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Data from the Cassini spacecraft identify strong electron acceleration as the solar wind approaches the magnetosphere of Saturn. This so-called bow shock unexpectedly occurs even when the magnetic field is roughly parallel to the shock-surface normal. Knowledge of the magnetic dependence of electron acceleration will aid understanding of supernova remnants. Electrons can be accelerated to ultrarelativistic energies at strong (high Mach number) collisionless shock waves that form when stellar debris rapidly expands after a supernova 1 , 2 , 3 . Collisionless shock waves also form in the flow of particles from the Sun (the solar wind), and extensive spacecraft observations have established that electron acceleration at these shocks is effectively absent whenever the upstream magnetic field is roughly parallel to the shock-surface normal (quasi-parallel conditions) 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 . However, it is unclear whether this magnetic dependence of electron acceleration also applies to the far stronger shocks around young supernova remnants, where local magnetic conditions are poorly understood. Here we present Cassini spacecraft observations of an unusually strong solar system shock wave (Saturn’s bow shock) where significant local electron acceleration has been confirmed under quasi-parallel magnetic conditions for the first time, contradicting the established magnetic dependence of electron acceleration at solar system shocks 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 . Furthermore, the acceleration led to electrons at relativistic energies (about megaelectronvolt), comparable to the highest energies ever attributed to shock acceleration in the solar wind 4 . These observations suggest that at high Mach numbers, such as those of young supernova remnant shocks, quasi-parallel shocks become considerably more effective electron accelerators.

Here we present a systematic analysis of the mid-infrared properties of young radio galaxies, based on lower-resolution data provided by WISE and IRAS satellites. We restrict our analysis to sources in the earliest phase of radio galaxy evolution, with corresponding ages of the radio structures ≤ 3,000 yrs. In our sample of 29 objects, we find a variety of WISE colors, which suggests that the mid-infrared continua of studied sources are not exclusively contributed to by the circumnuclear dust. A comparison of the total mid-infrared and absorption-corrected X-ray luminosities for our sample reveals a clear correlation between the two bands. This favors the scenario in which the observed X-ray emission of young radio galaxies — at least the high-luminosity ones — originates predominantly in accretion disk corona.

Here we present some preliminary results of our analysis of the combined Chandra observations of the Pictor A radio galaxy. All the available Chandra data for the target, consisting of multiple pointings spanning over 15 years and amounting to the total exposure time of 464 ks, have been included in the analysis. We studied in detail the PSFs of the core region in the individual pointings, as well as the radial profile of the X-ray surface brightness of the source in the combined dataset, in order to discriminate between the radiative output of the unresolved core and the host galaxy. Based on these, we have performed spectral modeling of the active nucleus, constraining its variability.

The large majority of extragalactic very high energy (VHE; E >100 GeV) sources belongs to the class of active galactic nuclei (AGN), in particular the BL Lac sub-class. AGNs are characterized by an extremely bright and compact emission region, powered by a super-massive black hole (SMBH) and an accretion disk, and relativistic outflows (jets) detected all across the electro-magnetic spectrum. In BL Lac sources the jet axis is oriented close to the line of sight, giving rise to a relativistic boosting of the emission. In radio galaxies, on the other hand, the jet makes a larger angle to the line of sight allowing to resolve the central core and the jet in great details. The giant radio galaxy M 87 with its proximity (16 Mpc) and its very massive black hole ((3 – 6) × 109M ) provides a unique laboratory to investigate VHE emission in such objects and thereby probe particle acceleration to relativistic energies near SMBH and in jets. M 87 has been established as a VHE emitter since 2005. The VHE emission displays strong variability on time-scales as short as a day. It has been subject of a large joint VHE and multi-wavelength (MWL) monitoring campaign in 2008, where a rise in the 43 GHz VLBA radio emission of the innermost region (core) was found to coincide with a flaring activity at VHE. This had been interpreted as a strong indication that the VHE emission is produced in the direct vicinity of the SMBH black hole. In 2010 again a flare at VHE was detected triggering further MWL observations with the VLBA, Chandra, and other instruments. At the same time M 87 was also observed with the Fermi/LAT telescope at GeV energies and the European VLBI Network (EVN). In this contribution preliminary results from the campaign will be presented.

We present the analysis of the 93 ksec Chandra ACIS–S data for the galaxy CGCG 292–057 ( z = 0.054), with complex radio structure indicative of the intermittent jet activity. In order to characterize precisely the spectrum of the unresolved low-luminosity active nucleus in the source, we performed detailed MARX/PSF simulations and studied the radial profile of the source region surface brightness. In this way, we have detected an additional X-ray component extending from a few up to ∼10 kpc from the unresolved core, which could be associated with the hot gaseous medium compressed and heated (up to 0.9 keV) by the expanding inner lobes of the radio galaxy. We modeled the X-ray spectrum of the unresolved nucleus assuming various emission models, including an absorbed power-law, a power-law plus thermal emission component, and a two-temperature thermal plasma. The best fit was however obtained assuming a power-law emission scattered by a hot ionized gas, giving rise to the 6.7 keV iron line.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are brief flashes of γ-rays and are considered to be the most energetic explosive phenomena in the Universe1. The emission from GRBs comprises a short (typically tens of seconds) and bright prompt emission, followed by a much longer afterglow phase. During the afterglow phase, the shocked outflow—produced by the interaction between the ejected matter and the circumburst medium—slows down, and a gradual decrease in brightness is observed2. GRBs typically emit most of their energy via γ-rays with energies in the kiloelectronvolt-to-megaelectronvolt range, but a few photons with energies of tens of gigaelectronvolts have been detected by space-based instruments3. However, the origins of such high-energy (above one gigaelectronvolt) photons and the presence of very-high-energy (more than 100 gigaelectronvolts) emission have remained elusive4. Here we report observations of very-high-energy emission in the bright GRB 180720B deep in the GRB afterglow—ten hours after the end of the prompt emission phase, when the X-ray flux had already decayed by four orders of magnitude. Two possible explanations exist for the observed radiation: inverse Compton emission and synchrotron emission of ultrarelativistic electrons. Our observations show that the energy fluxes in the X-ray and γ-ray range and their photon indices remain comparable to each other throughout the afterglow. This discovery places distinct constraints on the GRB environment for both emission mechanisms, with the inverse Compton explanation alleviating the particle energy requirements for the emission observed at late times. The late timing of this detection has consequences for the future observations of GRBs at the highest energies

The nearby radio galaxy Centaurus A belongs to a class of active galaxies that are luminous at radio wavelengths. Most show collimated relativistic outflows known as jets, which extend over hundreds of thousands of parsecs for the most powerful sources. Accretion of matter onto the central supermassive black hole is believed to fuel these jets and power their emission 1 . Synchrotron radiation from relativistic electrons causes the radio emission, and it has been suggested that the X-ray emission from Centaurus A also originates in electron synchrotron processes 2 – 4 . Another possible explanation is inverse Compton scattering with cosmic microwave background (CMB) soft photons 5 – 7 . Synchrotron radiation needs ultrarelativistic electrons (about 50 teraelectronvolts) and, given their short cooling times, requires some continuous re-acceleration mechanism 8 . Inverse Compton scattering, on the other hand, does not require very energetic electrons, but the jets must stay highly relativistic on large scales (exceeding 1 megaparsec). Some recent evidence disfavours inverse Compton-CMB models 9 – 12 , although other work seems to be compatible with them 13 , 14 . In principle, the detection of extended γ-ray emission, which directly probes the presence of ultrarelativistic electrons, could distinguish between these options. At gigaelectronvolt energies there is also an unusual spectral hardening 15 , 16 in Centaurus A that has not yet been explained. Here we report observations of Centaurus A at teraelectronvolt energies that resolve its large-scale jet. We interpret the data as evidence for the acceleration of ultrarelativistic electrons in the jet, and favour the synchrotron explanation for the X-rays. Given that this jet is not exceptional in terms of power, length or speed, it is possible that ultrarelativistic electrons are commonplace in the large-scale jets of radio-loud active galaxies. Observations of the radio galaxy Centaurus A at teraelectronvolt energies resolve its large-scale jet and favour electron synchrotron processes as the source of its X-ray emission.

The Crab Nebula is a unique laboratory for studying the acceleration of electrons and positrons through their non-thermal radiation. Observations of very-high-energy \\(\\) rays from the Crab Nebula have provided important constraints for modelling its broadband emission. We present the first fully self-consistent analysis of the Crab Nebula's \\(\\)-ray emission between 1 GeV and \\(\\)100 TeV, that is, over five orders of magnitude in energy. Using the open-source software package Gammapy, we combined 11.4 yr of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope and 80 h of High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) data at the event level and provide a measurement of the spatial extension of the nebula and its energy spectrum. We find evidence for a shrinking of the nebula with increasing \\(\\)-ray energy. Furthermore, we fitted several phenomenological models to the measured data, finding that none of them can fully describe the spatial extension and the spectral energy distribution at the same time. Especially the extension measured at TeV energies appears too large when compared to the X-ray emission. Our measurements probe the structure of the magnetic field between the pulsar wind termination shock and the dust torus, and we conclude that the magnetic field strength decreases with increasing distance from the pulsar. We complement our study with a careful assessment of systematic uncertainties.

Issue Title: Proceedings of the Fifth Stromlo Symposium: Disks, Winds and Jets - From Planets to Quasars We present a Chandra image of the quasar, jet, and lobes of PKS 1354+195 (=4C 19.44). The radio jet is 18 arcsec long, and appears to be very straight. The length gives many independent spatial resolution elements in the Chandra image while the straightness implies that the geometrical factors are constant along the jet although their values are uncertain. We also have 4 frequency radio images with half to one arcsecond angular resolution, and use HST and Spitzer data to study the broad band spectral energy distributions. The X-ray and radio spectra are both consistent with a spectrum f ^sub ν^ ν ^sup -0.7^ for the integrated jet. Using that spectral index, the model of inverse Compton scattering of electrons on the cosmic microwave background (IC/CMB) gives magnetic field strengths and Doppler factors that are relatively constant along the jet. Extended X-ray emission is evident in the direction of the otherwise unseen counter-jet. X-ray emission continues past the radio jet to the South, and is detected within both the southern and northern radio lobes. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Geminga is an enigmatic radio-quiet gamma-ray pulsar located at a mere 250 pc distance from Earth. Extended very-high-energy gamma-ray emission around the pulsar was discovered by Milagro and later confirmed by HAWC, which are both water Cherenkov detector-based experiments. However, evidence for the Geminga pulsar wind nebula in gamma rays has long evaded detection by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) despite targeted observations. The detection of gamma-ray emission on angular scales > 2 deg poses a considerable challenge for the background estimation in IACT data analysis. With recent developments in understanding the complementary background estimation techniques of water Cherenkov and atmospheric Cherenkov instruments, the H.E.S.S. IACT array can now confirm the detection of highly extended gamma-ray emission around the Geminga pulsar with a radius of at least 3 deg in the energy range 0.5-40 TeV. We find no indications for statistically significant asymmetries or energy-dependent morphology. A flux normalisation of \\((2.8\\pm0.7)\\times10^{-12}\\) cm\\(^{-2}\\)s\\(^{-1}\\)TeV\\(^{-1}\\) at 1 TeV is obtained within a 1 deg radius region around the pulsar. To investigate the particle transport within the halo of energetic leptons around the pulsar, we fitted an electron diffusion model to the data. The normalisation of the diffusion coefficient obtained of \\(D_0 = 7.6^{+1.5}_{-1.2} \\times 10^{27}\\) cm\\(^2\\)s\\(^{-1}\\), at an electron energy of 100 TeV, is compatible with values previously reported for the pulsar halo around Geminga, which is considerably below the Galactic average.