Discovery of the Binary Pulsar PSR B1259-63 in Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays 
around Periastron with H.E.S.S

Aharonian, F.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Aye, K.-M.; Bazer-Bachi, A. R.; Beilicke, M.; Benbow, W.; Berge, D.; Berghaus, P.; Bernlöhr, K.; Bolz, O.; Boisson, C:; Glicenstein, J.F.; Breitling, F.; Brown, A. M.; Bussons Gordo, J.; Chadwick, P. M.; Braun, I.; Chounet, L.-M.; Cornils, R.; Costamante, L.; Degrange, B.; Djannati-Atai, A.; Drury, L.O'C.; Emmanoulopoulos, D.; Espigat, P.; Feinstein, F.; Fleury, P.; Fontaine, G.; Funk, S.; Gallant, Y. A.; Giebels, B.; Gillessen, S.; Goret, P.; Dubus, G.; Hadjichristidis, C.; Hauser, M.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Holleran, M.; Horns, D.; de Jager, O. C.; Khélifi, B.; Komin, N.; Konopelko, A.; Latham, I. J.; Le Gallou, R.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Lemière, A.; Leroy, N.; Lohse, T.; Marcowith, A.; Masterson, C.; McComb, T. J. L.; de Naurois, M.; Nolan, S. J.; Noutsos, A.; Orford, K. J.; Osborne, J. L.; Ouchrif, M.; Panter, M.; Pelletier, G.; Pita, S.; Fuchs, Y.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Raubenheimer, B. C.; Raue, M.; Raux, J.; Rayner, S. M.; Redondo, I.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Ripken, J.; Terrier, R.; Rob, L.; Rolland, L.; Rowell, G.; Sahakian, V.; Saugé, L.; Schlenker, S.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schuster, C.; Schwanke, U.; Siewert, M.; Sol, H.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Tavernet, J.-P-; Théoret, C. G.; Tluczykont, M.; Venter, C.; Vasileiadis, G.; Vincent, P.; Völk, H. J.; Wagner, S. J.; Martineau-Huynh, O.; Johnston, S.; Kirk, J. G.; Skjaeraasen, O.

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Discovery of the Binary Pulsar PSR B1259-63 in Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays around Periastron with H.E.S.S

Aharonian, F., Akhperjanian, A. G., Aye, K.-M., Bazer-Bachi, A. R., Beilicke, M., Benbow, W., et al. (2005). Discovery of the Binary Pulsar PSR B1259-63 in Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays around Periastron with H.E.S.S. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 442(1), 1-10.

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Item Permalink: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0011-8816-A Version Permalink: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0011-8817-8

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Creators:
Aharonian, F.¹, Author
Akhperjanian, A. G.¹, Author
Aye, K.-M.², Author
Bazer-Bachi, A. R.², Author
Beilicke, M.¹, Author
Benbow, W.¹, Author
Berge, D.¹, Author
Berghaus, P.², Author
Bernlöhr, K.¹, Author
Bolz, O.¹, Author
Boisson, C:², Author
Glicenstein, J.F.¹, Author
Breitling, F.², Author
Brown, A. M.², Author
Bussons Gordo, J.², Author
Chadwick, P. M.², Author
Braun, I.¹, Author
Chounet, L.-M.², Author
Cornils, R.¹, Author
Costamante, L.¹, Author
Degrange, B.², AuthorDjannati-Atai, A.¹, Author         Drury, L.O'C.², AuthorEmmanoulopoulos, D.², AuthorEspigat, P.², AuthorFeinstein, F.¹, Author         Fleury, P.², AuthorFontaine, G.², AuthorFunk, S.¹, Author         Gallant, Y. A.¹, Author         Giebels, B.², AuthorGillessen, S.¹, Author         Goret, P.², AuthorDubus, G.¹, Author         Hadjichristidis, C.², AuthorHauser, M.², AuthorHeinzelmann, G.², AuthorHenri, G.², AuthorHermann, G.¹, Author         Hinton, J. A.¹, Author         Hofmann, W.¹, Author         Holleran, M.², AuthorHorns, D.¹, Author         de Jager, O. C.², AuthorKhélifi, B.¹, Author         Komin, N.², AuthorKonopelko, A.³, Author         Latham, I. J.², AuthorLe Gallou, R.², AuthorLemoine-Goumard, M.², AuthorLemière, A.², AuthorLeroy, N.², AuthorLohse, T.², AuthorMarcowith, A.², AuthorMasterson, C.¹, Author         McComb, T. J. L.², Authorde Naurois, M.¹, Author         Nolan, S. J.², AuthorNoutsos, A.², AuthorOrford, K. J.¹, Author         Osborne, J. L.¹, Author         Ouchrif, M.², AuthorPanter, M.¹, Author         Pelletier, G.², AuthorPita, S.², AuthorFuchs, Y.², AuthorPühlhofer, G.¹, Author         Punch, M.², AuthorRaubenheimer, B. C.², AuthorRaue, M.¹, Author         Raux, J.², AuthorRayner, S. M.², AuthorRedondo, I.², AuthorReimer, A.², AuthorReimer, O.², AuthorRipken, J.², AuthorTerrier, R.², AuthorRob, L.², AuthorRolland, L.², AuthorRowell, G.¹, Author         Sahakian, V.², AuthorSaugé, L.¹, Author         Schlenker, S.², AuthorSchlickeiser, R.², AuthorSchuster, C.², AuthorSchwanke, U.², AuthorSiewert, M.², AuthorSol, H.², AuthorSteenkamp, R.², AuthorStegmann, C.², AuthorTavernet, J.-P-², AuthorThéoret, C. G.², AuthorTluczykont, M.², AuthorVenter, C.², AuthorVasileiadis, G.¹, Author         Vincent, P.², AuthorVölk, H. J.³, Author         Wagner, S. J.², AuthorMartineau-Huynh, O.², AuthorJohnston, S.², AuthorKirk, J. G.¹, Author         Skjaeraasen, O.¹, Author          more..

Affiliations:
1Division Prof. Dr. Werner Hofmann, MPI for Nuclear Physics, Max Planck Society, ou_904550
2Yerevan Physics Institute, Armenia University of Durham, Department of Physics, UK Centre d'Etudes Spatiales des Rayonnements, CNRS/UPS Toulouse, France Universität Hamburg, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Germany APC, Paris, France Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany LUTH, UMR 8102 du CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, France Groupe d'astroparticules de Montpellier, IN2P3/CNRS, Université Montpellier II, France Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies, IN2P3/CNRS, Universités Paris VI & VII, Jussieu, France European Associated Laboratory for Gamma-Ray Astronomy, jointly supported by CNRS and MPG Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, IN2P3/CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Ireland Service d'Astrophysique. DAPNIA/DSM/CEA, CE Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France Landessternwarte, Königstuhl, Heidelberg, Germany Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, INSU/CNRS, Université Joseph Fourier, France Unit for Space Physics, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa Institut für theoretische Physik, Lehrstuhl IV, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany Institute of Particle and Nuclear Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia, ou_persistent22
3Prof. Heinrich J. Völk, Emeriti, MPI for Nuclear Physics, Max Planck Society, ou_907548

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Free keywords: gamma-rays: observations -- Pulsars: individual PSR B1259-63 H.E.S.S.

Abstract: We report the discovery of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission of the binary system PSR B1259-63/SS 2883 of a radio pulsar orbiting a massive, luminous Be star in a highly eccentric orbit. The observations around the 2004 periastron passage of the pulsar were performed with the four 13 m Cherenkov telescopes of the H.E.S.S. experiment, recently installed in Namibia and in full operation since December 2003. Between February and June 2004, a gamma-ray signal from the binary system was detected with a total significance above 13 sigma. The flux was found to vary significantly on timescales of days which makes PSR B1259-63 the first variable galactic source of VHE gamma-rays observed so far. Strong emission signals were observed in pre- and post-periastron phases with a flux minimum around periastron, followed by a gradual flux decrease in the months after. The measured time-averaged energy spectrum above a mean threshold energy of 380 GeV can be fitted by a simple power law F_0(E/1 TeV)^-Gamma with a photon index Gamma = 2.7+-0.2_stat+-0.2_sys and flux normalisation F_0 = (1.3+-0.1_stat+-0.3_sys) 10^-12 TeV^-1 cm^-2 s^-1. This detection of VHE gamma-rays provides unambiguous evidence for particle acceleration to multi-TeV energies in the binary system. In combination with coeval observations of the X-ray synchrotron emission by the RXTE and INTEGRAL instruments, and assuming the VHE gamma-ray emission to be produced by the inverse Compton mechanism, the magnetic field strength can be directly estimated to be of the order of 1 G.

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Language(s): eng - English

Dates: Date issued: 2005-10

Publication Status: Issued

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Rev. Type: Peer

Identifiers: eDoc: 237004

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Title: Astronomy & Astrophysics

Alternative Title : A&A

Source Genre: Journal

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Pages: - Volume / Issue: 442 (1) Sequence Number: - Start / End Page: 1 - 10 Identifier: -