Gamma-Ray Flares from the Crab Nebula

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Abstract

A young and energetic pulsar powers the well-known Crab Nebula. Here, we describe two separate gamma-ray (photon energy greater than 100 mega-electron volts) flares from this source detected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The first flare occurred in February 2009 and lasted approximately 16 days. The second flare was detected in September 2010 and lasted approximately 4 days. During these outbursts, the gamma-ray flux from the nebula increased by factors of four and six, respectively. The brevity of the flares implies that the gamma rays were emitted via synchrotron radiation from peta-electron-volt (10(15) electron volts) electrons in a region smaller than 1.4 x 10(-2) parsecs. These are the highest-energy particles that can be associated with a discrete astronomical source, and they pose challenges to particle acceleration theory.

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  • Abdo AA , Ackermann M , Ajello M , Allafort A , Baldini L , Ballet J , Barbiellini G , Bastieri D , Bechtol K , Bellazzini R , Berenji B , Blandford RD , Bloom ED , Bonamente E , Borgland AW , Bouvier A , Brandt TJ , Bregeon J , Brez A , Brigida M , Bruel P , Buehler R , Buson S , Caliandro GA , Cameron RA , Cannon A , Caraveo PA , Casandjian JM , Celik O , Charles E , Chekhtman A , Cheung CC , Chiang J , Ciprini S , Claus R , Cohen-Tanugi J , Costamante L , Cutini S , D'Ammando F , Dermer CD , de Angelis A , de Luca A , de Palma F , Digel SW , Silva EDE , Drell PS , Drlica-Wagner A , Dubois R , Dumora D , Favuzzi C , Fegan SJ , Ferrara EC , Focke WB , Fortin P , Frailis M , Fukazawa Y , Funk S , Fusco P , Gargano F , Gasparrini D , Gehrels N , Germani S , Giglietto N , Giordano F , Giroletti M , Glanzman T , Godfrey G , Grenier IA , Grondin MH , Grove JE , Guiriec S , Hadasch D , Hanabata Y , Harding AK , Hayashi K , Hayashida M , Hays E , Horan D , Itoh R , Johannesson G , Johnson AS , Johnson TJ , Khangulyan D , Kamae T , Katagiri H , Kataoka J , Kerr M , Knodlseder J , Kuss M , Lande J , Latronico L , Lee SH , Lemoine-Goumard M , Longo F , Loparco F , Lubrano P , Madejski GM , Makeev A , Marelli M , Mazziotta MN , McEnery JE , Michelson PF , Mitthumsiri W , Mizuno T , Moiseev AA , Monte C , Monzani ME , Morselli A , Moskalenko IV , Murgia S , Nakamori T , Naumann-Godo M , Nolan PL , Norris JP , Nuss E , Ohsugi T , Okumura A , Omodei N , Ormes JF , Ozaki M , Paneque D , Parent D , Pelassa V , Pepe M , Pesce-Rollins M , Pierbattista M , Piron F , Porter TA , Raino S , Rando R , Ray PS , Razzano M , Reimer A , Reimer O , Reposeur T , Ritz S , Romani RW , Sadrozinski HFW , Sanchez D , Parkinson PMS , Scargle JD , Schalk TL , Sgro C , Siskind EJ , Smith PD , Spandre G , Spinelli P , Strickman MS , Suson DJ , Takahashi H , Takahashi T , Tanaka T , Thayer JB , Thompson DJ , Tibaldo L , Torres DF , Tosti G , Tramacere A , Troja E , Uchiyama Y , Vandenbroucke J , Vasileiou V , Vianello G , Vitale V , Wang P , Wood KS , Yang Z , Ziegler M

Titolo volume/Rivista

SCIENCE

Anno di pubblicazione

2011

ISSN

0036-8075

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Scopus

200

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

2017-04-22 03:20:59

Settori ERC

Non Disponibile

Codici ASJC

Non Disponibile