248 research outputs found
Quantum Pareto Optimal Control
We describe algorithms, and experimental strategies, for the Pareto optimal
control problem of simultaneously driving an arbitrary number of quantum
observable expectation values to their respective extrema. Conventional quantum
optimal control strategies are less effective at sampling points on the Pareto
frontier of multiobservable control landscapes than they are at locating
optimal solutions to single observable control problems. The present algorithms
facilitate multiobservable optimization by following direct paths to the Pareto
front, and are capable of continuously tracing the front once it is found to
explore families of viable solutions. The numerical and experimental
methodologies introduced are also applicable to other problems that require the
simultaneous control of large numbers of observables, such as quantum optimal
mixed state preparation.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review
Long-term gamma-ray observations of the binary HESS J0632+057 with H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS
The gamma-ray binary HESS J0632+057 has been observed at very-high energies
(E 100 GeV) for more than ten years by the major systems of imaging
atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. We present a summary of results obtained with
the H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS experiments based on roughly 440 h of
observations in total. This includes a discussion of an unusually bright TeV
outburst of HESS J0632+057 in January 2018. The updated gamma-ray light curve
now covers all phases of the orbital period with significant detections in
almost all orbital phases. Results are discussed in context with simultaneous
observations with the X-ray Telescope onboard the Neil Gehrels Swift
Observatory.Comment: Proceedings of the 36th International Cosmic Ray Conference
(ICRC2019) Madison, WI July 24-Aug 1, 201
Evidence for proton acceleration up to TeV energies based on VERITAS and Fermi-LAT observations of the Cas A SNR
We present a study of -ray emission from the core-collapse supernova
remnant Cas~A in the energy range from 0.1GeV to 10TeV. We used 65 hours of
VERITAS data to cover 200 GeV - 10 TeV, and 10.8 years of \textit{Fermi}-LAT
data to cover 0.1-500 GeV. The spectral analysis of \textit{Fermi}-LAT data
shows a significant spectral curvature around GeV that is
consistent with the expected spectrum from pion decay. Above this energy, the
joint spectrum from \textit{Fermi}-LAT and VERITAS deviates significantly from
a simple power-law, and is best described by a power-law with spectral index of
with a cut-off energy of TeV. These
results, along with radio, X-ray and -ray data, are interpreted in the
context of leptonic and hadronic models. Assuming a one-zone model, we exclude
a purely leptonic scenario and conclude that proton acceleration up to at least
6 TeV is required to explain the observed -ray spectrum. From modeling
of the entire multi-wavelength spectrum, a minimum magnetic field inside the
remnant of is deduced.Comment: 33 pages, 9 Figures, 6 Table
VERITAS Observations of the gamma-Ray Binary LS I +61 303
LS I +61 303 is one of only a few high-mass X-ray binaries currently detected
at high significance in very high energy gamma-rays. The system was observed
over several orbital cycles (between September 2006 and February 2007) with the
VERITAS array of imaging air-Cherenkov telescopes. A signal of gamma-rays with
energies above 300 GeV is found with a statistical significance of 8.4 standard
deviations. The detected flux is measured to be strongly variable; the maximum
flux is found during most orbital cycles at apastron. The energy spectrum for
the period of maximum emission can be characterized by a power law with a
photon index of Gamma=2.40+-0.16_stat+-0.2_sys and a flux above 300 GeV
corresponding to 15-20% of the flux from the Crab Nebula.Comment: accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa
Discovery of very-high-energy emission from RGB J2243+203 and derivation of its redshift upper limit
Very-high-energy (VHE; 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission from the blazar RGB
J2243+203 was discovered with the VERITAS Cherenkov telescope array, during the
period between 21 and 24 December 2014. The VERITAS energy spectrum from this
source can be fit by a power law with a photon index of , and a
flux normalization at 0.15 TeV of . The integrated
\textit{Fermi}-LAT flux from 1 GeV to 100 GeV during the VERITAS detection is
, which is an order of
magnitude larger than the four-year-averaged flux in the same energy range
reported in the 3FGL catalog, (). The detection with VERITAS
triggered observations in the X-ray band with the \textit{Swift}-XRT. However,
due to scheduling constraints \textit{Swift}-XRT observations were performed 67
hours after the VERITAS detection, not simultaneous with the VERITAS
observations. The observed X-ray energy spectrum between 2 keV and 10 keV can
be fitted with a power-law with a spectral index of , and the
integrated photon flux in the same energy band is . EBL model-dependent upper limits
of the blazar redshift have been derived. Depending on the EBL model used, the
upper limit varies in the range from z to z
Measurement of Cosmic-ray Electrons at TeV Energies by VERITAS
Cosmic-ray electrons and positrons (CREs) at GeV-TeV energies are a unique
probe of our local Galactic neighborhood. CREs lose energy rapidly via
synchrotron radiation and inverse-Compton scattering processes while
propagating within the Galaxy and these losses limit their propagation
distance. For electrons with TeV energies, the limit is on the order of a
kiloparsec. Within that distance there are only a few known astrophysical
objects capable of accelerating electrons to such high energies. It is also
possible that the CREs are the products of the annihilation or decay of heavy
dark matter (DM) particles. VERITAS, an array of imaging air Cherenkov
telescopes in southern Arizona, USA, is primarily utilized for gamma-ray
astronomy, but also simultaneously collects CREs during all observations. We
describe our methods of identifying CREs in VERITAS data and present an energy
spectrum, extending from 300 GeV to 5 TeV, obtained from approximately 300
hours of observations. A single power-law fit is ruled out in VERITAS data. We
find that the spectrum of CREs is consistent with a broken power law, with a
break energy at 710 40 140 GeV.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in PR
Observations of the unidentified gamma-ray source TeV J2032+4130 by VERITAS
TeV J2032+4130 was the first unidentified source discovered at very high
energies (VHE; E 100 GeV), with no obvious counterpart in any other
wavelength. It is also the first extended source to be observed in VHE gamma
rays. Following its discovery, intensive observational campaigns have been
carried out in all wavelengths in order to understand the nature of the object,
which have met with limited success. We report here on a deep observation of
TeV J2032+4130, based on 48.2 hours of data taken from 2009 to 2012 by the
VERITAS (Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System) experiment.
The source is detected at 8.7 standard deviations () and is found to be
extended and asymmetric with a width of 9.51.2 along
the major axis and 4.00.5 along the minor axis. The
spectrum is well described by a differential power law with an index of 2.10
0.14 0.21 and a normalization of (9.5
1.6 2.2) 10TeV cm
s at 1 TeV. We interpret these results in the context of multiwavelength
scenarios which particularly favor the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) interpretation
Gamma-ray Observations Under Bright Moonlight with VERITAS
Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) are equipped with sensitive
photomultiplier tube (PMT) cameras. Exposure to high levels of background
illumination degrades the efficiency of and potentially destroys these
photo-detectors over time, so IACTs cannot be operated in the same
configuration in the presence of bright moonlight as under dark skies. Since
September 2012, observations have been carried out with the VERITAS IACTs under
bright moonlight (defined as about three times the night-sky-background (NSB)
of a dark extragalactic field, typically occurring when Moon illumination >
35%) in two observing modes, firstly by reducing the voltage applied to the
PMTs and, secondly, with the addition of ultra-violet (UV) bandpass filters to
the cameras. This has allowed observations at up to about 30 times previous NSB
levels (around 80% Moon illumination), resulting in 30% more observing time
between the two modes over the course of a year. These additional observations
have already allowed for the detection of a flare from the 1ES 1727+502 and for
an observing program targeting a measurement of the cosmic-ray positron
fraction. We provide details of these new observing modes and their performance
relative to the standard VERITAS observations
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