학술논문
Measurement of the extragalactic background light spectral energy distribution with VERITAS
Document Type
Working Paper
Author
VERITAS collaboration; Abeysekara, A. U.; Archer, A.; Benbow, W.; Bird, R.; Brill, A.; Brose, R.; Buchovecky, M.; Christiansen, J. L.; Cui, W.; Daniel, M. K.; Falcone, A.; Feng, Q.; Fernandez-Alonso, M.; Finley, J. P.; Fortson, L.; Furniss, A.; Gent, A.; Giuri, C.; Gueta, O.; Hanna, D.; Hassan, T.; Hervet, O.; Holder, J.; Hughes, G.; Humensky, T. B.; Johnson, C. A.; Kaaret, P.; Kertzman, M.; Kieda, D.; Krause, M.; Krennrich, F.; Kumar, S.; Lang, M. J.; Maier, G.; Moriarty, P.; Mukherjee, R.; Nievas-Rosillo, M.; O'Brien, S.; Ong, R. A.; Pfrang, K.; Pohl, M.; Prado, R. R.; Pueschel, E.; Ragan, K.; Reynolds, P. T.; Ribeiro, D.; Richards, G. T.; Roache, E.; Rovero, A. C.; Sadeh, I.; Santander, M.; Sembroski, G. H.; Shahinyan, K.; Sushch, I.; Weinstein, A.; Wells, R. M.; Wilcox, P.; Wilhelm, A.; Williams, D. A.; Williamson, T. J; Zitzer, B.
Source
Subject
Language
Abstract
The extragalactic background light (EBL), a diffuse photon field in the optical and infrared range, is a record of radiative processes over the Universe's history. Spectral measurements of blazars at very high energies ($>$100 GeV) enable the reconstruction of the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the EBL, as the blazar spectra are modified by redshift- and energy-dependent interactions of the gamma-ray photons with the EBL. The spectra of 14 VERITAS-detected blazars are included in a new measurement of the EBL SED that is independent of EBL SED models. The resulting SED covers an EBL wavelength range of 0.56--56 $\mu$m, and is in good agreement with lower limits obtained by assuming that the EBL is entirely due to radiation from cataloged galaxies.
Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal