A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history

The FERMI LAT Collaboration

doi:10.1126/science.aat8123

A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history

The FERMI LAT Collaboration

Hiroshima University
c/o DESY
Clemson University
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of Pisa
Universite Paris-Saclay
INFN Sezione di Trieste
University of Trieste
INFN
University of Padova
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
University of Maryland
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
Politecnico di Bari
INFN Sezione di Bari
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
INFN Sezione di Torino
University of Turin
Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
INAF Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Milan
Science and Research Directorate
Naval Research Laboratory
INFN Sezione di Perugia
Sonoma State University
Stockholm University
Oskar Klein Centre
Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS)
University of Bologna
Università Telematica Pegaso
Complutense University
Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
Circolo Astrofili Talmassons
conventionnée avec l'Université d'Orléans
Division Technique
George Washington University
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
University of Iceland
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
UMR 5797
INFN Roma Tor Vergata
University of Denver
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik
INAF-Trieste
University of Innsbruck
University of Johannesburg
University of Hong Kong
NYCB Real-Time Computing Inc.
Purdue University Northwest
Nagoya University
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
IRAP/CNRS
University of São Paulo
Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)
INAF Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Bologna
University of Perugia
INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory Science Data Centre
California State University-Los Angeles
Praxis Inc.
University of Nova Gorica

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

Abstract

The light emitted by all galaxies over the history of the Universe produces the extragalactic background light (EBL) at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for gamma rays via photon-photon interactions, leaving an imprint in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources. We measured this attenuation using 739 active galaxies and one gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and determine the star formation history of the Universe over 90% of cosmic time. Our star formation history is consistent with independent measurements from galaxy surveys, peaking at redshift z ~ 2. Upper limits of the EBL at the epoch of reionization suggest a turnover in the abundance of faint galaxies at z ~ 6.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1031-1034
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	362
Issue number	6418
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat8123
Publication status	Published - 30 Nov 2018

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10.1126/science.aat8123

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@article{295d7213237645bcb6156ae195e01757,

title = "A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history",

abstract = "The light emitted by all galaxies over the history of the Universe produces the extragalactic background light (EBL) at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for gamma rays via photon-photon interactions, leaving an imprint in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources. We measured this attenuation using 739 active galaxies and one gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and determine the star formation history of the Universe over 90\% of cosmic time. Our star formation history is consistent with independent measurements from galaxy surveys, peaking at redshift z \textasciitilde{} 2. Upper limits of the EBL at the epoch of reionization suggest a turnover in the abundance of faint galaxies at z \textasciitilde{} 6.",

author = "\{The FERMI LAT Collaboration\} and S. Abdollahi and M. Ackermann and M. Ajello and Atwood, \{W. B.\} and L. Baldini and J. Ballet and G. Barbiellini and D. Bastieri and \{Becerra Gonzalez\}, J. and R. Bellazzini and E. Bissaldi and Blandford, \{R. D.\} and Bloom, \{E. D.\} and R. Bonino and E. Bottacini and S. Buson and J. Bregeon and P. Bruel and R. Buehler and Cameron, \{R. A.\} and R. Caputo and Caraveo, \{P. A.\} and E. Cavazzuti and E. Charles and S. Chen and Cheung, \{C. C.\} and G. Chiaro and S. Ciprini and J. Cohen-Tanugi and Cominsky, \{L. R.\} and J. Conrad and D. Costantin and S. Cutini and F. D'Ammando and \{de Palma\}, F. and A. Desai and Digel, \{S. W.\} and \{Di Lalla\}, N. and \{Di Mauro\}, M. and \{Di Venere\}, L. and A. Dom{\'i}nguez and C. Favuzzi and Fegan, \{S. J.\} and J. Finke and A. Franckowiak and Y. Fukazawa and S. Funk and P. Fusco and \{Gallardo Romero\}, G. and D. Horan",

year = "2018",

month = nov,

day = "30",

doi = "10.1126/science.aat8123",

language = "English",

volume = "362",

pages = "1031--1034",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

number = "6418",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history

AU - The FERMI LAT Collaboration

AU - Abdollahi, S.

AU - Ackermann, M.

AU - Ajello, M.

AU - Atwood, W. B.

AU - Baldini, L.

AU - Ballet, J.

AU - Barbiellini, G.

AU - Bastieri, D.

AU - Becerra Gonzalez, J.

AU - Bellazzini, R.

AU - Bissaldi, E.

AU - Blandford, R. D.

AU - Bloom, E. D.

AU - Bonino, R.

AU - Bottacini, E.

AU - Buson, S.

AU - Bregeon, J.

AU - Bruel, P.

AU - Buehler, R.

AU - Cameron, R. A.

AU - Caputo, R.

AU - Caraveo, P. A.

AU - Cavazzuti, E.

AU - Charles, E.

AU - Chen, S.

AU - Cheung, C. C.

AU - Chiaro, G.

AU - Ciprini, S.

AU - Cohen-Tanugi, J.

AU - Cominsky, L. R.

AU - Conrad, J.

AU - Costantin, D.

AU - Cutini, S.

AU - D'Ammando, F.

AU - de Palma, F.

AU - Desai, A.

AU - Digel, S. W.

AU - Di Lalla, N.

AU - Di Mauro, M.

AU - Di Venere, L.

AU - Domínguez, A.

AU - Favuzzi, C.

AU - Fegan, S. J.

AU - Finke, J.

AU - Franckowiak, A.

AU - Fukazawa, Y.

AU - Funk, S.

AU - Fusco, P.

AU - Gallardo Romero, G.

AU - Horan, D.

PY - 2018/11/30

Y1 - 2018/11/30

N2 - The light emitted by all galaxies over the history of the Universe produces the extragalactic background light (EBL) at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for gamma rays via photon-photon interactions, leaving an imprint in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources. We measured this attenuation using 739 active galaxies and one gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and determine the star formation history of the Universe over 90% of cosmic time. Our star formation history is consistent with independent measurements from galaxy surveys, peaking at redshift z ~ 2. Upper limits of the EBL at the epoch of reionization suggest a turnover in the abundance of faint galaxies at z ~ 6.

AB - The light emitted by all galaxies over the history of the Universe produces the extragalactic background light (EBL) at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for gamma rays via photon-photon interactions, leaving an imprint in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources. We measured this attenuation using 739 active galaxies and one gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and determine the star formation history of the Universe over 90% of cosmic time. Our star formation history is consistent with independent measurements from galaxy surveys, peaking at redshift z ~ 2. Upper limits of the EBL at the epoch of reionization suggest a turnover in the abundance of faint galaxies at z ~ 6.

U2 - 10.1126/science.aat8123

DO - 10.1126/science.aat8123

M3 - Article

C2 - 30498122

AN - SCOPUS:85057548351

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 362

SP - 1031

EP - 1034

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6418

ER -

A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history

Abstract

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