GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRAB-NEBULA AT TEV ENERGIES

被引:161
作者
VACANTI, G
CAWLEY, MF
COLOMBO, E
FEGAN, DJ
HILLAS, AM
KWOK, PW
LANG, MJ
LAMB, RC
LEWIS, DA
MACOMB, DJ
OFLAHERTY, KS
REYNOLDS, PT
WEEKES, TC
机构
[1] IOWA STATE UNIV SCI & TECHNOL,DEPT PHYS,AMES,IA 50011
[2] ST PATRICKS COLL,DEPT PHYS,MAYNOOTH,KILDARE,IRELAND
[3] HARVARD SMITHSONIAN CTR ASTROPHYS,WHIPPLE OBSERV,CAMBRIDGE,MA 02138
[4] NATL UNIV IRELAND UNIV COLL DUBLIN,DEPT PHYS,DUBLIN 4,IRELAND
[5] UNIV LEEDS,DEPT PHYS,LEEDS LS2 9JT,W YORKSHIRE,ENGLAND
关键词
GAMMA-RAYS; GENERAL; NEBULAE; CRAB NEBULA; PULSARS; RADIATION MECHANISMS;
D O I
10.1086/170376
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
The Crab Nebula was observed in TeV gamma rays with the Whipple Observatory high-resolution atmospheric Cherenkov camera and a signal was detected at the 20-sigma-level. The energy spectrum derived has the form N(E) x dE = 2.5 x 10(-10) (E/0.4 TeV)-2.4 +/- 0.3 photons cm-2 s-1 TeV-1 between 0.4 and 4 TeV. There is no evidence for the pulsar periodicity, and the flux is steady on a monthly time scale. If this signal is used to optimize the technique for gamma-ray detection, then a flux one-tenth that of the Crab can be detected at the 3-sigma-level in 60 hr of integration time. For an on-axis source the angular resolution is shown to be +/- 0.-degrees-1.
引用
收藏
页码:467 / 479
页数:13
相关论文
共 43 条
  • [1] AHARORIAN FA, 1990, YERPHI12544090 YER P
  • [2] AKERLOF C, 1989, P GAMMA RAY OBSERVAT, P4
  • [3] Akerlof C. W., 1990, Nuclear Physics B, Proceedings Supplements, V14A, P237, DOI 10.1016/0920-5632(90)90427-V
  • [4] BHAT N, 1990, 21ST P INT COSM RAY, V2, P148
  • [5] A VERY-HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY BURST FROM THE CRAB PULSAR
    BHAT, PN
    RAMANAMURTHY, PV
    SREEKANTAN, BV
    VISHWANATH, PR
    [J]. NATURE, 1986, 319 (6049) : 127 - 128
  • [6] Cawley M. F., 1990, Experimental Astronomy, V1, P173, DOI 10.1007/BF00462039
  • [7] CAWLEY MF, 1991, IN PRESS A A
  • [8] COULD VERY-HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAYS FROM THE CRAB-NEBULA RESULT FROM P-P COLLISION
    CHENG, KS
    CHEUNG, T
    LAU, MM
    YU, KN
    KWOK, PW
    [J]. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS G-NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS, 1990, 16 (07) : 1115 - 1121
  • [9] CHENG KS, 1990, PREPRINT COLOMBIA U
  • [10] CLEAR J, 1987, ASTRON ASTROPHYS, V174, P85