VERITAS OBSERVATIONS OF THE BL LAC OBJECT PG 1553+113

E. Aliu; A. Archer; T. Aune; A. Barnacka; B. Behera; M. Beilicke; W. Benbow; K. Berger; R. Bird; J. H. Buckley; V. Bugaev; K. Byrum; J. V. Cardenzana; M. Cerruti; X. Chen; L. Ciupik; M. P. Connolly; W. Cui; H. J. Dickinson; J. Dumm; J. D. Eisch; M. Errando; A. Falcone; S. Federici; Q. Feng; J. P. Finley; P. Fortin; L. Fortson; A. Furniss; N. Galante; G. H. Gillanders; S. Griffin; S. T. Griffiths; J. Grube; G. Gyuk; N. Hakansson; D. Hanna; J. Holder; G. Hughes; T. B. Humensky; C. A. Johnson; P. Kaaret; P. Kar; M. Kertzman; Y. Khassen; D. Kieda; H. Krawczynski; F. Krennrich; S. Kumar; M. J. Lang; A. Madhavan; S. McArthur; A. McCann; K. Meagher; J. Millis; P. Moriarty; D. Nieto; A. O'Faolain de Bhroithe; R. A. Ong; M. Orr; A. N. Otte; N. Park; J. S. Perkins; M. Pohl; A. Popkow; H. Prokoph; E. Pueschel; J. Quinn; K. Ragan; J. Rajotte; L. C. Reyes; P. T. Reynolds; G. T. Richards; E. Roache; G. H. Sembroski; K. Shahinyan; D. Staszak; I. Telezhinsky; J. V. Tucci; J. Tyler; A. Varlotta; V. V. Vassiliev; S. P. Wakely; A. Weinstein; R. Welsing; A. Wilhelm; D. A. Williams; B. Zitzer

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/7

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VERITAS OBSERVATIONS OF THE BL LAC OBJECT PG 1553+113

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VERITAS OBSERVATIONS OF THE BL LAC OBJECT PG 1553+113

E. Aliu, A. Archer, T. Aune, A. Barnacka, B. Behera, M. Beilicke, W. Benbow, K. Berger, R. Bird, J. H. Buckley, …

The Astrophysical journal, v 799(1)

20 Jan 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/7

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Abstract

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Physical Sciences

Science & Technology

We present results from VERITAS observations of the BL Lac object PG 1553+113 spanning the years 2010, 2011, and 2012. The time-averaged spectrum, measured between 160 and 560 GeV, is well described by a power law with a spectral index of 4.33 +/- 0.09. The time-averaged integral flux above 200 GeV measured for this period was (1.69 +/- 0.06) x 10(-11) photons cm(-2) s(-1), corresponding to 6.9% of the Crab Nebula flux. We also present the combined gamma-ray spectrum from the Fermi Large Area Telescope and VERITAS covering an energy range from 100 MeV to 560 GeV. The data are well fit by a power law with an exponential cutoff at 101.9 +/- 3.2 GeV. The origin of the cutoff could be intrinsic to PG 1553+113 or be due to the gamma-ray opacity of our universe through pair production off the extragalactic background light (EBL). Given lower limits to the redshift of z > 0.395 based on optical/UV observations of PG 1553+113, the cutoff would be dominated by EBL absorption. Conversely, the small statistical uncertainties of the VERITAS energy spectrum have allowed us to provide a robust upper limit on the redshift of PG 1553+113 of z <= 0.62. A strongly elevated mean flux of (2.50 +/- 0.14) x10(-11) photons cm(-2) s(-1) (10.3% of the Crab Nebula flux) was observed during 2012, with the daily flux reaching as high as (4.44 +/- 0.71) x10(-11) photons cm(-2) s(-1) (18.3% of the Crab Nebula flux) on MJD 56048. The light curve measured during the 2012 observing season is marginally inconsistent with a steady flux, giving a chi(2) probability for a steady flux of 0.03%.

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Title: VERITAS OBSERVATIONS OF THE BL LAC OBJECT PG 1553+113
Creators: E. Aliu - Columbia University
A. Archer - Washington University in St. Louis
T. Aune - University of California, Los Angeles
A. Barnacka - Harvard University
B. Behera - DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany
M. Beilicke - Washington University in St. Louis
W. Benbow - Harvard University
K. Berger - University of Delaware
R. Bird - University College Dublin
J. H. Buckley - Washington University in St. Louis
V. Bugaev - Washington University in St. Louis
K. Byrum - Argonne National Laboratory
J. V. Cardenzana - Iowa State University
M. Cerruti - Harvard University
X. Chen - University of Potsdam
L. Ciupik - Adler Planetarium
M. P. Connolly - National University of Ireland, Galway
W. Cui - Purdue University West Lafayette
H. J. Dickinson - Iowa State University
J. Dumm - University of Minnesota
J. D. Eisch - Iowa State University
M. Errando - Columbia University
A. Falcone - Pennsylvania State University
S. Federici - University of Potsdam
Q. Feng - Purdue University West Lafayette
J. P. Finley - Purdue University West Lafayette
P. Fortin - Harvard University
L. Fortson - University of Minnesota
A. Furniss - University of California, Santa Cruz
N. Galante - Harvard University
G. H. Gillanders - National University of Ireland, Galway
S. Griffin - McGill University
S. T. Griffiths - University of Iowa
J. Grube - Adler Planetarium
G. Gyuk - Adler Planetarium
N. Hakansson - University of Potsdam
D. Hanna - McGill University
J. Holder - University of Delaware
G. Hughes - DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany
T. B. Humensky - Columbia University
C. A. Johnson - University of California, Santa Cruz
P. Kaaret - University of Iowa
P. Kar - University of Utah
M. Kertzman - DePauw University
Y. Khassen - University College Dublin
D. Kieda - University of Utah
H. Krawczynski - Washington University in St. Louis
F. Krennrich - Iowa State University
S. Kumar - University of Delaware
M. J. Lang - National University of Ireland, Galway
A. Madhavan - Iowa State University
S. McArthur - University of Chicago
A. McCann - University of Chicago
K. Meagher - Georgia Institute of Technology
J. Millis - Anderson University - South Carolina
P. Moriarty - Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
D. Nieto - Columbia University
A. O'Faolain de Bhroithe - DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany
R. A. Ong - University of California, Los Angeles
M. Orr - Iowa State University
A. N. Otte - Georgia Institute of Technology
N. Park - University of Chicago
J. S. Perkins - Goddard Space Flight Center
M. Pohl - University of Potsdam
A. Popkow - University of California, Los Angeles
H. Prokoph - DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany
E. Pueschel - University College Dublin
J. Quinn - University College Dublin
K. Ragan - McGill University
J. Rajotte - McGill University
L. C. Reyes - California Polytechnic State University
P. T. Reynolds - Cork Institute of Technology
G. T. Richards - Georgia Institute of Technology
E. Roache - Harvard University
G. H. Sembroski - Purdue University West Lafayette
K. Shahinyan - University of Minnesota
D. Staszak - McGill University
I. Telezhinsky - University of Potsdam
J. V. Tucci - Purdue University West Lafayette
J. Tyler - McGill University
A. Varlotta - Purdue University West Lafayette
V. V. Vassiliev - University of California, Los Angeles
S. P. Wakely - University of Chicago
A. Weinstein - Iowa State Univ, Dept Phys & Astron, Ames, IA 50011 USA
R. Welsing - DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany
A. Wilhelm - University of Potsdam
D. A. Williams - University of California, Santa Cruz
B. Zitzer - Argonne National Laboratory
Publication Details: The Astrophysical journal, v 799(1)
Publisher: Iop Publishing Ltd
Number of pages: 9
Grant note: STFC in the U.K.; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) NSERC in Canada; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) SFI 10/RFP/AST2748 / Science Foundation Ireland; European Commission 1403336 / Division Of Physics; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science; United States Department of Energy (DOE) Smithsonian Institution U.S. National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) 1407326 / Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS)
Resource Type: Journal article
Language: English
Academic Unit: Physics
Web of Science ID: WOS:000348214500007
Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84921511256
Other Identifier: 991019201371304721

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web of Science research areas: Astronomy & Astrophysics

VERITAS OBSERVATIONS OF THE BL LAC OBJECT PG 1553+113

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