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arXiv · 0901.3275

Discovery of very high energy gamma-rays from the flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 with the MAGIC telescope

M. Errando·R. Bock·D. Kranich·E. Lorenz·P. Majumdar·M. Mariotti·D. Mazin·E. Prandini·F. Tavecchio·M. Teshima·R. Wagner
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Abstract

3C 279 is one of the best studied flat spectrum radio quasars located at a comparatively large redshift of z = 0.536. Observations in the very high energy band of such distant sources were impossible until recently due to the expected steep energy spectrum and the strong gamma-ray attenuation by the extragalactic background light photon field, which conspire to make the source visible only with a low energy threshold. Here the detection of a significant gamma-ray signal from 3C 279 at very high energies (E > 75 GeV) during a flare in early 2006 is reported. Implications of its energy spectrum on the current understanding of the extragalactic background light and very high energy gamma-ray emission mechanism models are discussed.

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M. Errando, R. Bock, D. Kranich, E. Lorenz, P. Majumdar, M. Mariotti, D. Mazin, E. Prandini, F. Tavecchio, M. Teshima, R. Wagner. 2009-01-21. Discovery of very high energy gamma-rays from the flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 with the MAGIC telescope. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3076698

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