Measurement of the EBL spectral energy distribution using the VHE γ-ray spectra of H.E.S.S. blazars

H.E.S.S. Collaboration

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201731200

Measurement of the EBL spectral energy distribution using the VHE γ-ray spectra of H.E.S.S. blazars

H.E.S.S. Collaboration

North-West University
Universität Hamburg
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
National Academy of Sciences of Armenia
Yerevan Physics Institute
Linnaeus University, Växjö
Institute for Nuclear Physics
Rikkyo University
Sorbonne Univ.
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
University of Namibia
University of Amsterdam
Ruhr-University Bochum
University of Innsbruck
University of Adelaide
Sorbonne Université
c/o DESY
Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
Univ. Bordeaux
Universite Paris-Saclay
Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
University of Warsaw
University of Tübingen
Aix-Marseille Université
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Landessternwarte Heidelberg
Stockholm University
Ip Paris
Astroparticule and Cosmol APC
University of Leicester
Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences
University of Potsdam
Jagiellonian University
LTHE (UMR 5564 CNRS/IRD/Université de Grenoble)
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Nicolaus Copernicus University
ISAS/JAXA
University of New South Wales
University of the Free State
University of Heidelberg
University of Amsterdam

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

Abstract

Very high-energy γ rays (VHE, E ≳ 100 GeV) propagating over cosmological distances can interact with the low-energy photons of the extragalactic background light (EBL) and produce electron-positron pairs. The transparency of the Universe to VHE γ rays is then directly related to the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the EBL. The observation of features in the VHE energy spectra of extragalactic sources allows the EBL to be measured, which otherwise is very difficult. An EBL model-independent measurement of the EBL SED with the H.E.S.S. array of Cherenkov telescopes is presented. It was obtained by extracting the EBL absorption signal from the reanalysis of high-quality spectra of blazars. From H.E.S.S. data alone the EBL signature is detected at a significance of 9.5σ, and the intensity of the EBL obtained in different spectral bands is presented together with the associated γ-ray horizon.

Original language	English
Article number	A59
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	606
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201731200
Publication status	Published - 1 Oct 2017

Keywords

BL Lacertae objects: general
Cosmic background radiation
Gamma rays: galaxies
Infrared: diffuse background

Access to Document

10.1051/0004-6361/201731200

Cite this

@article{696e686298ab4c43a5579ab6dc29de43,

title = "Measurement of the EBL spectral energy distribution using the VHE γ-ray spectra of H.E.S.S. blazars",

abstract = "Very high-energy γ rays (VHE, E ≳ 100 GeV) propagating over cosmological distances can interact with the low-energy photons of the extragalactic background light (EBL) and produce electron-positron pairs. The transparency of the Universe to VHE γ rays is then directly related to the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the EBL. The observation of features in the VHE energy spectra of extragalactic sources allows the EBL to be measured, which otherwise is very difficult. An EBL model-independent measurement of the EBL SED with the H.E.S.S. array of Cherenkov telescopes is presented. It was obtained by extracting the EBL absorption signal from the reanalysis of high-quality spectra of blazars. From H.E.S.S. data alone the EBL signature is detected at a significance of 9.5σ, and the intensity of the EBL obtained in different spectral bands is presented together with the associated γ-ray horizon.",

keywords = "BL Lacertae objects: general, Cosmic background radiation, Gamma rays: galaxies, Infrared: diffuse background",

author = "\{H.E.S.S. Collaboration\} and H. Abdalla and A. Abramowski and F. Aharonian and \{Ait Benkhali\}, F. and Akhperjanian, \{A. G.\} and T. Andersson and Ang{\"u}ner, \{E. O.\} and M. Arakawa and M. Arrieta and P. Aubert and M. Backes and A. Balzer and M. Barnard and Y. Becherini and Tjus, \{J. Becker\} and D. Berge and S. Bernhard and K. Bernl{\"o}hr and R. Blackwell and M. B{\"o}ttcher and C. Boisson and J. Bolmont and S. Bonnefoy and P. Bordas and J. Bregeon and F. Brun and P. Brun and M. Bryan and M. B{\"u}chele and T. Bulik and M. Capasso and J. Carr and S. Casanova and M. Cerruti and N. Chakraborty and Chaves, \{R. C.G.\} and A. Chen and J. Chevalier and M. Coffaro and S. Colafrancesco and G. Cologna and B. Condon and J. Conrad and Y. Cui and Davids, \{I. D.\} and J. Decock and B. Degrange and C. Deil and J. Devin and S. Fegan",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} ESO, 2017.",

year = "2017",

month = oct,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201731200",

language = "English",

volume = "606",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Measurement of the EBL spectral energy distribution using the VHE γ-ray spectra of H.E.S.S. blazars

AU - H.E.S.S. Collaboration

AU - Abdalla, H.

AU - Abramowski, A.

AU - Aharonian, F.

AU - Ait Benkhali, F.

AU - Akhperjanian, A. G.

AU - Andersson, T.

AU - Angüner, E. O.

AU - Arakawa, M.

AU - Arrieta, M.

AU - Aubert, P.

AU - Backes, M.

AU - Balzer, A.

AU - Barnard, M.

AU - Becherini, Y.

AU - Tjus, J. Becker

AU - Berge, D.

AU - Bernhard, S.

AU - Bernlöhr, K.

AU - Blackwell, R.

AU - Böttcher, M.

AU - Boisson, C.

AU - Bolmont, J.

AU - Bonnefoy, S.

AU - Bordas, P.

AU - Bregeon, J.

AU - Brun, F.

AU - Brun, P.

AU - Bryan, M.

AU - Büchele, M.

AU - Bulik, T.

AU - Capasso, M.

AU - Carr, J.

AU - Casanova, S.

AU - Cerruti, M.

AU - Chakraborty, N.

AU - Chaves, R. C.G.

AU - Chen, A.

AU - Chevalier, J.

AU - Coffaro, M.

AU - Colafrancesco, S.

AU - Cologna, G.

AU - Condon, B.

AU - Conrad, J.

AU - Cui, Y.

AU - Davids, I. D.

AU - Decock, J.

AU - Degrange, B.

AU - Deil, C.

AU - Devin, J.

AU - Fegan, S.

PY - 2017/10/1

Y1 - 2017/10/1

N2 - Very high-energy γ rays (VHE, E ≳ 100 GeV) propagating over cosmological distances can interact with the low-energy photons of the extragalactic background light (EBL) and produce electron-positron pairs. The transparency of the Universe to VHE γ rays is then directly related to the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the EBL. The observation of features in the VHE energy spectra of extragalactic sources allows the EBL to be measured, which otherwise is very difficult. An EBL model-independent measurement of the EBL SED with the H.E.S.S. array of Cherenkov telescopes is presented. It was obtained by extracting the EBL absorption signal from the reanalysis of high-quality spectra of blazars. From H.E.S.S. data alone the EBL signature is detected at a significance of 9.5σ, and the intensity of the EBL obtained in different spectral bands is presented together with the associated γ-ray horizon.

AB - Very high-energy γ rays (VHE, E ≳ 100 GeV) propagating over cosmological distances can interact with the low-energy photons of the extragalactic background light (EBL) and produce electron-positron pairs. The transparency of the Universe to VHE γ rays is then directly related to the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the EBL. The observation of features in the VHE energy spectra of extragalactic sources allows the EBL to be measured, which otherwise is very difficult. An EBL model-independent measurement of the EBL SED with the H.E.S.S. array of Cherenkov telescopes is presented. It was obtained by extracting the EBL absorption signal from the reanalysis of high-quality spectra of blazars. From H.E.S.S. data alone the EBL signature is detected at a significance of 9.5σ, and the intensity of the EBL obtained in different spectral bands is presented together with the associated γ-ray horizon.

KW - BL Lacertae objects: general

KW - Cosmic background radiation

KW - Gamma rays: galaxies

KW - Infrared: diffuse background

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201731200

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201731200

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85031315266

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 606

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - A59

ER -

Measurement of the EBL spectral energy distribution using the VHE γ-ray spectra of H.E.S.S. blazars

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this