Discovery of very high energy gamma-rays associated with an X-ray binary

F. Aharonian , A.G. Akhperjanian , K.-M. Aye , A.R. Bazer-Bachi , M. Beilicke , W. Benbow , D. Berge , P. Berghaus (1) , K. Bernlöhr , C. Boisson , O. Bolz , V. Borrel , I. Braun , F. Breitling , A.M. Brown , J. Bussons Gordo (2) , P.M. Chadwick , L.-M. Chounet (3) , R. Cornils , L. Costamante , B. Degrange (3) , H.J. Dickinson , A. Djannati-Ataï (1) , L.O'C. Drury , G. Dubus (3) , D. Emmanoulopoulos , P. Espigat (1) , F. Feinstein (2) , P. Fleury (3) , G. Fontaine (3) , Y. Fuchs , S. Funk , Y.A. Gallant (2) , B. Giebels (3) , S. Gillessen , J.F. Glicenstein , P. Goret , C. Hadjichristidis , M. Hauser , G. Heinzelmann , G. Henri , G. Hermann , J.A. Hinton , W. Hofmann , M. Holleran , D. Horns , A. Jacholkowska (2) , O.C. de Jager , B. Khélifi , Nu. Komin , A. Konopelko , I.J. Latham , R. Le Gallou , A. Lemière (1) , M. Lemoine-Goumard (3) , N. Leroy (3) , T. Lohse , A. Marcowith , J.-M. Martin , O. Martineau-Huynh (4) , C. Masterson , T.J.L. Mccomb , M. de Naurois (4) , S.J. Nolan , A. Noutsos , K.J. Orford , J.L. Osborne , M. Ouchrif (4) , M. Panter , G. Pelletier , S. Pita (1) , G. Pühlhofer , M. Punch (1) , B.C. Raubenheimer , M. Raue , J. Raux (4) , S.M. Rayner , A. Reimer , O. Reimer , J. Ripken , L. Rob , L. Rolland (4) , G. Rowell , V. Sahakian , L. Saugé , S. Schlenker , R. Schlickeiser , C. Schuster , U. Schwanke , M. Siewert , H. Sol , D. Spangler , R. Steenkamp , C. Stegmann , J.-P. Tavernet (4) , R. Terrier (1) , C.G. Théoret (1) , M. Tluczykont , G. Vasileiadis (2) , C. Venter , P. Vincent (4) , H.J. Völk , S.J. Wagner

1 APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
2 LPTA - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Astroparticules
3 LLR - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
4 LPNHE - Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies

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.

Domaines: Cosmologie et astrophysique extra-galactique [astro-ph.CO]; Astrophysique [astro-ph]

F. Aharonian, A.G. Akhperjanian, K.-M. Aye, A.R. Bazer-Bachi, M. Beilicke, et al.. Discovery of very high energy gamma-rays associated with an X-ray binary. Science, 2005, 309, pp.746-749. ⟨in2p3-00024532⟩