Fermi Gamma-Ray Imaging of a Radio Galaxy

Abdo AA; Ackermann M; Ajello M; Atwood WB; Baldini L; Ballet J; Barbiellini G; Bastieri D; Baughman BM; Bechtol K; Bellazzini R; Berenji B; Blandford RD; Bloom ED; Bonamente E; Borgland AW; Bregeon J; Brez A; Brigida M; Bruel P; Burnett TH; Buson S; Caliandro GA; Cameron RA; Caraveo PA; Casandjian JM; Cavazzuti E; Cecchi C; Celik O; Chekhtman A; Cheung CC; Chiang J; Ciprini S; Claus R; Cohen-Tanugi J; Colafrancesco S; Cominsky LR; Conrad J; Costamante L; Cutini S; Davis DS; Dermer CD; de Angelis A; de Palma F; Digel SW; Silva EDE; Drell PS; Dubois R; Dumora D; Famier C; Favuzzi C; Fegan SJ; Finke J; Focke WB; Fortin P; Fukazawa Y; Funk S; Fusco P; Gargano F; Gasparrini D; Gehrels N; Georganopoulos M; Germani S; Giebels B; Giglietto N; Giordano F; Giroletti M; Glanzman T; Godfrey G; Grenier IA; Grove JE; Guillemot L; Guiriec S; Hanabata Y; Harding AK; Hayashida M; Hays E; Hughes RE; Jackson MS; Johannesson G; Johnson AS; Johnson TJ; Johnson WN; Kamae T; Katagiri H; Kataoka J; Kawai N; Kerr M; Knodlseder J; Kocian ML; Kuss M; Lande J; Latronico L; Lemoine-Goumard M; Longo F; Loparco F; Lott B; Lovellette MN; Lubrano P; Madejski GM; Makeev A; Mazziotta MN; McConville W; McEnery JE; Meurer C; Michelson PF; Mitthumsiri W; Mizuno T; Moiseev AA; Monte C; Monzani ME; Morselli A; Moskalenko IV; Murgia S; Nolan PL; Norris JP; Nuss E; Ohsugi T; Omodei N; Orlando E; Ormes JF; Paneque D; Parent D; Pelassa V; Pepe M; Pesce-Rollins M; Piron F; Porter TA; Raino S; Rando R; Razzano M; Razzaque S; Reimer A; Reimer O; Reposeur T; Ritz S; Rochester S; Rodriguez AY; Romani RW; Roth M; Ryde F; Sadrozinski HFW; Sambruna R; Sanchez D; Sander A; Parkinson PMS; Scargle JD; Sgro C; Siskind EJ; Smith DA; Smith PD; Spandre G; Spinelli P; Starck JL; Stawarz L; Strickman MS; Suson DJ; Tajima H; Takahashi H; Takahashi T; Tanaka T; Thayer JB; Thayer JG; Thompson DJ; Tibaldo L; Torres DF; Tosti G; Tramacere A; Uchiyama Y; Usher TL; Vasileiou V; Vilchez N; Vitale V; Waite AP; Wallace E; Wang P; Winer BL; Wood KS; Ylinen T; Ziegler M; Hardcastle MJ; Kazanas D

Science, Vol.328, No.5979, 725-729, 2010

DOI10.1126/science.1184656 Export Citation

Fermi Gamma-Ray Imaging of a Radio Galaxy

Abdo AA, Ackermann M, Ajello M, Atwood WB, Baldini L, Ballet J, Barbiellini G, Bastieri D, Baughman BM, Bechtol K, Bellazzini R, Berenji B, Blandford RD, Bloom ED, Bonamente E, Borgland AW, Bregeon J, Brez A, Brigida M, Bruel P, Burnett TH, Buson S, Caliandro GA, Cameron RA, Caraveo PA, Casandjian JM, Cavazzuti E, Cecchi C, Celik O, Chekhtman A, Cheung CC, Chiang J, Ciprini S, Claus R, Cohen-Tanugi J, Colafrancesco S, Cominsky LR, Conrad J, Costamante L, Cutini S, Davis DS, Dermer CD, de Angelis A, de Palma F, Digel SW, Silva EDE, Drell PS, Dubois R, Dumora D, Famier C, Favuzzi C, Fegan SJ, Finke J, Focke WB, Fortin P, Fukazawa Y, Funk S, Fusco P, Gargano F, Gasparrini D, Gehrels N, Georganopoulos M, Germani S, Giebels B, Giglietto N, Giordano F, Giroletti M, Glanzman T, Godfrey G, Grenier IA, Grove JE, Guillemot L, Guiriec S, Hanabata Y, Harding AK, Hayashida M, Hays E, Hughes RE, Jackson MS, Johannesson G, Johnson AS, Johnson TJ, Johnson WN, Kamae T, Katagiri H, Kataoka J, Kawai N, Kerr M, Knodlseder J, Kocian ML, Kuss M, Lande J, Latronico L, Lemoine-Goumard M, Longo F, Loparco F, Lott B, Lovellette MN, Lubrano P, Madejski GM, Makeev A, Mazziotta MN, McConville W, McEnery JE, Meurer C, Michelson PF, Mitthumsiri W, Mizuno T, Moiseev AA, Monte C, Monzani ME, Morselli A, Moskalenko IV, Murgia S, Nolan PL, Norris JP, Nuss E, Ohsugi T, Omodei N, Orlando E, Ormes JF, Paneque D, Parent D, Pelassa V, Pepe M, Pesce-Rollins M, Piron F, Porter TA, Raino S, Rando R, Razzano M, Razzaque S, Reimer A, Reimer O, Reposeur T, Ritz S, Rochester S, Rodriguez AY, Romani RW, Roth M, Ryde F, Sadrozinski HFW, Sambruna R, Sanchez D, Sander A, Parkinson PMS, Scargle JD, Sgro C, Siskind EJ, Smith DA, Smith PD, Spandre G, Spinelli P, Starck JL, Stawarz L, Strickman MS, Suson DJ, Tajima H, Takahashi H, Takahashi T, Tanaka T, Thayer JB, Thayer JG, Thompson DJ, Tibaldo L, Torres DF, Tosti G, Tramacere A, Uchiyama Y, Usher TL, Vasileiou V, Vilchez N, Vitale V, Waite AP, Wallace E, Wang P, Winer BL, Wood KS, Ylinen T, Ziegler M, Hardcastle MJ, Kazanas D

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected the gamma-ray glow emanating from the giant radio lobes of the radio galaxy Centaurus A. The resolved gamma-ray image shows the lobes clearly separated from the central active source. In contrast to all other active galaxies detected so far in high-energy gamma-rays, the lobe flux constitutes a considerable portion (greater than one-half) of the total source emission. The gamma-ray emission from the lobes is interpreted as inverse Compton-scattered relic radiation from the cosmic microwave background, with additional contribution at higher energies from the infrared-to-optical extragalactic background light. These measurements provide gamma-ray constraints on the magnetic field and particle energy content in radio galaxy lobes, as well as a promising method to probe the cosmic relic photon fields.