TeV Gamma-Ray Observations of Mrk421 and H1426+428 with TACTIC Imaging Telescope

TL;DR

This paper reports TeV gamma-ray observations of the extragalactic sources Mrk421 and H1426+428 using the TACTIC telescope, detecting significant gamma-ray signals from Mrk421 and setting upper limits for H1426+428, contributing to high-energy astrophysics knowledge.

Contribution

First detailed TeV gamma-ray observations of Mrk421 and H1426+428 with the TACTIC telescope, including spectral analysis and flux measurements, advancing observational data for these sources.

Findings

Detected gamma-ray signal from Mrk421 with ~12 sigma significance.

Measured average flux of Mrk421 at ~1.04 Crab units.

Placed upper limits on gamma-ray flux for H1426+428.

Abstract

We have observed extragalactic sources Mrk421 (z=0.30) and H1426+428 (z=0.129) in very high energy gamma region using TACTIC telescope at Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India. Mrk421 was observed during 07 December 2005 to 18 April 2007 for a total of ~331hours while H1426+428 was observed for ~244 hours between 22 March 2004 and 11 June 2007. Detailed analysis of Mrk421 data revealed the presence of a gamma signal with the excess of (~951\pm 82) gamma like events corresponding to a statistical significance of ~12.0 \sigma in ~97 hours during 27 December 2005 to 07 February 2006. The combined average flux was measured to be ~(1.04\pm0.14) Crab units. Observed time averaged differential energy spectrum was found to be consistent with both a pure power law $d\Phi/dE=(4.66\pm0.46)\times 10^{-11}\,E^{(-3.11\pm0.11)}\,\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}\,TeV^{-1}$ and power law with an exponential cutoff functions $d\Phi/dE=f_0E^{-\Gamma}exp(-E/E_0)$ with $f_0=(4.88\pm0.38)\times10^{-11}\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}\,TeV^{-1}$, $\Gamma=2.51\pm0.26$ and $E_0=(4.7\pm2.1)TeV$. The later function fits the observed spectrum well with lower value of reduced $\chi^2$. However, during the observation period from 18 December 2006 to 18 April 2007, the source was found to be in a low emission state and we have placed an upper limit of $1.44\times\,10^{-12}\,photons\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}$ at $3\sigma$ level on the integrated \gam flux above $1\,TeV$. Detailed analysis of H1426+428 data does not indicate the presence of any statistically significant $TeV$ \gam signal. Accordingly we have placed an upper limit of $\leq1.18\times10^{-12}\,photons\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}$ on the integrated $\gamma$-ray flux above $1\,TeV$ at 3$\sigma$ significance level.