Abstracts of Interest
Selected by:
Adnaan Thakur
Abstract: 2309.00572
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Title:Do Type Ia Supernovae Explode Inside Planetary Nebulae?
Download PDFAbstract: The nature of Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) explosions remains an open issue, with several contending progenitor scenarios actively being considered. One such scenario involves a SN Ia explosion inside a planetary nebula (PN) in the aftermath of a stellar merger triggered by a common envelope (CE) episode. We examine this scenario using hydrodynamic and non-equilibrium ionization simulations of the interaction between the SN ejecta and the PN cocoon into the supernova remnant (SNR) phase, focusing on the impact of the delay between the CE episode and the SN explosion. We compare the bulk dynamics and X-ray spectra of our simulated SNRs to the observed properties of known Type Ia SNRs in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. We conclude that models where the SN explosion happens in the immediate aftermath of the CE episode (with a delay $\lesssim$1,000 yr) are hard to reconcile with the observations, because the interaction with the dense PN cocoon results in ionization timescales much higher than those found in any known Type Ia SNR. Models with a longer delay between the CE episode and the SN explosion ($\sim$10,000 yr) are closer to the observations, and may be able to explain the bulk properties of some Type Ia SNRs.
Abstract: 2309.00518
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Title:POLAR-2, the next generation of GRB polarization detector
Download PDFAbstract: The POLAR-2 Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) Polarimetry mission is a follow-up to the successful POLAR mission. POLAR collected six months of data in 2016-2017 on board the Tiangong-2 Chinese Space laboratory. From a polarization study on 14 GRBs, POLAR measured an overall low polarization and a hint for an unexpected complexity in the time evolution of polarization during GRBs. Energy-dependent measurements of the GRB polarization will be presented by N. de Angelis in GA21-09 (August 2nd). These results demonstrate the need for measurements with significantly improved accuracy. Moreover, the recent discovery of gravitational waves and their connection to GRBs justifies a high-precision GRB polarimeter that can provide both high-precision polarimetry and detection of very faint GRBs. The POLAR-2 polarimeter is based on the same Compton scattering measurement principle as POLAR, but with an extended energy range and an order of magnitude increase in total effective area for polarized events. Proposed and developed by a joint effort of Switzerland, China, Poland and Germany, the device was selected for installation on the China Space Station and is scheduled to start operation for at least 2 years in 2025.
Abstract: 2309.00316
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Title:A quantitative explanation of the radio--X-ray correlation in black-hole X-ray binaries
Download PDFAbstract: The observed correlation between the radio and X-ray fluxes in the hard state of black-hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs) has been around for more than two decades. It is currently accepted that the hard X-rays in BHXRBs come from Comptonization in the corona and the radio emission from the relativistic jet (Lorentz $\gamma >> 1$), which is a narrow structure of a few $R_g=GM/c^2$ at its base. The relativistic jet and the corona, however, are separate entities with hardly any communication between them, apart from the fact that both are fed from the accreting matter. It is also widely accepted that the accretion flow around black holes in BHXRBs consists of an outer thin disk and an inner hot flow. From this hot inner flow, an outflow emanates in the hard and hard-intermediate states of the source. By considering Compton up-scattering of soft disk photons in the outflow (i.e., in the outflowing corona, which is a wider structure, tens to hundreds of $R_g$ at its base, with low Lorentz gamma) as the mechanism that produces the hard X-ray spectrum, we have been able to explain quantitatively a number of observed correlations. Here, we demonstrate that this outflowing corona can also explain quantitatively the observed radio - X-ray correlation. In addition, we make the following theoretical predictions for GX 339-4: 1) the radio flux in the hard and hard-intermediate states should be a bell-shaped curve as a function of the photon-number spectral index Gamma, 2) the radio - X-ray correlation should break down when the source moves from the hard to the hard-intermediate state and instead the radio flux should first increase sharply in the hard-intermediate state and then decrease also sharply, in a very narrow range of the X-ray flux, and 3) the X-ray polarization will be parallel to the outflow in the hard state and perpendicular to it in the hard-intermediate one.
Abstract: 2309.00298
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Title:Phenomenological models of Cosmic Ray transport in Galaxies
Download PDFAbstract: When examining the abundance of elements in the placid interstellar medium, a deep hollow between helium and carbon becomes apparent. Notably, the fragile light nuclei Lithium, Beryllium, and Boron (collectively known as LiBeB) are not formed, with the exception of Li7, during the process of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, nor do they arise as byproducts of stellar lifecycles. In contrast to the majority of elements, these species owe their existence to the most energetic particles in the Universe. Cosmic rays, originating in the most powerful Milky Way's particle accelerators, reach the Earth after traversing tangled and lengthy paths spanning millions of years. During their journey, these primary particles undergo transformations through collisions with interstellar matter. This process, known as spallation, alters their composition and introduces secondary light elements in the cosmic-ray beam. In light of this, the relatively large abundance of LiBeB in the cosmic radiation provides remarkable insights into the mechanisms of particle acceleration, as well as the micro-physics of confinement within galactic magnetic fields. These lecture notes are intended to equip readers with basic knowledge necessary for examining the chemical and isotopic composition, as well as the energy spectra, of cosmic rays, finally fostering a more profound comprehension of the complex high-energy astrophysical processes occurring within our Galaxy.
Abstract: 2309.00089
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Title:VERITAS and HAWC observations of unidentified source LHAASO J2108+5157
Download PDFAbstract: Understanding the complete nature of Galactic sources that accelerate cosmic rays up to $10^{15}$ eV energy (Galactic PeVatrons) is still an unsolved problem in high-energy astrophysics. Although supernova remnants have long been considered as the best candidates for Galactic PeVatrons, a clear association of SNRs with PeVatrons needs further exploration. Recently, the LHAASO collaboration published its first catalog of 90 very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray sources, and a few of them have no obvious counterparts at other wavelengths. Here, we will present morphology and spectral analysis of one such unassociated source LHAASO J2108+5157 using VERITAS and HAWC data.
Abstract: 2309.02239
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Title:The role of supernovae inside AGN jets in UHECR acceleration
Download PDFAbstract: Jets of active galactic nuclei are potential accelerators of ultra high-energy cosmic rays. Supernovae can occur inside these jets and contribute to cosmic ray acceleration, particularly of heavy nuclei, but that contribution has been hardly investigated so far. We carried out a first dedicated exploration of the role of supernovae inside extragalactic jets in the production of ultra high-energy cosmic rays. We characterized the energy budget of supernova-jet interactions, and the maximum possible energies of the particles accelerated in those events, likely dominated by heavy nuclei. This allowed us to assess whether these interactions can be potential acceleration sites of ultra high-energy cosmic rays, or at least of their seeds. For that, we estimated the cosmic ray luminosity for different galaxy types, and compared the injection rate of cosmic ray seeds into the jet with that due to galactic cosmic ray entrainment. Since the supernova is fueled for a long time by the luminosity of the jet, the energy of a supernova-jet interaction can be several orders of magnitude greater than that of an isolated supernova. Thus, despite the low rate of supernovae expected to occur in the jet, they could still provide more seeds for accelerating ultra high-energy particles than cosmic ray entrainment from the host galaxy. Moreover, these interactions can create sufficiently efficient accelerators to be a source of cosmic rays with energies $\gtrsim 10$~EeV. Supernova-jet interactions can contribute significantly to the production of ultra high-energy cosmic rays, either directly by accelerating these particles themselves or indirectly by providing pre-accelerated seeds.
Abstract: 2309.01926
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Title:AGN number fraction in galaxy groups and clusters at z < 1.4 from the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam survey
Download PDFAbstract: One of the key questions on active galactic nuclei (AGN) in galaxy clusters is how AGN could affect the formation and evolution of member galaxies and galaxy clusters in the history of the Universe. To address this issue, we investigate the dependence of AGN number fraction ($f_{\rm AGN}$) on cluster redshift ($z_{\rm cl}$) and distance from the cluster center ($R/R_{\rm 200}$). We focus on more than 27,000 galaxy groups and clusters at $0.1 < z_{\rm cl} < 1.4$ with more than 1 million member galaxies selected from the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam. By combining various AGN selection methods based on infrared (IR), radio, and X-ray data, we identify 2,688 AGN. We find that (i) $f_{\rm AGN}$ increases with $z_{\rm cl}$ and (ii) $f_{\rm AGN}$ decreases with $R/R_{\rm 200}$. The main contributors to the rapid increase of $f_{\rm AGN}$ towards high-$z$ and cluster center are IR- and radio-selected AGN, respectively. Those results indicate that the emergence of the AGN population depends on the environment and redshift, and galaxy groups and clusters at high-$z$ play an important role in AGN evolution. We also find that cluster-cluster mergers may not drive AGN activity in at least the cluster center, while we have tentative evidence that cluster-cluster mergers would enhance AGN activity in the outskirts of (particularly massive) galaxy clusters.
Abstract: 2309.01890
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Title:FAST discovery of a fast neutral hydrogen outflow
Download PDFAbstract: In this letter, we report the discovery of a fast neutral hydrogen outflow in SDSS J145239.38+062738.0, a merging radio galaxy containing an optical type I active galactic nuclei (AGN). This discovery was made through observations conducted by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) using redshifted 21-cm absorption. The outflow exhibits a blueshifted velocity likely up to $\sim-1000\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$ with respect to the systemic velocity of the host galaxy with an absorption strength of $\sim -0.6\,\rm mJy\,beam^{-1}$ corresponding to an optical depth of 0.002 at $v=-500\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$. The mass outflow rate ranges between $2.8\times10^{-2}$ and $3.6\, \rm M_\odot \, yr^{-1}$, implying an energy outflow rate ranging between $4.2\times10^{39}$ and $9.7\times10^{40}\rm\,erg\,s^{-1}$, assuming 100 K $<T_{\rm s}<$ 1000 K. Plausible drivers of the outflow include the star bursts, the AGN radiation, and the radio jet, the last of which is considered the most likely culprit according to the kinematics. By analysing the properties of the outflow, the AGN, and the jet, we find that if the HI outflow is driven by the AGN radiation, the AGN radiation seems not powerful enough to provide negative feedback whereas the radio jet shows the potential to provide negative feedback. Our observations contribute another example of a fast outflow detected in neutral hydrogen, as well as demonstrate the capability of FAST in detecting such outflows.
Abstract: 2309.01768
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Title:Detection of optical emission from the supernova remnant G7.7-3.7
Download PDFAbstract: We present the first optical study of the supernova remnant (SNR) G7.7-3.7, with the aim of determining its evolutionary phase since it has been suggested to be the remnant of SN 386 AD. We obtained narrow-band images in the filters H$\alpha$ + [NII], H$\beta$, [OIII], [SII] that revealed faint optical emission in the southern region of the SNR consisting of two filaments elongated in the east-west direction aligned with the X-ray emitting region of the remnant. The filaments were seen in H$\alpha$ + [NII], [OIII] images and marginally in the [SII] images, with a non-detection in H$\beta$. Long-slit spectroscopy of three regions along one filament revealed large ratios of [SII] / H$\alpha$ = (1.6-2.5), consistent with that expected for a shock-heated SNR. The [SII] doublet ratio observed in two of the regions implies an upper limit for the electron density of the gas, with estimates falling below 400 cm$^{-3}$ and 600 cm$^{-3}$ in the respective areas. We discuss potential physical mechanisms that formed the observed optical filaments and we suggest that most likely they resulted by a collision of the SNR with a dense circumstellar shell lying at the southern region of the remnant.
Abstract: 2309.01600
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Title:Cold diffuse interstellar medium of Magellanic Clouds: I. HD molecule and cosmic-ray ionization rate
Download PDFAbstract: HD molecule is one the most abundant molecule in the Universe and due to its sensibility to the conditions in the medium, it can be used to constrain physical parameters in the medium where HD resides. Lately we have shown that HD abundance can be enhanced in the low metallicity medium. Large and Small Magellanic Clouds give us an opportunity to study low metallicity galaxies in details towards different sightlines due to their proximity to our Galaxy. We revisited FUSE space telescope archival spectra towards bright stars in Magellanic Clouds to search for HD molecules, associated with the medium of these galaxies. We reanalysed H$_2$ absorption lines and constrained HD column density at the positions of H$_2$ components. We detected HD towards 24 sightlines (including 19 new detections). We try to measure cosmic ray ionization rate for several systems using measured $N({\rm HD})/N({\rm H_2})$, and in most cases get loose constraints due to insufficient quality of the FUSE spectra.
Abstract: 2309.01493
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Title:HAGRID -- High Accuracy GRB Rapid Inference with Deep learning
Download PDFAbstract: Since their discoveries in 1967, Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) continue to be one of the most researched objects in astrophysics. Multi-messenger observations are key to gaining a deeper understanding of these events. In order to facilitate such measurements, fast and accurate localization of the gamma-ray prompt emission is required. As traditional localization techniques are often time consuming or prone to significant systematic errors, here we present a novel method which can be applied on the POLAR-2 observatory. POLAR-2 is a dedicated GRB polarimeter, which will be launched towards the China Space Station (CSS) in 2025. The CSS provides POLAR-2 access to a GPU, which makes it possible and advantageous to run a Deep Learning model on it. In this work, we explore the possibility to identify GRBs in real time and to infer their location and spectra with deep learning models. Using POLAR simulations and data, a feasibility experiment was performed to implement this method on POLAR-2. Our results indicate that using this method, in combination with real time data downlinking capabilities, POLAR-2 will be able to provide accurate localization alerts within 2 minutes of the GRB onset.
Abstract: 2309.01308
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Title:Fermi constraints on the ejecta speed and prompt emission region of the distant GRB 220101A
Download PDFAbstract: GRB 220101A is the most distant gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi-LAT to date, at a redshift z = 4.618. It is also a very energetic event, with an equivalent isotropic energy of $3.6\times10^{54}$ erg. We jointly analyzed the Fermi/GBM and LAT observations of GRB 220101A with two independent approaches, and found a significant spectral break at sub-100 MeV energies during the prompt emission. The fast variability of the emission suggests that this spectral attenuation is caused by internal opacity to pair creation. Regardless of the nature of the emission processes assumed in the spectral analysis, we infer a moderate value for the jet Lorentz factor, $\Gamma\sim110$, and find that all of the high-energy emission was produced above and near the photosphere, at a distance of $\sim10^{14}$ cm from the central engine. We compare these results with the four other LAT-detected gamma-ray bursts with similar properties.
Abstract: 2309.01259
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Title:The science of ultra-high energy cosmic rays after more than 15 years of operation of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Download PDFAbstract: Ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) have been studied with the data of the Pierre Auger Observatory for more than fifteen years. An essential feature of the Observatory is its hybrid design: UHECRs are detected through the observation of the associated extensive air showers (EASs) with different and complementary techniques. The analyses of the multi-detector data have enabled high-statistics and high-precision studies of the UHECR energy spectrum, mass composition and distribution of arrival directions. The resulting science of UHECRs is summarized in this contribution. While no discrete source of UHECRs has been identified so far, the extragalactic origin of the particles has been recently confirmed from the arrival directions above 8~EeV, and the ring is closing around nearby astrophysical sites at higher energies. Also, the established upper limits on fluxes of UHE neutrinos and photons have implications on multi-messenger studies and beyond-the-Standard-Model (BSM) physics.
Abstract: 2309.03119
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Title:The Spectra of IceCube Neutrino (SIN) candidate sources -- IV. Spectral energy distributions and multi-wavelength variability
Download PDFAbstract: We present hybrid spectral energy distributions, combining photon and neutrino fluxes, for a sample of blazars, which are candidate IceCube neutrino sources. We furthermore check for differences in our sources' variability in the near-infrared, optical, X-ray and $\gamma$-ray bands compared to a sample of non-neutrino source candidate blazars, and investigate the state of each blazar at the arrival time of high-energy neutrinos. We find no significant differences when comparing our sample with control sources, also in terms of their spectral energy distributions, and no correlation between flaring states and neutrino arrival times. Looking for signatures of hadronic production, we check for similar strengths of the $\gamma$-ray and neutrino fluxes and find a $2.2\,\sigma$ signal for our source candidates. The hybrid spectral energy distributions assembled here will form the basis of the next step of our project, namely lepto-hadronic modelling of these blazars to assess the physical likelihood of a neutrino connection.
Abstract: 2309.03115
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Title:Correlating high-energy IceCube neutrinos with 5BZCAT blazars and RFC sources
Download PDFAbstract: We investigate the possibility that blazars in the Roma-BZCAT Multifrequency Catalogue of Blazars (5BZCAT) are sources of the high-energy astrophysical neutrinos detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, as recently suggested by Buson et al. (2022a,b). Although we can reproduce their $\sim 4.6\, \sigma$ result, which applies to 7 years of neutrino data in the Southern sky, we find no significant correlation with 5BZCAT sources when extending the search to the Northern sky, where IceCube is most sensitive to astrophysical signals. To further test this scenario, we use a larger sample consisting of 10 years of neutrino data recently released by the IceCube collaboration, this time finding no significant correlation in either the Southern or the Northern sky. These results suggest that the strong correlation reported by Buson et al. (2022a,b) using 5BZCAT could be due to a statistical fluctuation and possibly the spatial and flux non-uniformities in the blazar sample. We perform some additional correlation tests using the more uniform, flux-limited, and blazar-dominated Radio Fundamental Catalogue (RFC) and find a $\sim 3.2\sigma$ equivalent p-value when correlating it with the 7-year Southern neutrino sky. However, this correlation disappears completely when extending the analysis to the Northern sky and when analyzing 10 years of all-sky neutrino data. Our findings support a scenario where the contribution of the whole blazar class to the IceCube signal is relevant but not dominant, in agreement with most previous studies.
Abstract: 2309.03053
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Title:An update on site search activities for SWGO
Download PDFAbstract: The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is a project by scientists and engineers from 14 countries and 78 institutions to design and build the first wide-field, ground-based gamma-ray observatory in the Southern Hemisphere, with high duty cycle and covering an energy range rom hundreds of GeV to the PeV scale. The observatory will cover the Southern sky and aims to map the Galaxy's large-scale emission, as well as detecting transient and variable phenomena. The host sites under consideration are at a minimum altitude of 4400 m.a.s.l. and comprise two types: flat plateaus of at least 1 km$^{2}$ for the installation of an array of tank-based water Cherenkov detectors (WCD), or large natural lakes for the direct deployment of WCD units. Four South American countries proposed excellent sites to host the observatory meeting these requirements. Argentina proposed two locations in the Salta province, Bolivia presented one site in Chacaltaya, Chile two locations within the Atacama Astronomical Park, and Peru two ground-based locations in the Arequipa district as well as lakes in the Cuzco region. The SWGO collaboration is currently conducting a site characterization study, gathering all the necessary information for site shortlisting and final site selection by the end of 2023. The process has reached the shortlisting phase, in which primary and backup sites for each country have been identified. The primary sites were visited by a team of experts from the collaboration, to investigate and validate the proposed site characteristics. Here we present an update on these site selection activities.
Abstract: 2309.03007
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Title:Prospects for combined analyses of hadronic emission from $γ$-ray sources in the Milky Way with CTA and KM3NeT
Download PDFAbstract: The Cherenkov Telescope Array and the KM3NeT neutrino telescopes are major upcoming facilities in the fields of $\gamma$-ray and neutrino astronomy, respectively. Possible simultaneous production of $\gamma$ rays and neutrinos in astrophysical accelerators of cosmic-ray nuclei motivates a combination of their data. We assess the potential of a combined analysis of CTA and KM3NeT data to determine the contribution of hadronic emission processes in known Galactic $\gamma$-ray emitters, comparing this result to the cases of two separate analyses. In doing so, we demonstrate the capability of Gammapy, an open-source software package for the analysis of $\gamma$-ray data, to also process data from neutrino telescopes. For a selection of prototypical $\gamma$-ray sources within our Galaxy, we obtain models for primary proton and electron spectra in the hadronic and leptonic emission scenario, respectively, by fitting published $\gamma$-ray spectra. Using these models and instrument response functions for both detectors, we employ the Gammapy package to generate pseudo data sets, where we assume 200 hours of CTA observations and 10 years of KM3NeT detector operation. We then apply a three-dimensional binned likelihood analysis to these data sets, separately for each instrument and jointly for both. We find that the largest benefit of the combined analysis lies in the possibility of a consistent modelling of the $\gamma$-ray and neutrino emission. Assuming a purely leptonic scenario as input, we obtain, for the most favourable source, an average expected 68% credible interval that constrains the contribution of hadronic processes to the observed $\gamma$-ray emission to below 15%.
Abstract: 2309.02883
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Title:All sky archival search for FRB high energy counterparts with Swift and Fermi
Download PDFAbstract: Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio signals from unknown cosmic origin. Many models associate FRBs with high-energy astrophysical objects such as magnetars. In this attempt to find counterparts to FRBs, we explore gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from the Swift and Fermi missions. We first search for spatial correlations between FRB and GRB populations as a whole and then search for a one-by-one correlation between each of the FRBs and GRBs investigated. Temporal coincidences are not considered. To evaluate the significance of any correlation found, we generate background realizations that take into account instrumentally induced anisotropies in the distribution of the sources. Neither study yields any significant counterpart detection. We estimate that less than 4\% of the FRBs are associated with GRBs in the studied samples
Abstract: 2309.02860
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Title:Stochastic modelling of cosmic ray sources for diffuse high-energy gamma-rays and neutrinos
Download PDFAbstract: Cosmic rays of energies up to a few PeV are believed to be of galactic origin, yet individual sources have still not been firmly identified. Due to inelastic collisions with the interstellar gas, cosmic-ray nuclei produce a diffuse flux of high-energy gamma-rays and neutrinos. Fermi-LAT has provided maps of galactic gamma-rays at GeV energies which can be produced by both hadronic and leptonic processes. Neutrinos, on the other hand, are exclusively produced by the sought-after hadronic processes, yet they can be detected above backgrounds only at hundreds of TeV. Oftentimes, diffuse emission maps are extrapolated from GeV to PeV energies, but the sources contributing at either energies likely differ. We have modelled the production of diffuse emission from GeV through PeV energies in a Monte Carlo approach, taking into consideration the discrete nature of sources. We can generate realisations of the diffuse sky in a matter of seconds, thus allowing for characterising correlations in direction and energy. At hundreds of TeV, relevant for observations with LHAASO, Tibet AS-gamma, IceCube and the upcoming SWGO, variations between different realisations are sizeable. Specifically, we show that extrapolations of diffuse emission from GeV to PeV energies must fail and apply our results on the recent experimental findings.
Abstract: 2309.02498
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Title:Complex AGN feedback in the Teacup galaxy. A powerful ionised galactic outflow, jet-ISM interaction, and evidence for AGN-triggered star formation in a giant bubble
Download PDFAbstract: The $z$~0.1 type-2 QSO J1430+1339 (the 'Teacup') is a complex galaxy showing a loop of ionised gas ~10 kpc in diameter, co-spatial radio bubbles, a compact (~1 kpc) jet, and outflow activity. We used VLT/MUSE optical integral field spectroscopic observations to characterise the properties and effects of the galactic ionised outflow from kpc up to tens of kpc scales and compare them with those of the radio jet. We detect a velocity dispersion enhancement (>300 km/s) elongated over several kpc perpendicular to the radio jet, the AGN ionisation lobes, and the fast outflow, similar to what is found in other galaxies hosting compact, low-power jets, indicating that the jet strongly perturbs the host ISM. The mass outflow rate decreases with distance from the nucleus, from around 100 $M_\odot$/yr in the inner 1-2 kpc to <0.1 $M_\odot$/yr at 30 kpc. The ionised mass outflow rate is ~1-8 times higher than the molecular one, in contrast with what is often quoted in AGN. The driver of the multi-phase outflow is likely a combination of AGN radiation and the jet. The outflow mass-loading factor (~5-10) and the molecular gas depletion time (<10$^8$ yr) indicate that the outflow can significantly affect the star formation and the gas reservoir in the galaxy. However, the fraction of the ionised outflow that is able to escape the dark matter halo potential is likely negligible. We detect blue-coloured continuum emission co-spatial with the ionised gas loop. Here, stellar populations are younger (<100-150 Myr) than in the rest of the galaxy (~0.5-1 Gyr). This constitutes possible evidence for star formation triggered at the edge of the bubble due to the compressing action of the jet and outflow ('positive feedback'), as predicted by theory. All in all, the Teacup constitutes a rich system in which AGN feedback from outflows and jets, in both its negative and positive flavours, co-exist.
Abstract: 2309.03715
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Title:Probing VHE gamma-ray emission from GW events with H.E.S.S
Download PDFAbstract: Gravitational wave (GW) events, particularly those connected to the merger of compact objects such as neutron stars, are believed to be the primary source of short gamma-ray bursts. To explore the very high energy (VHE) component of the emission from these events, the H.E.S.S. collaboration has dedicated a substantial effort and observing time to follow up on these events. During the second and third GW observing runs, H.E.S.S. was the first ground-based instrument to observe the GW170817 binary neutron star merger. In addition, H.E.S.S. followed four binary black hole mergers. The data acquired by H.E.S.S. was used to constrain the VHE emission from these events for the first time. H.E.S.S. also monitored the GW170817 source for approximately 50 hours and obtained limits that constrained the magnetic field in the merger remnant to $> 24 \mu G$. As the fourth GW observing run (O4) approaches, the H.E.S.S. collaboration has allocated significant observation time to the follow-up of GW events. This contribution provides an overview of the science results derived from the H.E.S.S. follow-up of GW events, a technical overview of the GW follow-up strategies for O4, and an update on H.E.S.S. activities during O4.
Abstract: 2309.03712
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Full Text: [ PostScript, PDF]
Title:Prospects for $γ$-ray observations of the Perseus galaxy cluster with the Cherenkov Telescope Array
Download PDFAbstract: Galaxy clusters are expected to be dark matter (DM) reservoirs and storage rooms for the cosmic-ray protons (CRp) that accumulate along the cluster's formation history. Accordingly, they are excellent targets to search for signals of DM annihilation and decay at gamma-ray energies and are predicted to be sources of large-scale gamma-ray emission due to hadronic interactions in the intracluster medium. We estimate the sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to detect diffuse gamma-ray emission from the Perseus galaxy cluster. We perform a detailed spatial and spectral modelling of the expected signal for the DM and the CRp components. For each, we compute the expected CTA sensitivity. The observing strategy of Perseus is also discussed. In the absence of a diffuse signal (non-detection), CTA should constrain the CRp to thermal energy ratio within the radius $R_{500}$ down to about $X_{500}<3\times 10^{-3}$, for a spatial CRp distribution that follows the thermal gas and a CRp spectral index $\alpha_{\rm CRp}=2.3$. Under the optimistic assumption of a pure hadronic origin of the Perseus radio mini-halo and depending on the assumed magnetic field profile, CTA should measure $\alpha_{\rm CRp}$ down to about $\Delta\alpha_{\rm CRp}\simeq 0.1$ and the CRp spatial distribution with 10% precision. Regarding DM, CTA should improve the current ground-based gamma-ray DM limits from clusters observations on the velocity-averaged annihilation cross-section by a factor of up to $\sim 5$, depending on the modelling of DM halo substructure. In the case of decay of DM particles, CTA will explore a new region of the parameter space, reaching models with $\tau_{\chi}>10^{27}$s for DM masses above 1 TeV. These constraints will provide unprecedented sensitivity to the physics of both CRp acceleration and transport at cluster scale and to TeV DM particle models, especially in the decay scenario.
Abstract: 2309.03372
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Title:Neutrinos and gamma-rays from Galaxy Clusters constrained by the upper limits of IceCube
Download PDFAbstract: Clusters of galaxies possess the capability to accelerate cosmic rays (CRs) to very high energy up to $\sim10^{18}$~eV due to their large size and magnetic field strength which favor CR confinement for cosmological times. During their confinement, they can produce neutrinos and $\gamma-$rays out of interactions with the background gas and photon fields. In recent work, \cite{hussain2021high, hussain2023diffuse} have conducted three-dimensional cosmological magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations of the turbulent intracluster medium (ICM) combined with multi-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations of CR propagation for redshifts ranging from $z \sim 5$ to $z = 0$ to study the multi-messenger emission from these sources. They found that when CRs with a spectral index in the range $1.5 - 2.5$ and cutoff energy $E_\mathrm{max} = 10^{16} - 10^{17}$~eV are injected into the system, they make significant contributions to the diffuse background emission of both neutrinos and gamma-rays. In this work, we have revisited this model and undertaken further constraints on the parametric space. This was achieved by incorporating the recently established upper limits on neutrino emission from galaxy clusters, as obtained by the IceCube experiment. We find that for CRs injected with spectral indices in the range $2.0 - 2.5$, cutoff energy $E_\mathrm{max} = 10^{16} - 10^{17}$~eV, and power corresponding to $(0.1-1)\%$ of the cluster luminosity, our neutrino flux aligns with the upper limits estimated by IceCube. Additionally, the resulting contribution from clusters to the diffuse $\gamma$-ray background (DGRB) remains significant with values of the order of $ \sim 10^{-5}\, \mathrm{MeV} \, \mathrm{cm}^{-2} \,\mathrm{s}^{-1} \, \mathrm{sr}^{-1}$ at energies above $500$ GeV.
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