Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Detection of gamma rays from a starburst galaxy

  • F. Acero
  • , F. Aharonian
  • , A. G. Akhperjanian
  • , G. Anton
  • , U. De Barres Almeida
  • , A. R. Bazer-Bachi
  • , Y. Becherini
  • , B. Behera
  • , K. Bernlöhr
  • , A. Bochow
  • , C. Boisson
  • , J. Bolmont
  • , V. Borrel
  • , J. Brucker
  • , F. Brun
  • , P. Brun
  • , R. Bühler
  • , T. Bulik
  • , I. Büsching
  • , T. Boutelier
  • P. M. Chadwick, A. Charbonnier, R. C.G. Chaves, A. Cheesebrough, L. M. Chounet, A. C. Clapson, G. Coignet, M. Dalton, M. K. Daniel, I. D. Davids, B. Degrange, C. Deil, H. J. Dickinson, A. Djannati-Ataï, W. Domainko, L. O'C Drury, F. Dubois, G. Dubus, J. Dyks, M. Dyrda, K. Egberts, D. Emmanoulopoulos, P. Espigat, C. Farnier, S. Fegan, F. Feinstein, A. Fiasson, A. Förster, G. Fontaine, M. Füßling, S. Gabici, Y. A. Gallant, L. Gérard, D. Gerbig, B. Giebels, J. F. Glicenstein, B. Glück, P. Goret, D. Goring, D. Hauser, M. Hauser, S. Heinz, G. Heinzelmann, G. Henri, G. Hermann, J. A. Hinten, A. Hoffmann, W. Hofmann, P. Hofverberg, S. Hoppe, D. Horns, A. Jacholkowska, O. C. De Jager, C. Jahn, I. Jung, K. Katarzynski, U. Katz, S. Kaufmann, M. Kerschhaggl, D. Khangulyan, B. Khélifi, D. Keogh, D. Klochkov, W. Kluzniak, T. Kneiske, Nu Komin, K. Kosack, R. Kossakowski, G. Lamanna, J. P. Lenain, T. Lohse, V. Marandon, O. Martineau-Huynh, A. Marcowith, J. Masbou, D. Maurin, T. J.L. McComb, M. C. Medina, J. Méhault, R. Moderski, E. Moulin, M. Naumann-Godo, M. De Naurois, D. Nedbal, D. Nekrassov, B. Nicholas, J. Niemiec, S. J. Nolan, S. Ohm, J. F. Olive, E. De Oña Wilhelmi, K. J. Orford, M. Ostrowski, M. Panter, M. Paz Arribas, G. Pedaletti, G. Pelletier, P. O. Petrucci, S. Pita, G. Pühlhofer, M. Punch, A. Ouirrenbach, B. C. Raubenheimer, M. Raue, S. M. Rayner, O. Reimer, M. Renaud, F. Rieger, J. Ripken, L. Rob, S. Rosier-Lees, G. Rowell, B. Rudak, C. B. Rulten, J. Ruppel, V. Sahakian, A. Santangelo, R. Schlickeiser, F. M. Schock, U. Schwanke, S. Schwarzburg, S. Schwemmer, A. Shalchi, M. Sikora, J. L. Skilton, H. Sol, L. Stawarz, R. Steenkamp, C. Stegmann, F. Stinzing, G. Superina, A. Szostek, P. H. Tam, J. P. Tavernet, R. Terrier, O. Tibolla, M. Tluczykont, C. Van Eldik, G. Vasileiadis, C. Venter, L. Venter, J. P. Vialle, P. Vincent, M. Vivier, H. J. Völk, F. Volpe, S. J. Wagner, M. Ward, A. A. Zdziarski, A. Zech
  • Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
  • Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik
  • Astroparticule and Cosmol APC
  • Yerevan Physics Institute
  • Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
  • Durham University
  • Centre national de la recherche scientifique
  • Landessternwarte Heidelberg
  • Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • LUTH - Laboratoire de l'Univers et de ses Theories
  • Universités Paris VI and VII
  • Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, CNRS and CEA
  • University of Warsaw
  • North-West University
  • Division Technique
  • Université Savoie Mont Blanc
  • University of Namibia
  • Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences
  • Institute for Nuclear Physics
  • Ruhr-University Bochum
  • Universität Hamburg
  • University of Leeds
  • University of Tübingen
  • Nicolaus Copernicus University
  • Charles University
  • University of Adelaide
  • Jagiellonian University
  • European Associated Laboratory for Gamma-Ray Astronomy
  • Medical University of Innsbruck
  • Stanford University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Starburst galaxies exhibit in their central regions a highly increased rate of supernovae, the remnants of which are thought to accelerate energetic cosmic rays up to energies of -1015 electron volts. We report the detection of gamma rays-tracers of such cosmic rays-from the starburst galaxy NGC 253 using the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The gamma-ray flux above 220 billion electron volts is F = (5.5 = 1.0stat ± 2.8sys) x 10 -13 cm-2 s-1, implying a cosmic-ray density about three orders of magnitude larger than that in the center of the Milky Way. The fraction of cosmic-ray energy channeled into gamma rays in this starburst environment is five times as large as that in our Galaxy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1080-1082
Number of pages3
JournalScience
Volume326
Issue number5956
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Nov 2009

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Detection of gamma rays from a starburst galaxy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this