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.

J., A., E., A., H., A., L. A., A., P., A., M., B., et al. (2008). Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays from a Distant Quasar: How Transparent Is the Universe?. SCIENCE, 320(5884), 1752-1754 [10.1126/science.1157087].

Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays from a Distant Quasar: How Transparent Is the Universe?

BONNOLI, GIACOMO;FAGIOLINI, MARTINA;LEONARDO, ELVIRA;MEUCCI, MARIO;PAOLETTI, RICCARDO;PICCIOLI, ALESSIO;STAMERRA, ANTONIO;TURINI, NICOLA;
2008-01-01

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.
2008
J., A., E., A., H., A., L. A., A., P., A., M., B., et al. (2008). Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays from a Distant Quasar: How Transparent Is the Universe?. SCIENCE, 320(5884), 1752-1754 [10.1126/science.1157087].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11365/26154
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