Journal article
Periastron Observations of TeV Gamma-Ray Emission from a Binary System with a 50-year Period
Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.867(1), p.L19
01/01/2018
DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/aae70e
Abstract
We report on observations of the pulsar/Be star binary system PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213 in the energy range between $100\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $20\,\mathrm{TeV}$ with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array and Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov telescope arrays. The binary orbit has a period of approximately 50 years, with the most recent periastron occurring on 2017 November 13. Our observations span from 18 months prior to periastron to one month after. A new point-like gamma-ray source is detected, coincident with the location of PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213. The gamma-ray light curve and spectrum are well characterized over the periastron passage. The flux is variable over at least an order of magnitude, peaking at periastron, thus providing a firm association of the TeV source with the pulsar/Be star system. Observations prior to periastron show a cutoff in the spectrum at an energy around $0.5\,\mathrm{TeV}$. This result adds a new member to the small population of known TeV binaries, and it identifies only the second source of this class in which the nature and properties of the compact object are firmly established. We compare the gamma-ray results with the light curve measured with the X-ray Telescope on board the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and with the predictions of recent theoretical models of the system. We conclude that significant revision of the models is required to explain the details of the emission that we have observed, and we discuss the relationship between the binary system and the overlapping steady extended source, TeV J2032+4130.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Periastron Observations of TeV Gamma-Ray Emission from a Binary System with a 50-year Period
- Creators
- A. U Abeysekara - University of UtahW Benbow - Harvard UniversityL Fortson - University of MinnesotaS EineckeD ElsaesserV. Fallah Ramazani - University of OuluA FattoriniA Fernández-BarralG FerraraD Fidalgo - Universidad Complutense de MadridL Foffano - University of PaduaM. V Fonseca - Universidad Complutense de MadridL Font - Autonomous University of BarcelonaA Furniss - California State University, East BayC Fruck - Max Planck SocietyD Galindo - Universitat de BarcelonaS GallozziR. J. García López - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasM GarczarczykS Gasparyan - Armenian National Academy of SciencesM Gaug - Autonomous University of BarcelonaP GiammariaN GodinovićD Guberman - IFAEA Gent - Georgia Institute of TechnologyD HadaschA Hahn - Max Planck SocietyJ Herrera - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasJ Hoang - Universidad Complutense de MadridD HrupecS InoueK Ishio - Max Planck SocietyY IwamuraH KuboJ KushidaG. H Gillanders - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayD KuveždićA LamastraD LelasF LeoneE Lindfors - University of OuluS LombardiF Longo - University of UdineM López - Universidad Complutense de MadridA López-OramasB. Machado Oliveira FragaD Hanna - McGill UniversityC Maggio - Autonomous University of BarcelonaP Majumdar - Saha Institute of Nuclear PhysicsM Makariev - Bulgarian Academy of SciencesM Mallamaci - University of PaduaG Maneva - Bulgarian Academy of SciencesM ManganaroK Mannheim - University of WürzburgL MaraschiM Mariotti - University of PaduaM Martínez - IFAET HassanS MasudaD MazinM Minev - Bulgarian Academy of SciencesJ. M Miranda - University of SienaR Mirzoyan - Max Planck SocietyE Molina - Universitat de BarcelonaA Moralejo - IFAEV Moreno - Autonomous University of BarcelonaE Moretti - IFAEP Munar-AdroverO Hervet - University of California, Santa CruzV Neustroev - University of OuluA Niedzwiecki - University of ŁódźM Nievas Rosillo - Universidad Complutense de MadridC NigroK Nilsson - University of OuluD Ninci - IFAEK NishijimaK NodaL Nogués - IFAEM NötheJ Holder - University of DelawareS Paiano - University of PaduaJ Palacio - IFAED Paneque - Max Planck SocietyR Paoletti - University of SienaJ. M Paredes - Universitat de BarcelonaG PedalettiP Peñil - Universidad Complutense de MadridM Peresano - University of UdineM Persic - University of BolognaP. G. Prada Moroni - University of PisaG Hughes - Harvard UniversityE Prandini - University of PaduaI PuljakJ. R Garcia - Max Planck SocietyW RhodeM Ribó - Universitat de BarcelonaJ Rico - IFAEC RighiA Rugliancich - University of PisaL Saha - Universidad Complutense de MadridN Sahakyan - Armenian National Academy of SciencesT. B Humensky - Columbia UniversityT SaitoK SataleckaT Schweizer - Max Planck SocietyJ Sitarek - University of ŁódźI ŠnidarićD Sobczynska - University of ŁódźA Somero - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasA StamerraM Strzys - Max Planck SocietyT SurićR Bird - University of California, Los AngelesP Kaaret - University of IowaF TavecchioP Temnikov - Bulgarian Academy of SciencesT TerzićM TeshimaN Torres-AlbàS TsujimotoJ ScherpenbergG Vanzo - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasM Vazquez Acosta - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasI Vovk - Max Planck SocietyP Kar - University of UtahM Will - Max Planck SocietyD ZarićM Kertzman - DePauw UniversityD Kieda - University of UtahM KrauseF Krennrich - Iowa State UniversityS Kumar - McGill UniversityM. J Lang - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayT. T. Y Lin - McGill UniversityG MaierA Brill - Columbia UniversityP Moriarty - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayR Mukherjee - Barnard CollegeS O’brienR. A Ong - University of California, Los AngelesA. N Otte - Georgia Institute of TechnologyN Park - University of Wisconsin–MadisonA Petrashyk - Columbia UniversityM Pohl - University of PotsdamElisa PueschelJ Quinn - University College DublinR Brose - University of PotsdamK Ragan - McGill UniversityG. T Richards - University of DelawareE Roache - Harvard UniversityI SadehM Santander - University of AlabamaS SchlenstedtG. H Sembroski - Purdue University West LafayetteIurii SushchJ Tyler - McGill UniversityV. V Vassiliev - University of California, Los AngelesJ. H Buckley - Washington University in St. LouisS. P Wakely - University of ChicagoA Weinstein - Iowa State UniversityR. M Wells - Iowa State UniversityP WilcoxAlina Wilhelm - University of PotsdamD. A Williams - University of California, Santa CruzT. J Williamson - University of DelawareB Zitzer - McGill UniversityV. A Acciari - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasS AnsoldiA. J Chromey - Iowa State UniversityL. A AntonelliA Arbet Engels - ETH ZurichD BaackA BabićB Banerjee - Saha Institute of Nuclear PhysicsU. Barres AlmeidaJ. A Barrio - Universidad Complutense de MadridJ. Becerra Gónzalez - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasW Bednarek - University of ŁódźElisa Bernardini - Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinM. K Daniel - Harvard UniversityA Berti - University of TriesteJ Besenrieder - Max Planck SocietyW BhattacharyyaC BigongiariA Biland - ETH ZurichO Blanch - IFAEG Bonnoli - University of SienaG Busetto - University of PaduaR Carosi - University of PisaG Ceribella - Max Planck SocietyA FalconeS CikotaS. M Colak - IFAEP Colin - Max Planck SocietyE Colombo - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasJ. L Contreras - Universidad Complutense de MadridJ Cortina - IFAES CovinoV D’eliaF DazziP. Da VelaJ. P Finley - Purdue University West LafayetteA De AngelisB LottoM Delfino - IFAEJ Delgado - IFAEF. Di PierroE. Do Souto EspiñeraA Domínguez - Universidad Complutense de MadridD. Dominis PresterD Dorner - University of WürzburgM Doro - University of PaduaVERITAS Collaboration
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.867(1), p.L19
- DOI
- 10.3847/2041-8213/aae70e
- ISSN
- 2041-8205
- eISSN
- 2041-8213
- Publisher
- The American Astronomical Society
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/2018
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199851002771
Metrics
7 Record Views