D. Elsässer

Coincidence of a high-fluence blazar outburst with a PeV-energy neutrino event

The IceCube neutrino telescope in the South Pole has observed several high-energy neutrinos of undetermined origin. Could the third detected PeV event be from blazar PKS B1424–418?

Supersymmetric Dark Matter and the Extragalactic Gamma Ray Background

We trace the origin of the newly determined extragalactic gamma-ray background from EGRET data to an unresolved population of blazars and neutralino annihilation in cold dark matter halos. Using results of high-resolution simulations of cosmic structure formation, we calculate composite spectra and compare with the EGRET data. The resulting best-fit value for the neutralino mass is m(chi) = 515(+110)(-75) GeV (systematic errors approximately 30%).

TANAMI Blazars in the IceCube PeV Neutrino Fields

ABSTRACT The IceCube Collaboration has announced the discovery of a neutrino flux in excess of the atmospheric background. Due to thesteeply falling atmospheric background spectrum, events at PeV energies are most likely of extraterrestrial origin. We present themultiwavelength properties of the six radio brightest blazars positionally coincident with these events using contemporaneous data ofthe TANAMI blazar sample, including high-resolution images and spectral energy distributions. Assuming the X-ray to -ray emissionoriginates in the photoproduction of pions by accelerated protons, the integrated predicted neutrino luminosity of these sources is largeenough to explain the two detected PeV events. Key words. neutrinos – galaxies: active – quasars: general 1. Introduction The detection of neutrinos at PeV energies in excess of the at-mospheric background reported by the IceCube Collaboration(Aartsen et al. 2013; IceCube Collaboration 2013) has prompteda quest to identify their extraterrestrial sources. The two eventswith PeV energies (event 20, dubbed ‘Ernie’ and event 14,‘Bert’, hereafter E20 and E14), detected between May 2010 andMay 2012

The blazar-like radio structure of the TeV source IC310

Context. The radio galaxy IC310 in the Perseus cluster has recently been detected in the gamma-ray regime at GeV and TeV energies. The TeV emission shows time variability and an extraordinarily hard spectrum, even harder than the spectrum of the similar nearby gamma-ray emitting radio galaxy M87. Aims. High-resolution studies of the radio morphology help to constrain the geometry of the jet on sub-pc scales and to find out where the high-energy emission might come from. Methods. We analyzed May 2011 VLBA data of IC310 at a wavelength of 3.6 cm, revealing the parsec-scale radio structure of this source. We compared our findings with more information available from contemporary single-dish flux density measurements with the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope. Results. We have detected a one-sided core-jet structure with blazar-like, beamed radio emission oriented along the same position angle as the kiloparsec scale radio structure observed in the past by connected interferometers. Doppler-boosting favoritism is consistent with an angle of theta < 38 degrees between the jet axis and the line-of-sight, i.e., very likely within the boundary dividing low-luminosity radio galaxies and BL Lac objects in unified schemes. Conclusions. The stability of the jet orientation from parsec to kiloparsec scales in IC310 argues against its classification as a headtail radio galaxy; i.e., there is no indication of an interaction with the intracluster medium that would determine the direction of the tail. IC310 seems to represent a low-luminosity FRI radio galaxy at a borderline angle to reveal its BL Lac-type central engine.

Dark matter subhaloes as gamma-ray sources and candidates in the first Fermi-LAT catalogue

The standard paradigm of hierarchical structure formation in a ΛCDM universe predicts the presence of dark matter subhaloes, hosted by Milky Way-sized galaxies. Anticipated subhalo masses range from 10 10 down to a cut-off mass between 10 −3 and 10 −11 M� .I f dark matter is composed of heavy self-annihilating or decaying particles, these subhaloes could be visible in the γ-ray band as faint and temporally constant sources without astrophysical counterparts. Based upon realistic subhalo models and current observational constraints on annihilating dark matter scenarios, we predict that one massive Galactic subhalo between 10 6 and 10 8 Mmay already be present in the 11-month catalogue of Fermi-LAT. Indeed, at least twelve objects in the first Fermi catalogue qualify as candi- dates. The most promising object, 1FGL J0030.7+0724, is investigated in detail using a dedicated Swift X-ray follow-up observation and a refined positional analysis of the 24-month Fermi-LAT data. With the new observations, seven point-like X-ray sources have been discovered, of which SWIFT J003119.8+072454, which coincides with a faint radio source (12 mJy at 1.4 GHz), serves as a counterpart candidate of 1FGL J0030.7+0724. The broad-band spectral energy distribution is consistent with a high-energy-peaked blazar. However, flux and extent of 1FGL J0030.7+0724 may also be compatible with a dark matter subhalo. Detection of temporal variability or improved astrometry of 1FGL J0030.7+0724 are necessary to rule out or confirm an astrophysical origin. We discuss strategies to identify γ-ray sources that are associated with self-annihilating dark matter subhaloes.

DARK MATTER POWERED STARS: CONSTRAINTS FROM THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT

The existence of predominantly cold non-baryonic dark matter is unambiguously demonstrated by several observations (e.g., structure formation, big bang nucleosynthesis, gravitational lensing, and rotational curves of spiral galaxies). A candidate well motivated by particle physics is a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP). Self-annihilating WIMPs would affect the stellar evolution especially in the early universe. Stars powered by self-annihilating WIMP dark matter should possess different properties compared with standard stars. While a direct detection of such dark matter powered stars seems very challenging, their cumulative emission might leave an imprint in the diffuse metagalactic radiation fields, in particular in the mid-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this work, the possible contributions of dark matter powered stars (dark stars, DSs) to the extragalactic background light (EBL) are calculated. It is shown that existing data and limits of the EBL intensity can already be used to rule out some DS parameter sets.

5.9-keV Mn K-shell X-ray luminosity from the decay of 55Fe in Type Ia supernova models

We show that the X-ray line flux of the Mn Ka line at 5.9 keV from the decay of Fe-55 is a promising diagnostic to distinguish between Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) explosion models. Using radiation transport calculations, we compute the line flux for two three-dimensional explosion models: a near-Chandrasekhar mass delayed detonation and a violent merger of two (1.1 and 0.9 M-circle dot) white dwarfs. Both models are based on solar metallicity zero-age main-sequence progenitors. Due to explosive nuclear burning at higher density, the delayed-detonation model synthesizes similar to 3.5 times more radioactive Fe-55 than the merger model. As a result, we find that the peak Mn K alpha line flux of the delayed-detonation model exceeds that of the merger model by a factor of similar to 4.5. Since in both models the 5.9-keV X-ray flux peaks five to six years after the explosion, a single measurement of the X-ray line emission at this time can place a constraint on the explosion physics that is complementary to those derived from earlier phase optical spectra or light curves. We perform detector simulations of current and future X-ray telescopes to investigate the possibilities of detecting the X-ray line at 5.9 keV. Of the currently existing telescopes, XMM-Newton/pn is the best instrument for close (less than or similar to 1-2 Mpc), non-background limited SNe Ia because of its large effective area. Due to its low instrumental background, Chandra/ACIS is currently the best choice for SNe Ia at distances above similar to 2 Mpc. For the delayed-detonation scenario, a line detection is feasible with Chandra up to similar to 3 Mpc for an exposure time of 10(6) s. We find that it should be possible with currently existing X-ray instruments (with exposure times less than or similar to 5 x 10(5) s) to detect both of our models at sufficiently high S/N to distinguish between them for hypothetical events within the Local Group. The prospects for detection will be better with future missions. For example, the proposed Athena/X-IFU instrument could detect our delayed-detonation model out to a distance of similar to 5 Mpc. This would make it possible to study future events occurring during its operational life at distances comparable to those of the recent supernovae SN 2011 fe (similar to 6.4 Mpc) and SN 2014J (similar to 3.5 Mpc).

The gamma-ray emitting radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy PKS 2004-447 II. The Radio View

Context: Γ-ray-detected radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (γ-NLS1) galaxies constitute a small but interesting sample of the γ-ray-loud AGN. The radio-loudest γ-NLS1 known, PKS 2004−447, is located in the southern hemisphere and is monitored in the radio regime by the multiwavelength monitoring programme TANAMI. Aims: We aim for the first detailed study of the radio morphology and long-term radio spectral evolution of PKS 2004−447, which are essential for understanding the diversity of the radio properties of γ-NLS1s. Methods: The TANAMI VLBI monitoring program uses the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) and telescopes in Antarctica, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa to monitor the jets of radio-loud active galaxies in the southern hemisphere. Lower resolution radio flux density measurements at multiple radio frequencies over four years of observations were obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). Results: The TANAMI VLBI image at 8.4 GHz shows an extended one-sided jet with a dominant compact VLBI core. Its brightness temperature is consistent with equipartition, but it is an order of magnitude below other γ-NLS1s with the sample value varying over two orders of magnitude. We find a compact morphology with a projected large-scale size Conclusions: PKS 2004−447 appears to be a unique member of the γ-NLS1 sample. It exhibits blazar-like features, such as a flat featureless X-ray spectrum and a core-dominated, one-sided parsec-scale jet with indications for relativistic beaming. However, the data also reveal properties atypical for blazars, such as a radio spectrum and large-scale size consistent with compact-steep-spectrum (CSS) objects, which are usually associated with young radio sources. These characteristics are unique among all γ-NLS1s and extremely rare among γ-ray-loud AGN.

New developments in the ancient PulsarWind Nebulae scenario

In a Pulsar Wind Nebula (PWN), the lifetime of inverse Compton emitting electrons exceeds the lifetime of its progenitor pulsar, but it exceeds also the age of the electrons that emit via synchrotron radiation; i.e. while the PWN grows older, it can remain bright in IC, whereas its GeV-TeV gamma-ray (for

Cosmological gamma ray and neutrino backgrounds due to neutralino dark matter annihilation

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