Discovery of very high energy gamma-rays associated with an X-ray binary
Abstract
X-ray binaries are composed of a normal star in orbit around a neutron star or stellar-mass black hole. Radio and X-ray observations have led to the presumption that some X-ray binaries called microquasars behave as scaled down active galactic nuclei. Microquasars have resolved radio emission that is thought to arise from a relativistic outflow akin to active galactic nuclei jets, in which particles can be accelerated to large energies. Very high energy gamma-rays produced by the interactions of these particles have been observed from several active galactic nuclei. Using the High Energy Stereoscopic System, we find evidence for gamma-ray emission >100 GeV from a candidate microquasar, LS 5039, showing that particles are also accelerated to very high energies in these systems.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0508298,
title = {Discovery of very high energy gamma-rays associated with an X-ray binary},
author = {H. E. S. S. Collaboration and : and F. Aharonian},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0508298},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
9 pages, 3 figures (including Science Online Material). HESS collaboration homepage at http://www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/hfm/HESS/HESS.html