1. Detection of gamma rays from a starburst galaxy.
- Author
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Acero F, Aharonian F, Akhperjanian AG, Anton G, Barres de Almeida U, Bazer-Bachi AR, Becherini Y, Behera B, Bernlöhr K, Bochow A, Boisson C, Bolmont J, Borrel V, Brucker J, Brun F, Brun P, Bühler R, Bulik T, Büsching I, Boutelier T, Chadwick PM, Charbonnier A, Chaves RC, Cheesebrough A, Chounet LM, Clapson AC, Coignet G, Dalton M, Daniel MK, Davids ID, Degrange B, Deil C, Dickinson HJ, Djannati-Ataï A, Domainko W, Drury LO, Dubois F, Dubus G, Dyks J, Dyrda M, Egberts K, Emmanoulopoulos D, Espigat P, Farnier C, Fegan S, Feinstein F, Fiasson A, Förster A, Fontaine G, Füssling M, Gabici S, Gallant YA, Gérard L, Gerbig D, Giebels B, Glicenstein JF, Glück B, Goret P, Göring D, Hauser D, Hauser M, Heinz S, Heinzelmann G, Henri G, Hermann G, Hinton JA, Hoffmann A, Hofmann W, Hofverberg P, Hoppe S, Horns D, Jacholkowska A, de Jager OC, Jahn C, Jung I, Katarzyński K, Katz U, Kaufmann S, Kerschhaggl M, Khangulyan D, Khélifi B, Keogh D, Klochkov D, Kluźniak W, Kneiske T, Komin N, Kosack K, Kossakowski R, Lamanna G, Lenain JP, Lohse T, Marandon V, Martineau-Huynh O, Marcowith A, Masbou J, Maurin D, McComb TJ, Medina MC, Méhault J, Moderski R, Moulin E, Naumann-Godo M, de Naurois M, Nedbal D, Nekrassov D, Nicholas B, Niemiec J, Nolan SJ, Ohm S, Olive JF, de Oña Wilhelmi E, Orford KJ, Ostrowski M, Panter M, Paz Arribas M, Pedaletti G, Pelletier G, Petrucci PO, Pita S, Pühlhofer G, Punch M, Quirrenbach A, Raubenheimer BC, Raue M, Rayner SM, Reimer O, Renaud M, Rieger F, Ripken J, Rob L, Rosier-Lees S, Rowell G, Rudak B, Rulten CB, Ruppel J, Sahakian V, Santangelo A, Schlickeiser R, Schöck FM, Schwanke U, Schwarzburg S, Schwemmer S, Shalchi A, Sikora M, Skilton JL, Sol H, Stawarz Ł, Steenkamp R, Stegmann C, Stinzing F, Superina G, Szostek A, Tam PH, Tavernet JP, Terrier R, Tibolla O, Tluczykont M, van Eldik C, Vasileiadis G, Venter C, Venter L, Vialle JP, Vincent P, Vivier M, Völk HJ, Volpe F, Wagner SJ, Ward M, Zdziarski AA, and Zech A
- Abstract
Starburst galaxies exhibit in their central regions a highly increased rate of supernovae, the remnants of which are thought to accelerate energetic cosmic rays up to energies of approximately 10(15) electron volts. We report the detection of gamma rays--tracers of such cosmic rays--from the starburst galaxy NGC 253 using the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The gamma-ray flux above 220 billion electron volts is F = (5.5 +/- 1.0(stat) +/- 2.8(sys)) x 10(-13) cm(-2) s(-1), implying a cosmic-ray density about three orders of magnitude larger than that in the center of the Milky Way. The fraction of cosmic-ray energy channeled into gamma rays in this starburst environment is five times as large as that in our Galaxy.
- Published
- 2009
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