A search for very high energy gamma-ray emission from the starburstgalaxy NGC253 with HESS

Aharonian, F; Akhperjanian, AG; Bazer-Bachi, AR; Beilicke, M; Benbow, W; Berge, D; Bernlohr, K; Boisson, C; Bolz, O; Borrel, V; Braun, I; Breitling, F; Brown, AM; Chadwick, PM; Chounet, LM; Cornils, R; Costamante, L; Degrange, B; Dickinson, HJ; Djannati-Atai, A; Drury, LO; Dubus, G; Emmanoulopoulos, D; Espigat, P; Feinstein, F; Fontaine, G; Fuchs, Y; Funk, S; Gallant, YA; Giebels, B; Gillessen, S; Glicenstein, JF; Goret, P; Hadjichristidis, C; Hauser, M; Heinzelmann, G; Henri, G; Hermann, G; Hinton, JA; Hofmann, W; Holleran, M; Horns, D; Jacholkowska, A; de Jager, OC; Khelifi, B; Komin, N; Konopelko, A; Latham, IJ; Le Gallou, R; Lemiere, A; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Leroy, N; Lohse, T; Martin, JM; Martineau-Huyn, O; Marcowith, A; Masterson, C; McComb, TJL; de Naurois, M; Nolan, SJ; Noutsos, A; Orford, KJ; Osborne, JL; Ouchrif, M; Panter, M; Pelletier, G; Pita, S; Puhlhofer, G; Punch, M; Raubenheimer, BC; Raue, M; Raux, J; Rayner, SM; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Ripken, J; Rob, L; Rolland, L; Rowel...

Abstract

We present the result of 28 h of observations of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 with the HESS$\,$detector in 2003. We find no evidence for very high energy $\gamma$-ray emission from this object. Gamma-ray emission above 400 GeV from NGC 253 had been reported by the CANGAROO collaboration in 2002. From the HESS$\,$data we derive upper limits on the flux above 300 GeV of $1.9\,\times\,10^{-12}$ photons cm-2 s-1 for a point-like source and $6.3\,\times\,10^{-12}$ photons cm-2 s-1 for a source of radius 0.5$^{\circ}$ as reported by CANGAROO, both at a confidence level of 99%. These upper limits are inconsistent with the spectrum reported by CANGAROO. The expected very high energy $\gamma$-ray emission from this object is discussed in the framework of a galactic wind propagation model.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2005-10
• Journal: Astronomy and astrophysics.
• Print ISSN: 0004-6361
• Electronic ISSN: 1432-0746
• Publisher: EDP Sciences
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 442
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 177-183
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%3A20053521
• Keywords: gamma-rays : observations; galaxies : starburst; galaxies : individualobjects : NGC253ATMOSPHERIC CHERENKOV TELESCOPES; CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS; OPTICAL-SYSTEM;NGC-253; M82; HALO; DRIVEN; M31
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1565955