Bibcode
DOI
Albert, J.; Aliu, E.; Anderhub, H.; Antoranz, P.; Armada, A.; Baixeras, C.; Barrio, J. A.; Bartko, H.; Bastieri, D.; Becker, J. K.; Bednarek, W.; Berger, K.; Bigongiari, C.; Biland, A.; Bock, R. K.; Bordas, P.; Bosch-Ramon, V.; Bretz, T.; Britvitch, I.; Camara, M.; Carmona, E.; Chilingarian, A.; Coarasa, J. A.; Commichau, S.; Contreras, J. L.; Cortina, J.; Costado, M. T.; Curtef, V.; Danielyan, V.; Dazzi, F.; De Angelis, A.; Delgado, C.; de los Reyes, R.; De Lotto, B.; Domingo-Santamaría, E.; Dorner, D.; Doro, M.; Errando, M.; Fagiolini, M.; Ferenc, D.; Fernández, E.; Firpo, R.; Flix, J.; Fonseca, M. V.; Font, L.; Fuchs, M.; Galante, N.; García-López, R. J.; Garczarczyk, M.; Gaug, M.; Giller, M.; Goebel, F.; Hakobyan, D.; Hayashida, M.; Hengstebeck, T.; Herrero, A.; Höhne, D.; Hose, J.; Hsu, C. C.; Jacon, P.; Jogler, T.; Kosyra, R.; Kranich, D.; Kritzer, R.; Laille, A.; Lindfors, E.; Lombardi, S.; Longo, F.; López, J.; López, M.; Lorenz, E.; Majumdar, P.; Maneva, G.; Mannheim, K.; Mansutti, O.; Mariotti, M.; Martínez, M.; Mazin, D.; Merck, C.; Meucci, M.; Meyer, M.; Miranda, J. M.; Mirzoyan, R.; Mizobuchi, S.; Moralejo, A.; Nieto, D.; Nilsson, K.; Ninkovic, J.; Oña-Wilhelmi, E.; Otte, N.; Oya, I.; Panniello, M.; Paoletti, R.; Paredes, J. M.; Pasanen, M.; Pascoli, D.; Pauss, F.; Pegna, R.; Persic, M.; Peruzzo, L. et al.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 665, Issue 1, pp. L51-L54.
Advertised on:
8
2007
Journal
Citations
256
Refereed citations
166
Description
We report on the results from the observations in the very high energy
band (VHE; Eγ>=100 GeV) of the black hole X-ray
binary (BHXB) Cygnus X-1. The observations were performed with the MAGIC
telescope, for a total of 40 hr during 26 nights, spanning the period
between 2006 June and November. Searches for steady γ-ray signals
yielded no positive result, and upper limits to the integral flux
ranging between 1% and 2% of the Crab Nebula flux, depending on the
energy, have been established. We also analyzed each observation night
independently, obtaining evidence of γ-ray signals at the 4.0
σ significance level (3.2 σ after trial correction) for 154
minutes of effective on-time (EOT) on September 24 between 20:58 and
23:41 UTC, coinciding with an X-ray flare seen by RXTE, Swift, and
INTEGRAL. A search for faster-varying signals within a night resulted in
an excess with a significance of 4.9 σ (4.1 σ after trial
correction) for 79 minutes EOT between 22:17 and 23:41 UTC. The measured
excess is compatible with a pointlike source at the position of Cygnus
X-1 and excludes the nearby radio nebula powered by its relativistic
jet. The differential energy spectrum is well fitted by an unbroken
power law described as
dN/(dAdtdE)=(2.3+/-0.6)×10-12(E/1
TeV)-3.2+/-0.6. This is the first experimental evidence of
VHE emission from a stellar mass black hole and therefore from a
confirmed accreting X-ray binary.