TeV gamma-ray survey of the northern hemisphere sky using the Milagro observatory

R. Atkins; W. Benbow; D. Berley; E. Blaufuss; J. Bussons; D. G. Coyne; T. DeYoung; B. L. Dingus; D. E. Dorfan; R. W. Ellsworth; L. Fleysher; R. Fleysher; G. Gisler; M. M. Gonzalez; J. A. Goodman; T. J. Haines; E. Hays; C. M. Hoffman; L. A. Kelley; C. P. Lansdell; J. T. Linnemann; J. E. McEnery; R. S. Miller; A. I. Mincer; M. F. Morales; P. Nemethy; D. Noyes; J. M. Ryan; F. W. Samuelson; A. Shoup; G. Sinnis; A. J. Smith; G. W. Sullivan; D. A. Williams; S. Westerhoff; M. E. Wilson; X. W. Xu; G. B. Yodh

doi:10.1086/420880

TeV gamma-ray survey of the northern hemisphere sky using the Milagro observatory

R. Atkins, W. Benbow, D. Berley, E. Blaufuss, J. Bussons, D. G. Coyne, T. DeYoung, B. L. Dingus, D. E. Dorfan, R. W. Ellsworth, L. Fleysher, R. Fleysher, G. Gisler, M. M. Gonzalez, J. A. Goodman, T. J. Haines, E. Hays, C. M. Hoffman, L. A. Kelley, C. P. LansdellJ. T. Linnemann, J. E. McEnery, R. S. Miller, A. I. Mincer, M. F. Morales, P. Nemethy, D. Noyes, J. M. Ryan, F. W. Samuelson, A. Shoup, G. Sinnis, A. J. Smith, G. W. Sullivan, D. A. Williams, S. Westerhoff, M. E. Wilson, X. W. Xu, G. B. Yodh

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

102 Scopus citations

Abstract

Milagro is a water Cerenkov extensive air shower array that continuously monitors the entire overhead sky in the TeV energy band. The results from an analysis of ∼3 yr of data (2000 December-2003 November) are presented. The data have been searched for steady point sources of TeV gamma rays between declinations of 1°.1 and 80°. Two sources are detected, the Crab Nebula and the active galaxy Mrk 421. For the remainder of the northern hemisphere, we set 95% confidence level (CL) upper limits between 275 and 600 mcrab (4.8 × 10^-12 to 10.5 × 10^-12 cm^-2 s ^-1) above 1 TeV for source declinations between 5° and 70°. Since the sensitivity of Milagro depends on the spectrum of the source at the top of the atmosphere, the dependence of the limits on the spectrum of a candidate source is presented. Because high-energy gamma rays from extragalactic sources are absorbed by interactions with the extragalactic background light, the dependence of the flux limits on the redshift of a candidate source are given. The upper limits presented here are over an order of magnitude more stringent than previously published limits from TeV gamma-ray all-sky surveys.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	680-685
Number of pages	6
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	608
Issue number	2 I
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/420880
State	Published - Jun 20 2004
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Galaxies: active
Gamma rays: observations
Surveys

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1086/420880

Cite this

Atkins, R., Benbow, W., Berley, D., Blaufuss, E., Bussons, J., Coyne, D. G., DeYoung, T., Dingus, B. L., Dorfan, D. E., Ellsworth, R. W., Fleysher, L., Fleysher, R., Gisler, G., Gonzalez, M. M., Goodman, J. A., Haines, T. J., Hays, E., Hoffman, C. M., Kelley, L. A., ... Yodh, G. B. (2004). TeV gamma-ray survey of the northern hemisphere sky using the Milagro observatory. Astrophysical Journal, 608(2 I), 680-685. https://doi.org/10.1086/420880

Atkins, R, Benbow, W, Berley, D, Blaufuss, E, Bussons, J, Coyne, DG, DeYoung, T, Dingus, BL, Dorfan, DE, Ellsworth, RW, Fleysher, L, Fleysher, R, Gisler, G, Gonzalez, MM, Goodman, JA, Haines, TJ, Hays, E, Hoffman, CM, Kelley, LA, Lansdell, CP, Linnemann, JT, McEnery, JE, Miller, RS, Mincer, AI, Morales, MF, Nemethy, P, Noyes, D, Ryan, JM, Samuelson, FW, Shoup, A, Sinnis, G, Smith, AJ, Sullivan, GW, Williams, DA, Westerhoff, S, Wilson, ME, Xu, XW & Yodh, GB 2004, 'TeV gamma-ray survey of the northern hemisphere sky using the Milagro observatory', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 608, no. 2 I, pp. 680-685. https://doi.org/10.1086/420880

@article{886a822c96fc4f72908a3aeb25b3dbf1,

title = "TeV gamma-ray survey of the northern hemisphere sky using the Milagro observatory",

abstract = "Milagro is a water Cerenkov extensive air shower array that continuously monitors the entire overhead sky in the TeV energy band. The results from an analysis of ∼3 yr of data (2000 December-2003 November) are presented. The data have been searched for steady point sources of TeV gamma rays between declinations of 1°.1 and 80°. Two sources are detected, the Crab Nebula and the active galaxy Mrk 421. For the remainder of the northern hemisphere, we set 95% confidence level (CL) upper limits between 275 and 600 mcrab (4.8 × 10-12 to 10.5 × 10-12 cm-2 s -1) above 1 TeV for source declinations between 5° and 70°. Since the sensitivity of Milagro depends on the spectrum of the source at the top of the atmosphere, the dependence of the limits on the spectrum of a candidate source is presented. Because high-energy gamma rays from extragalactic sources are absorbed by interactions with the extragalactic background light, the dependence of the flux limits on the redshift of a candidate source are given. The upper limits presented here are over an order of magnitude more stringent than previously published limits from TeV gamma-ray all-sky surveys.",

keywords = "Galaxies: active, Gamma rays: observations, Surveys",

author = "R. Atkins and W. Benbow and D. Berley and E. Blaufuss and J. Bussons and Coyne, {D. G.} and T. DeYoung and Dingus, {B. L.} and Dorfan, {D. E.} and Ellsworth, {R. W.} and L. Fleysher and R. Fleysher and G. Gisler and Gonzalez, {M. M.} and Goodman, {J. A.} and Haines, {T. J.} and E. Hays and Hoffman, {C. M.} and Kelley, {L. A.} and Lansdell, {C. P.} and Linnemann, {J. T.} and McEnery, {J. E.} and Miller, {R. S.} and Mincer, {A. I.} and Morales, {M. F.} and P. Nemethy and D. Noyes and Ryan, {J. M.} and Samuelson, {F. W.} and A. Shoup and G. Sinnis and Smith, {A. J.} and Sullivan, {G. W.} and Williams, {D. A.} and S. Westerhoff and Wilson, {M. E.} and Xu, {X. W.} and Yodh, {G. B.}",

year = "2004",

month = jun,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1086/420880",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "608",

pages = "680--685",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2 I",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - TeV gamma-ray survey of the northern hemisphere sky using the Milagro observatory

AU - Atkins, R.

AU - Benbow, W.

AU - Berley, D.

AU - Blaufuss, E.

AU - Bussons, J.

AU - Coyne, D. G.

AU - DeYoung, T.

AU - Dingus, B. L.

AU - Dorfan, D. E.

AU - Ellsworth, R. W.

AU - Fleysher, L.

AU - Fleysher, R.

AU - Gisler, G.

AU - Gonzalez, M. M.

AU - Goodman, J. A.

AU - Haines, T. J.

AU - Hays, E.

AU - Hoffman, C. M.

AU - Kelley, L. A.

AU - Lansdell, C. P.

AU - Linnemann, J. T.

AU - McEnery, J. E.

AU - Miller, R. S.

AU - Mincer, A. I.

AU - Morales, M. F.

AU - Nemethy, P.

AU - Noyes, D.

AU - Ryan, J. M.

AU - Samuelson, F. W.

AU - Shoup, A.

AU - Sinnis, G.

AU - Smith, A. J.

AU - Sullivan, G. W.

AU - Williams, D. A.

AU - Westerhoff, S.

AU - Wilson, M. E.

AU - Xu, X. W.

AU - Yodh, G. B.

PY - 2004/6/20

Y1 - 2004/6/20

N2 - Milagro is a water Cerenkov extensive air shower array that continuously monitors the entire overhead sky in the TeV energy band. The results from an analysis of ∼3 yr of data (2000 December-2003 November) are presented. The data have been searched for steady point sources of TeV gamma rays between declinations of 1°.1 and 80°. Two sources are detected, the Crab Nebula and the active galaxy Mrk 421. For the remainder of the northern hemisphere, we set 95% confidence level (CL) upper limits between 275 and 600 mcrab (4.8 × 10-12 to 10.5 × 10-12 cm-2 s -1) above 1 TeV for source declinations between 5° and 70°. Since the sensitivity of Milagro depends on the spectrum of the source at the top of the atmosphere, the dependence of the limits on the spectrum of a candidate source is presented. Because high-energy gamma rays from extragalactic sources are absorbed by interactions with the extragalactic background light, the dependence of the flux limits on the redshift of a candidate source are given. The upper limits presented here are over an order of magnitude more stringent than previously published limits from TeV gamma-ray all-sky surveys.

AB - Milagro is a water Cerenkov extensive air shower array that continuously monitors the entire overhead sky in the TeV energy band. The results from an analysis of ∼3 yr of data (2000 December-2003 November) are presented. The data have been searched for steady point sources of TeV gamma rays between declinations of 1°.1 and 80°. Two sources are detected, the Crab Nebula and the active galaxy Mrk 421. For the remainder of the northern hemisphere, we set 95% confidence level (CL) upper limits between 275 and 600 mcrab (4.8 × 10-12 to 10.5 × 10-12 cm-2 s -1) above 1 TeV for source declinations between 5° and 70°. Since the sensitivity of Milagro depends on the spectrum of the source at the top of the atmosphere, the dependence of the limits on the spectrum of a candidate source is presented. Because high-energy gamma rays from extragalactic sources are absorbed by interactions with the extragalactic background light, the dependence of the flux limits on the redshift of a candidate source are given. The upper limits presented here are over an order of magnitude more stringent than previously published limits from TeV gamma-ray all-sky surveys.

KW - Galaxies: active

KW - Gamma rays: observations

KW - Surveys

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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=3142752137&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1086/420880

DO - 10.1086/420880

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:3142752137

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 608

SP - 680

EP - 685

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 I

ER -

TeV gamma-ray survey of the northern hemisphere sky using the Milagro observatory

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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