VHE γ-ray emission of PKS 2155-304: spectral and temporal variability

被引:84
作者
Abramowski, A. [4 ]
Acero, F. [15 ]
Aharonian, F. [1 ,13 ]
Akhperjanian, A. G. [2 ]
Anton, G. [16 ]
de Almeida, U. Barres [8 ]
Bazer-Bachi, A. R. [3 ]
Becherini, Y. [12 ]
Behera, B. [14 ]
Benbow, W. [1 ]
Bernloehr, K. [1 ,5 ]
Bochow, A. [1 ]
Boisson, C. [6 ]
Bolmont, J. [19 ]
Borrel, V. [3 ]
Brucker, J. [16 ]
Brun, F. [19 ]
Brun, P. [7 ]
Buehler, R. [1 ]
Bulik, T. [29 ]
Buesching, I. [9 ]
Boutelier, T. [17 ]
Chadwick, P. M. [8 ]
Charbonnier, A. [19 ]
Chaves, R. C. G. [1 ]
Cheesebrough, A. [8 ]
Chounet, L. -M. [10 ]
Clapson, A. C. [1 ]
Coignet, G. [11 ]
Conrad, J. [31 ]
Costamante, L. [1 ,34 ]
Dalton, M. [5 ]
Daniel, M. K. [8 ]
Davids, I. D. [9 ,22 ]
Degrange, B. [10 ]
Deil, C. [1 ]
Dickinson, H. J. [8 ]
Djannati-Atai, A. [12 ]
Domainko, W. [1 ]
Drury, L. O'C. [13 ]
Dubois, F. [11 ]
Dubus, G. [17 ]
Dyks, J. [24 ]
Dyrda, M. [28 ]
Egberts, K. [1 ,30 ]
Eger, P. [16 ]
Espigat, P. [12 ]
Fallon, L. [13 ]
Farnier, C. [15 ]
Fegan, S. [10 ]
机构
[1] Max Planck Inst Kernphys, D-69029 Heidelberg, Germany
[2] Yerevan Phys Inst, Yerevan 375036, Armenia
[3] CNRS UPS, Ctr Etud Spatiale Rayonnements, F-31029 Toulouse 4, France
[4] Univ Hamburg, Inst Expt Phys, D-22761 Hamburg, Germany
[5] Humboldt Univ, Inst Phys, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
[6] Univ Paris Diderot, CNRS, Observ Paris, LUTH, F-92190 Meudon, France
[7] CEA Saclay, DSM IRFU, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, France
[8] Univ Durham, Dept Phys, Durham DH1 3LE, England
[9] North West Univ, Unit Space Phys, ZA-2520 Potchefstroom, South Africa
[10] Ecole Polytech, CNRS IN2P3, Lab Leprince Ringuet, F-91128 Palaiseau, France
[11] Univ Savoie, CNRS IN2P3, Lab Annecy le Vieux Phys Particules, F-74941 Annecy Le Vieux, France
[12] Univ Paris 07, CNRS, UMR 7164, Observ Paris,CEA, F-75205 Paris 13, France
[13] Dublin Inst Adv Studies, Dublin 2, Ireland
[14] Heidelberg Univ, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
[15] Univ Montpellier 2, Lab Phys Theoret & Astroparticules, CNRS, IN2P3, D-52425 Montpellier 5, France
[16] Univ Erlangen Nurnberg, Inst Phys, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
[17] Univ Grenoble 1, CNRS, Lab Astrophys Grenoble, F-38041 Grenoble 9, France
[18] Univ Tubingen, Inst Astron & Astrophys, D-72076 Tubingen, Germany
[19] Univ Denis Diderot Paris 7, Univ Paris 06, LPNHE, CNRS,IN2P3, F-75252 Paris 5, France
[20] Charles Univ Prague, Fac Math & Phys, Inst Particle & Nucl Phys, CR-18000 Prague 8, Czech Republic
[21] Ruhr Univ Bochum, Inst Theoret Phys, Lehrstuhl Weltraum & Astrophys 4, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
[22] Univ Namibia, Dept Phys, Windhoek, Namibia
[23] Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, Obserwatorium Astron, PL-30244 Krakow, Poland
[24] Nicolaus Copernicus Astron Ctr, PL-00716 Warsaw, Poland
[25] Univ Leeds, Sch Phys & Astron, Leeds LS2 9JT, W Yorkshire, England
[26] Univ Adelaide, Sch Chem & Phys, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
[27] Nicholas Copernicus Univ, Torun Ctr Astron, PL-87100 Torun, Poland
[28] Inst Fiz Jadrowej PAN, PL-31342 Krakow, Poland
[29] Univ Warsaw, Astron Observ, PL-00478 Warsaw, Poland
[30] Leopold Franzens Univ Innsbruck, Inst Astro & Teilchenphys, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
[31] Stockholm Univ, Oskar Klein Ctr, Dept Phys, Albanova Univ Ctr, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
[32] Royal Inst Technol KTH, Oskar Klein Ctr, Dept Phys, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
[33] Univ Leicester, Dept Phys & Astron, Leicester LE1 7RH, Leics, England
[34] CNRS & MPG, European Associated Lab Gamma Ray Astron, Paris, France
基金
英国科学技术设施理事会; 新加坡国家研究基金会;
关键词
gamma rays: general; galaxies: active; galaxies: jets; BL Lacertae objects: individual: PKS 2155-304; PHOTON BREEDING MECHANISM; RAPID TEV VARIABILITY; MULTIWAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS; MARKARIAN; 421; MKN-421; HESS; FLUX; BINARIES; GALAXIES; FLICKER;
D O I
10.1051/0004-6361/201014484
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
Context. Observations of very high-energy.-rays from blazars provide information about acceleration mechanisms occurring in their innermost regions. Studies of variability in these objects lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms in play. Aims. To investigate the spectral and temporal variability of VHE (>100 GeV) gamma-rays of the well-known high-frequency-peaked BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 with the HESS imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes over a wide range of flux states. Methods. Data collected from 2005 to 2007 were analyzed. Spectra were derived on time scales ranging from 3 years to 4 min. Light curve variability was studied through doubling timescales and structure functions and compared with red noise process simulations. Results. The source was found to be in a low state from 2005 to 2007, except for a set of exceptional flares that occurred in July 2006. The quiescent state of the source is characterized by an associated mean flux level of (4.32 +/- 0.09(stat) +/- 0.86(syst)) x 10(-11) cm(-2) s(-1) above 200 GeV, or approximately 15% of the Crab Nebula, and a power-law photon index of Gamma = 3.53 +/- 0.06(stat) +/- 0.10(syst). During the flares of July 2006, doubling timescales of similar to 2 min are found. The spectral index variation is examined over two orders of magnitude in flux, yielding different behavior at low and high fluxes, which is a new phenomenon in VHE gamma-ray emitting blazars. The variability amplitude characterized by the fractional rms F-var is strongly energy-dependent and is proportional to E-0.19 +/- 0.01. The light curve rms correlates with the flux. This is the signature of a multiplicative process that can be accounted for as a red noise with a Fourier index of similar to 2. Conclusions. This unique data set shows evidence of a low-level.-ray emission state from PKS 2155-304 that possibly has a different origin than the outbursts. The discovery of the light curve ognormal behavior might be an indicator of the origin of aperiodic variability in blazars.
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页数:16
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