Detection of Gamma Rays from a Starburst Galaxy

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 10¹⁵ electron volts. We report the detection of gamma rays--tracers of such cosmic rays--from the starburst...

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Veröffentlicht in:	Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2009-11, Vol.326 (5956), p.1080-1082
Hauptverfasser:	Acero, F, Akhperjanian, A.G, Anton, G, Barres de Almeida, U, Bazer-Bachi, A.R, Behera, B, Bochow, A, Boisson, C, Borrel, V, Brucker, J, Brun, F, Bühler, R, Charbonnier, A, Chaves, R.C.G, Cheesebrough, A, Chounet, L.-M, Clapson, A.C, Coignet, G, Davids, I.D, Deil, C, Dickinson, H.J, Djannati-Ataï, A, Domainko, W, Drury, L. O'C, Dubus, G, Dyrda, M, Egberts, K, Emmanoulopoulos, D, Fegan, S, Feinstein, F, Fiasson, A, Fontaine, G, Füssling, M, Gabici, S, Gallant, Y.A, Gérard, L, Gerbig, D, Giebels, B, Göring, D, Hauser, D, Hauser, M, Henri, G, Hermann, G, Hinton, J.A, Hofverberg, P, Hoppe, S, de Jager, O.C, Katarzyński, K, Katz, U, Kaufmann, S, Kerschhaggl, M, Khangulyan, D, Klochkov, D, Kneiske, T, Komin, Nu, Kosack, K, Kossakowski, R, Lenain, J.-P, Lohse, T, Marcowith, A, Masbou, J, McComb, T.J.L, Medina, M.C, Moderski, R, Moulin, E, de Naurois, M, Niemiec, J, Ohm, S, Olive, J.F, Orford, K.J, Ostrowski, M, Petrucci, P.-O, Pita, S, Raubenheimer, B.C, Raue, M, Rieger, F, Ripken, J, Rosier-Lees, S, Rowell, G, Rudak, B, Rulten, C.B, Ruppel, J, Sahakian, V, Santangelo, A, Schlickeiser, R, Schwanke, U, Schwarzburg, S, Sol, H, Stawarz, Ł, Szostek, A, Terrier, R, Tluczykont, M, van Eldik, C, Venter, C, Venter, L, Vialle, J.P, Volpe, F, Wagner, S.J, Ward, M, Zdziarski, A.A
Format:	Artikel
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	Astronomical magnitude Astronomy Astroparticle Physics Astropartikelfysik Astrophysics Cosmic rays Cosmic rays (including sources, origin, acceleration, and interactions) Density Earth, ocean, space Exact sciences and technology Flux density Galaxies Gamma rays High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Milky Way Galaxy Physics Protons Quasars. Active or peculiar galaxies, objects, and systems Sciences of the Universe Starburst galaxies Starburst galaxies and infrared excess galaxies Stars & galaxies Stellar systems. Galactic and extragalactic objects and systems. The universe Supernovae Unidentified sources and radiation outside the solar system
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Zusammenfassung:	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 10¹⁵ 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 ± 1.0stat ± 2.8sys) 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.
ISSN:	0036-8075 1095-9203 1095-9203
DOI:	10.1126/science.1178826