VHE γ-Ray Observation of the Crab Nebula and its Pulsar with the MAGIC Telescope

Albert, J.; Aliu, E.; Anderhub, H.; Antoranz, P.; Armada, A.; Baixeras, C.; Barrio, J. A.; Bartko, H.; Bastieri, D.; Becker, J. K.; Bednarek, W.; Berger, K.; Bigongiari, C.; Biland, A.; Bock, R. K.; Bordas, P.; Bosch-Ramon, V.; Bretz, T.; Britvitch, I.; Camara, M.; Carmona, E.; Chilingarian, A.; Coarasa, J. A.; Commichau, S.; Contreras, J. L.; Cortina, J.; Costado, M. T.; Curtef, V.; Danielyan, V.; Dazzi, F.; De Angelis, A.; Delgado, C.; de los Reyes, R.; De Lotto, B.; Domingo-Santamaría, E.; Dorner, D.; Doro, M.; Errando, M.; Fagiolini, M.; Ferenc, D.; Fernández, E.; Firpo, R.; Flix, J.; Fonseca, M. V.; Font, L.; Fuchs, M.; Galante, N.; García-López, R.; Garczarczyk, M.; Gaug, M.; Giller, M.; Goebel, F.; Hakobyan, D.; Hayashida, M.; Hengstebeck, T.; Herrero, A.; Höhne, D.; Hose, J.; Hsu, C. C.; Jacon, P.; Jogler, T.; Kosyra, R.; Kranich, D.; Kritzer, R.; Laille, A.; Lindfors, E.; Lombardi, S.; Longo, F.; López, J.; López, M.; Lorenz, E.; Majumdar, P.; Maneva, G.; Mannheim, K.; Mansutti, O.; Mariotti, M.; Martínez, M.; Mazin, D.; Merck, C.; Meucci, M.; Meyer, M.; Miranda, J. M.; Mirzoyan, R.; Mizobuchi, S.; Moralejo, A.; Nieto, D.; Nilsson, K.; Ninkovic, J.; Oña-Wilhelmi, E.; Otte, N.; Oya, I.; Paneque, D.; Panniello, M.; Paoletti, R.; Paredes, J. M.; Pasanen, M.; Pascoli, D.; Pauss, F.; Pegna, R.; Persic, M. et al.
Bibliographical reference

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 674, Issue 2, pp. 1037-1055.

Advertised on:
2
2008
Number of authors
142
IAC number of authors
5
Citations
311
Refereed citations
215
Description
We report about very high energy (VHE) γ-ray observations of the Crab Nebula with the MAGIC telescope. The γ-ray flux from the nebula was measured between 60 GeV and 9 TeV. The energy spectrum can be described by a curved power law dF/dE=f0(E/300 GeV)[a+blog10(E/300GeV)] with a flux normalization f0 of (6.0+/-0.2stat)×10-10 cm-2 s-1 TeV-1, a=-2.31+/-0.06stat, and b=-0.26+/-0.07stat. The peak in the spectral energy distribution is estimated at 77+/-35 GeV. Within the observation time and the experimental resolution of the telescope, the γ-ray emission is steady and pointlike. The emission's center of gravity coincides with the position of the pulsar. Pulsed γ-ray emission from the pulsar could not be detected. We constrain the cutoff energy of the pulsed spectrum to be less than 27 GeV, assuming that the differential energy spectrum has an exponential cutoff. For a superexponential shape, the cutoff energy can be as high as 60 GeV.
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Particle Astrophysics
The MAGIC Collaboration is integrated by 20 research institutes and university departments from Armenia, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and USA. The collaboration comprises two 17m diameter telescopes, located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, designed to measure the Cherenkov radiation associated with
Ramón
García López