Search

The Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory has been operating for over 7 yr since its launch in 1991 April. This span of time far exceeds the design lifetime of 2 yr. As the instrument has aged, several changes have occurred owing to spark chamber gas exchanges as well as some hardware degradation and failures, all of which have an influence on the instrument sensitivity. This paper describes postlaunch measurements and analysis that are done to calibrate the instrument response functions. The updated instrument characteristics are incorporated into the analysis software.

In the course of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory mission, the EGRET telescope has detected 14 BL Lacertae objects in high-energy gamma rays through Phase 4. According to the BL Lac sample in Ciliegi, Bassani, & Caroli, two of these 14 sources are X-ray selected (XBL) and 10 are radio-selected (RBL); two are not listed in this sample. An examination of the radio fluxes and the X-ray fluxes for the BL Lac objects detected by EGRET reveals that it seems a strong radio flux must be present if high-energy gamma rays are to be detected in a BL Lac object, while detection is independent of the X-ray flux of the source. This result is in agreement with the picture of the coaligned radio jet and X-ray jet model of the broadband properties of BL Lac objects. For the BL Lac objects listed in Ciliegi et al. that are not detected by EGRET, co-adding of the EGRET data for the undetected RBLs in such a way that the source positions coincide with each other yields a flux excess at a 3.5 σ level, but similar co-adding of the EGRET data for the undetected XBLs yields no flux excess.

The all-sky survey in high-energy gamma rays (E$>$30 MeV) carried out by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory provides a unique opportunity to examine in detail the diffuse gamma-ray emission. The observed diffuse emission has a Galactic component arising from cosmic-ray interactions with the local interstellar gas and radiation as well an almost uniformly distributed component that is generally believed to originate outside the Galaxy. Through a careful study and removal of the Galactic diffuse emission, the flux, spectrum and uniformity of the extragalactic emission is deduced. The analysis indicates that the extragalactic emission is well described by a power law photon spectrum with an index of -(2.10+-0.03) in the 30 MeV to 100 GeV energy range. No large scale spatial anisotropy or changes in the energy spectrum are observed in the deduced extragalactic emission. The most likely explanation for the origin of this extragalactic high-energy gamma-ray emission is that it arises primarily from unresolved gamma-ray-emitting blazars., 19 pages latex, 10 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

The EGRET instrument aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) has completed the first all-sky survey in high-energy gamma rays and has repeatedly viewed selected portions of the sky. Analysis of the region with galactic latitude $+10\arcdeg < b < +40\arcdeg$ indicates the presence of nineteen point sources, including nine which can be identified as active galactic nuclei, some of which have been reported previously, as well as ten other sources with no definite counterparts. Using the combined exposures from Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the CGRO viewing program, the spectra, time variability, and positions of all detected sources in this region are determined. It is tentatively suggested that one of the unidentified sources might be associated with the radio galaxy Centaurus A., Comment: 18 pages, 3 Postscript figures (one of 3 pages) Uses aaspp4.sty

The EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, which detects photons in the energy range 30 MeV to 30 GeV, has detected about 40 sources of gamma rays (>100 MeV) at high galactic latitudes. Most of these appear to be associated with bright, flat-spectrum radio sources, many of which have been previously classified as optically violent variable (OVV) quasars or BL Lac objects (together often referred to as blazars). The remaining sources are presently unidentified, although some of them are positionally compatible with flat-spectrum radio sources which are somewhat less bright and less well-studied.

The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Observatory has detected, with a high degree of certainty, more than 20 active galactic nuclei (AGN) in high energy gamma‐ray (E≳100 MeV). All of these sources appear to be members of the blazar class of AGN, exhibiting one or more of the characteristics of this source class (flat radio spectrum, strong variability, optical polarization).Variability on time scales from days to months or longer is a characteristic of the gamma‐ray emission from most of the blazars detected by EGRET. In this paper the EGRET observations of variability are summarized and some of the implications for emission models are discussed. In particular, the EGRET observations and consideration of gamma‐ray absorption via photon‐photon pair production strongly suggest that the gamma radiation from AGN is beamed toward us. This is consistent with the interpretation of blazars as objects in which the non‐thermal radiation arises predominantly from a ‘‘jet’’ of relativis...

The EGRET instrument aboard the Compton Gamma‐Ray Observatory has detected gamma‐ray emission from many Active Galactic Nuclei during the Phase I & II observation periods. With the continuing discovery of gamma‐ray loud AGN, it becomes increasingly important to characterize the luminosity and density distribution of these objects in order to understand how the gamma‐ray characteristics are related to properties observed at radio, optical and X‐ray wavelengths. The 〈V/Vmax〉 test is applied to the population of gamma‐ray loud Active Galactic Nuclei which have been observed by the EGRET instrument during the Phase I all‐sky survey. Evidence for luminosity evolution is presented, and estimates of the degree of evolution are made given standard assumptions about the cosmology and the form of the luminosity evolution. The effects of observational biases due to gamma‐ray flux‐detection limits and optical identifications are considered.

The EGRET phase 1 & 2 observations of Geminga have been used to determine an optimum contemporary ephemeris using the ‘‘Z2n timing method.’’ The residuals for this linear ephemeris over 2.1 years are less than 5 ms, suggesting that Geminga has not glitched. A position estimate is found to be consistent with the G‘ optical counterpart. The comparison of f between this ephemeris and that of COS‐B yields an estimate of f which is an order of magnitude smaller than that determined from the COS‐B data. It is estimated that the anticipated EGRET phase 3 Geminga exposure will allow for the comparison of Geminga phase between EGRET, COS‐B, and SAS‐2.

The EGRET gamma‐ray telescope has detected a persistent source of high energy gamma rays which has not been identified. It was detected in seven different observations in 1991–1993. Variations in the spectrum, combined with a galactic latitude of +25°, make it likely that this is a previously unknown blazar.