ABSTRACT We report the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) detections of high-energy (>100 MeV) γ-ray emission from two recent optically bright classical novae, V1369 Centauri 2013 and V5668 Sagittarii ...2015. At early times, Fermi target-of-opportunity observations prompted by their optical discoveries provided enhanced LAT exposure that enabled the detections of γ-ray onsets beginning ∼2 days after their first optical peaks. Significant γ-ray emission was found extending to 39-55 days after their initial LAT detections, with systematically fainter and longer-duration emission compared to previous γ-ray-detected classical novae. These novae were distinguished by multiple bright optical peaks that encompassed the time spans of the observed γ-rays. The γ-ray light curves and spectra of the two novae are presented along with representative hadronic and leptonic models, and comparisons with other novae detected by the LAT are discussed.
The physical origin of the >0.1 GeV emission detected from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by the Fermi satellite has not yet been completely understood. In this work, we consider the GeV light curves of 10 ...GRBs with measured redshift detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). These light curves are characterized by a long-lived (≳102 seconds) emission, whose luminosity decays in time as a power law. While the decay rate is similar for all GRBs (i.e. L
LAT ∝ t
−1.2), the normalization spans about two orders of magnitude in luminosity. However, after re-normalizing the luminosities to the prompt energetics E
prompt the light curves overlap. We consider the scenario in which the temporally extended LAT emission is dominated by synchrotron radiation from electrons accelerated at the forward external shock. According to this model, at high energies (i.e. above the typical synchrotron frequencies) a small dispersion of the E
prompt-normalized light curves is expected. The fact that the LAT temporally extended emission follows this behaviour reinforces its interpretation in terms of afterglow radiation from external shocks. Assuming this scenario, we argue that the parameters ϵe and ηγ (i.e. the fraction of shock-dissipated energy gained by the electrons, and the efficiency of the mechanism producing the prompt radiation, respectively) must be narrowly distributed.
It is largely recognized that gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets involve ultrarelativistic motion. However, the value of the Lorentz factor G0 is still not clear and only lower limits are known for most ...bursts. We suggest here a new method to obtain upper limits on G0. The early high-energy synchrotron afterglow flux depends strongly on G0. Upper limits on GeV emission therefore provide upper limits on G0. Applying this method to 190 Fermi GRBs which have not been detected by the Fermi-LAT, we place upper limits on the high-energy afterglow flux, and in turn on G0. For bursts at a typical redshift z = 2, we find values of the order of 200 (and above) for a homogeneous density medium, and in the range 100-400 for a wind-like medium. These upper limits are consistent with (and are very close to) lower limits and direct estimates inferred using other methods, suggesting that the typical Lorentz factors of GRB jets are of the order of a few hundred.
Context. Blazars are a subset of active galactic nuclei (AGN) with jets that are oriented along our line of sight. Variability and spectral energy distribution (SED) studies are crucial tools for ...understanding the physical processes responsible for observed AGN emission. Aims. We report peculiar behavior in the bright γ-ray blazar PKS 1424−418 and use its strong variability to reveal information about the particle acceleration and interactions in the jet. Methods. Correlation analysis of the extensive optical coverage by the ATOM telescope and nearly continuous γ-ray coverage by the Fermi Large Area Telescope is combined with broadband, time-dependent modeling of the SED incorporating supplemental information from radio and X-ray observations of this blazar. Results. We analyse in detail four bright phases at optical-GeV energies. These flares of PKS 1424−418 show high correlation between these energy ranges, with the exception of one large optical flare that coincides with relatively low γ-ray activity. Although the optical/γ-ray behavior of PKS 1424−418 shows variety, the multiwavelength modeling indicates that these differences can largely be explained by changes in the flux and energy spectrum of the electrons in the jet that are radiating. We find that for all flares the SED is adequately represented by a leptonic model that includes inverse Compton emission from external radiation fields with similar parameters. Conclusions. Detailed studies of individual blazars like PKS 1424−418 during periods of enhanced activity in different wavebands are helping us identify underlying patterns in the physical parameters in this class of AGN.
ABSTRACT We present results from γ-ray observations of the Coma cluster incorporating six years of Fermi-LAT data and the newly released "Pass 8" event-level analysis. Our analysis of the region ...reveals low-significance residual structures within the virial radius of the cluster that are too faint for a detailed investigation with the current data. Using a likelihood approach that is free of assumptions on the spectral shape we derive upper limits on the γ-ray flux that is expected from energetic particle interactions in the cluster. We also consider a benchmark spatial and spectral template motivated by models in which the observed radio halo is mostly emission by secondary electrons. In this case, the median expected and observed upper limits for the flux above 100 are 1.7 × 10−9 ph cm−2 s−1 and 5.2 × 10−9 ph cm−2 s−1 respectively (the latter corresponds to residual emission at the level of 1.8 ). These bounds are comparable to or higher than predicted levels of hadronic gamma-ray emission in cosmic-ray (CR) models with or without reacceleration of secondary electrons, although direct comparisons are sensitive to assumptions regarding the origin and propagation mode of CRs and magnetic field properties. The minimal expected γ-ray flux from radio and star-forming galaxies within the Coma cluster is roughly an order of magnitude below the median sensitivity of our analysis.
Pulsars are rapidly spinning, highly magnetized neutron stars, created in the gravitational collapse of massive stars. We report the detection of pulsed giga–electron volt gamma rays from the young ...pulsar PSR J0540–6919 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. This is the first gamma-ray pulsar detected in another galaxy. It has the most luminous pulsed gamma-ray emission yet observed, exceeding the Crab pulsar's by a factor of 20. PSR J0540–6919 presents an extreme test case for understanding the structure and evolution of neutron star magnetospheres.
We report the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) detections of high-energy (>100 MeV) γ -ray emission from two recent optically bright classical novae, V1369 Centauri 2013 and V5668 Sagittarii 2015. At ...early times, Fermi target-of-opportunity observations prompted by their optical discoveries provided enhanced LAT exposure that enabled the detections of γ -ray onsets beginning ∼2 days after their first optical peaks. Significant γ -ray emission was found extending to 39–55 days after their initial LAT detections, with systematically fainter and longer-duration emission compared to previous γ -ray-detected classical novae. These novae were distinguished by multiple bright optical peaks that encompassed the time spans of the observed γ -rays. The γ -ray light curves and spectra of the two novae are presented along with representative hadronic and leptonic models, and comparisons with other novae detected by the LAT are discussed.
The detection and the characterization of the high energy emission component from individual gamma-ray bursts (GRB) is one of the key science objectives of the currently operating gamma-ray satellite ...AGILE, launched in April 2007. In its first two years of operation AGILE detected three GRBs with photons of energy larger than 30 MeV. For the 64 other GRBs localized during the period July 2007 to October 2009 in the field of view of the AGILE Gamma-Ray Imaging Detector (GRID), but not detected by this instrument, the authors estimate the count and flux upper limits on the GRB high energy emission in the AGILE-GRID energy band (30 MeV-3 GeV). To calculate the count upper limits, they adopted a Bayesian approach. The estimated flux upper limits range between 1 x 10 super( 4) and similar to 2 x 10 super( 2) photons cm super( -2) s super( -1) and generally lie above the flux estimated from the extrapolation of the prompt emission in the 30 MeV-3 GeV band.
It is largely recognized that Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) jets involve ultra-relativistic motion. However, the value of the Lorentz factor Gamma_0 is still not clear and only lower limits are known for ...most bursts. We suggest here a new method to obtain upper limits on Gamma_0. The early high-energy synchrotron afterglow flux depends strongly on Gamma_0. Upper limits on GeV emission therefore provide uppers limit on Gamma_0. Applying this method to 190 Fermi GRBs that have not been detected by the Fermi-LAT we place upper limits on the high-energy afterglow flux, and in turn on Gamma_0. For bursts at a typical redshift z=2, we find values of the order of 200 (and above) for a homogeneous density medium, and in the range 100-400 for a wind-like medium. These upper limits are consistent with (and are very close to) lower limits and direct estimates inferred using other methods, suggesting that the typical Lorentz factors of GRB jets are of order a few hundred.
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