来自遥远类星体的甚高能伽马射线：宇宙有多透明？

Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: how transparent is the universe?

作者信息

Albert J, Aliu E, Anderhub H, Antonelli L A, Antoranz P, Backes M, Baixeras C, Barrio J A, Bartko H, Bastieri D, Becker J K, Bednarek W, Berger K, Bernardini E, Bigongiari C, Biland A, Bock R K, Bonnoli G, Bordas P, Bosch-Ramon V, Bretz T, Britvitch I, Camara M, Carmona E, Chilingarian A, Commichau S, Contreras J L, Cortina J, Costado M T, Covino S, Curtef V, Dazzi F, De Angelis A, De Cea Del Pozo E, de Los Reyes R, De Lotto B, De Maria M, De Sabata F, Mendez C Delgado, Dominguez A, Dorner D, Doro M, Errando M, Fagiolini M, Ferenc D, Fernández E, Firpo R, Fonseca M V, Font L, Galante N, López R J García, Garczarczyk M, Gaug M, Goebel F, Hayashida M, Herrero A, Höhne D, Hose J, Hsu C C, Huber S, Jogler T, Kneiske T M, Kranich D, La Barbera A, Laille A, Leonardo E, Lindfors E, Lombardi S, Longo F, López M, Lorenz E, Majumdar P, Maneva G, Mankuzhiyil N, Mannheim K, Maraschi L, Mariotti M, Martínez M, Mazin D, Meucci M, Meyer M, Miranda J M, Mirzoyan R, Mizobuchi S, Moles M, Moralejo A, Nieto D, Nilsson K, Ninkovic J, Otte N, Oya I, Panniello M, Paoletti R, Paredes J M, Pasanen M, Pascoli D, Pauss F, Pegna R G, Perez-Torres M A, Persic M, Peruzzo L, Piccioli A, Prada F, Prandini E, Puchades N, Raymers A, Rhode W, Ribó M, Rico J, Rissi M, Robert A, Rügamer S, Saggion A, Saito T Y, Salvati M, Sanchez-Conde M, Sartori P, Satalecka K, Scalzotto V, Scapin V, Schmitt R, Schweizer T, Shayduk M, Shinozaki K, Shore S N, Sidro N, Sierpowska-Bartosik A, Sillanpää A, Sobczynska D, Spanier F, Stamerra A, Stark L S, Takalo L, Tavecchio F, Temnikov P, Tescaro D, Teshima M, Tluczykont M, Torres D F, Turini N, Vankov H, Venturini A, Vitale V, Wagner R M, Wittek W, Zabalza V, Zandanel F, Zanin R, Zapatero J

机构信息

Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.

出版信息

Science. 2008 Jun 27;320(5884):1752-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1157087.

DOI:10.1126/science.1157087

PMID:18583607

Abstract

The atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope MAGIC, designed for a low-energy threshold, has detected very-high-energy gamma rays from a giant flare of the distant Quasi-Stellar Radio Source (in short: radio quasar) 3C 279, at a distance of more than 5 billion light-years (a redshift of 0.536). No quasar has been observed previously in very-high-energy gamma radiation, and this is also the most distant object detected emitting gamma rays above 50 gigaelectron volts. Because high-energy gamma rays may be stopped by interacting with the diffuse background light in the universe, the observations by MAGIC imply a low amount for such light, consistent with that known from galaxy counts.

摘要

专为低能量阈值设计的大气切伦科夫伽马射线望远镜MAGIC，探测到来自距离超过50亿光年（红移为0.536）的遥远类星体射电源（简称：射电类星体）3C 279的一次巨大耀斑发出的甚高能伽马射线。此前从未在甚高能伽马辐射中观测到类星体，而且这也是探测到的发射能量高于50吉电子伏特伽马射线的最遥远天体。由于高能伽马射线可能会因与宇宙中的漫射背景光相互作用而被阻挡，MAGIC的观测结果意味着这种背景光的量很低，这与从星系计数中得知的情况一致。