Primary very high energy γ rays from γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are partially absorbed on extragalactic background light photons with subsequent formation of intergalactic electromagnetic cascades. ...Characteristics of the observable cascade γ-ray signal are sensitive to the strength and structure of the extragalactic magnetic field (EGMF). GRB 190114C was recently detected with the MAGIC imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, for the first time allowing us to estimate the observable cascade intensity. We inquire whether any constraints on the EGMF strength and structure could be obtained from publicly available γ-ray data on GRB 190114C. We present detailed calculations of the observable cascade signal for various EGMF configurations. We show that the sensitivity of the Fermi-LAT space γ-ray telescope is not sufficient to obtain such constraints on the EGMF parameters. However, next-generation space γ-ray observatories such as MAST would be able to detect pair echoes from GRBs similar to GRB 190114C for the EGMF strength below 10−17 –10−18 G .
ABSTRACT
Blazars may accelerate protons and/or nuclei as well as electrons. The hadronic component of accelerated particles in blazars may constitute the bulk of their high-energy budget; ...nevertheless, this component is elusive because of the high value of the energy threshold of proton interactions with photon fields inside the source. However, the broad line regions (BLRs) of some flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) may contain a sufficient amount of matter to render primary protons ‘visible’ in γ-rays via hadronuclear interactions. In this paper, we study the persistent γ-ray emission of the FSRQ PKS 1510−089 in its low state, utilizing the publicly available Fermi-LAT data, as well as using the spectrum measured with the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes. We find an indication that there is an excess of γ-rays at the energy range ≳ 20 GeV with respect to a simple baseline log-parabolic intrinsic spectral model. This excess could be explained in a scenario invoking hadronuclear interactions of primary protons on the BLR material with the subsequent development of electromagnetic cascades in photon fields. We present a Monte Carlo calculation of the spectrum of this cascade component, taking as input the BLR photon field spectrum calculated with the cloudy code. To our knowledge, this is the first calculation of an electromagnetic cascade spectrum inside a blazar based on a direct calculation of the photon field spectrum with a spectral synthesis code.
Abstract
Galactic sites of acceleration of cosmic rays to energies of order 10
15
eV and higher, dubbed PeVatrons, reveal themselves by recently discovered gamma radiation of energies above 100 TeV. ...However, joint gamma-ray and neutrino production, which marks unambiguously cosmic-ray interactions with ambient matter and radiation, was not observed until now. In 2020 November, the IceCube neutrino observatory reported an ∼150 TeV neutrino event from the direction of one of the most promising Galactic PeVatrons, the Cygnus Cocoon. Here we report on the observation of a 3.1
σ
(post-trial) excess of atmospheric air showers from the same direction, observed by the Carpet–2 experiment and consistent with a few months flare in photons above 300 TeV, in temporal coincidence with the neutrino event. The fluence of the gamma-ray flare is of the same order as that expected from the neutrino observation, assuming the standard mechanism of neutrino production. This is the first evidence for the joint production of high-energy neutrinos and gamma-rays in a Galactic source.
The SPHERE-2 balloon-borne detector designed for extensive air shower (EAS) observations using EAS optical Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation (“Cherenkov light”), reflected from the snow-covered surface of ...Lake Baikal is described. We briefly discuss the concept behind the reflected Cherenkov light method, characterize the conditions at the experimental site and overview the construction of the tethered balloon used to lift the SPHERE-2 telescope above the surface. This paper is mainly dedicated to a detailed technical description of the detector, including its optical system, sensitive elements, electronics, and data acquisition system (DAQ). The results of some laboratory and field tests of the optical system are presented.
Isotropic diffuse gamma-ray flux in the PeV energy band is an important tool for multimessenger tests of models of the origin of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos and for new-physics searches. So ...far, this flux has not yet been observed. Carpet-2 is an air-shower experiment capable of detecting astrophysical gamma rays with energies above 0.1 PeV. Here we report the upper limits on the isotropic gamma-ray flux from Carpet-2 data obtained in 1999–2011 and 2018–2022. These results, obtained with the new statistical method based on the shape of the muon-number distribution, summarize Carpet-2 observations as the upgraded installation, Carpet-3, starts its operation.
Abstract
The mechanisms of origin of ultrahigh-energy gamma radiation are poorly studied. One way to find out is to search for temporal and directional coincidences of high-energy galactic neutrinos ...with photons of similar energies. The results of such a search could provide indications of the hadronic origin of this radiation. In this paper, we report on the search for photons with energies above 300 TeV in coincidence with high–energy neutrinos. The searches of ultrahigh–energy gammas were carried out at the Carpet–2 EAS array, using three years of data taking.
In the present work we report on the observation of an excess of gamma-ray candidate events in temporal and spatial coincidence with the IceCube high-energy neutrino alert consistent with the origin ...in the Cygnus Cocoon region. The observations have been performed with Carpet-2, a surface air-shower detector equipped with a large-area muon detector at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory in the Northern Caucasus. As well as we report about the current state of the Carpet-3 facility, which includes a muon detector with an increased area and an expanded surface array. The main aim of the Carpet-3 facility is the registration of cosmic gamma-rays with energy larger than 100 TeV. Moreover, it gives a possibility to carry out research on the composition of primary cosmic rays around the knee. It is planned that the Carpet-3 EAS array will be operation by the end of 2021.
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