Design of a variable width pulse generator feasible for manual or automatic control

A variable width pulse generator featuring more than 4-V peak amplitude and less than 10-ns FWHM is described. In this design the width of the pulses is controlled by means of the control signal slope. Thus, a variable transition time control circuit (TTCC) is also developed, based on the charge and discharge of a capacitor by means of two tunable current sources. Additionally, it is possible to activate/deactivate the pulses when required, therefore allowing the creation of any desired pulse pattern. Furthermore, the implementation presented here can be electronically controlled. In conclusion, due to its versatility, compactness and low cost it can be used in a wide variety of applications

The 2010 very high energy gamma-ray flare and 10 years of multi-wavelength observations of M 87

The giant radio galaxy M 87 with its proximity (16 Mpc), famous jet, and very massive black hole ((3-6) x 10(9) M-circle dot) provides a unique opportunity to investigate the origin of very high energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission generated in relativistic outflows and the surroundings of supermassive black holes. M 87 has been established as a VHE gamma-ray emitter since 2006. The VHE gamma-ray emission displays strong variability on timescales as short as a day. In this paper, results from a joint VHE monitoring campaign on M 87 by the MAGIC and VERITAS instruments in 2010 are reported. During the campaign, a flare at VHE was detected triggering further observations at VHE (H.E.S.S.), X-rays (Chandra), and radio (43 GHz Very Long Baseline Array, VLBA). The excellent sampling of the VHE gamma-ray light curve enables one to derive a precise temporal characterization of the flare: the single, isolated flare is well described by a two-sided exponential function with significantly different flux rise and decay times of tau(rise)(d) = (1.69 +/- 0.30) days and tau(decay)(d) = (0.611 +/- 0.080) days, respectively. While the overall variability pattern of the 2010 flare appears somewhat different from that of previous VHE flares in 2005 and 2008, they share very similar timescales (similar to day), peak fluxes (Phi(>0.35 TeV) similar or equal to (1-3) x 10(-11) photons cm(-2) s(-1)), and VHE spectra. VLBA radio observations of 43 GHz of the inner jet regions indicate no enhanced flux in 2010 in contrast to observations in 2008, where an increase of the radio flux of the innermost core regions coincided with a VHE flare. On the other hand, Chandra X-ray observations taken similar to 3 days after the peak of the VHE gamma-ray emission reveal an enhanced flux from the core (flux increased by factor similar to 2; variability timescale <2 days). The long-term (2001-2010) multi-wavelength (MWL) light curve of M 87, spanning from radio to VHE and including data from Hubble Space Telescope, Liverpool Telescope, Very Large Array, and European VLBI Network, is used to further investigate the origin of the VHE gamma-ray emission. No unique, common MWL signature of the three VHE flares has been identified. In the outer kiloparsec jet region, in particular in HST-1, no enhanced MWL activity was detected in 2008 and 2010, disfavoring it as the origin of the VHE flares during these years. Shortly after two of the three flares (2008 and 2010), the X-ray core was observed to be at a higher flux level than its characteristic range (determined from more than 60 monitoring observations: 2002-2009). In 2005, the strong flux dominance of HST-1 could have suppressed the detection of such a feature. Published models for VHE gamma-ray emission from M 87 are reviewed in the light of the new data

Detection of very high energy radiation from the BL lacertae object PG 1553+113 with the MAGIC telescope

In 2005 and 2006, the MAGIC telescope observed very high energy gamma-ray emission from the distant BL Lac object PG 1553 + 113. The overall significance of the signal was 8.8 sigma for 18.8 hr of observation time. The light curve shows no significant flux variations on a daily timescale; the flux level during 2005 was, however, significantly higher compared to 2006. The differential energy spectrum between similar to 90 and 500 GeV is well described by a power law with photon index. Gamma = 4.2 +/- 0.3. The combined 2005 and 2006 energy spectrum provides an upper limit of z = 0.74 on the redshift of the object

Simultaneous multi-frequency observation of the unknown redshift blazar PG 1553+113 in March-April 2008

© ESO 2010. The MAGIC collaboration would like to thank the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias for the excellent working condition at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos at La Palma. Major support from Germany's Bundesministerium fur Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie and Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Italy's Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) and Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), and Spain's Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion is gratefully acknowledged. The work was also supported by Switzerland's ETH Research grant TH34/043, Poland's Ministertwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyzszego grant N N203 390834, and Germany's Young Investigator Program of the Helmholtz Gemeinschaft. This work was also supported by Georgian National Science Foundation grant GNSF/ST07/4-180. EP acknowledges support from the Italian Space Agency through grants ASI-INAF I/023/05/0 and ASI I/088/06/0. N.M. would like to thank to C.W. Danforth for the private communication regarding the newly estimated redshift of the source.The blazar PG 1553+113 is a well known TeV gamma-ray emitter. In this paper we determine its spectral energy distribution through simultaneous multi-frequency data to study its emission processes. An extensive campaign was carried out between March and April 2008, where optical, X-ray, high-energy (HE) gamma-ray, and very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray data were obtained with the KVA, Abastumani, REM, RossiXTE/ASM, AGILE and MAGIC telescopes, respectively. We combine the data to derive the source's spectral energy distribution and interpret its double-peaked shape within the framework of a synchrotron self-Compton model.Depto. de Estructura de la Materia, Física Térmica y ElectrónicaFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUESwitzerland's ETHPoland's Ministertwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa WyzszegoHelmholtz GemeinschaftGeorgian National Science FoundationItalian Space Agencypu

MAGIC observations of PG 1553+113 during a multiwavelength campaign in July 2006

The active galactic nucleus PG1553+113 was observed by the MAGIC telescope in July 2006 during a multiwavelength campaign, in which telescopes in the optical, X-ray, and very high energies participated. Although the MAGIC data were affected by strong atmospheric absorption (calima), they were analyzed after applying a correction. In 8.5 h, a signal was detected with a significance of 5.0 sigma. The integral flux above 150 GeV was (2.6 +/- 0.9) x 10(-7) ph s(-1) m(-2). By fitting the differential energy spectrum with a power law, a spectral index of -4.1 +/- 0.3 was obtained

Very high energy gamma-ray radiation from the stellar mass black hole binary Cygnus X-1

We report on the results from the observations in the very high energy band ( VHE; GeV) of the black E = 100 g hole X- ray binary ( BHXB) Cygnus X- 1. The observations were performed with the MAGIC telescope, for a total of 40 hr during 26 nights, spanning the period between 2006 June and November. Searches for steady gamma - ray signals yielded no positive result, and upper limits to the integral flux ranging between 1% and 2% of the Crab Nebula flux, depending on the energy, have been established. We also analyzed each observation night independently, obtaining evidence of gamma- ray signals at the 4.0 j significance level ( 3.2 j after trial correction) for 154 minutes of effective on- time ( EOT) on September 24 between 20: 58 and 23: 41 UTC, coinciding with an X- ray flare seen by RXTE, Swift, and INTEGRAL. A search for faster- varying signals within a night resulted in an excess with a significance of 4.9 j ( 4.1 j after trial correction) for 79 minutes EOT between 22: 17 and 23: 41 UTC. The measured excess is compatible with a pointlike source at the position of Cygnus X- 1 and excludes the nearby radio nebula powered by its relativistic jet. The differential energy spectrum is well fitted by an unbroken power law described as dN/(dA dt dE) = ( 2.3 +/- 0.6)* 10 ( E/1TeV). This is the first experimental evidence of VHE emission from a stellar mass black hole and therefore from a confirmed accreting X- ray binary

Contemporaneous observations of the radio galaxy NGC 1275 from radio to very high energy gamma-rays

Aims. The radio galaxy NGC 1275, recently identified as a very high energy (VHE, >100 GeV) gamma-ray emitter by MAGIC, is one of the few non-blazar active galactic nuclei detected in the VHE regime. The purpose of this work is to better understand the origin of the gamma-ray emission and locate it within the galaxy. Methods. We studied contemporaneous multifrequency observations of NGC 1275 and modeled the overall spectral energy distribution. We analyzed unpublished MAGIC observations carried out between October 2009 and February 2010, and the previously published observations taken between August 2010 and February 2011. We studied the multiband variability and correlations by analyzing data of Fermi-LAT in the 100 MeV-100 GeV energy band, as well as Chandra (X-ray), KVA (optical), and MOJAVE (radio) data taken during the same period. Results. Using customized Monte Carlo simulations corresponding to early MAGIC stereoscopic data, we detect NGC 1275 also in the earlier MAGIC campaign. The flux level and energy spectra are similar to the results of the second campaign. The monthly light curse above 100 GeV shows a hint of variability at the 3.6 sigma level. In the Fermi-LAT hand, both flux and spectral shape variabilities are reported. The optical light curve is also variable and shows a clear correlation with the gamma-ray flux above 100 MeV. In radio, three compact components are resolved in the innermost part of the jet. One of these components shows a similar trend as the Fermi-LAT and KVA light curves. The gamma-ray spectra measured simultaneously with MAGIC and Fermi-LAT from 100 MeV to 650 GeV can be well fitted either by a log-parabola or by a power-law with a subexponential cutoff for the two observation campaigns. A single-zone synchrotron-self-Compton model, with an electron spectrum following a power-law with an exponential cutoff, can explain the broadband spectral energy distribution and the multifrequency behavior of the source. However, this model suggests an untypical low bulk-Lorentz factor or a velocity alignment closer to the line of sight than the parsec-scale radio jet

Mrk 421 active state in 2008: the MAGIC view, simultaneous multi-wavelength observations and SSC model constrained

The blazar Markarian 421 is one of the brightest TeV gamma-ray sources of the northern sky. From December 2007 until June 2008 it was intensively observed in the very high energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) band by the single-dish Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov telescope (MAGIC-I). Aims. We aimed to measure the physical parameters of the emitting region of the blazar jet during active states. Methods. We performed a dense monitoring of the source in VHE with MAGIC-I, and also collected complementary data in soft X-rays and optical-UV bands; then, we modeled the spectral energy distributions (SED) derived from simultaneous multi-wavelength data within the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) framework. Results. The source showed intense and prolonged.-ray activity during the whole period, with integral fluxes (E > 200 GeV) seldom below the level of the Crab Nebula, and up to 3.6 times this value. Eight datasets of simultaneous optical-UV (KVA, Swift/UVOT), soft X-ray (Swift/XRT) and MAGIC-I VHE data were obtained during different outburst phases. The data constrain the physical parameters of the jet, once the spectral energy distributions obtained are interpreted within the framework of a single-zone SSC leptonic model. Conclusions. The main outcome of the study is that within the homogeneous model high Doppler factors (40 <= delta <= 80) are needed to reproduce the observed SED; but this model cannot explain the observed short time-scale variability, while it can be argued that inhomogeneous models could allow for less extreme Doppler factors, more intense magnetic fields and shorter electron cooling times compatible with hour or sub-hour scale variability

MAGIC detection of short-term variability of the high-peaked BL Lac object lES 0806+524

The high-frequency-peaked BL Lac (HBL) 1ES 0806+524 (z = 0.138) was discovered in VHE γ rays in 2008. Until now, the broad-band spectrum of 1ES 0806+524 has been only poorly characterized, in particular at high energies. We analysed multiwavelength observations from γ rays to radio performed from 2011 January to March, which were triggered by the high activity detected at optical frequencies. These observations constitute the most precise determination of the broad-band emission of 1ES 0806+524 to date. The stereoscopic MAGIC observations yielded a γ-ray signal above 250 GeV of (3.7 ± 0.7) per cent of the Crab Nebula flux with a statistical significance of 9.9σ. The multiwavelength observations showed significant variability in essentially all energy bands, including a VHE γ-ray flare that lasted less than one night, which provided unprecedented evidence for short-term variability in 1ES 0806+524. The spectrum of this flare is well described by a power law with a photon index of 2.97 ± 0.29 between ∼150 GeV and 1 TeV and an integral flux of (9.3±1.9) per cent of the Crab Nebula flux above 250 GeV. The spectrum during the non-flaring VHE activity is compatible with the only available VHE observation performed in 2008 with VERITAS when the source was in a low optical state. The broad-band spectral energy distribution can be described with a one-zone Synchrotron Self Compton model with parameters typical for HBLs, indicating that 1ES 0806+524 is not substantially different from the HBLs previously detected