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dc.contributor.authorSushch, Iurii
dc.contributor.authorBöttcher, Markus
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-25T14:16:54Z
dc.date.available2016-08-25T14:16:54Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.identifier.citationSushch, I. & Böttcher, M. 2015. Probing cluster environments of blazars through γγ absorption. Astronomy & astrophysics, 573: Article no A47. [https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201425048 ]en_US
dc.identifier.issn0004-6361
dc.identifier.issn1432-0746 (Online)
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10394/18411
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201425048
dc.identifier.urihttp://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2015/01/aa25048-14/aa25048-14.html
dc.description.abstractMost blazars are known to be hosted in giant elliptic galaxies, but their cluster environments have not been thoroughly investigated. Cluster environments may contain radiation fields of low-energy photons created by nearby galaxies and/or stars in the intracluster medium that produce diffuse intracluster light. These radiation fields may absorb very high energy γ rays (VHE; E ≳ 100 GeV) and trigger pair cascades with further production of subsequent generations of γ rays with lower energies via inverse Compton scattering on surrounding radiation fields leaving a characteristic imprint in the observed spectral shape. The change of the spectral shape of the blazar reflects the properties of its ambient medium. We show, however, that neither intracluster light nor the radiation field of an individual nearby galaxy can cause substantial γγ absorption. Substantial γγ absorption is possible only in the case of multiple, ≳5, luminous nearby galaxies. This situation is not found in the local Universe, but may be possible at larger redshifts (z ≳ 2). Since VHE γ rays from such distances are expected to be strongly absorbed by the extragalactic background light, we consider possible signatures of γ-ray induced pair cascades by calculating the expected GeV flux which appears to be below the Fermi-LAT sensitivity even for ~10 nearby galaxiesen_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherEDP Sciencesen_US
dc.subjectBL Lacertae objects: generalen_US
dc.subjectBL Lacertae objects: individual: 1ES1440+122en_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: clusters: generalen_US
dc.subjectradiation mechanisms: non-thermalen_US
dc.titleProbing cluster environments of blazars through γγ absorptionen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.contributor.researchID24922986 - Sushch, Iurii
dc.contributor.researchID24420530 - Böttcher, Markus


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