The Vanishing of the Primary Emission Region in PKS 1510-089

In 2021 July, PKS 1510-089 exhibited a significant flux drop in the high-energy γ-ray (by a factor 10) and optical (by a factor 5) bands and remained in this low state throughout 2022. Similarly, the optical polarization in the source vanished, resulting in the optical spectrum being fully explained through the steady flux of the accretion disk and the broad-line region. Unlike the aforementioned bands, the very-high-energy γ-ray and X-ray fluxes did not exhibit a significant flux drop from year to year. This suggests that the steady-state very-high-energy γ-ray and X-ray fluxes originate from a different emission region than the vanished parts of the high-energy γ-ray and optical jet fluxes. The latter component has disappeared through either a swing of the jet away from the line of sight or a significant drop in the photon production efficiency of the jet close to the black hole. Either change could become visible in high-resolution radio images

H.E.S.S. Follow-up Observations of GRB 221009A

GRB 221009A is the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever detected. To probe the very-high-energy (VHE; >100 GeV) emission, the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) began observations 53 hr after the triggering event, when the brightness of the moonlight no longer precluded observations. We derive differential and integral upper limits using H.E.S.S. data from the third, fourth, and ninth nights after the initial GRB detection, after applying atmospheric corrections. The combined observations yield an integral energy flux upper limit of FUL = 9.7 ´ 10- erg cm- s- 95% 12 2 1 above Ethr = 650 GeV. The constraints derived from the H.E.S.S. observations complement the available multiwavelength data. The radio to X-ray data are consistent with synchrotron emission from a single electron population, with the peak in the spectral energy distribution occurring above the X-ray band. Compared to the VHE-bright GRB 190829A, the upper limits for GRB 221009A imply a smaller gamma-ray to X-ray flux ratio in the afterglow. Even in the absence of a detection, the H.E.S.S. upper limits thus contribute to the multiwavelength picture of GRB 221009A, effectively ruling out an IC-dominated scenario.F. Aharonian ... S. Einecke ... G. Rowell ... et al. (H.E.S.S. Collaboration

The Vanishing of the Primary Emission Region in PKS 1510–089

Published 2023 August 1In 2021 July, PKS 1510−089 exhibited a significant flux drop in the high-energy γ-ray (by a factor 10) and optical (by a factor 5) bands and remained in this low state throughout 2022. Similarly, the optical polarization in the source vanished, resulting in the optical spectrum being fully explained through the steady flux of the accretion disk and the broad-line region. Unlike the aforementioned bands, the very-high-energy γ-ray and X-ray fluxes did not exhibit a significant flux drop from year to year. This suggests that the steady-state very-high-energy γ-ray and X-ray fluxes originate from a different emission region than the vanished parts of the high-energy γ-ray and optical jet fluxes. The latter component has disappeared through either a swing of the jet away from the line of sight or a significant drop in the photon production efficiency of the jet close to the black hole. Either change could become visible in high-resolution radio images.F. Aharonian ... S. Einecke ... G. Rowell ... et al. (H.E.S.S. Collaboration

Constraints on the intergalactic magnetic field using Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. blazar observations

Magnetic fields in galaxies and galaxy clusters are believed to be the result of the amplification of intergalactic seed fields during the formation of large-scale structures in the universe. However, the origin, strength, and morphology of this intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) remain unknown. Lower limits on (or indirect detection of) the IGMF can be obtained from observations of high-energy gamma rays from distant blazars. Gamma rays interact with the extragalactic background light to produce electron-positron pairs, which can subsequently initiate electromagnetic cascades. The $\gamma$-ray signature of the cascade depends on the IGMF since it deflects the pairs. Here we report on a new search for this cascade emission using a combined data set from the Fermi Large Area Telescope and the High Energy Stereoscopic System. Using state-of-the-art Monte Carlo predictions for the cascade signal, our results place a lower limit on the IGMF of $B > 7.1\times10^{-16}$ G for a coherence length of 1 Mpc even when blazar duty cycles as short as 10 yr are assumed. This improves on previous lower limits by a factor of 2. For longer duty cycles of $10^4$ ($10^7$) yr, IGMF strengths below $1.8\times10^{-14}$ G ($3.9\times10^{-14}$ G) are excluded, which rules out specific models for IGMF generation in the early universe.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters. Auxiliary data is provided in electronic format at https://zenodo.org/record/801431

HESS J1809−-193: a halo of escaped electrons around a pulsar wind nebula?

Context. HESS J1809$-$193 is an unassociated very-high-energy $\gamma$-ray source located on the Galactic plane. While it has been connected to the nebula of the energetic pulsar PSR J1809$-$1917, supernova remnants and molecular clouds present in the vicinity also constitute possible associations. Recently, the detection of $\gamma$-ray emission up to energies of $\sim$100 TeV with the HAWC observatory has led to renewed interest in HESS J1809$-$193. Aims. We aim to understand the origin of the $\gamma$-ray emission of HESS J1809$-$193. Methods. We analysed 93.2 h of data taken on HESS J1809$-$193 above 0.27 TeV with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), using a multi-component, three-dimensional likelihood analysis. In addition, we provide a new analysis of 12.5 yr of Fermi-LAT data above 1 GeV within the region of HESS J1809$-$193. The obtained results are interpreted in a time-dependent modelling framework. Results. For the first time, we were able to resolve the emission detected with H.E.S.S. into two components: an extended component that exhibits a spectral cut-off at $\sim$13 TeV, and a compact component that is located close to PSR J1809$-$1917 and shows no clear spectral cut-off. The Fermi-LAT analysis also revealed extended $\gamma$-ray emission, on scales similar to that of the extended H.E.S.S. component. Conclusions. Our modelling indicates that based on its spectrum and spatial extent, the extended H.E.S.S. component is likely caused by inverse Compton emission from old electrons that form a halo around the pulsar wind nebula. The compact component could be connected to either the pulsar wind nebula or the supernova remnant and molecular clouds. Due to its comparatively steep spectrum, modelling the Fermi-LAT emission together with the H.E.S.S. components is not straightforward. (abridged)Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A. Corresponding authors: Vikas Joshi, Lars Mohrman

Detection of extended gamma-ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with H.E.S.S

Geminga is an enigmatic radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsar located at a mere 250 pc distance from Earth. Extended very-high-energy gamma-ray emission around the pulsar was discovered by Milagro and later confirmed by HAWC, which are both water Cherenkov detector-based experiments. However, evidence for the Geminga pulsar wind nebula in gamma rays has long evaded detection by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) despite targeted observations. The detection of gamma-ray emission on angular scales > 2 deg poses a considerable challenge for the background estimation in IACT data analysis. With recent developments in understanding the complementary background estimation techniques of water Cherenkov and atmospheric Cherenkov instruments, the H.E.S.S. IACT array can now confirm the detection of highly extended gamma-ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with a radius of at least 3 deg in the energy range 0.5-40 TeV. We find no indications for statistically significant asymmetries or energy-dependent morphology. A flux normalisation of $(2.8\pm0.7)\times10^{-12}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$TeV$^{-1}$ at 1 TeV is obtained within a 1 deg radius region around the pulsar. To investigate the particle transport within the halo of energetic leptons around the pulsar, we fitted an electron diffusion model to the data. The normalisation of the diffusion coefficient obtained of $D_0 = 7.6^{+1.5}_{-1.2} \times 10^{27}$ cm$^2$s$^{-1}$, at an electron energy of 100 TeV, is compatible with values previously reported for the pulsar halo around Geminga, which is considerably below the Galactic average.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, 7 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

H.E.S.S. follow-up observations of GRB221009A

GRB221009A is the brightest gamma-ray burst ever detected. To probe the very-high-energy (VHE, $>$\!100 GeV) emission, the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) began observations 53 hours after the triggering event, when the brightness of the moonlight no longer precluded observations. We derive differential and integral upper limits using H.E.S.S. data from the third, fourth, and ninth nights after the initial GRB detection, after applying atmospheric corrections. The combined observations yield an integral energy flux upper limit of $\Phi_\mathrm{UL}^{95\%} = 9.7 \times 10^{-12}~\mathrm{erg\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}}$ above $E_\mathrm{thr} = 650$ GeV. The constraints derived from the H.E.S.S. observations complement the available multiwavelength data. The radio to X-ray data are consistent with synchrotron emission from a single electron population, with the peak in the SED occurring above the X-ray band. Compared to the VHE-bright GRB190829A, the upper limits for GRB221009A imply a smaller gamma-ray to X-ray flux ratio in the afterglow. Even in the absence of a detection, the H.E.S.S. upper limits thus contribute to the multiwavelength picture of GRB221009A, effectively ruling out an IC dominated scenario.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in APJL. Corresponding authors: J. Damascene Mbarubucyeye, H. Ashkar, S. J. Zhu, B. Reville, F. Sch\"ussle

A hot spot in the neutrino flux from the Cygnus loop SNR

International audienceA hot spot was found in the analysis of 7.5 years of data in the high-energy starting event sample of IceCube below the Galactic plane. We studied the cosmic rays density arround nearby, young supernova remnants assuming anisotropic diffusion. We then computed neutrino and gamma ray fluxes, combining cosmic rays densities with the distribution of matter in the nearby interstellar medium from a recent dust map survey. Cosmic rays from the cygnus loop produce a hot spot in neutrino close to the IceCube hotspot and with an intensity corresponding to two neutrino events

High-energy neutrinos from cosmic ray interactions in the Local Bubble

International audienceA surprisingly large flux of extraterrestrial high-energy neutrinos was discovered by the IceCube experiment. While the flux of muon neutrinos with energies E>100  TeV is consistent with the extragalactic gamma-ray background determined by Fermi-LAT, the softer component of the cascade neutrino flux at E300  GeV was found in the data of Fermi-LAT. The gamma-ray excess at TeV energies and the neutrino excess at E<100  TeV may have a common galactic origin. In this work, we study the possibility that both excesses are caused by interactions of cosmic rays (CRs) with energies up to PeV in the wall of the local bubble. Source of these CRs may be a recent nearby source like Vela. We show that such a scenario can explain the observed CR flux around the knee, while CR interactions in the bubble wall can generate a substantial fraction of the observed astrophysical high-energy neutrino flux below ∼few×100  TeV

Etude de la croûte archéenne du môle in-ouzzal (Hoggar Occidental) par la méthode gravimétrique : Identification des sources par la transformée en ondelettes continue

La configuration actuellement proposée pour le Hoggar, est le découpage en plusieurs terranes. Le môle In-Ouzal, terrain d'âge archéen, représente un des importants terranes pour la compréhension de la formation de la chaîne panafricaine. La connaissance de la structure du sous-sol de la région permettra de confirmer l'hypothèse émise d'un système en dômes et bassins. Une étude gravimétrique a été réalisée dans le môle In-Ouzzal. Cette étude englobe la collecte de données anciennes et une nouvelle acquisition gravimétrique (300 points). Les différents réseaux existants présentent des décalages importants. Ceci nous a amené à homogénéiser toute cette banque de données, en prenant comme référence, les données récentes. La carte d'anomalie de Bouguer déduite des mesures, montre principalement la présence de deux anomalies de grandes longueurs d'ondes qui s'étendent sur toute la largeur de la carte. Elles sont toutes les deux d'orientation NE-SW. Celle située à l'est, est d'amplitude positive. Cependant l'anomalie se trouvant dans la partie ouest de la carte est négative. Cette dernière semble être composée de deux rameaux. Le premier est d'orientation quasiment N - S et le second demeure NE-SW. A ces anomalies de grandes longueurs d'ondes, viennent se superposer une multitude d'anomalies circulaires de courtes longueurs d'ondes. Les traitements numériques de cette carte, confirment le système en dômes et bassins, d'orientation NE-SW. Ils ont permis la mise en évidence d'une structure sensiblement N-S. Le calcul des profondeurs des sources, donne une estimation de l'ordre de 5 km pour les grandes structure