Detection of Pulsed Gamma Rays Above 100 GeV from the Crab Pulsar
VERITAS Collaboration: E. Aliu, T. Arlen, T. Aune, M. Beilicke, W., Benbow, A. Bouvier, S. M. Bradbury, J. H. Buckley, V. Bugaev, K. Byrum, A., Cannon, A. Cesarini, J. L. Christiansen, L. Ciupik, E. Collins-Hughes, M. P., Connolly, W. Cui, R. Dickherber, C. Duke, M. Errando
TL;DR
This paper reports the first detection of pulsed gamma rays from the Crab pulsar above 100 GeV, challenging existing pulsar emission models and suggesting gamma-ray production far from the neutron star surface.
Contribution
First observation of pulsed gamma rays above 100 GeV from the Crab pulsar, indicating new emission mechanisms beyond current models.
Findings
Detection of gamma rays above 100 GeV from Crab pulsar
Spectrum follows a broken power law, not exponential cutoff
Gamma rays likely produced more than 10 stellar radii from neutron star
Abstract
We report the detection of pulsed gamma rays from the Crab pulsar at energies above 100 Gigaelectronvolts (GeV) with the VERITAS array of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The detection cannot be explained on the basis of current pulsar models. The photon spectrum of pulsed emission between 100 Megaelectronvolts (MeV) and 400 GeV is described by a broken power law that is statistically preferred over a power law with an exponential cutoff. It is unlikely that the observation can be explained by invoking curvature radiation as the origin of the observed gamma rays above 100 GeV. Our findings require that these gamma rays be produced more than 10 stellar radii from the neutron star.
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