Changeset 6762
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- 03/07/05 14:55:46 (20 years ago)
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trunk/MagicSoft/GC-Proposal/GC.tex
r6760 r6762 42 42 %% abstract %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 43 43 \begin{abstract} 44 The Galactic Center (GC) is a very interesting region. Gamma radiation above a few hundred GeV has been detected recently by Whipple, Cangaroo and HESS. The reconstructed spectra from Cangaroo and HESS show significant differences. Source and acceleration mechanism have still to be identified. 45 46 Various possibilities for the acceleration of the very high energy gamma rays 47 are discussed in the literature, like accretion flow onto the central black hole, supernova shocks in Sgr A East, proton acceleration near the event horizon of the black hole, or WIMP dark matter annihilation. Although the observed VHE gamma 48 radiation from the GC is most probably not due to SUSY-neutralino particle 49 dark matter (DM) annihilation, other models like Kaluza-Klein dark matter are not ruled out. Moreover, assuming a universal DM distribution profile, the GC is expected to yield the largest DM flux due to its relative vicinity. 50 51 52 The GC culminates at about 58 deg ZA in La Palma. It can be observed with 53 MAGIC at up to 60 deg ZA for about 150 hours per year between April and late August. The expected integral flux above 700 GeV derived from the HESS data is $(3.2 \pm 1.0)\cdot 10^{-12}\mathrm{cm}^{-2}\mathrm{s}^{-1}$. Comparing this to the expected MAGIC sensitivity from MC simulations, this could result in a 5 $\sigma$ detection in about $1.8\pm0.5$ hours. 54 55 The observations have to be conducted as early as possible to participate in the exciting physics of the Galactic Center. The main motivations are: 44 Due to the wealth of sources, the region around 45 the Galactic Center (GC) is very interesting. Recently, gamma radiation above 46 a few hundred GeV has been detected by the Whipple, Cangaroo and HESS 47 collaborations. The reconstructed spectra from Cangaroo and HESS show 48 significant differences. The acceleration mechanisms have still to be 49 identified. 50 51 Various possibilities for the acceleration of the very high energy (VHE) 52 gamma rays are discussed in the literature, like accretion flow onto the 53 central black 54 hole, supernova shocks in Sgr A East, proton acceleration near the event 55 horizon of the black hole, or WIMP dark matter annihilation. Although the 56 observed VHE gamma radiation from the GC is most probably not due to 57 the annihilation of SUSY-neutralino dark matter (DM) particles, other models 58 like Kaluza-Klein dark matter are not ruled out. Moreover, assuming a 59 universal DM density profile, the GC is expected to yield the largest DM flux 60 amongst the favoured candidates, due to its proximity. 61 62 At La Palma, the GC culminates at about 58 deg zenith angle (ZA). It can be 63 observed with MAGIC at up to 60 deg ZA for about 150 hours per year, between 64 April and late August. The expected integral flux above 700 GeV derived from 65 the HESS data is $(3.2 \pm 1.0)\cdot 10^{-12}\mathrm{cm}^{-2}\mathrm{s}^{-1}$. 66 Comparing this to the expected MAGIC sensitivity from MC simulations, this 67 could result in a 5 $\sigma$ detection in about $1.8\pm0.5$ hours. 68 69 The observations have to be conducted as early as possible in order to 70 participate in the ongoing discussion about gamma radiation from the GC. 71 The main motivations for the observation of the GC are : 56 72 57 73 \begin{itemize} 58 \item To solve the flux discrepancies between HESS and Cangaroo, inter-calibration between the instruments. 59 \item Extend the observed spectrum to higher energies due to large ZA. 60 \item Determine the nature and acceleration mechanism of the source. Set constraints to models for particle dark matter annihilation. 74 \item to measure the gamma flux and its energy dependence (due to the high 75 zenith angles higher energies are accessible), 76 \item to inter-calibrate MAGIC and HESS, 77 \item to help resolving the flux discrepancies between HESS and 78 Cangaroo, 79 \item to gain information about the nature and acceleration mechanism of the 80 source, 81 \item to set constraints on models for dark-matter-particle annihilation. 61 82 \end{itemize} 62 83 63 64 To get a comparable data set to the other experiments and to be able to reconstruct the spectrum, an observation of 20 hours plus 20 hours of dedicated OFF data would be needed and hereby applied for. Moreover due to the large threshold moon observations are envisaged and 60 hours are applied for. 84 In order to collect a data sample comparable in size to those of the other 85 experiments and to be able to measure the energy spectrum, 40 hours of 86 observation time are requested. The 40 hours will be split into 20 hours ON 87 and 20 hours dedicated OFF data or they will be devoted to observations in 88 the wobble mode. In addition, 60 hours of observation during moonshine are 89 applied for. 65 90 \end{abstract} 66 91 … … 80 105 \section{Introduction} 81 106 82 83 84 The Galactic Center (GC) region, excepting the famous source Sgr A$^*$, contains many unusual objects which may be responsible for the high energy processes generation gamma rays \cite{Aharonian2005,Atoyan2004,Horns2004}. The GC is rich in massive stellar clusters with up to 100 OB stars \cite{GC_environment}, immersed in a dense gas within the volume of 300 pc and the mass of $2.7 \cdot 10^7 M_{\odot}$, young supernova remnants e.g. G0.570-0.018 or Sgr A East, and nonthermal radio arcs. An overview of the sources in the GC region is given in figure \ref{fig:GC_sources}. Some data about the Galactic Center are summarized in table \ref{table:GC_properties}. 107 The Galactic Center (GC) region contains many unusual objects which may be 108 responsible for the high energy processes generating gamma rays 109 \cite{Aharonian2005,Atoyan2004,Horns2004}. The GC is rich in massive stellar 110 clusters with up to 100 OB stars \cite{GC_environment}, immersed in a dense 111 gas within a radius of 300 pc and the mass of $2.7 \cdot 10^7 M_{\odot}$, 112 young supernova remnants e.g. G0.570-0.018 or Sgr A East, and nonthermal radio arcs. An overview of the sources in the GC region is given in figure \ref{fig:GC_sources}. Some data about the Galactic Center are summarized in table \ref{table:GC_properties}. 85 113 86 114 \begin{table}[h]{\normalsize\center … … 88 116 \hline 89 117 (RA, dec), epoch J2000.0 & $(17^h45^m12^s,-29.01$ deg) 90 \\ heliocentric distance & $8\pm0.5$ kpc (1 deg = 24 pc) 118 \\ heliocentric distance & $8\pm0.4$ kpc \cite{Eisenhauer2003} 119 (1 deg = 140 pc) 91 120 \\ mass of the black hole & $2\pm0.5 \cdot 10^6 M_{\odot}$ 92 121 \\ … … 106 135 107 136 108 In fact, EGRET has detected a strong source in direction of the GC, 3 EG J1745-2852 \cite{GC_egret}, which has a broken power law spectrum extending up to at least 10 GeV, with the index 1.3 below the bread at a few GeV. If in the GC, the gamma ray luminosity of this source is very large $~2 \cdot 10^{37} \mathrm{erg}/\mathrm{s}$, which is equivalent to about 10 Crab pulsars. Up to now, the GC has been observed at energies above 200 GeV by Veritas, Cangaroo and HESS, \cite{GC_whipple,GC_cangaroo,GC_hess}. Figure \ref{fig:GC_gamma_flux} shows the reconstructed spectra by the other IACTs while figure \ref{fig:GC_source_location} shows the different reconstructed positions of the GC source. Recently a second TeV gamma source only about 1 degree away from the Galactic Center has been discovered \cite{SNR_G09+01}. Its integral flux above 200 GeV represents about 2\% of the gamma flux from the Crab nebula with a photon-index of about 2.4. 137 In fact, EGRET has detected a strong source in direction of the GC, 138 3 EG J1745-2852 \cite{GC_egret}, which has a broken power law spectrum 139 extending up to at least 10 GeV, with the index 1.3 below the break at a few 140 GeV. Asssuming a distance of 8.5 kpc, the gamma ray luminosity of this source 141 is very large $~2.2 \cdot 10^{37} \mathrm{erg}/\mathrm{s}$, which is 142 equivalent to about 10 Crab pulsars. An independent analysis of the EGRET data 143 \cite{Hooper2002} indicates a source position, excluded beyond 99.9 \% 144 as the GC. 145 146 Up to now, the GC has been observed at 147 energies above 200 GeV by Veritas, Cangaroo and HESS, \cite{GC_whipple, 148 GC_cangaroo,GC_hess}. Figure \ref{fig:GC_gamma_flux} shows the reconstructed 149 spectra by the other IACTs while figure \ref{fig:GC_source_location} shows the 150 different reconstructed positions of the GC source. Recently a second TeV 151 gamma source only about 1 degree away from the Galactic Center has been 152 discovered \cite{SNR_G09+01}. Its integral flux above 200 GeV represents about 153 2\% of the gamma flux from the Crab nebula with a photon-index of about 2.4. 109 154 110 155 \begin{figure}[h!] … … 458 503 \end{equation} 459 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593
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