Very High Energy gamma-ray observations of Mrk 501 using TACTIC imaging gamma-ray telescope during 2005-06

TL;DR

This study reports TeV gamma-ray observations of Mrk 501 using the TACTIC telescope during 2005-2006, detecting a significant gamma-ray signal in 2006 and analyzing its energy spectrum.

Contribution

First detection of TeV gamma-ray emission from Mrk 501 with TACTIC during 2006, providing spectral measurements and flux upper limits for 2005 observations.

Findings

Detected TeV gamma-ray signal with 7.5σ significance in 2006

Measured energy spectrum consistent with a power law with index 2.80

Placed upper limit on flux during low state in 2005

Abstract

In this paper we report on the Markarian 501 results obtained during our TeV $\gamma$-ray observations from March 11 to May 12, 2005 and February 28 to May 7, 2006 for 112.5 hours with the TACTIC $\gamma$-ray telescope. During 2005 observations for 45.7 hours, the source was found to be in a low state and we have placed an upper limit of 4.62 $\times$ 10$^{-12}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ at 3$\sigma$ level on the integrated TeV $\gamma$-ray flux above 1 TeV from the source direction. However, during the 2006 observations for 66.8h, detailed data analysis revealed the presence of a TeV $\gamma$-ray signal from the source with a statistical significance of 7.5$\sigma$ above $E_{\gamma}\geq$ 1 TeV. The time averaged differential energy spectrum of the source in the energy range 1-11 TeV is found to match well with the power law function of the form ($d\Phi/dE=f_0 E^{-\Gamma}$) with $f_0=(1.66\pm0.52)\times 10^{-11}cm^{-2}s^{-1}TeV^{-1}$ and $\Gamma=2.80\pm0.27$.