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Discovery of very high energy gamma-rays associated with an X-ray binary ![]() Author(s): Aharonian F., Feinstein F., Gallant Y., Jacholkowska Agnieszka, Komin N., Marcowith A., Vasileiadis G., Berghaus P., Bussons Gordo J., Chounet L.-M., Degrange B., Djannati-Ataï A., Dubus G., Espigat P., Fleury P., Fontaine G., Giebels B., Lemière A., Lemoine-Goumard M., Leroy N., Martineau-Huynh O., De Naurois M., Ouchrif M., Pita S., Punch M., Raux J., Rolland L.
(Article) Published:
Annual Review Of Nuclear And Particle Science, vol. 309 p.746-749 (2005)
Links openAccess full text : Ref HAL: in2p3-00024532_v1 Ref Arxiv: astro-ph/0508298 DOI: 10.1126/science.1113764 Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS Exporter : BibTex | endNote 255 citations 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. Comments: Originally published in Science Express on 7 July 2005 |