7 research outputs found
Observation of the TeV gamma-ray source MGRO J1908+06 with ARGO-YBJ
The extended gamma ray source MGRO J1908+06, discovered by the Milagro air
shower detector in 2007, has been observed for about 4 years by the ARGO-YBJ
experiment at TeV energies, with a statistical significance of 6.2 standard
deviations. The peak of the signal is found at a position consistent with the
pulsar PSR J1907+0602. Parametrizing the source shape with a two-dimensional
Gauss function we estimate an extension \sigma = 0.49 \pm 0.22 degrees,
consistent with a previous measurement by the Cherenkov Array H.E.S.S.. The
observed energy spectrum is dN/dE = 6.1 \pm 1.4 \times 10^-13 (E/4 TeV)^{-2.54
\pm 0.36} photons cm^-2 s^-1 TeV^-1, in the energy range 1-20 TeV. The measured
gamma ray flux is consistent with the results of the Milagro detector, but is
2-3 times larger than the flux previously derived by H.E.S.S. at energies of a
few TeV. The continuity of the Milagro and ARGO-YBJ observations and the stable
excess rate observed by ARGO-YBJ along 4 years of data taking support the
identification of MGRO J1908+06 as the steady powerful TeV pulsar wind nebula
of PSR J1907+0602, with an integrated luminosity above 1 TeV about 1.8 times
the Crab Nebula luminosity.Comment: 6 pages, accepted for pubblication by ApJ. Replaced to correct the
author lis
Evidence of a geomagnetic effect on extensive air showers detected with the ARGO-YBJ experiment
The geomagnetic field causes not only the east-west effect on primary cosmic rays but also affects the trajectories of the secondary charged particles in the shower, causing their lateral distribution to be stretched. Thus, both the density of the secondaries near the shower axis and the trigger efficiency of detector arrays decrease. The effect depends on the direction of the showers, thus, introducing a modulation in the measured azimuthal distribution. The azimuthal distribution of the events collected by the ARGO-YBJ detector is deeply investigated for different zenith angles in light of this effect