2005/05/11 by H. E. S. S. Collaboration, :, A. G. Akhperjanian +99 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #BL Lac object #Blazar #Cherenkov radiation #Crab Nebula #Detector #Flux (metallurgy) #Galactic plane #Galaxy #Gamma ray #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Luminosity #Optics #Photon #Physics #Stars #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053195
published as Astron.Astrophys. 439 (2005) 1013-1021 · 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics
arxiv created 2005/05/11 · openalex publication_date 2005/08/12 · arxiv updated 2012/08/27 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The serendipitous discovery of an unidentified extended TeV γ -ray source close to the galactic plane named HESS J1303-631 at a significance of 21 standard deviations is reported. The observations were performed between February and June 2004 with the HESS stereoscopic system of Cherenkov telescopes in Namibia. HESS J1303-631 was discovered roughly north of the binary system PSR B1259-63/SS 2883, the target object of the initial observation campaign which was also detected at TeV energies in the same field of view. HESS J1303-631 is extended with a width of an assumed intrinsic Gaussian emission profile of and the integral flux above is compatible with constant emission over the entire observational period of % of the Crab Nebula flux. The measured energy spectrum can be described by a power-law with a photon index of . Up to now, no counterpart at other wavelengths is identified. Various possible TeV production scenarios are discussed.