Although the links between stratospheric dynamics, climate and weather have been demonstrated, direct observations of stratospheric winds are lacking, in particular at altitudes above 30 km. We ...report observations of winds between 8 and 0.01 hPa (~35–80 km) from October 2009 to April 2010 by the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) on the International Space Station. The altitude range covers the region between 35–60 km where previous space-borne wind instruments show a lack of sensitivity. Both zonal and meridional wind components were obtained, though not simultaneously, in the latitude range from 30° S to 55° N and with a single profile precision of 7–9 m s–1 between 8 and 0.6 hPa and better than 20 m s–1 at altitudes above. The vertical resolution is 5–7 km except in the upper part of the retrieval range (10 km at 0.01 hPa). In the region between 1–0.05 hPa, an absolute value of the mean difference < 2 m s–1 is found between SMILES profiles retrieved from different spectroscopic lines and instrumental settings. Good agreement (absolute value of the mean difference of ~2 m s–1) is also found with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis in most of the stratosphere except for the zonal winds over the equator (difference > 5 m s−1). In the mesosphere, SMILES and ECMWF zonal winds exhibit large differences (> 20 m s–1), especially in the tropics. We illustrate our results by showing daily and monthly zonal wind variations, namely the semi-annual oscillation in the tropics and reversals of the flow direction between 50–55° N during sudden stratospheric warmings. The daily comparison with ECMWF winds reveals that in the beginning of February, a significantly stronger zonal westward flow is measured in the tropics at 2 hPa compared to the flow computed in the analysis (difference of ~20 m s–1). The results show that the comparison between SMILES and ECMWF winds is not only relevant for the quality assessment of the new SMILES winds, but it also provides insights on the quality of the ECMWF winds themselves. Although the instrument was not specifically designed for measuring winds, the results demonstrate that space-borne sub-mm wave radiometers have the potential to provide good quality data for improving the stratospheric winds in atmospheric models.
We report the detection of a new source of very high energy (VHE; unk greater than or equal to 100 Gev) Y-ray emission located close to the Galactic plane, MA J0616+225, which is spatially coincident ...with supernova remnant IC 443. The observations were carried out with the MAGIC telescope unk 2005 December-2006 January and 2006 December-2007 January. Here we present results from this source, leading to a VHE Y-ray unk statistical significance of 5.7 sigma in the 2006/2007 data and a measured differential Y-ray flux consistent with a power law, described as unk(dAdtdE) = (1.0 plus or minus 0.2) x 10 super(11)(E/0.4TeV)-3.1 plus or minus 0.3 cm super(-2) s super(-1) Tev super(-1). we briefly discuss the observational technique used and the unk implemented for the data analysis. The results are placed in the context of the multiwavelength emission and the molecular environment region of IC 443.
M87 is the only known nonblazar radio galaxy to emit very high energy (VHE) gamma rays. During a monitoring program of M87, a rapid flare in VHE gamma-rays was detected by the MAGIC telescope in ...early 2008. The flux was found to be variable above 350 GeV on a timescale as short as 1 day at a significance level of 5.6 capital sigma . The highest measured flux reached 15% of the Crab Nebula flux. We observed several substantial changes of the flux level during the 13 day observing period. The flux at lower energies (150-350 GeV), instead, is compatible with being constant. The energy spectrum can be described by a power law with a photon index of 2.30 +/- 0.11 sub(stat) +/- 0.20 sub(syst). The observed day-scale flux variability at VHE prefers the M87 core as source of the emission and implies that either the emission region is very compact (just a few Schwarzschild radii) or the Doppler factor of the emitting blob is rather large in the case of a nonexpanding emission region.
Using data from more than 10 years of observations with the Akeno Giant Air Shower Array (AGASA), we published a result that the energy spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays extends beyond the ...cutoff energy predicted by Greisen Rhys. Rev. Lett. 16 (1966) 748 and Zatsepin and Kuzmin Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 4 (1966) 114. In this paper, we reevaluate the energy determination method used for AGASA events with respect to the lateral distribution of shower particles, their attenuation with zenith angle, shower front structure, delayed particles observed far from the core and other factors. The currently assigned energies of AGASA events have an accuracy of ±25% in event-reconstruction resolution and ±18% in systematic errors around 10
20 eV. This systematic uncertainty is independent of primary energy above 10
19 eV. Based on the energy spectrum from 10
14.5 eV to a few times 10
20 eV determined at Akeno, there are surely events above 10
20 eV and the energy spectrum extends up to a few times 10
20 eV without a GZK cutoff.
Recently, the Galactic center has been reported to be a source of very high energy (VHE) g-rays by the CANGAROO, VERITAS, and HESS experiments. The energy spectra as measured by these experiments ...show substantial differences. In this Letter we present MAGIC observations of the Galactic center, resulting in the detection of a differential g-ray flux consistent with a steady, hard-slope power law, described as dN sub(g)/(dA dt dE) = (2.9 c 0.6) x 10 super(-12)(E/TeV) super(-2.2c0.2) cm super(-2) s super(-1) TeV super(-1). The g-ray source is centered at (R.A., decl.) = (17 super(h)45 super(m)20 super(s), -292'). This result confirms the previous measurements by the HESS experiment and indicates a steady source of TeV g-rays. We briefly describe the observational technique used and the procedure implemented for the data analysis, and we discuss the results in the perspective of different models proposed for the acceleration of the VHE g-rays.
The MAGIC collaboration observed BL Lacertae for 22.2 hr during 2005 August to December and for 26 hr during 2006 July to September. The source is the historical prototype and eponym of a class of ...low-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae (LBL) objects. A very high energy (VHE) gamma -ray signal was discovered with a 5.1 a excess in the 2005 data. Above 200 GeV, an integral flux of (0.6 plus or minus 0.2) x 10 super(-11) cm super(-2)8 super(-1) was measured, corresponding to approximately 3% of the Crab flux. The differential spectrum between 150 and 900 GeV is rather steep with a photon index of -3.6 plus or minus 0.5. The light curve shows no significant variability during the observations in 2005. For the first time a clear detection of VHE gamma -ray emission from an LBL object was obtained with a signal below previous upper limits. The 2006 data show no significant excess. This drop in flux follows the observed trend in optical activity.
PDF
