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Discovery of a radiation component from the Vela pulsar reaching 20 teraelectronvolts

Gamma-ray observations have established energetic isolated pulsars as outstanding particle accelerators and antimatter factories. However, many questions are still open regarding the acceleration and radiation processes involved, as well as the locations where they occur. The radiation spectra of al...

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Main Authors: Aharonian, Felix A. (Author) , Ait Benkhali, Faical (Author) , Bernlöhr, Konrad (Author) , Ghafourizadeh, Zahra (Author) , Hinton, James Anthony (Author) , Jankowsky, Felix (Author) , Lypova, Iryna (Author) , Marx, Ramin (Author) , Quirrenbach, Andreas (Author) , Rieger, Frank M. (Author) , Wagner, Stefan (Author)
Corporate Author: H.E.S.S. Collaboration (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 5 October 2023
In: Nature astronomy
Year: 2023, Volume: 7, Issue: 11, Pages: 1341-1350
ISSN:2397-3366
DOI:10.1038/s41550-023-02052-3
Online Access:Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02052-3
Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-023-02052-3
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Author Notes:The H.E.S.S. Collaboration et al.*
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Summary:Gamma-ray observations have established energetic isolated pulsars as outstanding particle accelerators and antimatter factories. However, many questions are still open regarding the acceleration and radiation processes involved, as well as the locations where they occur. The radiation spectra of all gamma-ray pulsars observed to date show strong cutoffs or a break above energies of a few gigaelectronvolts. Using the High Energy Stereoscopic System’s Cherenkov telescopes, we discovered a radiation component from the Vela pulsar which emerges beyond this generic cutoff and extends up to energies of at least 20 teraelectronvolts. This is an order of magnitude larger than in the case of the Crab pulsar, the only other pulsar detected in the teraelectronvolt energy range. Our results challenge the state-of-the-art models for the high-energy emission of pulsars. Furthermore, they pave the way for investigating other pulsars through their multiteraelectronvolt emission, thereby imposing additional constraints on the acceleration and emission processes in their extreme energy limit.
Item Description:*The H.E.S.S. Collaboration: F. Aharonian, F. Ait Benkhali, K. Bernlöhr, Z. Ghafourizadeh, J.A. Hinton, F. Jankowsky, I. Lypova, R. Marx, A. Quirrenbach, F. Rieger, S.J. Wagner [und 169 weitere Personen]
Gesehen am 06.08.2024
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:2397-3366
DOI:10.1038/s41550-023-02052-3

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