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Issue A&A
Volume 466, Number 2, May I 2007
Page(s) 543 - 554
Section Galactic structure, stellar clusters, and populations
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20066737



A&A 466, 543-554 (2007)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20066737

Search for pulsed VHE gamma-ray emission from young pulsars with HESS

F. Aharonian1, A. G. Akhperjanian2, A. R. Bazer-Bachi3, M. Beilicke4, W. Benbow1, D. Berge1, K. Bernlöhr1, 5, C. Boisson6, O. Bolz1, V. Borrel3, I. Braun1, E. Brion7, A. M. Brown8, R. Bühler1, I. Büsching9, T. Boutelier10, S. Carrigan1, P. M. Chadwick8, L.-M. Chounet11, G. Coignet12, R. Cornils4, L. Costamante1, 13, B. Degrange11, H. J. Dickinson8, A. Djannati-Ataï14, L. O'C. Drury15, G. Dubus11, K. Egberts1, T. Eifert5, D. Emmanoulopoulos16, P. Espigat14, C. Farnier17, F. Feinstein17, E. Ferrero16, A. Fiasson17, G. Fontaine11, Seb. Funk5, S. Funk1, M. Füßling5, Y. A. Gallant17, B. Giebels11, J. F. Glicenstein7, B. Glück18, P. Goret7, C. Hadjichristidis8, D. Hauser1, M. Hauser16, G. Heinzelmann4, G. Henri10, G. Hermann1, J. A. Hinton1, 16, A. Hoffmann19, W. Hofmann1, M. Holleran9, S. Hoppe1, D. Horns19, A. Jacholkowska17, O. C. de Jager9, E. Kendziorra19, M. Kerschhaggl5, B. Khélifi11, 1, Nu. Komin17, K. Kosack1, G. Lamanna12, I. J. Latham8, R. Le Gallou8, A. Lemière14, M. Lemoine-Goumard11, T. Lohse5, R. N. Manchester20, J. M. Martin6, O. Martineau-Huynh21, A. Marcowith3, 17, C. Masterson1, 13, G. Maurin14, T. J. L. McComb8, E. Moulin17, 7, M. de Naurois21, D. Nedbal22, S. J. Nolan8, A. Noutsos8, J.-P. Olive3, K. J. Orford8, J. L. Osborne8, M. Panter1, G. Pelletier10, P.-O. Petrucci10, S. Pita14, G. Pühlhofer16, M. Punch14, S. Ranchon12, B. C. Raubenheimer9, M. Raue4, S. M. Rayner8, O. Reimer23, J. Ripken4, L. Rob22, L. Rolland7, S. Rosier-Lees12, G. Rowell1, V. Sahakian2, A. Santangelo19, L. Saugé10, S. Schlenker 5, R. Schlickeiser23, F. Schmidt5, R. Schröder23, U. Schwanke5, S. Schwarzburg19, S. Schwemmer16, A. Shalchi23, H. Sol6, D. Spangler8, F. Spanier23, R. Steenkamp24, C. Stegmann18, G. Superina11, P. H. Tam16, J.-P. Tavernet21, R. Terrier14, M. Tluczykont11, 13, C. van Eldik1, G. Vasileiadis17, C. Venter9, J. P. Vialle12, P. Vincent21, H. J. Völk1, S. J. Wagner16, and M. Ward8

1  Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, PO Box 103980, 69029 Heidelberg, Germany
    e-mail: stefan.schlenker@cern.ch
2  Yerevan Physics Institute, 2 Alikhanian Brothers St., 375036 Yerevan, Armenia
3  Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, CNRS/UPS, 9 av. du Colonel Roche, BP 4346, 31029 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
4  Universität Hamburg, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
5  Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstr. 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany
6  LUTH, UMR 8102 du CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, 92195 Meudon Cedex, France
7  DAPNIA/DSM/CEA, CE Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
8  University of Durham, Department of Physics, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
9  Unit for Space Physics, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
10  Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, INSU/CNRS, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
11  Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, IN2P3/CNRS, École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
12  Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique des Particules, IN2P3/CNRS, 9 Chemin de Bellevue - BP 110, 74941 Annecy-le-Vieux Cedex, France
13  European Associated Laboratory for Gamma-Ray Astronomy, jointly supported by CNRS and MPG
14  APC, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France (UMR 7164 (CNRS, Université Paris VII, CEA, Observatoire de Paris))
15  Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 5 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, Ireland
16  Landessternwarte, Universität Heidelberg, Königstuhl, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
17  Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Astroparticules, IN2P3/CNRS, Université Montpellier II, CC 70, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
18  Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Physikalisches Institut, Erwin-Rommel-Str. 1, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
19  Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Universität Tübingen, Sand 1, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
20  Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, PO Box 76, Epping NSW 1710, Australia
21  Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies, IN2P3/CNRS, Universités Paris VI & VII, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
22  Institute of Particle and Nuclear Physics, Charles University, V Holesovickach 2, 180 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic
23  Institut für Theoretische Physik, Lehrstuhl IV: Weltraum und Astrophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
24  University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek, Namibia

(Received 11 November 2006 / Accepted 8 February 2007)

Abstract
Aims.We present the results of a search for pulsed very-high-energy (VHE) $\gamma$-ray emission from young pulsars using data taken with the HESS imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope system.
Methods.Data on eleven pulsars, selected according to their spin-down luminosity relative to distance, are searched for $\gamma$-ray signals with periodicity at the respective pulsar spin period. Special analysis efforts were made to improve the sensitivity in the 100 GeV $\gamma$-ray energy domain in an attempt to reduce the gap between satellite and ground-based $\gamma$-ray instruments.
Results.No significant evidence for pulsed emission is found in any data set. Differential upper limits on pulsed energy flux are determined for all selected pulsars in the approximate $\gamma$-ray energy range between 100 GeV and 50 TeV, using different limit determination methods, testing a wide range of possible pulsar light curves and energy spectra.
Conclusions.The limits derived here imply that the magnetospheric VHE $\gamma$-ray production efficiency in young pulsars is less than 10-4 of the pulsar spin-down luminosity, requiring spectral turnovers for the high-energy emission of four established $\gamma$-ray pulsars, and constrain the inverse Compton radiation component predicted by several outer gap models.


Key words: gamma rays: observations -- pulsars: individual: Crab pulsar -- pulsars: individual: Vela pulsar -- pulsars: individual: PSR B1259-63  -- pulsars: individual: PSR B1509-58 -- pulsars: individual: PSR B1706-44



© ESO 2007

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