy (E > 1MeV) and very high energy (E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray regimes, which is corroborated by the Fermi-LAT, VERITAS, and Whipple 10 m telescope light curves.
We present the results of a multiwavelength observational campaign on the TeV binary system LS I +61 degrees 303 with the VERITAS telescope array (>200 GeV), Fermi-LAT (0.3-300 GeV), and Swift/XRT (2-10 keV). The data were taken from 2011 December through 2012 January and show a strong detection in all three wavebands. During this period VERITAS obtained 24.9 hr of quality selected livetime data in which LS I +61 degrees 303 was detected at a statistical significance of 11.9 sigma. These TeV observations show evidence for nightly variability in the TeV regime at a post-trial significance of 3.6 sigma. The combination of the simultaneously obtained TeV and X-ray fluxes do not demonstrate any evidence for a correlation between emission in the two bands. For the first time since the launch of the Fermi satellite in 2008, this TeV detection allows the construction of a detailed MeV-TeV spectral energy distribution from LS I +61 degrees 303. This spectrum shows a distinct cutoff in emission near 4 GeV, with emission seen by the VERITAS observations following a simple power-law above 200 GeV. This feature in the spectrum of LS I +61 degrees 303, obtained from overlapping observations with Fermi-LAT and VERITAS, may indicate that there are two distinct populations of accelerated particles producing the GeV and TeV emission.
We report the detection of a new TeV gamma-ray source, VER J0521+211, based on observations made with the VERITAS imaging atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope Array. These observations were motivated by the discovery of a cluster of >30 GeV photons in the first year of Fermi Large Area Telescope observations. VER J0521+211 is relatively bright at TeV energies, with a mean photon flux of (1.93 +/- 0.13(stat) +/- 0.78(sys)) x 10(-11) cm(-2) s(-1) above 0.2 TeV during the period of the VERITAS observations. The source is strongly variable on a daily timescale across all wavebands, from optical to TeV, with a peak flux corresponding to similar to 0.3 times the steady Crab Nebula flux at TeV energies. Follow-up observations in the optical and X-ray bands classify the newly discovered TeV source as a BL Lac-type blazar with uncertain redshift, although recent measurements suggest z = 0.108. VER J0521+211 exhibits all the defining properties of blazars in radio, optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths.
We report results from TeV gamma-ray observations of the microquasar Cygnus X-3. The observations were made with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) over a time period from 2007 June 11 to 2011 November 28. VERITAS is most sensitive to gamma rays at energies between 85 GeV and 30 TeV. The effective exposure time amounts to a total of about 44 hr, with the observations covering six distinct radio/X-ray states of the object. No significant TeV gamma-ray emission was detected in any of the states, nor with all observations combined. The lack of a positive signal, especially in the states where GeV gamma rays were detected, places constraints on TeV gamma-ray production in Cygnus X-3. We discuss the implications of the results.
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.
Intracellular photoactivation of caged cGMP induces myosin II and actin responses in motile cells
(2013)
Cyclic GMP (cGMP) is a ubiquitous second messenger in eukaryotic cells. It is assumed to regulate the association of myosin II with the cytoskeleton of motile cells. When cells of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum are exposed to chemoattractants or to increased osmotic stress, intracellular cGMP levels rise, preceding the accumulation of myosin II in the cell cortex. To directly investigate the impact of intracellular cGMP on cytoskeletal dynamics in a living cell, we released cGMP inside the cell by laser-induced photo-cleavage of a caged precursor. With this approach, we could directly show in a live cell experiment that an increase in intracellular cGMP indeed induces myosin II to accumulate in the cortex. Unexpectedly, we observed for the first time that also the amount of filamentous actin in the cell cortex increases upon a rise in the cGMP concentration, independently of cAMP receptor activation and signaling. We discuss our results in the light of recent work on the cGMP signaling pathway and suggest possible links between cGMP signaling and the actin system.
Intracellular photoactivation of caged cGMP induces myosin II and actin responses in motile cells
(2013)
Cyclic GMP (cGMP) is a ubiquitous second messenger in eukaryotic cells. It is assumed to regulate the association of myosin II with the cytoskeleton of motile cells. When cells of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum are exposed to chemoattractants or to increased osmotic stress, intracellular cGMP levels rise, preceding the accumulation of myosin II in the cell cortex. To directly investigate the impact of intracellular cGMP on cytoskeletal dynamics in a living cell, we released cGMP inside the cell by laser-induced photo-cleavage of a caged precursor. With this approach, we could directly show in a live cell experiment that an increase in intracellular cGMP indeed induces myosin II to accumulate in the cortex. Unexpectedly, we observed for the first time that also the amount of filamentous actin in the cell cortex increases upon a rise in the cGMP concentration, independently of cAMP receptor activation and signaling. We discuss our results in the light of recent work on the cGMP signaling pathway and suggest possible links between cGMP signaling and the actin system.
The standard charging process for polymer ferroelectrets, e. g., from polypropylene foams or layered film systems involves the application of high DC fields either to metal electrodes or via a corona discharge. In this often-used process, the DC field triggers the internal breakdown and limits the final charge densities inside the ferroelectret cavities and, thus, the final polarization. Here, an AC + DC charging procedure is proposed and demonstrated in which a high-voltage high-frequency (HV-HF) wave train is applied together with a DC poling voltage. Thus, the internal dielectric-barrier discharges in the ferroelectret cavities are induced by the HV-HF wave train, while the final charge and polarization level is controlled separately through the applied DC voltage. In the new process, the frequency and the amplitude of the HV-HF wave train must be kept within critical boundaries that are closely related to the characteristics of the respective ferroelectrets. The charging method has been tested and investigated on a fluoropolymer-film system with a single well-defined cylindrical cavity. It is found that the internal electrical polarization of the cavity can be easily controlled and increases linearly with the applied DC voltage up to the breakdown voltage of the cavity. In the standard charging method, however, the DC voltage would have to be chosen above the respective breakdown voltage. With the new method, control of the HV-HF wave-train duration prevents a plasma-induced deterioration of the polymer surfaces inside the cavities. It is observed that the frequency of the HV-HF wave train during ferroelectret charging and the temperature applied during poling of ferroelectrics serve an analogous purpose. The analogy and the similarities between the proposed ferroelectret charging method and the poling of ferroelectric materials or dipole electrets at elevated temperatures with subsequent cooling under field are discussed.
Temporal evolution of the re-breakdown voltage in small gaps from nanoseconds to milliseconds
(2013)
A detailed understanding of electric breakdown in dielectrics is of scientific and technological interest. In gaseous dielectrics, a so-called re-breakdown is sometimes observed after extinction of the previous discharge. Although time-dependent re-breakdown voltage is essentially known, its behavior immediately after the previous discharge is not precisely understood. We present an electronic circuit for accurate measurements of the time-dependent re-breakdown voltage in small gaps from tens of nanoseconds to several milliseconds after the previous spark. Results from such experiments are compared with earlier findings, and relevant physical mechanisms such as heating of the gas, decay of the plasma, and ionization of excited atoms and molecules are discussed. It is confirmed that the thermal model is not valid at times below several microseconds.
Under dilute in vitro conditions transcription factors rapidly locate their target sequence on DNA by using the facilitated diffusion mechanism. However, whether this strategy of alternating between three-dimensional bulk diffusion and one-dimensional sliding along the DNA contour is still beneficial in the crowded interior of cells is highly disputed. Here we use a simple model for the bacterial genome inside the cell and present a semi-analytical model for the in vivo target search of transcription factors within the facilitated diffusion framework. Without having to resort to extensive simulations we determine the mean search time of a lac repressor in a living E. coli cell by including parameters deduced from experimental measurements. The results agree very well with experimental findings, and thus the facilitated diffusion picture emerges as a quantitative approach to gene regulation in living bacteria cells. Furthermore we see that the search time is not very sensitive to the parameters characterizing the DNA configuration and that the cell seems to operate very close to optimal conditions for target localization. Local searches as implied by the colocalization mechanism are only found to mildly accelerate the mean search time within our model.