SNR G24.7+0.6 is a 9.5 kyrs radio and \(\gamma\)-ray supernova remnant evolving in a dense medium. In the GeV regime, SNR G24.7+0.6 (3FHL\,J1834.1--0706e/FGES\,J1834.1--0706) shows a hard spectral ...index ($\Gamma$$\sim\(2) up to \)200\(\,GeV, which makes it a good candidate to be observed with Cherenkov telescopes such as MAGIC. We observed the field of view of \snr\ with the MAGIC telescopes for a total of 31 hours. We detect very high energy \)\gamma\(-ray emission from an extended source located 0.34\degr\ away from the center of the radio SNR. The new source, named \mgc\ is detected up to 5\,TeV, and its spectrum is well-represented by a power-law function with spectral index of \)2.74 \pm 0.08\(. The complexity of the region makes the identification of the origin of the very-high energy emission difficult, however the spectral agreement with the LAT source and overlapping position at less than 1.5\)\sigma\( point to a common origin. We analysed 8 years of \fermi-LAT data to extend the spectrum of the source down to 60\,MeV. \fermi-LAT and MAGIC spectra overlap within errors and the global broad band spectrum is described by a power-law with exponential cutoff at \)1.9\pm0.5\(\,TeV. The detected \)\gamma$-ray emission can be interpreted as the results of proton-proton interaction between the supernova and the CO-rich surrounding.
The mechanisms producing fast variability of the \(\gamma\)-ray emission in active galactic nuclei are under debate. The MAGIC telescopes detected a fast very high energy (VHE, E\(>100\) GeV) ...\(\gamma\)-ray flare from BL Lacertae on 2015 June 15. The flare had a maximum flux of \((1.5\pm 0.3)\times 10^{-10}\) photons cm\(^{-2}\) s\(^{-1}\) and halving time of \(26\pm8\) minutes. The MAGIC observations were triggered by a high state in the optical and high energy (HE, E\(>100\) MeV) \(\gamma\)-ray bands. In this paper we present the MAGIC VHE \(\gamma\)-ray data together with multiwavelength data from radio, optical, X-rays, and HE \(\gamma\) rays from 2015 May 1 to July 31. Well-sampled multiwavelength data allow us to study the variability in detail and compare it to the other epochs when fast VHE \(\gamma\)-ray flares have been detected from this source. Interestingly, we find that the behaviour in radio, optical, X-rays and HE \(\gamma\)-rays is very similar to two other observed VHE \(\gamma\)-ray flares. In particular, also during this flare there was an indication of rotation of the optical polarization angle and of activity at the 43\,GHz core. These repeating patterns indicate a connection between the three events. We also test modelling of the spectral energy distribution, based on constraints from the light curves and VLBA observations, with two different geometrical setups of two-zone inverse Compton models. In addition we model the \(\gamma\)-ray data with the star-jet interaction model. We find that all of the tested emission models are compatible with the fast VHE \(\gamma\)-ray flare, but all have some tension with the multiwavelength observations.
Starburst galaxies and star-forming active galactic nuclei are among the candidate sources thought to contribute appreciably to the extragalactic gamma-ray and neutrino backgrounds. NGC 1068 is the ...brightest of the star-forming galaxies found to emit gamma-rays from 0.1 to 50 GeV. Precise measurements of the high-energy spectrum are crucial to study the particle accelerators and probe the dominant emission mechanisms. We have carried out 125 hr of observations of NGC 1068 with the MAGIC telescopes in order to search for gamma-ray emission in the very-high-energy band. We did not detect significant gamma-ray emission, and set upper limits at the 95% confidence level to the gamma-ray flux above 200 GeV f < 5.1 × 10−13 cm−2 s−1. This limit improves previous constraints by about an order of magnitude and allows us to put tight constraints on the theoretical models for the gamma-ray emission. By combining the MAGIC observations with the Fermi-LAT spectrum we limit the parameter space (spectral slope, maximum energy) of the cosmic ray protons predicted by hadronuclear models for the gamma-ray emission, while we find that a model postulating leptonic emission from a semi-relativistic jet is fully consistent with the limits. We provide predictions for IceCube detection of the neutrino signal foreseen in the hadronic scenario. We predict a maximal IceCube neutrino event rate of 0.07 yr−1.
The mechanisms producing fast variability of the γ-ray emission in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are under debate. The MAGIC telescopes detected a fast, very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) γ-ray ...flare from BL Lacertae on 2015 June 15. The flare had a maximum flux of (1.5 ± 0.3) × 10−10 photons cm−2 s−1 and halving time of 26 ± 8 min. The MAGIC observations were triggered by a high state in the optical and high-energy (HE, E > 100 MeV) γ-ray bands. In this paper we present the MAGIC VHE γ-ray data together with multi-wavelength data from radio, optical, X-rays, and HE γ rays from 2015 May 1 to July 31. Well-sampled multi-wavelength data allow us to study the variability in detail and compare it to the other epochs when fast, VHE γ-ray flares have been detected from this source. Interestingly, we find that the behaviour in radio, optical, X-rays, and HE γ-rays is very similar to two other observed VHE γ-ray flares. In particular, also during this flare there was an indication of rotation of the optical polarization angle and of activity at the 43 GHz core. These repeating patterns indicate a connection between the three events. We also test modelling of the spectral energy distribution based on constraints from the light curves and VLBA observations, with two different geometrical setups of two-zone inverse Compton models. In addition we model the γ-ray data with the star-jet interaction model. We find that all of the tested emission models are compatible with the fast VHE γ-ray flare, but all have some tension with the multi-wavelength observations.Key words: BL Lacertae objects: individual: BL Lacertae / gamma rays: galaxies⋆ MAGIC and multiwavelength data are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/623/A175⋆⋆ Corresponding authors: E. Lindfors, e-mail: elilin@utu.fi; M. Vazquez Acosta, e-mail: monicava@iac.es; S. Tsujimoto, e-mail: shimpei.tsujimoto@gmail.com
A multiwavelength campaign was organized to take place between March and July of 2012. Excellent temporal coverage was obtained with more than 25 instruments, including the MAGIC, FACT and VERITAS ...Cherenkov telescopes, the instruments on board the Swift and Fermi spacecraft, and the telescopes operated by the GASP-WEBT collaboration. Mrk 501 showed a very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray flux above 0.2 TeV of $\sim$0.5 times the Crab Nebula flux (CU) for most of the campaign. The highest activity occurred on 2012 June 9, when the VHE flux was $\sim$3 CU, and the peak of the high-energy spectral component was found to be at $\sim$2 TeV. This study reports very hard X-ray spectra, and the hardest VHE spectra measured to date for Mrk 501. The fractional variability was found to increase with energy, with the highest variability occurring at VHE, and a significant correlation between the X-ray and VHE bands. The unprecedentedly hard X-ray and VHE spectra measured imply that their low- and high-energy components peaked above 5 keV and 0.5 TeV, respectively, during a large fraction of the observing campaign, and hence that Mrk 501 behaved like an extreme high-frequency- peaked blazar (EHBL) throughout the 2012 observing season. This suggests that being an EHBL may not be a permanent characteristic of a blazar, but rather a state which may change over time. The one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) scenario can successfully describe the segments of the SED where most energy is emitted, with a significant correlation between the electron energy density and the VHE gamma-ray activity, suggesting that most of the variability may be explained by the injection of high-energy electrons. The one-zone SSC scenario used reproduces the behaviour seen between the measured X-ray and VHE gamma-ray fluxes, and predicts that the correlation becomes stronger with increasing energy of the X-rays.
ims.The very high energy (VHE&100GeV)γ-ray MAGIC observations of the blazar S4 0954+65, were triggered by anexceptionally high flux state of emission in the optical. This blazar has a disputed ...redshift ofz= 0.368 orz>0.45 and an uncertainclassification among blazar subclasses. The exceptional source state described here makes for an excellent opportunity to understandphysical processes in the jet of S4 0954+65 and thus contribute to its classification.Methods.We investigated the multiwavelength (MWL) light curve and spectral energy distribution (SED) of the S4 0954+65 blazarduring an enhanced state in February 2015 and have put it in context with possible emission scenarios. We collected photometric datain radio, optical, X-ray, andγ-ray. We studied both the optical polarization and the inner parsec-scale jet behavior with 43 GHz data.Results.Observations with the MAGIC telescopes led to the first detection of S4 0954+65 at VHE. Simultaneous data withFermi-LAT at high energyγ-ray(HE, 100 MeV
We report on observations of the pulsar/Be star binary system PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213 in the energy range between $100\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $20\,\mathrm{TeV}$ with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging ...Telescope Array and Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov telescope arrays. The binary orbit has a period of approximately 50 years, with the most recent periastron occurring on 2017 November 13. Our observations span from 18 months prior to periastron to one month after. A new point-like gamma-ray source is detected, coincident with the location of PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213. The gamma-ray light curve and spectrum are well characterized over the periastron passage. The flux is variable over at least an order of magnitude, peaking at periastron, thus providing a firm association of the TeV source with the pulsar/Be star system. Observations prior to periastron show a cutoff in the spectrum at an energy around $0.5\,\mathrm{TeV}$. This result adds a new member to the small population of known TeV binaries, and it identifies only the second source of this class in which the nature and properties of the compact object are firmly established. We compare the gamma-ray results with the light curve measured with the X-ray Telescope on board the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and with the predictions of recent theoretical models of the system. We conclude that significant revision of the models is required to explain the details of the emission that we have observed, and we discuss the relationship between the binary system and the overlapping steady extended source, TeV J2032+4130.
Spontaneous breaking of Lorentz symmetry at energies on the order of the Planck energy or lower is predicted by many quantum gravity theories, implying non-trivial dispersion relations for the photon ...in vacuum. Consequently, gamma-rays of different energies, emitted simultaneously from astrophysical sources, could accumulate measurable differences in their time of flight until they reach the Earth. Such tests have been carried out in the past using fast variations of gamma-ray flux from pulsars, and more recently from active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts. We present new constraints studying the gamma-ray emission of the galactic Crab Pulsar, recently observed up to TeV energies by the Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) collaboration. A profile likelihood analysis of pulsar events reconstructed for energies above 400 GeV finds no significant variation in arrival time as their energy increases. Ninety-five percent CL limits are obtained on the effective Lorentz invariance violating energy scale at the level of ${E}_{{\mathrm{QG}}_{1}}\gt 5.5\times {10}^{17}\,\mathrm{GeV}$ ($4.5\times {10}^{17}\,\mathrm{GeV}$) for a linear, and ${E}_{{\mathrm{QG}}_{2}}\gt 5.9\times {10}^{10}\,\mathrm{GeV}$ ($5.3\times {10}^{10}\,\mathrm{GeV}$) for a quadratic scenario, for the subluminal and the superluminal cases, respectively. A substantial part of this study is dedicated to calibration of the test statistic, with respect to bias and coverage properties. Moreover, the limits take into account systematic uncertainties, which are found to worsen the statistical limits by about 36%–42%. Our constraints would have been much more stringent if the intrinsic pulse shape of the pulsar between 200 GeV and 400 GeV was understood in sufficient detail and allowed inclusion of events well below 400 GeV.
The microquasar Cygnus X-1 displays the two typical soft and hard X-ray states of a black-hole transient. During the latter, Cygnus X-1 shows a one-sided relativistic radio-jet. Recent detection of ...the system in the high energy (HE; $E\gtrsim60$ MeV) gamma-ray range with \textit{Fermi}-LAT associates this emission with the outflow. Former MAGIC observations revealed a hint of flaring activity in the very high-energy (VHE; $E\gtrsim100$ GeV) regime during this X-ray state. We analyze $\sim97$ hr of Cygnus X-1 data taken with the MAGIC telescopes between July 2007 and October 2014. To shed light on the correlation between hard X-ray and VHE gamma rays as previously suggested, we study each main X-ray state separately. We perform an orbital phase-folded analysis to look for variability in the VHE band. Additionally, to place this variability behavior in a multiwavelength context, we compare our results with \textit{Fermi}-LAT, \textit{AGILE}, \textit{Swift}-BAT, \textit{MAXI}, \textit{RXTE}-ASM, AMI and RATAN-600 data. We do not detect Cygnus X-1 in the VHE regime. We establish upper limits for each X-ray state, assuming a power-law distribution with photon index $\Gamma=3.2$. For steady emission in the hard and soft X-ray states, we set integral upper limits at 95\% confidence level for energies above 200 GeV at $2.6\times10^{-12}$~photons cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ and $1.0\times10^{-11}$~photons cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$, respectively. We rule out steady VHE gamma-ray emission above this energy range, at the level of the MAGIC sensitivity, originating in the interaction between the relativistic jet and the surrounding medium, while the emission above this flux level produced inside the binary still remains a valid possibility.
