Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: How transparent is the universe?

J. Albert; E. Aliu; H. Anderhub; L. A. Antonelli; P. Antoranz; M. Backes; C. Baixeras; J. A. Barrio; H. Bartko; D. Bastieri; J. K. Becker; W. Bednarek; K. Berger; E. Bernardini; C. Bigongiari; A. Biland; R. K. Bock; G. Bonnoli; P. Bordas; V. Bosch-Ramon; T. Bretz; I. Britvitch; M. Camara; E. Carmona; A. Chilingarian; S. Commichau; J. L. Contreras; J. Cortina; M. T. Costado; S. Covino; V. Curtef; F. Dazzi; A. De Angelis; E. De Cea Del Pozo; R. De Los Reyes; B. De Lotto; M. De Maria; F. De Sabata; C. Delgado Mendez; A. Dominguez; D. Dorner; M. Doro; M. Errando; M. Fagiolini; D. Ferenc; E. Fernández; R. Firpo; M. V. Fonseca; L. Font; N. Galante; R. J. García López; M. Garczarczyk; M. Gaug; F. Goebel; M. Hayashida; A. Herrero; D. Höhne; J. Hose; C. C. Hsu; S. Huber; T. Jogler; T. M. Kneiske; D. Kranich; A. La Barbera; A. Laille; E. Leonardo; E. Lindfors; S. Lombardi; F. Longo; M. López; E. Lorenz; P. Majumdar; G. Maneva; N. Mankuzhiyil; K. Mannheim; L. Maraschi; M. Mariotti; M. Martínez; D. Mazin; M. Meucci; M. Meyer; J. M. Miranda; R. Mirzoyan; S. Mizobuchi; M. Moles; A. Moralejo; D. Nieto; K. Nilsson; J. Ninkovic; N. Otte; I. Oya; M. Panniello; R. Paoletti; J. M. Paredes; M. Pasanen; D. Pascoli; F. Pauss; R. G. Pegna; M. A. Perez-Torres; M. Persic

doi:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1157087

Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: How transparent is the universe?

J. Albert, E. Aliu, H. Anderhub, L. A. Antonelli, P. Antoranz, M. Backes, C. Baixeras, J. A. Barrio, H. Bartko, D. Bastieri, J. K. Becker, W. Bednarek, K. Berger, E. Bernardini, C. Bigongiari, A. Biland, R. K. Bock, G. Bonnoli, P. Bordas, V. Bosch-RamonT. Bretz, I. Britvitch, M. Camara, E. Carmona, A. Chilingarian, S. Commichau, J. L. Contreras, J. Cortina, M. T. Costado, S. Covino, V. Curtef, F. Dazzi, A. De Angelis, E. De Cea Del Pozo, R. De Los Reyes, B. De Lotto, M. De Maria, F. De Sabata, C. Delgado Mendez, A. Dominguez, D. Dorner, M. Doro, M. Errando, M. Fagiolini, D. Ferenc, E. Fernández, R. Firpo, M. V. Fonseca, L. Font, N. Galante, R. J. García López, M. Garczarczyk, M. Gaug, F. Goebel, M. Hayashida, A. Herrero, D. Höhne, J. Hose, C. C. Hsu, S. Huber, T. Jogler, T. M. Kneiske, D. Kranich, A. La Barbera, A. Laille, E. Leonardo, E. Lindfors, S. Lombardi, F. Longo, M. López, E. Lorenz, P. Majumdar, G. Maneva, N. Mankuzhiyil, K. Mannheim, L. Maraschi, M. Mariotti, M. Martínez, D. Mazin, M. Meucci, M. Meyer, J. M. Miranda, R. Mirzoyan, S. Mizobuchi, M. Moles, A. Moralejo, D. Nieto, K. Nilsson, J. Ninkovic, N. Otte, I. Oya, M. Panniello, R. Paoletti, J. M. Paredes, M. Pasanen, D. Pascoli, F. Pauss, R. G. Pegna, M. A. Perez-Torres, M. Persic

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

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Abstract

The atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope MAGIC, designed for a low-energy threshold, has detected very-high-energy gamma rays from a giant flare of the distant Quasi-Stellar Radio Source (in short: radio quasar) 3C 279, at a distance of more than 5 billion light-years (a redshift of 0.536). No quasar has been observed previously in very-high-energy gamma radiation, and this is also the most distant object detected emitting gamma rays above 50 gigaelectron volts. Because high-energy gamma rays may be stopped by interacting with the diffuse background light in the universe, the observations by MAGIC imply a low amount for such light, consistent with that known from galaxy counts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1752-1754
Journal	Science
Volume	320
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1157087
Publication status	Published - 27 Jun 2008

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https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1157087

Cite this

Albert, J., Aliu, E., Anderhub, H., Antonelli, L. A., Antoranz, P., Backes, M., Baixeras, C., Barrio, J. A., Bartko, H., Bastieri, D., Becker, J. K., Bednarek, W., Berger, K., Bernardini, E., Bigongiari, C., Biland, A., Bock, R. K., Bonnoli, G., Bordas, P., ... Persic, M. (2008). Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: How transparent is the universe? Science, 320, 1752-1754. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1157087

@article{affa20ea99384c0394ba120ce0a841fd,

title = "Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: How transparent is the universe?",

abstract = "The atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope MAGIC, designed for a low-energy threshold, has detected very-high-energy gamma rays from a giant flare of the distant Quasi-Stellar Radio Source (in short: radio quasar) 3C 279, at a distance of more than 5 billion light-years (a redshift of 0.536). No quasar has been observed previously in very-high-energy gamma radiation, and this is also the most distant object detected emitting gamma rays above 50 gigaelectron volts. Because high-energy gamma rays may be stopped by interacting with the diffuse background light in the universe, the observations by MAGIC imply a low amount for such light, consistent with that known from galaxy counts.",

author = "J. Albert and E. Aliu and H. Anderhub and Antonelli, {L. A.} and P. Antoranz and M. Backes and C. Baixeras and Barrio, {J. A.} and H. Bartko and D. Bastieri and Becker, {J. K.} and W. Bednarek and K. Berger and E. Bernardini and C. Bigongiari and A. Biland and Bock, {R. K.} and G. Bonnoli and P. Bordas and V. Bosch-Ramon and T. Bretz and I. Britvitch and M. Camara and E. Carmona and A. Chilingarian and S. Commichau and Contreras, {J. L.} and J. Cortina and Costado, {M. T.} and S. Covino and V. Curtef and F. Dazzi and {De Angelis}, A. and {De Cea Del Pozo}, E. and {De Los Reyes}, R. and {De Lotto}, B. and {De Maria}, M. and {De Sabata}, F. and {Delgado Mendez}, C. and A. Dominguez and D. Dorner and M. Doro and M. Errando and M. Fagiolini and D. Ferenc and E. Fern{\'a}ndez and R. Firpo and Fonseca, {M. V.} and L. Font and N. Galante and {Garc{\'i}a L{\'o}pez}, {R. J.} and M. Garczarczyk and M. Gaug and F. Goebel and M. Hayashida and A. Herrero and D. H{\"o}hne and J. Hose and Hsu, {C. C.} and S. Huber and T. Jogler and Kneiske, {T. M.} and D. Kranich and {La Barbera}, A. and A. Laille and E. Leonardo and E. Lindfors and S. Lombardi and F. Longo and M. L{\'o}pez and E. Lorenz and P. Majumdar and G. Maneva and N. Mankuzhiyil and K. Mannheim and L. Maraschi and M. Mariotti and M. Mart{\'i}nez and D. Mazin and M. Meucci and M. Meyer and Miranda, {J. M.} and R. Mirzoyan and S. Mizobuchi and M. Moles and A. Moralejo and D. Nieto and K. Nilsson and J. Ninkovic and N. Otte and I. Oya and M. Panniello and R. Paoletti and Paredes, {J. M.} and M. Pasanen and D. Pascoli and F. Pauss and Pegna, {R. G.} and Perez-Torres, {M. A.} and M. Persic",

year = "2008",

month = jun,

day = "27",

doi = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1157087",

language = "English",

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pages = "1752--1754",

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Albert, J, Aliu, E, Anderhub, H, Antonelli, LA, Antoranz, P, Backes, M, Baixeras, C, Barrio, JA, Bartko, H, Bastieri, D, Becker, JK, Bednarek, W, Berger, K, Bernardini, E, Bigongiari, C, Biland, A, Bock, RK, Bonnoli, G, Bordas, P, Bosch-Ramon, V, Bretz, T, Britvitch, I, Camara, M, Carmona, E, Chilingarian, A, Commichau, S, Contreras, JL, Cortina, J, Costado, MT, Covino, S, Curtef, V, Dazzi, F, De Angelis, A, De Cea Del Pozo, E, De Los Reyes, R, De Lotto, B, De Maria, M, De Sabata, F, Delgado Mendez, C, Dominguez, A, Dorner, D, Doro, M, Errando, M, Fagiolini, M, Ferenc, D, Fernández, E, Firpo, R, Fonseca, MV, Font, L, Galante, N, García López, RJ, Garczarczyk, M, Gaug, M, Goebel, F, Hayashida, M, Herrero, A, Höhne, D, Hose, J, Hsu, CC, Huber, S, Jogler, T, Kneiske, TM, Kranich, D, La Barbera, A, Laille, A, Leonardo, E, Lindfors, E, Lombardi, S, Longo, F, López, M, Lorenz, E, Majumdar, P, Maneva, G, Mankuzhiyil, N, Mannheim, K, Maraschi, L, Mariotti, M, Martínez, M, Mazin, D, Meucci, M, Meyer, M, Miranda, JM, Mirzoyan, R, Mizobuchi, S, Moles, M, Moralejo, A, Nieto, D, Nilsson, K, Ninkovic, J, Otte, N, Oya, I, Panniello, M, Paoletti, R, Paredes, JM, Pasanen, M, Pascoli, D, Pauss, F, Pegna, RG, Perez-Torres, MA & Persic, M 2008, 'Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: How transparent is the universe?', Science, vol. 320, pp. 1752-1754. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1157087