3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039 - IN2P3 - Institut national de physique nucléaire et de physique des particules Access content directly
Journal Articles Astronomy and Astrophysics - A&A Year : 2006

3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039

F. Aharonian , A. G. Akhperjanian , A. R. Bazer-Bachi (1) , M. Beilicke , W. Benbow , D. Berge , K. Bernlöhr , C. Boisson (2) , O. Bolz , V. Borrel (1) , I. Braun , F. Breitling , A. M. Brown , R. Bühler , I. Büsching , S. Carrigan , P. M. Chadwick , L.-M. Chounet (3) , R. Cornils , L. Costamante , B. Degrange (3) , H. J. Dickinson , A. Djannati-Ataï (4) , L. O'C. Drury , G. Dubus (3) , K. Egberts , D. Emmanoulopoulos , P. Espigat (5) , F. Feinstein (6) , E. Ferrero , G. Fontaine (3) , Seb. Funk , S. Funk , Y.A. Gallant (6) , B. Giebels (3) , J. F. Glicenstein (7) , P. Goret (7) , C. Hadjichristidis , D. Hauser , M. Hauser , G. Heinzelmann , G. Henri (8) , G. Hermann , J. A. Hinton , W. Hofmann , M. Holleran , D. Horns , A. Jacholkowska (6) , O. C. de Jager , B. Khélifi (3) , Nu. Komin , A. Konopelko , I. J. Latham , R. Le Gallou , A. Lemière (5) , M. Lemoine-Goumard (3) , T. Lohse , J. M. Martin , O. Martineau-Huynh , A. Marcowith (1) , C. Masterson , T. J. L. Mccomb , M. de Naurois , D. Nedbal , S. J. Nolan , A. Noutsos , K. J. Orford , J. L. Osborne , M. Ouchrif , M. Panter , G. Pelletier (8) , S. Pita (5) , G. Pühlhofer , M. Punch (5) , B. C. Raubenheimer , M. Raue , S. M. Rayner , A. Reimer , O. Reimer , J. Ripken , L. Rob , L. Rolland , G. Rowell , V. Sahakian , L. Saugé (8) , S. Schlenker , R. Schlickeiser , U. Schwanke , H. Sol (2) , D. Spangler , F. Spanier , R. Steenkamp , C. Stegmann , G. Superina (3) , J.-P. Tavernet , R. Terrier (5) , C.G. Théoret (5) , M. Tluczykont (3) , C. van Eldik , G. Vasileiadis (6) , C. Venter , P. Vincent , H. J. Völk , S. J. Wagner , M. Ward
F. Aharonian
A. G. Akhperjanian
  • Function : Author
M. Beilicke
  • Function : Author
W. Benbow
  • Function : Author
D. Berge
K. Bernlöhr
C. Boisson
O. Bolz
  • Function : Author
I. Braun
  • Function : Author
F. Breitling
  • Function : Author
A. M. Brown
  • Function : Author
R. Bühler
  • Function : Author
I. Büsching
  • Function : Author
S. Carrigan
  • Function : Author
P. M. Chadwick
  • Function : Author
R. Cornils
  • Function : Author
L. Costamante
  • Function : Author
H. J. Dickinson
  • Function : Author
L. O'C. Drury
  • Function : Author
G. Dubus
K. Egberts
  • Function : Author
D. Emmanoulopoulos
  • Function : Author
E. Ferrero
  • Function : Author
Seb. Funk
  • Function : Author
S. Funk
  • Function : Author
C. Hadjichristidis
  • Function : Author
D. Hauser
  • Function : Author
M. Hauser
  • Function : Author
G. Heinzelmann
  • Function : Author
G. Hermann
  • Function : Author
J. A. Hinton
  • Function : Author
W. Hofmann
  • Function : Author
M. Holleran
  • Function : Author
D. Horns
O. C. de Jager
  • Function : Author
B. Khélifi
Nu. Komin
A. Konopelko
  • Function : Author
I. J. Latham
  • Function : Author
R. Le Gallou
  • Function : Author
M. Lemoine-Goumard
T. Lohse
J. M. Martin
  • Function : Author
O. Martineau-Huynh
  • Function : Author
C. Masterson
  • Function : Author
T. J. L. Mccomb
  • Function : Author
M. de Naurois
D. Nedbal
  • Function : Author
S. J. Nolan
  • Function : Author
A. Noutsos
  • Function : Author
K. J. Orford
  • Function : Author
J. L. Osborne
  • Function : Author
M. Ouchrif
  • Function : Author
M. Panter
  • Function : Author
G. Pühlhofer
  • Function : Author
M. Punch
B. C. Raubenheimer
  • Function : Author
M. Raue
  • Function : Author
S. M. Rayner
  • Function : Author
A. Reimer
O. Reimer
  • Function : Author
J. Ripken
  • Function : Author
L. Rob
  • Function : Author
L. Rolland
G. Rowell
V. Sahakian
  • Function : Author
S. Schlenker
  • Function : Author
R. Schlickeiser
  • Function : Author
U. Schwanke
D. Spangler
  • Function : Author
F. Spanier
  • Function : Author
R. Steenkamp
  • Function : Author
C. Stegmann
  • Function : Author
J.-P. Tavernet
  • Function : Author
C. van Eldik
C. Venter
P. Vincent
  • Function : Author
H. J. Völk
  • Function : Author
S. J. Wagner
  • Function : Author
M. Ward
  • Function : Author

Abstract

New observations of LS 5039, a High Mass X-ray Binary comprising a massive star and compact object, were carried out with the High Energy Stereoscopic System of Cherenkov Telescopes (H.E.S.S.) in 2005 at very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray energies. These observations reveal that its flux and energy spectrum are modulated with the 3.9 day orbital period of the binary system. This is the first time in gamma-ray astronomy that orbital modulation has been observed, and periodicity clearly established using ground-based gamma-ray detectors. The VHE gamma-ray emission is largely confined to half of the orbit, peaking around the inferior conjunction epoch of the compact object. For this epoch, there is also a hardening of the energy spectrum in the energy range between 0.2 TeV and a few TeV. The flux vs. orbital phase profile provides the first clear indication of gamma-ray absorption via pair production within an astrophysical source, a process which is expected to occur if the gamma-ray production site is situated within ~1 AU of the compact object. Moreover the production region size must be not significantly greater than the binary separation (~0.15 AU). Notably, these constraints are also considerably smaller than the collimated outflows or jets (extending out to ~1000 AU) observed in LS 5039. The spectral hardening could arise from variations with phase in the maximum electron energies, and/or the dominant VHE gamma-ray production mechanism.

Dates and versions

in2p3-00124857 , version 1 (16-01-2007)

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Cite

F. Aharonian, A. G. Akhperjanian, A. R. Bazer-Bachi, M. Beilicke, W. Benbow, et al.. 3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039. Astronomy and Astrophysics - A&A, 2006, 460, pp.743-749. ⟨10.1051/0004-6361:20065940⟩. ⟨in2p3-00124857⟩
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