Explore the vast range of titles available.

The observations of the exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst (GRB) 130427A by the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope provide constraints on the nature of these unique astrophysical sources. GRB 130427A had the largest fluence, highest-energy photon (95 GeV), longest γ-ray duration (20 hours), and one of the largest isotropie energy releases ever observed from a GRB. Temporal and spectral analyses of GRB 130427A challenge the widely accepted model that the nonthermal high-energy emission in the afterglow phase of GRBs is synchrotron emission radiated by electrons accelerated at an external shock.

The light emitted by stars and accreting compact objects through the history of the universe is encoded in the intensity of the extragalactic background light (EBL). Knowledge of the EBL is important to understand the nature of star formation and galaxy evolution, but direct measurements of the EBL are limited by galactic and other foreground emissions. Here, we report an absorption feature seen in the combined spectra of a sample of gamma-ray blazars out to a redshift of z ~1.6. This feature is caused by attenuation of gamma rays by the EBL at optical to ultraviolet frequencies and allowed us to measure the EBL flux density in this frequency band.

The origin of Galactic cosmic rays is a century-long puzzle. Indirect evidence points to their acceleration by supernova Shockwaves, but we know little of their escape from the shock and their evolution through the turbulent medium surrounding massive stars. Gamma rays can probe their spreading through the ambient gas and radiation fields. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has observed the star-forming region of Cygnus X. The 1-to 100-gigaelectronvolt images reveal a 50-parsec-wide cocoon of freshly accelerated cosmic rays that flood the cavities carved by the stellar winds and ionization fronts from young stellar clusters. It provides an example to study the youth of cosmic rays in a superbubble environment before they merge into the older Galactic population.

GRB 090510: a test for special relativity Observations of the distant and short γ-ray burst GRB 090510 with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have provided an opportunity to test a central prediction of Einstein's special theory of relativity — the Lorentz invariance. This holds that all observers measure exactly the same speed of light in a vacuum, independent of photon energy. A key test of the violation of Lorentz invariance is a possible variation of photon speed with energy. Accumulated over cosmological light-travel times, even a tiny variation in photon speed should become observable — as for instance sharp features in the light curve of a γ-ray burst. No evidence for the violation of Lorentz invariance was found in the GRB 090510 spectrum, at least down to a limit of the Planck length divided by 1.2. This argues against quantum-gravity theories where the quantum nature of space–time linearly alters the speed of light with photon energy. Lorentz invariance — the postulate that all observers measure exactly the same speed of light in vacuum, independent of photon energy — is a cornerstone of Einstein's special relativity, but it has been suggested that it might break near the Planck scale. A possible variation of photon speed with energy is a key test for this proposed violation; here, by studying sharp features in γ-ray burst light-curves to look for even tiny variations in photon speed, no evidence for the violation of Lorentz invariance is found. A cornerstone of Einstein’s special relativity is Lorentz invariance—the postulate that all observers measure exactly the same speed of light in vacuum, independent of photon-energy. While special relativity assumes that there is no fundamental length-scale associated with such invariance, there is a fundamental scale (the Planck scale, l Planck  ≈ 1.62 × 10 -33  cm or E Planck = M Planck c 2  ≈ 1.22 × 10 19  GeV), at which quantum effects are expected to strongly affect the nature of space–time. There is great interest in the (not yet validated) idea that Lorentz invariance might break near the Planck scale. A key test of such violation of Lorentz invariance is a possible variation of photon speed with energy 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . Even a tiny variation in photon speed, when accumulated over cosmological light-travel times, may be revealed by observing sharp features in γ-ray burst (GRB) light-curves 2 . Here we report the detection of emission up to ∼31 GeV from the distant and short GRB 090510. We find no evidence for the violation of Lorentz invariance, and place a lower limit of 1.2 E Planck on the scale of a linear energy dependence (or an inverse wavelength dependence), subject to reasonable assumptions about the emission (equivalently we have an upper limit of l Planck /1.2 on the length scale of the effect). Our results disfavour quantum-gravity theories 3 , 6 , 7 in which the quantum nature of space–time on a very small scale linearly alters the speed of light.

A young and energetic pulsar powers the well-known Crab Nebula. Here, we describe two separate gamma-ray (photon energy greater than 100 mega-electron volts) flares from this source detected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The first flare occurred in February 2009 and lasted approximately 16 days. The second flare was detected in September 2010 and lasted approximately 4 days. During these outbursts, the gamma-ray flux from the nebula increased by factors of four and six, respectively. The brevity of the flares implies that the gamma rays were emitted via synchrotron radiation from peta-electron-volt (10¹⁵ electron volts) electrons in a region smaller than 1.4 x 10⁻² parsecs. These are the highest-energy particles that can be associated with a discrete astronomical source, and they pose challenges to particle acceleration theory.

Long-duration γ-ray bursts (GRBs) release copious amounts of energy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and so provide a window into the process of black hole formation from the collapse of massive stars. Previous early optical observations of even the most exceptional GRBs (990123 and 030329) lacked both the temporal resolution to probe the optical flash in detail and the accuracy needed to trace the transition from the prompt emission within the outflow to external shocks caused by interaction with the progenitor environment. Here we report observations of the extraordinarily bright prompt optical and γ-ray emission of GRB 080319B that provide diagnostics within seconds of its formation, followed by broadband observations of the afterglow decay that continued for weeks. We show that the prompt emission stems from a single physical region, implying an extremely relativistic outflow that propagates within the narrow inner core of a two-component jet. GRB 080319B: fit to burst The γ-ray burst GRB 080319B, the result of the violent collapse of a massive star to form a black hole, is the most luminous optical flash so far observed in the 40-year history of γ-ray astronomy. Discovered by the Swift satellite on 19 March 2008 and briefly visible to the naked eye, it produces energy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Now a reanalysis of the extraordinarily bright emissions of GRB 080319B within a few seconds of its formation, together with broadband observations of its decay over the following few weeks, provide the clearest picture yet of one of these events. The data clearly establish that the prompt optical flash was produced in the same physical region as the γ-ray burst itself. The afterglow properties cannot be explained by the standard simple models, but rather imply a multi-component jet interpretation. Long duration γ-ray bursts (GRBs) release copious amounts of energy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and provide a window into the process of black hole formation from the collapse of massive stars. Observations of the extraordinarily bright prompt optical and γ-ray emission of GRB 080319B shows that the prompt emission stems from a single physical region, implying an extremely relativistic outflow that propagates within the narrow inner core of a two-component jet.

Pulsars are rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars emitting radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. Although there are more than 1800 known radio pulsars, until recently only seven were observed to pulse in gamma rays, and these were all discovered at other wavelengths. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) makes it possible to pinpoint neutron stars through their gamma-ray pulsations. We report the detection of 16 gamma-ray pulsars in blind frequency searches using the LAT. Most of these pulsars are coincident with previously unidentified gamma-ray sources, and many are associated with supernova remnants. Direct detection of gamma-ray pulsars enables studies of emission mechanisms, population statistics, and the energetics of pulsar wind nebulae and supernova remnants.

Novae are thermonuclear explosions on a white dwarf surface fueled by mass accreted from a companion star. Current physical models posit that shocked expanding gas from the nova shell can produce x-ray emission, but emission at higher energies has not been widely expected. Here, we report the Fermi Large Area Telescope detection of variable γ-ray emission (0.1 to 10 billion electron volts) from the recently detected optical nova of the symbiotic star V407 Cygni. We propose that the material of the nova shell interacts with the dense ambient medium of the red giant primary and that particles can be accelerated effectively to produce π° decay γ-rays from proton-proton interactions. Emission involving inverse Compton scattering of the red giant radiation is also considered and is not ruled out.

Recent observations of supernova remnants (SNRs) hint that they accelerate cosmic rays to energies close to ~1015 electron volts. However, the nature of the particles that produce the emission remains ambiguous. We report observations of SNR W44 with the Fermi Large Area Telescope at energies between 2 × 108 electron volts and 3 ×1011 electron volts. The detection of a source with a morphology corresponding to the SNR shell implies that the emission is produced by particles accelerated there. The gamma-ray spectrum is well modeled with emission from protons and nuclei. Its steepening above ~109 electron volts provides a probe with which to study how particle acceleration responds to environmental effects such as shock propagation in dense clouds and how accelerated particles are released into interstellar space

Microquasars are accreting black holes or neutron stars in binary systems with associated relativistic jets. Despite their frequent outburst activity, they have never been unambiguously detected emitting high-energy gamma rays. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has detected a variable high-energy source coinciding with the position of the x-ray binary and microquasar Cygnus X-3. Its identification with Cygnus X-3 is secured by the detection of its orbital period in gamma rays, as well as the correlation of the LAT flux with radio emission from the relativistic jets of Cygnus X-3. The gamma-ray emission probably originates from within the binary system, opening new areas in which to study the formation of relativistic jets.