Detection of pulsed gamma rays above 100 GeV from the crab pulsar

E. Aliu; T. Arlen; T. Aune; M. Beilicke; W. Benbow; A. Bouvier; S. M. Bradbury; J. H. Buckley; V. Bugaev; K. Byrum; A. Cannon; A. Cesarini; J. L. Christiansen; L. Ciupik; E. Collins-Hughes; M. P. Connolly; W. Cui; R. Dickherber; C. Duke; M. Errando; A. Falcone; J. P. Finley; G. Finnegan; L. Fortson; A. Furniss; N. Galante; D. Gall; K. Gibbs; G. H. Gillanders; S. Godambe; S. Griffin; J. Grube; R. Guenette; G. Gyuk; D. Hanna; J. Holder; H. Huan; G. Hughes; C. M. Hui; T. B. Humensky; A. Imran; P. Kaaret; N. Karlsson; M. Kertzman; D. Kieda; H. Krawczynski; F. Krennrich; M. J. Lang; M. Lyutikov; A. S. Madhavan

doi:10.1126/science.1208192

Detection of pulsed gamma rays above 100 GeV from the crab pulsar

E. Aliu, T. Arlen, T. Aune, M. Beilicke, W. Benbow, A. Bouvier, S. M. Bradbury, J. H. Buckley, V. Bugaev, K. Byrum, A. Cannon, A. Cesarini, J. L. Christiansen, L. Ciupik, E. Collins-Hughes, M. P. Connolly, W. Cui, R. Dickherber, C. Duke, M. ErrandoA. Falcone, J. P. Finley, G. Finnegan, L. Fortson, A. Furniss, N. Galante, D. Gall, K. Gibbs, G. H. Gillanders, S. Godambe, S. Griffin, J. Grube, R. Guenette, G. Gyuk, D. Hanna, J. Holder, H. Huan, G. Hughes, C. M. Hui, T. B. Humensky, A. Imran, P. Kaaret, N. Karlsson, M. Kertzman, D. Kieda, H. Krawczynski, F. Krennrich, M. J. Lang, M. Lyutikov, A. S. Madhavan

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

165 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the detection of pulsed gamma rays from the Crab pulsar at energies above 100 giga-electron volts (GeV) with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) array of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The detection cannot be explained on the basis of current pulsar models. The photon spectrum of pulsed emission between 100 mega-electron volts and 400 GeV is described by a broken power law that is statistically preferred over a power law with an exponential cutoff. It is unlikely that the observation can be explained by invoking curvature radiation as the origin of the observed gamma rays above 100 GeV. Our findings require that these gamma rays be produced more than 10 stellar radii from the neutron star.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	69-72
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	334
Issue number	6052
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1208192
State	Published - Oct 7 2011

Access

10.1126/science.1208192

OpenUrl availability

Full text

Cite this

Aliu, E., Arlen, T., Aune, T., Beilicke, M., Benbow, W., Bouvier, A., Bradbury, S. M., Buckley, J. H., Bugaev, V., Byrum, K., Cannon, A., Cesarini, A., Christiansen, J. L., Ciupik, L., Collins-Hughes, E., Connolly, M. P., Cui, W., Dickherber, R., Duke, C., ... Madhavan, A. S. (2011). Detection of pulsed gamma rays above 100 GeV from the crab pulsar. Science, 334(6052), 69-72. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1208192

Aliu, E, Arlen, T, Aune, T, Beilicke, M, Benbow, W, Bouvier, A, Bradbury, SM, Buckley, JH, Bugaev, V, Byrum, K, Cannon, A, Cesarini, A, Christiansen, JL, Ciupik, L, Collins-Hughes, E, Connolly, MP, Cui, W, Dickherber, R, Duke, C, Errando, M, Falcone, A, Finley, JP, Finnegan, G, Fortson, L, Furniss, A, Galante, N, Gall, D, Gibbs, K, Gillanders, GH, Godambe, S, Griffin, S, Grube, J, Guenette, R, Gyuk, G, Hanna, D, Holder, J, Huan, H, Hughes, G, Hui, CM, Humensky, TB, Imran, A, Kaaret, P, Karlsson, N, Kertzman, M, Kieda, D, Krawczynski, H, Krennrich, F, Lang, MJ, Lyutikov, M & Madhavan, AS 2011, 'Detection of pulsed gamma rays above 100 GeV from the crab pulsar', Science, vol. 334, no. 6052, pp. 69-72. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1208192

@article{0c0ddfc3638249368f2bf55a0e5ed460,

title = "Detection of pulsed gamma rays above 100 GeV from the crab pulsar",

abstract = "We report the detection of pulsed gamma rays from the Crab pulsar at energies above 100 giga-electron volts (GeV) with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) array of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The detection cannot be explained on the basis of current pulsar models. The photon spectrum of pulsed emission between 100 mega-electron volts and 400 GeV is described by a broken power law that is statistically preferred over a power law with an exponential cutoff. It is unlikely that the observation can be explained by invoking curvature radiation as the origin of the observed gamma rays above 100 GeV. Our findings require that these gamma rays be produced more than 10 stellar radii from the neutron star.",

author = "E. Aliu and T. Arlen and T. Aune and M. Beilicke and W. Benbow and A. Bouvier and Bradbury, {S. M.} and Buckley, {J. H.} and V. Bugaev and K. Byrum and A. Cannon and A. Cesarini and Christiansen, {J. L.} and L. Ciupik and E. Collins-Hughes and Connolly, {M. P.} and W. Cui and R. Dickherber and C. Duke and M. Errando and A. Falcone and Finley, {J. P.} and G. Finnegan and L. Fortson and A. Furniss and N. Galante and D. Gall and K. Gibbs and Gillanders, {G. H.} and S. Godambe and S. Griffin and J. Grube and R. Guenette and G. Gyuk and D. Hanna and J. Holder and H. Huan and G. Hughes and Hui, {C. M.} and Humensky, {T. B.} and A. Imran and P. Kaaret and N. Karlsson and M. Kertzman and D. Kieda and H. Krawczynski and F. Krennrich and Lang, {M. J.} and M. Lyutikov and Madhavan, {A. S.}",

year = "2011",

month = oct,

day = "7",

doi = "10.1126/science.1208192",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "334",

pages = "69--72",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6052",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Detection of pulsed gamma rays above 100 GeV from the crab pulsar

AU - Aliu, E.

AU - Arlen, T.

AU - Aune, T.

AU - Beilicke, M.

AU - Benbow, W.

AU - Bouvier, A.

AU - Bradbury, S. M.

AU - Buckley, J. H.

AU - Bugaev, V.

AU - Byrum, K.

AU - Cannon, A.

AU - Cesarini, A.

AU - Christiansen, J. L.

AU - Ciupik, L.

AU - Collins-Hughes, E.

AU - Connolly, M. P.

AU - Cui, W.

AU - Dickherber, R.

AU - Duke, C.

AU - Errando, M.

AU - Falcone, A.

AU - Finley, J. P.

AU - Finnegan, G.

AU - Fortson, L.

AU - Furniss, A.

AU - Galante, N.

AU - Gall, D.

AU - Gibbs, K.

AU - Gillanders, G. H.

AU - Godambe, S.

AU - Griffin, S.

AU - Grube, J.

AU - Guenette, R.

AU - Gyuk, G.

AU - Hanna, D.

AU - Holder, J.

AU - Huan, H.

AU - Hughes, G.

AU - Hui, C. M.

AU - Humensky, T. B.

AU - Imran, A.

AU - Kaaret, P.

AU - Karlsson, N.

AU - Kertzman, M.

AU - Kieda, D.

AU - Krawczynski, H.

AU - Krennrich, F.

AU - Lang, M. J.

AU - Lyutikov, M.

AU - Madhavan, A. S.

PY - 2011/10/7

Y1 - 2011/10/7

N2 - We report the detection of pulsed gamma rays from the Crab pulsar at energies above 100 giga-electron volts (GeV) with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) array of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The detection cannot be explained on the basis of current pulsar models. The photon spectrum of pulsed emission between 100 mega-electron volts and 400 GeV is described by a broken power law that is statistically preferred over a power law with an exponential cutoff. It is unlikely that the observation can be explained by invoking curvature radiation as the origin of the observed gamma rays above 100 GeV. Our findings require that these gamma rays be produced more than 10 stellar radii from the neutron star.

AB - We report the detection of pulsed gamma rays from the Crab pulsar at energies above 100 giga-electron volts (GeV) with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) array of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The detection cannot be explained on the basis of current pulsar models. The photon spectrum of pulsed emission between 100 mega-electron volts and 400 GeV is described by a broken power law that is statistically preferred over a power law with an exponential cutoff. It is unlikely that the observation can be explained by invoking curvature radiation as the origin of the observed gamma rays above 100 GeV. Our findings require that these gamma rays be produced more than 10 stellar radii from the neutron star.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053611264&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=80053611264&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.1208192

DO - 10.1126/science.1208192

M3 - Article

C2 - 21980105

AN - SCOPUS:80053611264

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 334

SP - 69

EP - 72

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6052

ER -

Detection of pulsed gamma rays above 100 GeV from the crab pulsar

Abstract

Access

OpenUrl availability

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this