arXiv subjects

A. Neronov

Publications and source records attributed to A. Neronov.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Viscous damping of chiral dynamos in the early universe

Chiral dynamo converting asymmetry between right and left-handed leptons in the early universe into helical magnetic field has been proposed as a possible cosmological magnetogenesis scenario. We show that this mechanism is strongly affected by viscous damping of primordial plasma motions excited by the dynamo. This effect modifies the expected range of strength and correlation length of the chiral dynamo field which could have survived till present epoch in the voids of the Large Scale Structure. We show the range of parameters of chiral dynamo field that may have survived in the voids is still consistent with existing lower bounds on intergalactic magnetic field from gamma-ray observations, but only if the right-left lepton asymmetry at the temperature T~80 TeV is very high, close to the maximal possible value.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Snowmass 2021 Letter of Interest: The Probe Of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA)

The Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) is designed to identify the sources of Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) and to observe cosmic neutrinos, both with full-sky coverage. Developed as a NASA Astrophysics Probe-class mission, POEMMA consists of two spacecraft flying in a loose formation at 525 km altitude, 28.5 deg inclination orbits. Each spacecraft hosts a Schmidt telescope with a large collecting area and wide field of view. A novel focal plane is optimized to observe both the UV fluorescence signal from extensive air showers (EASs) and the beamed optical Cherenkov signals from EASs. In POEMMA-stereo fluorescence mode, POEMMA will measure the spectrum, composition, and full-sky distribution of the UHECRs above 20 EeV with high statistics along with remarkable sensitivity to UHE neutrinos. The spacecraft are designed to quickly re-orient to a POEMMA-limb mode to observe neutrino emission from Target-of-Opportunity (ToO) transient astrophysical sources viewed just below the Earth's limb. In this mode, POEMMA will have unique sensitivity to cosmic neutrino tau events above 20 PeV by measuring the upward-moving EASs induced by the decay of the emerging tau leptons following the interactions of neutrino tau inside the Earth.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Neutrinos from the gamma-ray source eHWC J1825-134: predictions for Km$^3$ detectors

The eHWC J1825-134 source is located in the southern sky and has been recently detected by the HAWC observatory. It presents an hard spectral index and its gamma-ray flux extends up to energies close to 100 TeV without significant suppression. Amongst the HAWC sources, it is the most luminous in the multi-TeV domain and therefore is one of the first that should be searched for with a neutrino telescope in the northern hemisphere. Using an updated effective area for the forthcoming KM3NeT detector, we study the possibility to detect this source within ten years of its running time. We conclude that about a 4 to 5 sigma detection has to be expected after ten years of observations, depending on the details of the considered scenario.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Mapping large-scale diffuse gamma-ray emission in 10-100 TeV band with Cherenkov telescopes

Measurement of diffuse gamma-ray emission from the Milky Way with Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT) is difficult because of high level of charged cosmic ray background and small field-of-view. We show that such a measurement is nevertheless possible in the energy band 10-100 TeV. The minimal charged particle background for IACTs is achieved in event selections used for the analyses of the cosmic ray electrons. Tight cuts on the event quality in these event selections allow to achieve the background level sufficiently low to allow the measurements of the diffuse Galactic gamma-ray flux above 10 TeV. We calculate the sensitivities of different types of IACT arrays for the Galactic diffuse emission measurements and compare them with the diffuse gamma-ray flux from different parts of the sky measured by the Fermi Large Area Telescope below 3 TeV and with the astrophysical neutrino signal measured by IceCube telescope. We show that deep exposure of existing IACT systems is sufficient for detection of the diffuse flux from all the Galactic Plane up to Galactic latitude |b|~ degrees. Medium Size Telescope array of CTA will be able to detect the diffuse flux up 30 degree Galactic latitude. Its sensitivity will be sufficient for detection of the gamma-ray counterpart of the Galactic component of the IceCube astrophysical neutrino signal above 10 TeV. We also propose that a dedicated IACT system composed of small but wide field-of-view telescopes could be used for mapping the 10-100 TeV the diffuse gamma-ray emission from across all the sky.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

LHAASO sensitivity for diffuse gamma-ray signals from the Galaxy

We estimate the sensitivity of LHAASO telescope for the large angular scale diffuse gamma-ray flux in multi-TeV - multi-PeV energy range. We discuss possible sources of the signal in this energy range including the guaranteed flux from cosmic ray interactions in the interstellar medium and possible flux from decaying dark matter. We show that LHAASO will be able to detect the diffuse cosmic ray induced gamma-ray flux up to high Galactic latitude regions thus providing firm identification of the Galactic cosmic ray component of the astrophysical neutrino signal detected by IceCube and clarification of the nature of the knee feature of the cosmic ray spectrum. Comparing the diffuse flux sensitivity with the diffuse gamma-ray flux expected from the dark matter decays, we show LHAASO will be able to detect the gamma-ray signal from dark matter particles of PeV-EeV mass decaying on the time scale up to 3e29 s.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Search for spectral features in extragalactic background light with gamma-ray telescopes

Cumulative optical and infrared emission from galaxies accumulated over cosmological time scales, the extragalactic background light (EBL), could be probed by complementary techniques of direct observations and source counting in the visible and infrared as well as via its imprint on the signal of distant active galactic nuclei in gamma rays. We compare the visible and infrared measurements with the gamma-ray constraints and study if the discrepancies of the measurements with different methods could be due to the presence of features in the EBL spectrum that are localised in the micron wavelength range. We combined data on time-averaged spectra of selected blazars that were obtained by Fermi and ground-based gamma-ray telescopes. We also modelled the effect of absorption on EBL while allowing for the existence of a previously unaccounted spectral feature. We show that a previously reported 'excess' in EBL flux in the $\sim 1$~micron wavelength range is consistent with gamma-ray measurements, that is, if the excess has the form of a narrow feature of the width $δλ< λ$ and an overall flux of up to 15 nW/(m$^2$ sr) above the 'minimal' EBL, which is estimated from the visible and infrared source counts. Such 'bump-like' spectral features could originate, for example, from decaying dark-matter particles, or either axions or peculiar astrophysical processes in the course of star-formation history. We discuss the possibilities for the search of spectral features in the EBL with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA).

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Galactic diffuse gamma-ray emission at TeV energy

Measuring the diffuse Galactic gamma-ray flux in the TeV range is difficult for ground-based gamma-ray telescopes because of the residual cosmic-ray background, which is higher than the gamma-ray flux by several orders of magnitude. Its detection is also challenging for space-based telescopes because of low signal statistics. We characterize the diffuse TeV flux from the Galaxy using decade-long exposures of the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Considering that the level of diffuse Galactic emission in the TeV band approaches the level of residual cosmic-ray background, we estimated the level of residual cosmic-ray background in the SOURCEVETO event selection and verified that the TeV diffuse Galactic emission flux is well above the residual cosmic-ray background up to high Galactic latitude regions. We study spectral and imaging properties of the diffuse TeV signal from the Galactic plane. We find much stronger emission from the inner Galactic plane than in previous HESS telescope estimates (lower bound). We also find a significant difference in the measurement of the Galactic longitude and latitude profiles of the signal measured by Fermi and HESS. These discrepancies are presumably explained by the fact that regions of background estimate in HESS have non-negligible gamma-ray flux. Comparing Fermi measurements with those of ARGO-YBJ, we find better agreement, with the notable exception of the Cygnus region, where we find much higher flux (by a factor 1.5). We also measure the TeV diffuse emission spectrum up to high Galactic latitude and show that the spectra of different regions of the sky have spectral slopes consistent with Gamma=2.34+/- 0.04. We discuss the possible origin of the hard slope of the TeV diffuse emission. Fermi/LAT provides reliable measurements of the diffuse Galactic emission spectrum in the TeV range.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

A Mini-Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope

In this paper we describe the different software and hardware elements of a mini-telescope for the detection of cosmic rays and gamma-rays using the Cherenkov light emitted by their induced particle showers in the atmosphere. We estimate the physics reach of the standalone mini-telescope and present some results of the measurements done at the Sauverny Observatory of the University of Geneva and at the Saint-Luc Observatory, which demonstrate the ability of the telescope to observe cosmic rays with energy above about 100 TeV. Such a mini-telescope can constitute a cost-effective out-trigger array that can surround other gamma-ray telescopes or extended air showers detector arrays. Its development was born out of the desire to illustrate to students and amateurs the cosmic ray and gamma-ray detection from ground, as an example of what is done in experiments using larger telescopes. As a matter of fact, a mini-telescope can be used in outreach night events. While outreach is becoming more and more important in the scientific community to raise interest in the general public, the realisation of the mini-telescope is also a powerful way to train students on instrumentation such as photosensors, their associated electronics, acquisition software and data taking. In particular, this mini-telescope uses silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) and the dedicated ASIC, CITIROC.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

Search for decaying eV-mass axion-like particles using gamma-ray signal from blazars

Decaying axion-like particles (ALP) with masses in the eV range which might occupy dark matter halos of the Milky Way and other galaxies produce a characteristic "bump" feature in the spectrum of extragalactic background light (EBL). This feature leaves an imprint on the gamma-ray spectra of distant extragalactic sources. We derive constraints on the ALP coupling to photons based on analysis of spectra of very-high-energy gamma-ray loud blazars. We combine gamma-ray spectral measurements by Fermi/LAT and Cherenkov telescopes and fit a model in which the intrinsic source spectrum is modified by pair production on photons produced by ALP decays. We constrain the amplitude of gamma-ray flux suppression by this effect. We find that the combined Fermi/LAT and VERITAS data set for the source 1ES 1218+304 currently provides the tightest constraint on ALP-two-photon coupling which is complementary to the constraints imposed by non-observation of excess energy loss in Horizontal Branch stars, by the high-resolution spectroscopic observations of galaxy clusters with optical telescopes and by the searches of ALP signal with CERN Solar Axion Telescope. Our analysis favours existence of a bump in the EBL spectrum which could be produced by ALPs in the mass range 2-3 eV and axion-photon coupling $\sim 10^{-10}$ GeV$^{-1}$. We discuss possibilities for verification of this hint with deeper Cherenkov telescope observations of large number of blazars with current generation instruments and with the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

The POEMMA (Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics) mission

The Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) is designed to observe cosmic neutrinos (CNs) above 20 PeV and ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) above 20 EeV over the full sky. The POEMMA mission calls for two identical satellites flying in loose formation, each comprised of a 4-meter wide field-of-view (45 degrees) Schmidt photometer. The hybrid focal surface includes a fast (1 $μ$s) ultraviolet camera for fluorescence observations and an ultrafast (10 ns) optical camera for Cherenkov observations. POEMMA will provide new multi-messenger windows onto the most energetic events in the universe, enabling the study of new astrophysics and particle physics at these otherwise inaccessible energies.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

POEMMA (Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics) design

The Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) is a NASA Astrophysics probe-class mission designed to observe ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and cosmic neutrinos from space. Astro2020 APC white paper: Medium-class Space Particle Astrophysics Project.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Self-consistent model of extragalactic neutrino flux from evolving blazar population

We study constraints on the population of neutrino emitting blazars imposed by the absence of doublets in astrophysical muon neutrino signal and z>0.3 redshift of nearest identified neutrino-emitting blazar (an order of magnitude further away than the nearest gamma-ray emitting blazar). We show that in spite of the absence of correlation of neutrino arrival directions with positions of gamma-ray emitting blazars, cumulative blazar flux could explain most of astrophysical neutrino flux measured in muon neutrino channel. This is possible if the population of neutrino emitting blazars has experienced rapid positive evolution at least as (1+z)^5 at z< 1. Such a model avoids previously derived constraint on the low level of blazar contribution to extragalactic neutrino flux because gamma-ray and neutrino fluxes are dominated by different sets of blazars. Rapid evolution of neutrino emitting blazars could be explained by the fact that only high luminosity blazars hosting radiatively efficient accretion flows are efficient neutrino sources.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Multi-messenger gamma-ray counterpart of the IceCube neutrino signal

A signal of high-energy extraterrestrial neutrinos from unknown source(s) was recently discovered by the IceCube experiment. Neutrinos are always produced together with gamma-rays, but the gamma-ray flux from extragalactic sources is suppressed due to attenuation in the intergalactic medium. We report the discovery of a gamma-ray excess at high Galactic latitudes starting at energies 300 GeV in the data of the Fermi telescope. We show that the multi-TeV gamma-ray diffuse emission has spectral characteristics at both low and high Galactic latitudes compatible with those of the IceCube high neutrino signal in the same sky regions. This suggests that these gamma-rays are the counterpart of the IceCube neutrino signal, implying that a sizable part of the IceCube neutrino flux originates from the Milky Way. We argue that the diffuse neutrino and gamma-ray signal at high Galactic latitudes originates either from previously unknown nearby cosmic ray "PeVatron" source(s), an extended Galactic CR halo or from decays of heavy dark matter particles.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Improved limit on axion-like particles from gamma-ray data on Perseus cluster

Coupling of axion-like particles (ALPs) to photons in the presence of background magnetic field affects propagation of gamma-rays through magnetized environments. This results in modification in the gamma-ray spectra of sources in or behind galaxy clusters. We search for the ALP induced effects in the Fermi/LAT and MAGIC telescope spectra of the radio galaxy NGC 1275 embedded in Perseus galaxy cluster. We report an order-of-magnitude improved upper limit on the ALP-photon coupling constant in the 0.1-10 neV mass range from non-detection of the ALP imprints on the gamma-ray spectra. The improved upper limit extends into the coupling range in which the ALP particles could form the dark matter. We estimate the sensitivity improvements for the ALP search achievable with extension of the measurements to lower and higher energies with e-ASTROGAM and CTA and show that the gamma-ray probe of ALPs with masses in $10^{-11}-10^{-7}$ eV range will be have order-of-magnitude better sensitivity compared to ground-based experiment IAXO.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Cosmic ray signatures of a 2-3 Myr old local supernova

The supernova explosion which deposited $^{60}$Fe isotopes on Earth 2-3 million years ago should have also produced cosmic rays which contribute to the locally observed cosmic ray flux. We show that the contribution of this "local source" explains the "anomalies" observed in the positron and antiproton fluxes and explains why their spectral shape agrees with that of the proton flux. At the same time, this local source component accounts for the difference in the slopes of the spectra of cosmic ray nuclei as the result of the slightly varying relative importance of the "local" and the average component for distinct CR nuclei. Such a "local supernova" model for the spectra of nuclei can be tested via a combined measurement of the energy dependence of the boron-to-carbon (primary-to-secondary cosmic rays) ratio and of the antiproton spectrum: While the antiproton spectrum is predicted to extend approximately as a power law into the TeV range without any softening break, the B/C ratio is expected to show a "plateau" at a level fixed by the observed positron excess in the 30-300 GeV range. We discuss the observability of such a plateau with dedicated experiments for the measurement of the cosmic ray composition in 10 TeV energy range (NUCLEON, ISS-CREAM).

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Control Software for the SST-1M Small-Size Telescope prototype for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The SST-1M is a 4-m Davies--Cotton atmospheric Cherenkov telescope optimized to provide gamma-ray sensitivity above a few TeV. The SST-1M is proposed as part of the Small-Size Telescope array for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the first prototype has already been deployed. The SST-1M control software of all subsystems (active mirror control, drive system, safety system, photo-detection plane, DigiCam, CCD cameras) and the whole telescope itself (master controller) uses the standard software design proposed for all CTA telescopes based on the ALMA Common Software (ACS) developed to control the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). Each subsystem is represented by a separate ACS component, which handles the communication to and the operation of the subsystem. Interfacing with the actual hardware is performed via the OPC UA communication protocol, supported either natively by dedicated industrial standard servers (PLCs) or separate service applications developed to wrap lower level protocols (e.g. CAN bus, camera slow control) into OPC UA. Early operations of the telescope without the camera were already carried out. The camera is fully assembled and is capable to perform data acquisition using artificial light source.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Performance of a small size telescope (SST-1M) camera for gamma-ray astronomy with the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The foreseen implementations of the Small Size Telescopes (SST) in CTA will provide unique insights into the highest energy gamma rays offering fundamental means to discover and under- stand the sources populating the Galaxy and our local neighborhood. Aiming at such a goal, the SST-1M is one of the three different implementations that are being prototyped and tested for CTA. SST-1M is a Davies-Cotton single mirror telescope equipped with a unique camera technology based on SiPMs with demonstrated advantages over classical photomultipliers in terms of duty-cycle. In this contribution, we describe the telescope components, the camera, and the trigger and readout system. The results of the commissioning of the camera using a dedicated test setup are then presented. The performances of the camera first prototype in terms of expected trigger rates and trigger efficiencies for different night-sky background conditions are presented, and the camera response is compared to end-to-end simulations.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Development of a strategy for calibrating the novel SiPM camera of the SST-1M telescope proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

CTA will comprise a sub-array of up to 70 small size telescopes (SSTs) at the southern array. The SST-1M project, a 4 m-diameter Davies Cotton telescope with 9 degrees FoV and a 1296 pixels SiPM camera, is designed to meet the requirements of the next generation ground based gamma-ray observatory CTA in the energy range above 3 TeV. Silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) cameras of gamma-ray telescopes can achieve good performance even during high night sky background conditions. Defining a fully automated calibration strategy of SiPM cameras is of great importance for large scale production validation and online calibration. The SST-1M sub-consortium developed a software compatible with CTA pipeline software (CTApipe). The calibration of the SST-1M camera is based on the Camera Test Setup (CTS), a set of LED boards mounted in front of the camera. The CTS LEDs are operated in pulsed or continuous mode to emulate signal and night sky background respectively. Continuous and pulsed light data analysis allows us to extract single pixel calibration parameters to be used during CTA operation.

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