Time-dependent absorption of very high-energy gamma-rays from the Galactic center by pair-production

Abramowski A, Horns D, Gillessen S, Ripken J, van Eldik C (2009)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution

Publication year: 2009

Book Volume: 1085

Pages Range: 368-371

Event location: Heidelberg DE

DOI: 10.1063/1.3076683

Abstract

Very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays have been detected from the direction of the Galactic center. The H.E.S.S. Cherenkov telescopes have located this γ-ray source with a preliminary position uncertainty of 8.5" per axis (6" statistic + 6" sytematic per axis). Within the uncertainty region several possible counterpart candidates exist: the Super Massive Black Hole Sgr A , the Pulsar Wind Nebula candidate G359.95-0.04, the Low Mass X-Ray Binary-system J174540.0-290031, the stellar cluster IRS 13, as well as self-annihilating dark matter. It is experimentally very challenging to further improve the positional accuracy in this energy range and therefore, it may not be possible to clearly associate one of the counterpart candidates with the VHE-source. Here, we present a new method to investigate a possible link of the VHE-source with the near environment of Sgr A (within approximately 1000 Schwarzschild radii). This method uses the time- and energy-dependent effect of absorption of VHE γ-rays by pair-production (in the following named pair-eclipse) with low-energy photons of stars closely orbiting the SMBH Sgr A . © 2009 American Institute of Physics.

Authors with CRIS profile

Christopher van Eldik Professur für Experimentalphysik

Involved external institutions

Universität Hamburg (UHH) DE Germany (DE) Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) / Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Abramowski, A., Horns, D., Gillessen, S., Ripken, J., & van Eldik, C. (2009). Time-dependent absorption of very high-energy gamma-rays from the Galactic center by pair-production. In Proceedings of the 4th International Meeting on High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy (pp. 368-371). Heidelberg, DE.

MLA:

Abramowski, Attila, et al. "Time-dependent absorption of very high-energy gamma-rays from the Galactic center by pair-production." Proceedings of the 4th International Meeting on High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy, Heidelberg 2009. 368-371.

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