arXiv subjects

B. Degrange

Publications and source records attributed to B. Degrange.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

HESS J1640-465 - an exceptionally luminous TeV gamma-ray supernova remnant

The results of follow-up observations of the TeV gamma-ray source HESSJ 1640-465 from 2004 to 2011 with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) are reported in this work. The spectrum is well described by an exponential cut-off power law with photon index Gamma=2.11 +/- 0.09_stat +/- 0.10_sys, and a cut-off energy of E_c = (6.0 +2.0 -1.2) TeV. The TeV emission is significantly extended and overlaps with the north-western part of the shell of the SNR G338.3-0.0. The new H.E.S.S. results, a re-analysis of archival XMM-Newton data, and multi-wavelength observations suggest that a significant part of the gamma-ray emission from HESS J1640-465 originates in the SNR shell. In a hadronic scenario, as suggested by the smooth connection of the GeV and TeV spectra, the product of total proton energy and mean target density could be as high as W_p n_H ~ 4 x 10^52 (d/10kpc)^2 erg cm^-3.

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arXiv2014

Flux upper limits for 47 AGN observed with H.E.S.S. in 2004-2011

About 40% of the observation time of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is dedicated to studying active galactic nuclei (AGN), with the aim of increasing the sample of known extragalactic very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) sources and constraining the physical processes at play in potential emitters. H.E.S.S. observations of AGN, spanning a period from April 2004 to December 2011, are investigated to constrain their gamma-ray fluxes. Only the 47 sources without significant excess detected at the position of the targets are presented. Upper limits on VHE fluxes of the targets were computed and a search for variability was performed on the nightly time scale. For 41 objects, the flux upper limits we derived are the most constraining reported to date. These constraints at VHE are compared with the flux level expected from extrapolations of Fermi-LAT measurements in the two-year catalog of AGN. The H.E.S.S. upper limits are at least a factor of two lower than the extrapolated Fermi-LAT fluxes for 11 objects. Taking into account the attenuation by the extragalactic background light reduces the tension for all but two of them, suggesting intrinsic curvature in the high-energy spectra of these two AGN. Compilation efforts led by current VHE instruments are of critical importance for target-selection strategies before the advent of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA.

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arXiv2014

Search for Extended γ-ray Emission around AGN with H.E.S.S. and Fermi-LAT

Context: Very-high-energy (VHE; E>100 GeV) γ-ray emission from blazars inevitably gives rise to electron-positron pair production through the interaction of these γ-rays with the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL). Depending on the magnetic fields in the proximity of the source, the cascade initiated from pair production can result in either an isotropic halo around an initially beamed source or a magnetically broadened cascade flux. Aims: Both extended pair halo (PH) and magnetically broadened cascade (MBC) emission from regions surrounding the blazars 1ES 1101-232, 1ES 0229+200 and PKS 2155-304 were searched for, using VHE γ-ray data taken with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), and high energy (HE; 100 MeV 10$^{-12}$G, this limits the production of pair halos developing from electromagnetic cascades. For weaker magnetic fields, in which electromagnetic cascades would result in magnetically broadened cascades, EGMF strengths in the range (0.3 - 3)$\times 10^{-15}$G were excluded for PKS 2155-304 at the 99% confidence level, under the assumption of a 1 Mpc coherence length.

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arXiv2013

Constraints on axionlike particles with H.E.S.S. from the irregularity of the PKS 2155-304 energy spectrum

Axionlike particles (ALPs) are hypothetical light (sub-eV) bosons predicted in some extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. In astrophysical environments comprising high-energy gamma rays and turbulent magnetic fields, the existence of ALPs can modify the energy spectrum of the gamma rays for a sufficiently large coupling between ALPs and photons. This modification would take the form of an irregular behavior of the energy spectrum in a limited energy range. Data from the H.E.S.S. observations of the distant BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 (z = 0.116) are used to derive upper limits at the 95% C.L. on the strength of the ALP coupling to photons, $g_{γa} < 2.1\times 10^{-11}$ GeV$^{-1}$ for an ALP mass between 15 neV and 60 neV. The results depend on assumptions on the magnetic field around the source, which are chosen conservatively. The derived constraints apply to both light pseudoscalar and scalar bosons that couple to the electromagnetic field.

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arXiv2013

Discovery of very high energy gamma-ray emission from the BL Lac object PKS 0301-243 with H.E.S.S

The active galactic nucleus PKS 0301-243 (z=0.266) is a high-synchrotron-peaked BL Lac object that is detected at high energies (HE, 100 MeV < E < 100 GeV) by Fermi/LAT. This paper reports on the discovery of PKS 0301-243 at very high energies (E>100 GeV) by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) from observations between September 2009 and December 2011 for a total live time of 34.9 hours. Gamma rays above 200 GeV are detected at a significance of 9.4σ. A hint of variability at the 2.5σ level is found. An integral flux I(E > 200 GeV) = (3.3 +/- 1.1_stat +/- 0.7_syst)e-12 ph cm^-2s^-1 and a photon index Γ = 4.6 +/- 0.7_stat +/- 0.2_syst are measured. Multi-wavelength light curves in HE, X-ray and optical bands show strong variability, and a minimal variability timescale of eight days is estimated from the optical light curve. A single-zone leptonic synchrotron self-Compton scenario satisfactorily reproduces the multi-wavelength data. In this model, the emitting region is out of equipartition and the jet is particle dominated. Because of its high redshift compared to other sources observed at TeV energies, the very high energy emission from PKS 0301-243 is attenuated by the extragalactic background light (EBL) and the measured spectrum is used to derive an upper limit on the opacity of the EBL.

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arXiv2013

Search for Dark Matter Annihilation Signals from the Fornax Galaxy Cluster with H.E.S.S

The Fornax galaxy cluster was observed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) for a total live time of 14.5 hours, searching for very-high-energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma-rays from dark matter (DM) annihilation. No significant signal was found in searches for point-like and extended emissions. Using several models of the DM density distribution, upper limits on the DM velocity-weighted annihilation cross-section as a function of the DM particle mass are derived. Constraints are derived for different DM particle models, such as those arising from Kaluza-Klein and supersymmetric models. Various annihilation final states are considered. Possible enhancements of the DM annihilation gamma-ray flux, due to DM substructures of the DM host halo, or from the Sommerfeld effect, are studied. Additional gamma-ray contributions from internal bremsstrahlung and inverse Compton radiation are also discussed. For a DM particle mass of 1 TeV, the exclusion limits at 95% of confidence level reach values of ~ 10^-23cm^3s^-1, depending on the DM particle model and halo properties. Additional contribution from DM substructures can improve the upper limits on <σv> by more than two orders of magnitude. At masses around 4.5 TeV, the enhancement by substructures and the Sommerfeld resonance effect results in a velocity-weighted annihilation cross-section upper limit at the level of <σv> ~ 10^-26cm^3s^-1.

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arXiv2013

H.E.S.S and Fermi-LAT discovery of gamma rays from the blazar 1ES 1312-423

A deep observation campaign carried out by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) on Centaurus A enabled the discovery of gamma rays from the blazar 1ES 1312-423, two degrees away from the radio galaxy. With a differential flux at 1 TeV of (1.9 +/-0.6(stat) +/-0.4(sys)) x 10^{-13} /cm^2 /s /TeV corresponding to 0.5% of the Crab nebula differential flux and a spectral index of 2.9 +/- 0.5 (stat) +/- 0.2 (sys), 1ES 1312-423 is one of the faintest sources ever detected in the very high energy (E>100 GeV) extragalactic sky. A careful analysis using three and a half years of Fermi-LAT data allows the discovery at high energies (E>100 MeV) of a hard spectrum (index of 1.4 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.2 (sys)) source coincident with 1ES 1312-423. Radio, optical, UV and X-ray observations complete the spectral energy distribution of this blazar, now covering 16 decades in energy. The emission is successfully fitted with a synchrotron self Compton model for the non-thermal component, combined with a black-body spectrum for the optical emission from the host galaxy.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Discovery of high and very high-energy emission from the BL Lac object SHBL J001355.9-185406

The detection of the high-frequency peaked BL Lac object (HBL) SHBL J001355.9-185406 ($z$=0.095) at high (HE; 100 MeV$<$E$<$300 GeV) and very high-energy (VHE; $E>100\,{\rm GeV}$) with the \fer\ Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is reported. Dedicated observations have been performed with the H.E.S.S. telescopes, leading to a detection at the $5.5\,σ$ significance level. The measured flux above 310 GeV is $(8.3 \pm 1.7_{\rm{stat}}\pm 1.7_{\rm{sys}})\times 10^{-13}$ photons \cms\ (about 0.6% of that of the Crab Nebula), and the power law spectrum has a photon index of \indexHESS. Using 3.5 years of publicly available \fla\ data, a faint counterpart has been detected in the LAT data at the $5.5\,σ$ significance level, with an integrated flux above 300 MeV of $(9.3 \pm 3.4_{\rm stat} \pm 0.8_{\rm sys})\times 10^{-10}$ photons \cms\ and a photon index of $Γ= 1.96 \pm 0.20_{\rm stat} \pm 0.08_{\rm sys}$. X-ray observations with \textit{Swift}-XRT allow the synchrotron peak energy in $νF_ν$ representation to be located at $\sim 1.0\,{\rm keV}$. The broadband spectral energy distribution is modelled with a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model and the optical data by a black-body emission describing the thermal emission of the host galaxy. The derived parameters are typical for HBLs detected at VHE, with a particle dominated jet.

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arXiv2013

H.E.S.S. discovery of VHE gamma-rays from the quasar PKS 1510-089

The quasar PKS 1510-089 (z=0.361) was observed with the H.E.S.S. array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes during high states in the optical and GeV bands, to search for very high energy (VHE, defined as E >= 0.1 TeV) emission. VHE γ-rays were detected with a statistical significance of 9.2 standard deviations in 15.8 hours of H.E.S.S. data taken during March and April 2009. A VHE integral flux of I(0.15 TeV < E < 1.0 TeV) = (1.0 +- 0.2 (stat) +- 0.2 (sys) x 10^{-11} cm^{-2}s^{-1} is measured. The best-fit power law to the VHE data has a photon index of Γ=5.4 +- 0.7 (stat) +- 0.3 (sys). The GeV and optical light curves show pronounced variability during the period of H.E.S.S. observations. However, there is insufficient evidence to claim statistically significant variability in the VHE data. Because of its relatively high redshift, the VHE flux from PKS 1510-089 should suffer considerable attenuation in the intergalactic space due to the extragalactic background light (EBL). Hence, the measured γ-ray spectrum is used to derive upper limits on the opacity due to EBL, which are found to be comparable with the previously derived limits from relatively-nearby BL Lac objects. Unlike typical VHE-detected blazars where the broadband spectrum is dominated by non-thermal radiation at all wavelengths, the quasar PKS 1510-089 has a bright thermal component in the optical to UV frequency band. Among all VHE detected blazars, PKS 1510-089 has the most luminous broad line region (BLR). The detection of VHE emission from this quasar indicates a low level of γ-γabsorption on the internal optical to UV photon field.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Discovery of TeV gamma-ray emission from PKS 0447-439 and derivation of an upper limit on its redshift

Very high-energy gamma-ray emission from PKS 0447-439 was detected with the H.E.S.S. Cherenkov telescope array in December 2009. This blazar is one of the brightest extragalactic objects in the Fermi Bright Source List and has a hard spectrum in the MeV to GeV range. In the TeV range, a photon index of 3.89 +- 0.37 (stat) +- 0.22 (sys) and a flux normalisation at 1 TeV, Phi(1 TeV) = (3.5 +- 1.1 (stat) +- 0.9 (sys)) x 10^{-13} cm^{-2} s^{-1} TeV^{-1}, were found. The detection with H.E.S.S. triggered observations in the X-ray band with the Swift and RXTE telescopes. Simultaneous UV and optical data from Swift UVOT and data from the optical telescopes ATOM and ROTSE are also available. The spectrum and light curve measured with H.E.S.S. are presented and compared to the multi-wavelength data at lower energies. A rapid flare is seen in the Swift XRT and RXTE data, together with a flux variation in the UV band, at a time scale of the order of one day. A firm upper limit of z < 0.59 on the redshift of PKS 0447-439 is derived from the combined Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. data, given the assumptions that there is no upturn in the intrinsic spectrum above the Fermi-LAT energy range and that absorption on the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) is not weaker than the lower limit provided by current models. The spectral energy distribution is well described by a simple one-zone Synchrotron Self-Compton (SSC) scenario, if the redshift of the source is less than z <~ 0.4.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

H.E.S.S. Observations of the Binary System PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 around the 2010/2011 Periastron Passage

Aim. In this paper we present very high energy (VHE; E>100 GeV) data from the γ-ray binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 taken around its periastron passage (15th of December 2010) with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) of Cherenkov Telescopes. We aim to search for a possible TeV counterpart of the GeV flare detected by the Fermi LAT. In addition, we aim to study the current periastron passage in the context of previous observations taken at similar orbital phases, testing the repetitive behavior of the source. Methods. Observations at VHE were conducted with H.E.S.S. from 9th to 16th of January 2011. The total dataset amounts to around 6 h of observing time. Results. The source is detected in the 2011 data at a significance level of 11.5σ revealing an averaged integral flux above 1 TeV of (1.01 \pm 0.18_{stat} \pm 0.20_{sys}) \times 10^{-12} cm^{-2}s^{-1}. The differential energy spectrum follows a power-law shape with a spectral index Γ= 2.92 \pm 0.30_{stat} \pm 0.20_{sys} and a flux normalisation at 1 TeV of N_{0} = 1.95 \pm 0.32_{stat} \pm 0.39_{sys}) \times 10^{-12} TeV^{-1} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. The measured lightcurve does not show any evidence for variability of the source on the daily scale. Conclusions. The measured integral flux and the spectral shape of the 2011 data are compatible with the results obtained around previous periastron passages. The absence of variability in the H.E.S.S. data indicates that the GeV flare observed by Fermi LAT in the time period covered also by H.E.S.S. observations originates in a different physical scenario than the TeV emission. Additionaly, new results compared to those obtained in the observations which were performed in 2004 at a similar orbital phase, further support the hypothesis of the repetitive behavior of the source.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Search for Very-high-energy γ-ray emission from Galactic globular clusters with H.E.S.S

Globular clusters (GCs) are established emitters of high-energy (HE, 100 MeV 100 GeV) γ-ray regime, judging from the recent detection of a signal from the direction of Terzan 5 with the H.E.S.S. telescope array. We searched for point-like and extended VHE γ-ray emission from 15 GCs serendipitously covered by H.E.S.S observations and also performed a stacking analysis combining the data from all GCs to investigate the hypothesis of a population of faint emitters. Assuming IC emission as the origin of the VHE γ-ray signal from the direction of Terzan 5, we calculated the expected γ-ray flux from each of the 15 GCs, based on their number of millisecond pulsars, their optical brightness and the energy density of background photon fields. We did not detect significant VHE γ-ray emission from any of the 15 GCs in either of the two analyses. Given the uncertainties related to the parameter determinations, the obtained flux upper limits allow to rule out the simple IC/msPSR scaling model for NGC 6388 and NGC 7078. The upper limits derived from the stacking analyses are factors between 2 and 50 below the flux predicted by the simple leptonic scaling model, depending on the assumed source extent and the dominant target photon fields. Therefore, Terzan 5 still remains exceptional among all GCs, as the VHE γ-ray emission either arises from extra-ordinarily efficient leptonic processes, or from a recent catastrophic event, or is even unrelated to the GC itself.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Search for photon line-like signatures from Dark Matter annihilations with H.E.S.S

Gamma-ray line signatures can be expected in the very-high-energy (VHE; E_γ> 100 GeV) domain due to self-annihilation or decay of dark matter (DM) particles in space. Such a signal would be readily distinguishable from astrophysical γ-ray sources that in most cases produce continuous spectra which span over several orders of magnitude in energy. Using data collected with the H.E.S.S. γ-ray instrument, upper limits on line-like emission are obtained in the energy range between ~500 GeV and ~25 TeV for the central part of the Milky Way halo and for extragalactic observations, complementing recent limits obtained with the Fermi-LAT instrument at lower energies. No statistically significant signal could be found. For monochromatic γ-ray line emission, flux limits of (2x10^-7 - 2x10^-5) m^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 and (1x10^-8 - 2x10^-6) m^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 are obtained for the central part of the Milky Way halo and extragalactic observations, respectively. For a DM particle mass of 1 TeV, limits on the velocity-averaged DM annihilation cross section < σv >(χχ-> γγ) reach ~10^-27 cm^3 s^-1, based on the Einasto parametrization of the Galactic DM halo density profile.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Measurement of the extragalactic background light imprint on the spectra of the brightest blazars observed with H.E.S.S

The extragalactic background light (EBL) is the diffuse radiation with the second highest energy density in the Universe after the cosmic microwave background. The aim of this study is the measurement of the imprint of the EBL opacity to gamma-rays on the spectra of the brightest extragalactic sources detected with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.). The originality of the method lies in the joint fit of the EBL optical depth and of the intrinsic spectra of the sources, assuming intrinsic smoothness. Analysis of a total of ~10^5 gamma-ray events enables the detection of an EBL signature at the 8.8 std dev level and constitutes the first measurement of the EBL optical depth using very-high energy (E>100 GeV) gamma-rays. The EBL flux density is constrained over almost two decades of wavelengths (0.30-17 microns) and the peak value at 1.4 micron is derived as 15 +/- 2 (stat) +/- 3 (sys) nW / m^2 sr.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Identification of HESS J1303-631 as a Pulsar Wind Nebula through gamma-ray, X-ray and radio observations

The previously unidentified very high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) γ-ray source HESS J1303-631, discovered in 2004, is re-examined including new data from the H.E.S.S. Cherenkov telescope array. Archival data from the XMM-Newton X-ray satellite and from the PMN radio survey are also examined. Detailed morphological and spectral studies of VHE γ-ray emission as well as of the XMM-Newton X-ray data are performed. Significant energy-dependent morphology of the γ-ray source is detected with high-energy emission (E > 10 TeV) positionally coincident with the pulsar PSR J1301-6305 and lower energy emission (E <2 TeV) extending \sim 0.4^{\circ} to the South-East of the pulsar. The spectrum of the VHE source can be described with a power-law with an exponential cut-off N_{0} = (5.6 \pm 0.5) X 10^{-12} TeV^-1 cm^-2 s^-1, Γ= 1.5 \pm 0.2) and E_{\rm cut} = (7.7 \pm 2.2) TeV. The PWN is also detected in X-rays, extending \sim 2-3' from the pulsar position towards the center of the γ-ray emission region. The spectral energy distribution (SED) is well described by a one zone leptonic scenario which, with its associated caveats, predicts a very low average magnetic field for this source. Significant energy-dependent morphology of this source, as well as the identification of an associated X-ray PWN from XMM-Newton observations enable identification of the VHE source as an evolved PWN associated to the pulsar PSR J1303-6305. However, the large discrepancy in emission region sizes and the low level of synchrotron radiation suggest a multi-population leptonic nature. The low implied magnetic field suggests that the PWN has undergone significant expansion. This would explain the low level of synchrotron radiation and the difficulty in detecting counterparts at lower energies, the reason this source was originally classified as a "dark" VHE γ-ray source.

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arXiv2012

Probing the extent of the non-thermal emission from the Vela X region at TeV energies with H.E.S.S

Vela X is a region of extended radio emission in the western part of the Vela constellation: one of the nearest pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), and associated with the energetic Vela pulsar (PSR B0833-45). Extended very-high-energy (VHE) $γ$-ray emission (HESS $\mathrm{J0835\mhyphen 455}$) was discovered using the H.E.S.S. experiment in 2004. The VHE $γ$-ray emission was found to be coincident with a region of X-ray emission discovered with ${\it ROSAT}$ above 1.5 keV (the so-called \textit{Vela X cocoon}): a filamentary structure extending southwest from the pulsar to the centre of Vela X. A deeper observation of the entire Vela X nebula region, also including larger offsets from the cocoon, has been performed with H.E.S.S. This re-observation was carried out in order to probe the extent of the non-thermal emission from the Vela X region at TeV energies and to investigate its spectral properties. In order to increase the sensitivity to the faint $γ$-ray emission from the very extended Vela X region, a multivariate analysis method combining three complementary reconstruction techniques of Cherenkov-shower images is applied for the selection of $γ$-ray events. The analysis is performed with the On/Off background method, which estimates the background from separate observations pointing away from Vela X; towards regions free of $γ$-ray sources but with comparable observation conditions. The $γ$-ray surface brightness over the large Vela X region reveals that the detection of non-thermal VHE $γ$-ray emission from the PWN HESS $\mathrm{J0835\mhyphen 455}$ is statistically significant over a region of radius 1.2$^{\circ}$ around the position $α$ = 08$^{\mathrm{h}}$ 35$^{\mathrm{m}}$ 00$^{\mathrm{s}}$, $δ$ = -45$^{\circ}$ 36$^{\mathrm{\prime}}$ 00$^{\mathrm{\prime}\mathrm{\prime}}$ (J2000).

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Discovery of gamma-ray emission from the extragalactic pulsar wind nebula N157B with the High Energy Stereoscopic System

We present the significant detection of the first extragalactic pulsar wind nebula (PWN) detected in gamma rays, N157B, located in the large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Pulsars with high spin-down luminosity are found to power energised nebulae that emit gamma rays up to energies of several tens of TeV. N157B is associated with PSRJ0537-6910, which is the pulsar with the highest known spin-down luminosity. The High Energy Stereoscopic System telescope array observed this nebula on a yearly basis from 2004 to 2009 with a dead-time corrected exposure of 46 h. The gamma-ray spectrum between 600 GeV and 12 TeV is well-described by a pure power-law with a photon index of 2.8 \pm 0.2(stat) \pm 0.3(syst) and a normalisation at 1 TeV of (8.2 \pm 0.8(stat) \pm 2.5(syst)) \times 10^-13 cm^-2s^-1TeV^-1. A leptonic multi-wavelength model shows that an energy of about 4 \times 10^49erg is stored in electrons and positrons. The apparent efficiency, which is the ratio of the TeV gamma-ray luminosity to the pulsar's spindown luminosity, 0.08% \pm 0.01%, is comparable to those of PWNe found in the Milky Way. The detection of a PWN at such a large distance is possible due to the pulsar's favourable spin-down luminosity and a bright infrared photon-field serving as an inverse-Compton-scattering target for accelerated leptons. By applying a calorimetric technique to these observations, the pulsar's birth period is estimated to be shorter than 10 ms.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Spectral analysis and interpretation of the γ-ray emission from the Starburst galaxy NGC 253

Very-high-energy (VHE; E >100 GeV) and high-energy (HE; 100 MeV < E < 100 GeV) data from γ-ray observations performed with the H.E.S.S. telescope array and the Fermi-LAT instrument, respectively, are analysed in order to investigate the non-thermal processes in the starburst galaxy NGC 253. The VHE γ-ray data can be described by a power law in energy with differential photon index Γ=2.14 \pm 0.18_stat \pm 0.30_sys and differential flux normalisation at 1 TeV of F_0 = (9.6 \pm 1.5_stat (+5.7,-2.9)_sys) x 10^{-14} TeV^{-1} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. A power-law fit to the differential HE γ-ray spectrum reveals a photon index of Γ=2.24 \pm 0.14_stat \pm 0.03_sys and an integral flux between 200 MeV and 200 GeV of F(0.2-200 GeV) = (4.9 \pm 1.0_stat \pm 0.3_sys) x 10^{-9} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. No evidence for a spectral break or turnover is found over the dynamic range of both the LAT instrument and the H.E.S.S. experiment: a combined fit of a power law to the HE and VHE γ-ray data results in a differential photon index Γ=2.34 \pm 0.03 with a p-value of 30%. The γ-ray observations indicate that at least about 20% of the energy of the cosmic rays capable of producing hadronic interactions is channeled into pion production. The smooth alignment between the spectra in the HE and VHE γ-ray domain suggests that the same transport processes dominate in the entire energy range. Advection is most likely responsible for charged particle removal from the starburst nucleus from GeV to multiple TeV energies. In a hadronic scenario for the γ-ray production, the single overall power-law spectrum observed would therefore correspond to the mean energy spectrum produced by the ensemble of cosmic-ray sources in the starburst region.

astro-ph.HE↗