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

222 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

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10.1086/186263

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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",

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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/pages/publications/0040646953#tab=citedBy

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

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