Detection of high-energy gamma radiation from quasar 3C 279 by the Egret telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

R. C. Hartman; D. L. Bertsch; C. E. Fichtel; S. D. Hunter; G. Kanbach; D. A. Kniffen; P. W. Kwok; Y. C. Lin; J. R. Mattox; H. A. Mayer-Hasselwander; P. F. Michelson; C. Von Montigny; H. I. Nel; P. L. Nolan; K. Pinkau; H. Rothermel; E. Schneid; M. Sommer; P. Sreekumar; D. J. Thompson

doi:10.1086/186263

Detection of high-energy gamma radiation from quasar 3C 279 by the Egret telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

R. C. Hartman^*, D. L. Bertsch, C. E. Fichtel, S. D. Hunter, G. Kanbach, D. A. Kniffen, P. W. Kwok, Y. C. Lin, J. R. Mattox, H. A. Mayer-Hasselwander, P. F. Michelson, C. Von Montigny, H. I. Nel, P. L. Nolan, K. Pinkau, H. Rothermel, E. Schneid, M. Sommer, P. Sreekumar, D. J. Thompson

^*Corresponding author for this work

Manipal Centre for Natural Sciences, Manipal

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

221 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Intense gamma radiation has been observed from the direction of the quasar 3C 279 throughout the energy range from 30 MeV to over 5 GeV by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) during the period 1991 June 15-28. Its spectrum is well represented by a photon differential power-law exponent of 2.0 ± 0.1, with a photon intensity above 100 MeV of (2.8 ± 0.4) × 10^-6 cm^-2 s^-1. 3C 279 was not detected by either of the earlier high-energy gamma-ray telescopes SAS 2 or COS B. For E > 100 MeV, the 2 σ upper limits were 1.0 × 10^-6 cm^-2 s^-1 in 1973 from the SAS 2 observations and 0.3 × 10^-6 cm^-2 s^-1 for the combined 1976, 1978, and 1980 COS B observations. Hence, there has been a large increase in high-energy gamma-ray intensity relative to the earlier times, as there has been in the radio, infrared, optical, and X-ray ranges. This source is the most distant and by far the most luminous gamma-ray source yet detected.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	L1-L4
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	385
Issue number	1 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/186263
Publication status	Published - 20-01-1992

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1086/186263

Cite this

Hartman, R. C., Bertsch, D. L., Fichtel, C. E., Hunter, S. D., Kanbach, G., Kniffen, D. A., Kwok, P. W., Lin, Y. C., Mattox, J. R., Mayer-Hasselwander, H. A., Michelson, P. F., Von Montigny, C., Nel, H. I., Nolan, P. L., Pinkau, K., Rothermel, H., Schneid, E., Sommer, M., Sreekumar, P., & Thompson, D. J. (1992). Detection of high-energy gamma radiation from quasar 3C 279 by the Egret telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Astrophysical Journal, 385(1 PART 2), L1-L4. https://doi.org/10.1086/186263

@article{97eb88ef627648be91ba6afaf44a2c07,

title = "Detection of high-energy gamma radiation from quasar 3C 279 by the Egret telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory",

abstract = "Intense gamma radiation has been observed from the direction of the quasar 3C 279 throughout the energy range from 30 MeV to over 5 GeV by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) during the period 1991 June 15-28. Its spectrum is well represented by a photon differential power-law exponent of 2.0 ± 0.1, with a photon intensity above 100 MeV of (2.8 ± 0.4) × 10-6 cm-2 s-1. 3C 279 was not detected by either of the earlier high-energy gamma-ray telescopes SAS 2 or COS B. For E > 100 MeV, the 2 σ upper limits were 1.0 × 10-6 cm-2 s-1 in 1973 from the SAS 2 observations and 0.3 × 10-6 cm-2 s-1 for the combined 1976, 1978, and 1980 COS B observations. Hence, there has been a large increase in high-energy gamma-ray intensity relative to the earlier times, as there has been in the radio, infrared, optical, and X-ray ranges. This source is the most distant and by far the most luminous gamma-ray source yet detected.",

author = "Hartman, \{R. C.\} and Bertsch, \{D. L.\} and Fichtel, \{C. E.\} and Hunter, \{S. D.\} and G. Kanbach and Kniffen, \{D. A.\} and Kwok, \{P. W.\} and Lin, \{Y. C.\} and Mattox, \{J. R.\} and Mayer-Hasselwander, \{H. A.\} and Michelson, \{P. F.\} and \{Von Montigny\}, C. and Nel, \{H. I.\} and Nolan, \{P. L.\} and K. Pinkau and H. Rothermel and E. Schneid and M. Sommer and P. Sreekumar and Thompson, \{D. J.\}",

year = "1992",

month = jan,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1086/186263",

language = "English",

volume = "385",

pages = "L1--L4",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "1 PART 2",

}

Hartman, RC, Bertsch, DL, Fichtel, CE, Hunter, SD, Kanbach, G, Kniffen, DA, Kwok, PW, Lin, YC, Mattox, JR, Mayer-Hasselwander, HA, Michelson, PF, Von Montigny, C, Nel, HI, Nolan, PL, Pinkau, K, Rothermel, H, Schneid, E, Sommer, M, Sreekumar, P & Thompson, DJ 1992, 'Detection of high-energy gamma radiation from quasar 3C 279 by the Egret telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 385, no. 1 PART 2, pp. L1-L4. https://doi.org/10.1086/186263

TY - JOUR

T1 - Detection of high-energy gamma radiation from quasar 3C 279 by the Egret telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

AU - Hartman, R. C.

AU - Bertsch, D. L.

AU - Fichtel, C. E.

AU - Hunter, S. D.

AU - Kanbach, G.

AU - Kniffen, D. A.

AU - Kwok, P. W.

AU - Lin, Y. C.

AU - Mattox, J. R.

AU - Mayer-Hasselwander, H. A.

AU - Michelson, P. F.

AU - Von Montigny, C.

AU - Nel, H. I.

AU - Nolan, P. L.

AU - Pinkau, K.

AU - Rothermel, H.

AU - Schneid, E.

AU - Sommer, M.

AU - Sreekumar, P.

AU - Thompson, D. J.

PY - 1992/1/20

Y1 - 1992/1/20

N2 - Intense gamma radiation has been observed from the direction of the quasar 3C 279 throughout the energy range from 30 MeV to over 5 GeV by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) during the period 1991 June 15-28. Its spectrum is well represented by a photon differential power-law exponent of 2.0 ± 0.1, with a photon intensity above 100 MeV of (2.8 ± 0.4) × 10-6 cm-2 s-1. 3C 279 was not detected by either of the earlier high-energy gamma-ray telescopes SAS 2 or COS B. For E > 100 MeV, the 2 σ upper limits were 1.0 × 10-6 cm-2 s-1 in 1973 from the SAS 2 observations and 0.3 × 10-6 cm-2 s-1 for the combined 1976, 1978, and 1980 COS B observations. Hence, there has been a large increase in high-energy gamma-ray intensity relative to the earlier times, as there has been in the radio, infrared, optical, and X-ray ranges. This source is the most distant and by far the most luminous gamma-ray source yet detected.

AB - Intense gamma radiation has been observed from the direction of the quasar 3C 279 throughout the energy range from 30 MeV to over 5 GeV by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) during the period 1991 June 15-28. Its spectrum is well represented by a photon differential power-law exponent of 2.0 ± 0.1, with a photon intensity above 100 MeV of (2.8 ± 0.4) × 10-6 cm-2 s-1. 3C 279 was not detected by either of the earlier high-energy gamma-ray telescopes SAS 2 or COS B. For E > 100 MeV, the 2 σ upper limits were 1.0 × 10-6 cm-2 s-1 in 1973 from the SAS 2 observations and 0.3 × 10-6 cm-2 s-1 for the combined 1976, 1978, and 1980 COS B observations. Hence, there has been a large increase in high-energy gamma-ray intensity relative to the earlier times, as there has been in the radio, infrared, optical, and X-ray ranges. This source is the most distant and by far the most luminous gamma-ray source yet detected.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0040646953

UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0040646953&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1086/186263

DO - 10.1086/186263

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0040646953

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 385

SP - L1-L4

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1 PART 2

ER -

Detection of high-energy gamma radiation from quasar 3C 279 by the Egret telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this