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Title: THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT FROM THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATTENUATION OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SPECTRUM

Abstract

The attenuation of high-energy gamma-ray spectrum due to the electron-positron pair production against the extragalactic background light (EBL) provides an indirect method to measure the EBL of the universe. We use the measurements of the absorption features of the gamma-rays from blazars as seen by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to explore the EBL flux density and constrain the EBL spectrum, star formation rate density (SFRD), and photon escape fraction from galaxies out to z = 6. Our results are basically consistent with the existing determinations of the quantities. We find a larger photon escape fraction at high redshifts, especially at z = 3, compared to the result from recent Ly{alpha} measurements. Our SFRD result is consistent with the data from both gamma-ray burst and ultraviolet (UV) observations in the 1{sigma} level. However, the average SFRD we obtain at z {approx}> 3 matches the gamma-ray data better than the UV data. Thus our SFRD result at z {approx}> 6 favors the fact that star formation alone is sufficiently high enough to reionize the universe.

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22140340
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 772; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABSORPTION; ATTENUATION; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS; DENSITY; ELECTRONS; FLUX DENSITY; GALAXIES; GAMMA SPECTRA; PAIR PRODUCTION; PHOTONS; POSITRONS; RED SHIFT; STARS; TELESCOPES; ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION; UNIVERSE

Citation Formats

Yan, Gong, and Cooray, Asantha. THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT FROM THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATTENUATION OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SPECTRUM. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/772/1/L12.
Yan, Gong, & Cooray, Asantha. THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT FROM THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATTENUATION OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SPECTRUM. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/772/1/L12
Yan, Gong, and Cooray, Asantha. 2013. "THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT FROM THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATTENUATION OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SPECTRUM". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/772/1/L12.
@article{osti_22140340,
title = {THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT FROM THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATTENUATION OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SPECTRUM},
author = {Yan, Gong and Cooray, Asantha},
abstractNote = {The attenuation of high-energy gamma-ray spectrum due to the electron-positron pair production against the extragalactic background light (EBL) provides an indirect method to measure the EBL of the universe. We use the measurements of the absorption features of the gamma-rays from blazars as seen by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to explore the EBL flux density and constrain the EBL spectrum, star formation rate density (SFRD), and photon escape fraction from galaxies out to z = 6. Our results are basically consistent with the existing determinations of the quantities. We find a larger photon escape fraction at high redshifts, especially at z = 3, compared to the result from recent Ly{alpha} measurements. Our SFRD result is consistent with the data from both gamma-ray burst and ultraviolet (UV) observations in the 1{sigma} level. However, the average SFRD we obtain at z {approx}> 3 matches the gamma-ray data better than the UV data. Thus our SFRD result at z {approx}> 6 favors the fact that star formation alone is sufficiently high enough to reionize the universe.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/772/1/L12},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22140340}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 1,
volume = 772,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Sat Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}