Abstract
We present the results from the Hitomi Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) observation of the Crab nebula. The main part of SGD is a Compton camera, which in addition to being a spectrometer, is capable of measuring polarization of gamma-ray photons. The Crab nebula is one of the brightest X-ray/gamma-ray sources on the sky, and the only source from which polarized X-ray photons have been detected. SGD observed the Crab nebula during the initial test observation phase of Hitomi. We performed data analysis of the SGD observation, SGD background estimation, and SGD Monte Carlo simulations and successfully detected polarized gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula with only about 5 ks exposure time. The obtained polarization fraction of the phase-integrated Crab emission (sum of pulsar and nebula emissions) is (22.1%±10.6%), and the polarization angle is 110°.7 + 13°.2/-13°.0 in the energy range of 60.160 keV (the errors correspond to the 1 σ deviation). The confidence level of the polarization detection was 99.3%. The polarization angle measured by SGD is about one sigma deviation with the projected spin axis of the pulsar, 124°.0 ± 0°.0.1.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 113 |
| Journal | Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01-12-2018 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science
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Detection of polarized gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula with the Hitomi Soft Gamma-ray Detector. / Hitomi Collaboration.
In: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, Vol. 70, No. 6, 113, 01.12.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Detection of polarized gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula with the Hitomi Soft Gamma-ray Detector
AU - Hitomi Collaboration
AU - Aharonian, Felix
AU - Akamatsu, Hiroki
AU - Akimoto, Fumie
AU - Allen, Steven W.
AU - Angelini, Lorella
AU - Audard, Marc
AU - Awaki, Hisamitsu
AU - Axelsson, Magnus
AU - Bamba, Aya
AU - Bautz, Marshall W.
AU - Blandford, Roger
AU - Brenneman, Laura W.
AU - Brown, Gregory V.
AU - Bulbul, Esra
AU - Cackett, Edward M.
AU - Chernyakova, Maria
AU - Chiao, Meng P.
AU - Coppi, Paolo S.
AU - Costantini, Elisa
AU - De Plaa, Jelle
AU - De Vries, Cor P.
AU - Den Herder, Jan Willem
AU - Done, Chris
AU - Dotani, Tadayasu
AU - Ebisawa, Ken
AU - Eckart, Megan E.
AU - Enoto, Teruaki
AU - Ezoe, Yuichiro
AU - Fabian, Andrew C.
AU - Ferrigno, Carlo
AU - Foster, Adam R.
AU - Fujimoto, Ryuichi
AU - Fukazawa, Yasushi
AU - Furuzawa, Akihiro
AU - Galeazzi, Massimiliano
AU - Gallo, Luigi C.
AU - Gandhi, Poshak
AU - Giustini, Margherita
AU - Goldwurm, Andrea
AU - Gu, Liyi
AU - Guainazzi, Matteo
AU - Haba, Yoshito
AU - Hagino, Kouichi
AU - Hamaguchi, Kenji
AU - Harrus, Ilana M.
AU - Hatsukade, Isamu
AU - Hayashi, Katsuhiro
AU - Hayashi, Takayuki
AU - Hayashida, Kiyoshi
AU - Hiraga, Junko S.
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - We present the results from the Hitomi Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) observation of the Crab nebula. The main part of SGD is a Compton camera, which in addition to being a spectrometer, is capable of measuring polarization of gamma-ray photons. The Crab nebula is one of the brightest X-ray/gamma-ray sources on the sky, and the only source from which polarized X-ray photons have been detected. SGD observed the Crab nebula during the initial test observation phase of Hitomi. We performed data analysis of the SGD observation, SGD background estimation, and SGD Monte Carlo simulations and successfully detected polarized gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula with only about 5 ks exposure time. The obtained polarization fraction of the phase-integrated Crab emission (sum of pulsar and nebula emissions) is (22.1%±10.6%), and the polarization angle is 110°.7 + 13°.2/-13°.0 in the energy range of 60.160 keV (the errors correspond to the 1 σ deviation). The confidence level of the polarization detection was 99.3%. The polarization angle measured by SGD is about one sigma deviation with the projected spin axis of the pulsar, 124°.0 ± 0°.0.1.
AB - We present the results from the Hitomi Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) observation of the Crab nebula. The main part of SGD is a Compton camera, which in addition to being a spectrometer, is capable of measuring polarization of gamma-ray photons. The Crab nebula is one of the brightest X-ray/gamma-ray sources on the sky, and the only source from which polarized X-ray photons have been detected. SGD observed the Crab nebula during the initial test observation phase of Hitomi. We performed data analysis of the SGD observation, SGD background estimation, and SGD Monte Carlo simulations and successfully detected polarized gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula with only about 5 ks exposure time. The obtained polarization fraction of the phase-integrated Crab emission (sum of pulsar and nebula emissions) is (22.1%±10.6%), and the polarization angle is 110°.7 + 13°.2/-13°.0 in the energy range of 60.160 keV (the errors correspond to the 1 σ deviation). The confidence level of the polarization detection was 99.3%. The polarization angle measured by SGD is about one sigma deviation with the projected spin axis of the pulsar, 124°.0 ± 0°.0.1.
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U2 - 10.1093/pasj/psy118
DO - 10.1093/pasj/psy118
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85069453486
VL - 70
JO - Publication of the Astronomical Society of Japan
JF - Publication of the Astronomical Society of Japan
SN - 0004-6264
IS - 6
M1 - 113
ER -