Author(s): A. Abdo A., Ballet J., Bruel P., Casandjian J. M., Chaty S., Cohen-Tanugi J., Corbel S., Dubus G., Dumora D., Farnier C., Fegan S.J., Fortin P., Giebels B., Grenier I. A., Grondin M.-H., Guillemot L., Guiriec Sylvain, Hill A.B., Horan D., Knödlseder J., Lemoine-Goumard M., Lott B., Nuss E., Parent D., Pelassa V., Piron F., Rodriguez J., Smith D.A., Starck J.-L., Thayer J. B.
(Article) Published: Science, vol. 326 p.1512-1516 (2009)
Ref HAL: in2p3-00444982_v1
DOI: 10.1126/science.1182174
Exporter : BibTex | endNote
182 citations
Abstract:
Microquasars are accreting black holes or neutron stars in binary systems with associated relativistic jets. Despite their frequent outburst activity, they have never been unambiguously detected emitting high-energy gamma rays. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has detected a variable high-energy source coinciding with the position of the x-ray binary and microquasar Cygnus X-3. Its identification with Cygnus X-3 is secured by the detection of its orbital period in gamma rays, as well as the correlation of the LAT flux with radio emission from the relativistic jets of Cygnus X-3. The gamma-ray emission probably originates from within the binary system, opening new areas in which to study the formation of relativistic jets.