arXiv subjects

B. Khelifi

Publications and source records attributed to B. Khelifi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Search for gamma-ray spectral lines from dark matter annihilation with the H.E.S.S. Inner Galaxy Survey

Spectral gamma-ray line features are expected as key signatures from dark matter (DM) annihilations of TeV-scale particle DM. Observations of the Galactic Centre with atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes are unique to probe thermal-relic TeV particle DM, well beyond the reach of direct detection and collider searches. We report here on the search for line signals in very-high-energy gamma rays using data from the Inner Galaxy Survey, consisting of 546 hours of H.E.S.S. observations of the inner few degrees of the Galactic Centre. No significant signal is detected. We then compute the exclusion limits on the annihilation line cross section $\langle \sigma v \rangle_{\rm line}$, with a two-dimensional log-likelihood ratio test statistics, exploiting spectral and spatial features of the DM signal. Assuming an Einasto DM density profile for the Milky Way, our results provide the most constraining limits so far, reaching $\langle \sigma v \rangle_{\rm line} = 2.3$ $\times$ $10^{-28}$ and $2.4 \times$ $10^{-27}$ cm$^3$s$^{-1}$ for DM masses of 1 and 10 TeV, respectively. The present limits are used to constrain the widely searched Wino, Higgsino and Quintuplet models. For the first time, thermal Higgsino DM is probed for DM Milky Way models.

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arXiv2024

High-Statistics Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Electron Spectrum with H.E.S.S

Owing to their rapid cooling rate and hence loss-limited propagation distance, cosmic-ray electrons and positrons (CRe) at very high energies probe local cosmic-ray accelerators and provide constraints on exotic production mechanisms such as annihilation of dark matter particles. We present a high-statistics measurement of the spectrum of CRe candidate events from 0.3 to 40 TeV with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), covering two orders of magnitude in energy and reaching a proton rejection power of better than $10^{4}$. The measured spectrum is well described by a broken power law, with a break around 1 TeV, where the spectral index increases from $\Gamma_1 = 3.25$ $\pm$ 0.02 (stat) $\pm$ 0.2 (sys) to $\Gamma_2 = 4.49$ $\pm$ 0.04 (stat) $\pm$ 0.2 (sys). Apart from the break, the spectrum is featureless. The absence of distinct signatures at multi-TeV energies imposes constraints on the presence of nearby CRe accelerators and the local CRe propagation mechanisms.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

The vanishing of the primary emission region in PKS 1510-089

In July 2021, PKS 1510-089 exhibited a significant flux drop in the high-energy gamma-ray (by a factor 10) and optical (by a factor 5) bands and remained in this low state throughout 2022. Similarly, the optical polarization in the source vanished, resulting in the optical spectrum being fully explained through the steady flux of the accretion disk and the broad-line region. Unlike the aforementioned bands, the very-high-energy gamma-ray and X-ray fluxes did not exhibit a significant flux drop from year to year. This suggests that the steady-state very-high-energy gamma-ray and X-ray fluxes originate from a different emission region than the vanished parts of the high-energy gamma-ray and optical jet fluxes. The latter component has disappeared through either a swing of the jet away from the line-of-sight or a significant drop in the photon production efficiency of the jet close to the black hole. Either change could become visible in high-resolution radio images.

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arXiv2023

Search for the evaporation of primordial black holes with H.E.S.S

Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) are hypothetical black holes predicted to have been formed from density fluctuations in the early Universe. PBHs with an initial mass around $10^{14}-10^{15}$g are expected to end their evaporation at present times in a burst of particles and very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays. Those gamma rays may be detectable by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), an array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. This paper reports on the search for evaporation bursts of VHE gamma rays with H.E.S.S., ranging from 10 to 120 seconds, as expected from the final stage of PBH evaporation and using a total of 4816 hours of observations. The most constraining upper limit on the burst rate of local PBHs is $2000$ pc$^{-3}$ yr$^{-1}$ for a burst interval of 120 seconds, at the 95\% confidence level. The implication of these measurements for PBH dark matter are also discussed.

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arXiv2022

Constraining leptonic emission scenarios for the PeVatron candidate HESS J1702-420 with deep XMM-Newton observations

The unidentified TeV source HESS J1702-420 has recently been proposed as a new hadronic PeVatron candidate, based on the discovery of a small-scale emission sub-region with extremely hard gamma-ray spectrum up to 100 TeV (named HESS J1702-420A). Given the difficulty to discriminate between a hadronic or leptonic origin of the TeV emission, based on the H.E.S.S. measurement alone, we opted for a multi-wavelength approach. A deep X-ray observation was carried out using the XMM-Newton satellite, with the goal of probing a possible association with a hidden leptonic accelerator. No evidence of a clear counterpart for HESS J1702-420A was found in the X-ray data. After excluding an association with all nearby X-ray point sources, we derived strict upper limits on the diffuse X-ray emission and average magnetic field in the HESS J1702-420A region. We additionally report the serendipitous discovery of a new extended X-ray source, whose association with HESS J1702-420A is not obvious but cannot be ruled out either. A set of scripts dedicated to the multi-wavelength modeling of X-ray and gamma-ray data, based on Gammapy, Naima and Xspec, was developed in the context of this work and is made publicly available along with this paper.

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arXiv2022

Search for dark matter annihilation signals in the H.E.S.S. Inner Galaxy Survey

The central region of the Milky Way is one of the foremost locations to look for dark matter (DM) signatures. We report the first results on a search for DM particle annihilation signals using new observations from an unprecedented gamma-ray survey of the Galactic Center (GC) region, ${\it i.e.}$, the Inner Galaxy Survey, at very high energies ($\gtrsim$ 100 GeV) performed with the H.E.S.S. array of five ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. No significant gamma-ray excess is found in the search region of the 2014-2020 dataset and a profile likelihood ratio analysis is carried out to set exclusion limits on the annihilation cross section $\langle σv\rangle$. Assuming Einasto and Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) DM density profiles at the GC, these constraints are the strongest obtained so far in the TeV DM mass range. For the Einasto profile, the constraints reach $\langle σv\rangle$ values of $\rm 3.7\times10^{-26} cm^3s^{-1}$ for 1.5 TeV DM mass in the $W^+W^-$ annihilation channel, and $\rm 1.2 \times 10^{-26} cm^3s^{-1}$ for 0.7 TeV DM mass in the $τ^+τ^-$ annihilation channel. With the H.E.S.S. Inner Galaxy Survey, ground-based $γ$-ray observations thus probe $\langle σv\rangle$ values expected from thermal-relic annihilating TeV DM particles.

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arXiv2022

Evidence for gamma-ray emission from the remnant of Kepler's supernova based on deep H.E.S.S. observations

Observations with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) have enhanced our knowledge of nearby supernova (SN) remnants with ages younger than 500 years by establishing Cassiopeia A and the remnant of Tycho's SN as very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray sources. The remnant of Kepler's SN, which is the product of the most recent naked-eye supernova in our Galaxy, is comparable in age to the other two, but is significantly more distant. If the gamma-ray luminosities of the remnants of Tycho's and Kepler's SNe are similar, then the latter is expected to be one of the faintest gamma-ray sources within reach of the current generation IACT arrays. Here we report evidence at a statistical level of 4.6 sigma for a VHE signal from the remnant of Kepler's SN based on deep observations by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) with an exposure of 152 hours. The measured integral flux above an energy of 226 GeV is ~0.3% of the flux of the Crab Nebula. The spectral energy distribution (SED) reveals a gamma-ray emitting component connecting the VHE emission observed with H.E.S.S. to the emission observed at GeV energies with Fermi-LAT. The overall SED is similar to that of the remnant of Tycho's SN, possibly indicating the same non-thermal emission processes acting in both these young remnants of thermonuclear SNe.

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arXiv2021

A MeerKAT, e-MERLIN, H.E.S.S. and Swift search for persistent and transient emission associated with three localised FRBs

We report on a search for persistent radio emission from the one-off Fast Radio Burst (FRB) 20190714A, as well as from two repeating FRBs, 20190711A and 20171019A, using the MeerKAT radio telescope. For FRB 20171019A we also conducted simultaneous observations with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in very high energy gamma rays and searched for signals in the ultraviolet, optical, and X-ray bands. For this FRB, we obtain a UV flux upper limit of 1.39x10^-16 erg/cm^-2/s/Amstrong, X-ray limit of ~ 6.6x10^-14 erg/cm^-2/s and a limit on the very-high-energy gamma-ray flux (Phi) (E > 120 GeV) < 1.7 x 10^-12 erg/cm^-2/s. We obtain a radio upper limit of ~15 microJy/beam for persistent emission at the locations of both FRBs 20190711A and 20171019A, but detect diffuse radio emission with a peak brightness of ~53 microJy/beam associated with FRB 20190714A at z = 0.2365. This represents the first detection of the radio continuum emission potentially associated with the host (galaxy) of FRB 20190714A, and is only the third known FRB to have such an association. Given the possible association of a faint persistent source, FRB 20190714A may potentially be a repeating FRB whose age lies between that of FRB 20121102A and FRB 20180916A. A parallel search for repeat bursts from these FRBs revealed no new detections down to a fluence of 0.08 Jy ms for a 1 ms duration burst.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Evidence of 100 TeV $γ$-ray emission from HESS J1702-420: A new PeVatron candidate

The identification of active PeVatrons, hadronic particle accelerators reaching the knee of the cosmic-ray spectrum (at the energy of few PeV), is crucial to understand the origin of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. In this context, we report on new H.E.S.S. observations of the PeVatron candidate HESS J1702-420, which reveal the presence of gamma-rays up to 100 TeV. This is the first time in the history of H.E.S.S. that photons with such high energy are clearly detected. Remarkably, the new deep observations allowed the discovery of a new gamma-ray source component, called HESS J1702-420A, that was previously hidden under the bulk emission traditionally associated with HESSJ1702-420. This new object has a power-law spectral slope < 2 and a gamma-ray spectrum that, extending with no sign of curvature up to 100 TeV, makes it an excellent candidate site for the presence of PeV-energy cosmic rays. This discovery brings new information to the ongoing debate on the nature of the unidentified source HESSJ1702-420, one of the most compelling PeVatron candidates in the gamma-ray sky, and on the origin of Galactic cosmic rays.

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arXiv2019

A very-high-energy component deep in the Gamma-ray Burst afterglow

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are brief flashes of gamma rays, considered to be the most energetic explosive phenomena in the Universe. The emission from GRBs comprises a short (typically tens of seconds) and bright prompt emission, followed by a much longer afterglow phase. During the afterglow phase, the shocked outflow -- produced by the interaction between the ejected matter and the circumburst medium -- slows down, and a gradual decrease in brightness is observed. GRBs typically emit most of their energy via gamma-rays with energies in the kiloelectronvolt-to-megaelectronvolt range, but a few photons with energies of tens of gigaelectronvolts have been detected by space-based instruments. However, the origins of such high-energy (above one gigaelectronvolt) photons and the presence of very-high-energy (more than 100 gigaelectronvolts) emission have remained elussive. Here we report observations of very-high-energy emission in the bright GRB 180720B deep in the GRB afterglow -ten hours after the end of the prompt emission phase, when the X-ray flux had already decayed by four orders of magnitude. Two possible explanations exist for the observed radiation: inverse Compton emission and synchrotron emission of ultrarelativistic electrons. Our observations show that the energy fluxes in the X-ray and gamma-ray range and their photon indices remain comparable to each other throughout the afterglow. This discovery places distinct constraints on the GRB environment for both emission mechanisms, with the inverse Compton explanation alleviating the particle energy requirements for the emission observed at late times. The late timing of this detection has consequences for the future observations of GRBs at the highest energies.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Constraints on the emission region of 3C 279 during strong flares in 2014 and 2015 through VHE gamma-ray observations with H.E.S.S

The flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 is known to exhibit pronounced variability in the high-energy ($100\,$MeV$ 100\,$GeV) $γ$-ray domain. While the observation in 2014 provides an upper limit, the observation in 2015 results in a signal with $8.7\,σ$ significance above an energy threshold of $66\,$GeV. No VHE variability has been detected during the 2015 observations. The VHE photon spectrum is soft and described by a power-law index of $4.2\pm 0.3$. The H.E.S.S. data along with a detailed and contemporaneous multiwavelength data set provide constraints on the physical parameters of the emission region. The minimum distance of the emission region from the central black hole is estimated using two plausible geometries of the broad-line region and three potential intrinsic spectra. The emission region is confidently placed at $r\gtrsim 1.7\times10^{17}\,$cm from the black hole, i.e., beyond the assumed distance of the broad-line region. Time-dependent leptonic and lepto-hadronic one-zone models are used to describe the evolution of the 2015 flare. Neither model can fully reproduce the observations, despite testing various parameter sets. Furthermore, the H.E.S.S. data are used to derive constraints on Lorentz invariance violation given the large redshift of 3C 279.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Towards open and reproducible multi-instrument analysis in gamma-ray astronomy

The analysis and combination of data from different gamma-ray instruments involves the use of collaboration proprietary software and case-by-case methods. The effort of defining a common data format for high-level data, namely event lists and instrument response functions (IRFs), has recently started for very-high-energy gamma-ray instruments, driven by the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). In this work we implemented this prototypical data format for a small set of MAGIC, VERITAS, FACT, and H.E.S.S. Crab nebula observations, and we analyzed them with the open-source gammapy software package. By combining data from $Fermi$-LAT, and from four of the currently operating imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, we produced a joint maximum likelihood fit of the Crab nebula spectrum. Aspects of the statistical errors and the evaluation of systematic uncertainty are also commented upon, along with the release format of spectral measurements. The results presented in this work are obtained using open-access on-line assets that allow for a long-term reproducibility of the results.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Study of the VHE diffuse emission in the central 200 pc of our Galaxy with H.E.S.S

The very high energy emission from the Galactic Center Ridge was revealed by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in 2006, after subtraction of the point sources HESS J1745-290, possibly associated with Sgr A$^\star$, and HESS J1747$-$281, associated with the composite supernova remnant G0.9$+$0.1. The hard spectrum of the Ridge emission and its spatial correlation with the local gas density suggest that the emission is due to collisions of multi-TeV cosmic rays with the dense clouds of interstellar gas present in this region. The much larger H.E.S.S. dataset (250 hrs) that is now available from this region and the improved analysis method dedicated to the detection of faint emission allow us to reconsider the characterization of this gamma-ray emission in the central 200 pc of our Galaxy through a detailed morphology study. To test the various contributions to the total gamma-ray emission, we use a 2D maximum likelihood approach that allows to constrain a phenomenological model of the signal. We discuss the nature of the various components, and their implication on the cosmic-ray distribution in the central region of our Galaxy. Finally, we will reveal an additional source in this region and will discuss its potential nature.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Cherenkov Telescope Array Data Management

Very High Energy gamma-ray astronomy with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is evolving towards the model of a public observatory. Handling, processing and archiving the large amount of data generated by the CTA instruments and delivering scientific products are some of the challenges in designing the CTA Data Management. The participation of scientists from within CTA Consortium and from the greater worldwide scientific community necessitates a sophisticated scientific analysis system capable of providing unified and efficient user access to data, software and computing resources. Data Management is designed to respond to three main issues: (i) the treatment and flow of data from remote telescopes; (ii) "big-data" archiving and processing; (iii) and open data access. In this communication the overall technical design of the CTA Data Management, current major developments and prototypes are presented.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

The NectarCAM camera project

In the framework of the next generation of Cherenkov telescopes, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), NectarCAM is a camera designed for the medium size telescopes covering the central energy range of 100 GeV to 30 TeV. NectarCAM will be finely pixelated (~ 1800 pixels for a 8 degree field of view, FoV) in order to image atmospheric Cherenkov showers by measuring the charge deposited within a few nanoseconds time-window. It will have additional features like the capacity to record the full waveform with GHz sampling for every pixel and to measure event times with nanosecond accuracy. An array of a few tens of medium size telescopes, equipped with NectarCAMs, will achieve up to a factor of ten improvement in sensitivity over existing instruments in the energy range of 100 GeV to 10 TeV. The camera is made of roughly 250 independent read-out modules, each composed of seven photo-multipliers, with their associated high voltage base and control, a read-out board and a multi-service backplane board. The read-out boards use NECTAr (New Electronics for the Cherenkov Telescope Array) ASICs which have the dual functionality of analogue memories and Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC). The camera trigger to be used will be flexible so as to minimize the read-out dead-time of the NECTAr chips. We present the camera concept and the design and tests of the various subcomponents. The design includes the mechanical parts, the cooling of the electronics, the readout, the data acquisition, the trigger, the monitoring and services.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Constraints on the gamma-ray emission from the cluster-scale AGN outburst in the Hydra A galaxy cluster

In some galaxy clusters powerful AGN have blown bubbles with cluster scale extent into the ambient medium. The main pressure support of these bubbles is not known to date, but cosmic rays are a viable possibility. For such a scenario copious gamma-ray emission is expected as a tracer of cosmic rays from these systems. Hydra A, the closest galaxy cluster hosting a cluster scale AGN outburst, located at a redshift of 0.0538, is investigated for being a gamma-ray emitter with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) array and the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT). Data obtained in 20.2 hours of dedicated H.E.S.S. observations and 38 months of Fermi-LAT data, gathered by its usual all-sky scanning mode, have been analyzed to search for a gamma-ray signal. No signal has been found in either data set. Upper limits on the gamma-ray flux are derived and are compared to models. These are the first limits on gamma-ray emission ever presented for galaxy clusters hosting cluster scale AGN outbursts. The non-detection of Hydra A in gamma-rays has important implications on the particle populations and physical conditions inside the bubbles in this system. For the case of bubbles mainly supported by hadronic cosmic rays, the most favorable scenario, that involves full mixing between cosmic rays and embedding medium, can be excluded. However, hadronic cosmic rays still remain a viable pressure support agent to sustain the bubbles against the thermal pressure of the ambient medium. The largest population of highly-energetic electrons which are relevant for inverse-Compton gamma-ray production is found in the youngest inner lobes of Hydra A. The limit on the inverse-Compton gamma-ray flux excludes a magnetic field below half of the equipartition value of 16 muG in the inner lobes.

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arXiv2011

Very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from the direction of the Galactic globular cluster Terzan 5

The H.E.S.S. very-high-energy (VHE, E > 0.1 TeV) gamma-ray telescope system has discovered a new source, HESS J1747-248. The measured integral flux is (1.2 +/- 0.3) \times 10^-12 cm-2 s-1 above 440 GeV for a power-law photon spectral index of 2.5 +/- 0.3 stat +/- 0.2 sys. The VHE gamma-ray source is located in the close vicinity of the Galactic globular cluster Terzan 5 and extends beyond the H.E.S.S. point spread function (0.07 degree). The probability of a chance coincidence with Terzan 5 and an unrelated VHE source is quite low (~ 10^-4). With the largest population of identified millisecond pulsars (msPSRs), a very high core stellar density and the brightest GeV range flux as measured by Fermi-LAT, Terzan 5 stands out among Galactic globular clusters. The properties of the VHE source are briefly discussed in the context of potential emission mechanisms, notably in relation to msPSRs. Interpretation of the available data accommodates several possible origins for this VHE gamma-ray source, although none of them offers a satisfying explanation of its peculiar morphology.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

VHE gamma-ray emission of PKS 2155-304: spectral and temporal variability

Observations of very high energy gamma-rays from blazars provide information about acceleration mechanisms occurring in their innermost regions. Studies of variability in these objects allow a better understanding of the mechanisms at play. To investigate the spectral and temporal variability of VHE (>100 GeV) gamma-rays of the well-known high-frequency-peaked BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 with the H.E.S.S. imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes over a wide range of flux states. Data collected from 2005 to 2007 are analyzed. Spectra are derived on time scales ranging from 3 years to 4 minutes. Light curve variability is studied through doubling timescales and structure functions, and is compared with red noise process simulations. The source is found to be in a low state from 2005 to 2007, except for a set of exceptional flares which occurred in July 2006. The quiescent state of the source is characterized by an associated mean flux level of 4.32 +/-0.09 x 10^-11 cm^-2 s^-1 above 200 GeV, or approximately 15% of the Crab Nebula, and a power law photon index of 3.53 +/-0.06. During the flares of July 2006, doubling timescales of ~2 min are found. The spectral index variation is examined over two orders of magnitude in flux, yielding different behaviour at low and high fluxes,which is a new phenomenon in VHE gamma-ray emitting blazars. The variability amplitude characterized by the fractional r.m.s. is strongly energy-dependent and is proportional to E^(0.19 +/- 0.01). The light curve r.m.s. correlates with the flux. This is the signature of a multiplicative process which can be accounted for as a red noise with a Fourier index of ~2. This unique data set shows evidence for a low level gamma-ray emission state from PKS 2155-304, which possibly has a different origin than the outbursts. The discovery of the light curve lognormal behaviour might be an indicator ..

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