Cangaroo-III search for TeV gamma rays from two clusters of galaxies

R. Kiuchi; M. Mori; G. V. Bicknell; R. W. Clay; P. G. Edwards; R. Enomoto; S. Gunji; S. Hara; T. Hara; T. Hattori; S. Hayashi; Y. Higashi; Y. Hirai; K. Inoue; C. Itoh; S. Kabuki; F. Kajino; H. Katagiri; A. Kawachi; T. Kifune; H. Kubo; J. Kushida; Y. Matsubara; T. Mizukami; Y. Mizumoto; R. Mizuniwa; H. Muraishi; Y. Muraki; T. Naito; T. Nakamori; S. Nakano; D. Nishida; K. Nishijima; M. Ohishi; Y. Sakamoto; A. Seki; V. Stamatescu; T. Suzuki; D. L. Swaby; T. Tanimori; G. Thornton; F. Tokanai; K. Tsuchiya; S. Watanabe; Y. Yamada; E. Yamazaki; S. Yanagita; T. Yoshida; T. Yoshikoshi; Y. Yukawa

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/240

Cangaroo-III search for TeV gamma rays from two clusters of galaxies

R. Kiuchi^*, M. Mori, G. V. Bicknell, R. W. Clay, P. G. Edwards, R. Enomoto, S. Gunji, S. Hara, T. Hara, T. Hattori, S. Hayashi, Y. Higashi, Y. Hirai, K. Inoue, C. Itoh, S. Kabuki, F. Kajino, H. Katagiri, A. Kawachi, T. KifuneH. Kubo, J. Kushida, Y. Matsubara, T. Mizukami, Y. Mizumoto, R. Mizuniwa, H. Muraishi, Y. Muraki, T. Naito, T. Nakamori, S. Nakano, D. Nishida, K. Nishijima, M. Ohishi, Y. Sakamoto, A. Seki, V. Stamatescu, T. Suzuki, D. L. Swaby, T. Tanimori, G. Thornton, F. Tokanai, K. Tsuchiya, S. Watanabe, Y. Yamada, E. Yamazaki, S. Yanagita, T. Yoshida, T. Yoshikoshi, Y. Yukawa

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Because accretion and merger shocks in clusters of galaxies may accelerate particles to high energies, clusters are candidate sites for the origin of ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays. A prediction was presented for gamma-ray emission from a cluster of galaxies at a detectable level with the current generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The gamma-ray emission was produced via inverse Compton upscattering of cosmic microwave background photons by electron-positron pairs generated by collisions of UHE cosmic rays in the cluster. We observed two clusters of galaxies, Abell 3667 and Abell 4038, searching for very high energy gamma-ray emission with the CANGAROO-III atmospheric Cherenkov telescope system in 2006. The analysis showed no significant excess around these clusters, yielding upper limits on the gamma-ray emission. From a comparison of the upper limit for the northwest radio relic region of Abell 3667 with a model prediction, we derive a lower limit for the magnetic field of the region of ∼0.1 μG. This shows the potential of gamma-ray observations in studies of the cluster environment. We also discuss the flux upper limit from cluster center regions using a model of gamma-ray emission from neutral pions produced in hadronic collisions of cosmic-ray protons with the intracluster medium. The derived upper limit of the cosmic-ray energy density within this framework is an order of magnitude higher than that of our Galaxy.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	240-246
Number of pages	7
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	704
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/240
Publication status	Published - 2009

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10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/240

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Kiuchi, R., Mori, M., Bicknell, G. V., Clay, R. W., Edwards, P. G., Enomoto, R., Gunji, S., Hara, S., Hara, T., Hattori, T., Hayashi, S., Higashi, Y., Hirai, Y., Inoue, K., Itoh, C., Kabuki, S., Kajino, F., Katagiri, H., Kawachi, A., ... Yukawa, Y. (2009). Cangaroo-III search for TeV gamma rays from two clusters of galaxies. Astrophysical Journal, 704(1), 240-246. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/240

@article{fb6df375aa3c4b70a3cb23b0d08510ed,

title = "Cangaroo-III search for TeV gamma rays from two clusters of galaxies",

abstract = "Because accretion and merger shocks in clusters of galaxies may accelerate particles to high energies, clusters are candidate sites for the origin of ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays. A prediction was presented for gamma-ray emission from a cluster of galaxies at a detectable level with the current generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The gamma-ray emission was produced via inverse Compton upscattering of cosmic microwave background photons by electron-positron pairs generated by collisions of UHE cosmic rays in the cluster. We observed two clusters of galaxies, Abell 3667 and Abell 4038, searching for very high energy gamma-ray emission with the CANGAROO-III atmospheric Cherenkov telescope system in 2006. The analysis showed no significant excess around these clusters, yielding upper limits on the gamma-ray emission. From a comparison of the upper limit for the northwest radio relic region of Abell 3667 with a model prediction, we derive a lower limit for the magnetic field of the region of ∼0.1 μG. This shows the potential of gamma-ray observations in studies of the cluster environment. We also discuss the flux upper limit from cluster center regions using a model of gamma-ray emission from neutral pions produced in hadronic collisions of cosmic-ray protons with the intracluster medium. The derived upper limit of the cosmic-ray energy density within this framework is an order of magnitude higher than that of our Galaxy.",

keywords = "Galaxies: Clusters: Individual (Abell 3667, Abell 4038), Galaxies: Magnetic fields, Gamma rays: Observations",

author = "R. Kiuchi and M. Mori and Bicknell, {G. V.} and Clay, {R. W.} and Edwards, {P. G.} and R. Enomoto and S. Gunji and S. Hara and T. Hara and T. Hattori and S. Hayashi and Y. Higashi and Y. Hirai and K. Inoue and C. Itoh and S. Kabuki and F. Kajino and H. Katagiri and A. Kawachi and T. Kifune and H. Kubo and J. Kushida and Y. Matsubara and T. Mizukami and Y. Mizumoto and R. Mizuniwa and H. Muraishi and Y. Muraki and T. Naito and T. Nakamori and S. Nakano and D. Nishida and K. Nishijima and M. Ohishi and Y. Sakamoto and A. Seki and V. Stamatescu and T. Suzuki and Swaby, {D. L.} and T. Tanimori and G. Thornton and F. Tokanai and K. Tsuchiya and S. Watanabe and Y. Yamada and E. Yamazaki and S. Yanagita and T. Yoshida and T. Yoshikoshi and Y. Yukawa",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/240",

language = "English",

volume = "704",

pages = "240--246",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "1",

}

Kiuchi, R, Mori, M, Bicknell, GV, Clay, RW, Edwards, PG, Enomoto, R, Gunji, S, Hara, S, Hara, T, Hattori, T, Hayashi, S, Higashi, Y, Hirai, Y, Inoue, K, Itoh, C, Kabuki, S, Kajino, F, Katagiri, H, Kawachi, A, Kifune, T, Kubo, H, Kushida, J, Matsubara, Y, Mizukami, T, Mizumoto, Y, Mizuniwa, R, Muraishi, H, Muraki, Y, Naito, T, Nakamori, T, Nakano, S, Nishida, D, Nishijima, K, Ohishi, M, Sakamoto, Y, Seki, A, Stamatescu, V, Suzuki, T, Swaby, DL, Tanimori, T, Thornton, G, Tokanai, F, Tsuchiya, K, Watanabe, S, Yamada, Y, Yamazaki, E, Yanagita, S, Yoshida, T, Yoshikoshi, T & Yukawa, Y 2009, 'Cangaroo-III search for TeV gamma rays from two clusters of galaxies', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 704, no. 1, pp. 240-246. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/240

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cangaroo-III search for TeV gamma rays from two clusters of galaxies

AU - Kiuchi, R.

AU - Mori, M.

AU - Bicknell, G. V.

AU - Clay, R. W.

AU - Edwards, P. G.

AU - Enomoto, R.

AU - Gunji, S.

AU - Hara, S.

AU - Hara, T.

AU - Hattori, T.

AU - Hayashi, S.

AU - Higashi, Y.

AU - Hirai, Y.

AU - Inoue, K.

AU - Itoh, C.

AU - Kabuki, S.

AU - Kajino, F.

AU - Katagiri, H.

AU - Kawachi, A.

AU - Kifune, T.

AU - Kubo, H.

AU - Kushida, J.

AU - Matsubara, Y.

AU - Mizukami, T.

AU - Mizumoto, Y.

AU - Mizuniwa, R.

AU - Muraishi, H.

AU - Muraki, Y.

AU - Naito, T.

AU - Nakamori, T.

AU - Nakano, S.

AU - Nishida, D.

AU - Nishijima, K.

AU - Ohishi, M.

AU - Sakamoto, Y.

AU - Seki, A.

AU - Stamatescu, V.

AU - Suzuki, T.

AU - Swaby, D. L.

AU - Tanimori, T.

AU - Thornton, G.

AU - Tokanai, F.

AU - Tsuchiya, K.

AU - Watanabe, S.

AU - Yamada, Y.

AU - Yamazaki, E.

AU - Yanagita, S.

AU - Yoshida, T.

AU - Yoshikoshi, T.

AU - Yukawa, Y.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - Because accretion and merger shocks in clusters of galaxies may accelerate particles to high energies, clusters are candidate sites for the origin of ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays. A prediction was presented for gamma-ray emission from a cluster of galaxies at a detectable level with the current generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The gamma-ray emission was produced via inverse Compton upscattering of cosmic microwave background photons by electron-positron pairs generated by collisions of UHE cosmic rays in the cluster. We observed two clusters of galaxies, Abell 3667 and Abell 4038, searching for very high energy gamma-ray emission with the CANGAROO-III atmospheric Cherenkov telescope system in 2006. The analysis showed no significant excess around these clusters, yielding upper limits on the gamma-ray emission. From a comparison of the upper limit for the northwest radio relic region of Abell 3667 with a model prediction, we derive a lower limit for the magnetic field of the region of ∼0.1 μG. This shows the potential of gamma-ray observations in studies of the cluster environment. We also discuss the flux upper limit from cluster center regions using a model of gamma-ray emission from neutral pions produced in hadronic collisions of cosmic-ray protons with the intracluster medium. The derived upper limit of the cosmic-ray energy density within this framework is an order of magnitude higher than that of our Galaxy.

AB - Because accretion and merger shocks in clusters of galaxies may accelerate particles to high energies, clusters are candidate sites for the origin of ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays. A prediction was presented for gamma-ray emission from a cluster of galaxies at a detectable level with the current generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The gamma-ray emission was produced via inverse Compton upscattering of cosmic microwave background photons by electron-positron pairs generated by collisions of UHE cosmic rays in the cluster. We observed two clusters of galaxies, Abell 3667 and Abell 4038, searching for very high energy gamma-ray emission with the CANGAROO-III atmospheric Cherenkov telescope system in 2006. The analysis showed no significant excess around these clusters, yielding upper limits on the gamma-ray emission. From a comparison of the upper limit for the northwest radio relic region of Abell 3667 with a model prediction, we derive a lower limit for the magnetic field of the region of ∼0.1 μG. This shows the potential of gamma-ray observations in studies of the cluster environment. We also discuss the flux upper limit from cluster center regions using a model of gamma-ray emission from neutral pions produced in hadronic collisions of cosmic-ray protons with the intracluster medium. The derived upper limit of the cosmic-ray energy density within this framework is an order of magnitude higher than that of our Galaxy.

KW - Galaxies: Clusters: Individual (Abell 3667, Abell 4038)

KW - Galaxies: Magnetic fields

KW - Gamma rays: Observations

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70449746870&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/240

DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/704/1/240

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 704

SP - 240

EP - 246

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1

ER -

Cangaroo-III search for TeV gamma rays from two clusters of galaxies

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