Andrew Yee
August 24th 05, 04:22 AM
Press and Public Relations Department
Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science
Hofgartenstrasse 8
D-80539 Munich
Germany
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Masahiro Teshima
Max Planck Institute of Physics, Munich
Tel.: +49 89 32354-301
Fax: +49 89 32354-526
Dr. Razmick Mirzoyan
Max Planck Institute of Physics, Munich
Tel.: +49 89 32354-328
Fax: +49 89 32354-526
August 23, 2005
SP / 2005 (32)
Tracking the Riddle of Cosmic Gamma Rays
First simultaneous observation of a gamma-ray burst in the X-ray and in
the very high energy gamma ray band
For the first time a gamma-ray burst (GRB) has been observed
simultaneously in the X-ray and in the very high energy gamma ray band.
The MAGIC telescope at La Palma, Canary Islands, observed the enigmatic
source GRB050713A, a long duration gamma-ray burst, only 40 seconds after
the explosion, at photon energies above 175 GeV.
The puzzling nature of gamma-ray bursts is still not fully understood.
Sometimes, GRBs are accompanied by photons 10 billion times more energetic
than visible light, lasting typically less than a few tens of seconds.
They are among the most distant and luminous sources in the Universe.
The capability of rapid tracking of the MAGIC telescope allowed the
operators to start observing the source 20 seconds after the alert was
given by the Swift satellite, which is in the Gamma ray bursts Coordinates
Network, when the burst was still active in the X-ray range.
The first look at the MAGIC data did not reveal strong gamma ray emissions
above 175GeV. The flux limit derived at very high energies by MAGIC is
extremely low, 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the extrapolation from
lower energies. A detailed analysis is in progress. The upper limit for
the flux of energetic gamma rays is consistent with the expected flux of a
GRB at high red-shift, strongly attenuated by cosmological pair
production. These observations were reported at the 29th International
Cosmic Ray Conference which was held on August 3-10 in Pune, India
With its 240 square meters surface, MAGIC is the largest telescope in the
world dedicated to the detection of gamma rays. It is managed by a
collaboration of 17 institutes from Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland,
Finland, USA, Poland, Bulgaria and Armenia. The Gamma ray bursts
Coordinates Network, managed by NASA, can distribute locations of GRBs
detected by spacecrafts (Swift, Hete, Integral, Ipn, etc.) and reports of
follow-up observations made by ground-based and space-based optical,
radio, and x-ray observers.
Related links:
[1] The MAGIC Telescope Website,
http://magic.mppmu.mpg.de/
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.mpg.de/bilderBerichteDokumente/multimedial/bilderWissenschaft/2005/08/Teshima0501/Web_Zoom.jpeg
(208KB)]
MAGIC, the "Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov" Telescope. The
MAGIC telescope reflector has as diameter of 17 metres and is the largest
telescope in the world dedicated to the detection of gamma rays from
distant galaxies and exploding stars.
Image: Robert Wagner, Max Planck Institute for Physics
Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science
Hofgartenstrasse 8
D-80539 Munich
Germany
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Masahiro Teshima
Max Planck Institute of Physics, Munich
Tel.: +49 89 32354-301
Fax: +49 89 32354-526
Dr. Razmick Mirzoyan
Max Planck Institute of Physics, Munich
Tel.: +49 89 32354-328
Fax: +49 89 32354-526
August 23, 2005
SP / 2005 (32)
Tracking the Riddle of Cosmic Gamma Rays
First simultaneous observation of a gamma-ray burst in the X-ray and in
the very high energy gamma ray band
For the first time a gamma-ray burst (GRB) has been observed
simultaneously in the X-ray and in the very high energy gamma ray band.
The MAGIC telescope at La Palma, Canary Islands, observed the enigmatic
source GRB050713A, a long duration gamma-ray burst, only 40 seconds after
the explosion, at photon energies above 175 GeV.
The puzzling nature of gamma-ray bursts is still not fully understood.
Sometimes, GRBs are accompanied by photons 10 billion times more energetic
than visible light, lasting typically less than a few tens of seconds.
They are among the most distant and luminous sources in the Universe.
The capability of rapid tracking of the MAGIC telescope allowed the
operators to start observing the source 20 seconds after the alert was
given by the Swift satellite, which is in the Gamma ray bursts Coordinates
Network, when the burst was still active in the X-ray range.
The first look at the MAGIC data did not reveal strong gamma ray emissions
above 175GeV. The flux limit derived at very high energies by MAGIC is
extremely low, 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the extrapolation from
lower energies. A detailed analysis is in progress. The upper limit for
the flux of energetic gamma rays is consistent with the expected flux of a
GRB at high red-shift, strongly attenuated by cosmological pair
production. These observations were reported at the 29th International
Cosmic Ray Conference which was held on August 3-10 in Pune, India
With its 240 square meters surface, MAGIC is the largest telescope in the
world dedicated to the detection of gamma rays. It is managed by a
collaboration of 17 institutes from Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland,
Finland, USA, Poland, Bulgaria and Armenia. The Gamma ray bursts
Coordinates Network, managed by NASA, can distribute locations of GRBs
detected by spacecrafts (Swift, Hete, Integral, Ipn, etc.) and reports of
follow-up observations made by ground-based and space-based optical,
radio, and x-ray observers.
Related links:
[1] The MAGIC Telescope Website,
http://magic.mppmu.mpg.de/
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.mpg.de/bilderBerichteDokumente/multimedial/bilderWissenschaft/2005/08/Teshima0501/Web_Zoom.jpeg
(208KB)]
MAGIC, the "Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov" Telescope. The
MAGIC telescope reflector has as diameter of 17 metres and is the largest
telescope in the world dedicated to the detection of gamma rays from
distant galaxies and exploding stars.
Image: Robert Wagner, Max Planck Institute for Physics