DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Detection of variable VHE γ -ray emission from the extra-galactic γ -ray binary LMC P3

Journal Article · · Astronomy and Astrophysics
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; « less

Context. Recently, the high-energy (HE, 0.1–100 GeV) γ-ray emission from the object LMC P3 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) has been discovered to be modulated with a 10.3-day period, making it the first extra-galactic γ-ray binary. Aim. This work aims at the detection of very-high-energy (VHE, >100 GeV) γ-ray emission and the search for modulation of the VHE signal with the orbital period of the binary system. Methods. LMC P3 has been observed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.); the acceptance-corrected exposure time is 100 h. The data set has been folded with the known orbital period of the system in order to test for variability of the emission. Results. VHE γ-ray emission is detected with a statistical significance of 6.4 σ. The data clearly show variability which is phase-locked to the orbital period of the system. Periodicity cannot be deduced from the H.E.S.S. data set alone. The orbit-averaged luminosity in the 1–10 TeV energy range is (1.4 ± 0.2) × 1035 erg s-1. A luminosity of (5 ± 1) × 1035 erg s-1 is reached during 20% of the orbit. HE and VHE γ-ray emissions are anti-correlated. In conclucion, LMC P3 is the most luminous γ-ray binary known so far.

Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Contributing Organization:
H.E.S.S. Collaboration
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
1437355
Journal Information:
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Journal Name: Astronomy and Astrophysics Vol. 610; ISSN 0004-6361
Publisher:
EDP SciencesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (40)

A high performance likelihood reconstruction of γ-rays for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes journal December 2009
Deep view of the Large Magellanic Cloud with six years of Fermi -LAT observations journal January 2016
Unraveling the high-energy emission components of gamma-ray binaries journal February 2013
A New Era in Gamma-Ray Astronomy with the Cherenkov Telescope Array journal March 2013
Photon-Photon Absorption of Very High Energy Gamma Rays from Microquasars: Application to LS 5039 journal November 2005
Background Modelling in Very-High-Energy gamma-ray Astronomy text January 2006
3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV gamma-ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039 text January 2006
A new calibration of stellar parameters of Galactic O stars journal June 2005
Discovery of gamma-ray emission from the extragalactic pulsar wind nebula N 157B with H.E.S.S. journal August 2012
Least-squares frequency analysis of unequally spaced data journal February 1976
DEM L241, a Supernova Remnant containing a High-Mass X-ray Binary text January 2012
Background modelling in very-high-energy γ -ray astronomy journal April 2007
Studies in astronomical time series analysis. II - Statistical aspects of spectral analysis of unevenly spaced data journal December 1982
A Soft X-Ray Study of the Large Magellanic Cloud book January 1981
PSR 1259-63 - A binary radio pulsar with a Be star companion journal March 1992
A soft X-ray study of the Large Magellanic Cloud journal September 1981
Dem L241, a Supernova Remnant Containing a High-Mass X-Ray Binary journal October 2012
Pair Production in Photon-Photon Collisions journal March 1967
A Detailed Observation of a LMC Supernova Remnant DEM L241 with XMM-Newton text January 2006
3.9 day orbital modulation in the TeV γ -ray flux and spectrum from the X-ray binary LS 5039 journal September 2006
On the formation of TeV radiation in LS 5039: On the formation of TeV radiation in LS 5039 journal December 2007
Gamma-ray binaries and related systems journal August 2013
Periodic Emission from the Gamma-Ray Binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 journal January 2012
A Luminous Gamma-ray Binary in the Large Magellanic Cloud text January 2016
Gamma-Hadron Separation in Very-High-Energy gamma-ray astronomy using a multivariate analysis method text January 2009
A detailed observation of a LMC supernova remnant DEM L241 with XMM-Newton journal April 2006
γ/hadron separation in very-high-energy γ-ray astronomy using a multivariate analysis method journal June 2009
Periodic Emission from the Gamma-ray Binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 text January 2012
A High-Resolution Radio Study of the W50–SS 433 System and the Surrounding Medium journal October 1998
FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE THIRD SOURCE CATALOG journal June 2015
Discovery of variable VHE gamma-ray emission from the binary system 1FGL J1018.6-5856 text January 2015
A Luminous Gamma-Ray Binary in the Large Magellanic Cloud journal September 2016
Stellar Multiplicity journal August 2013
FERMI /LAT OBSERVATIONS OF LS 5039 journal October 2009
Discovery of a Be/X-ray pulsar binary and associated supernova remnant in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud: A Be/XRB and associated SNR in the SMC Wing journal November 2011
Unraveling the high-energy emission components of gamma-ray binaries text January 2012
Fermi LAT Observations of LS 5039 text January 2009
Discovery of variable VHE γ -ray emission from the binary system 1FGL J1018.6–5856 journal May 2015
Gamma-ray emission from binaries in context journal August 2015
Further spectroscopy of LMC X-ray candidates journal January 1985

Cited By (4)

Overview of non-transient gamma-ray binaries and prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array text January 2019
Overview of non-transient γ -ray binaries and prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array journal November 2019
The orbital parameters of the gamma-ray binary LMC P3† journal January 2019
The orbital parameters of the gamma-ray binary LMC P3 text January 2019