Publications (9)0 Total impact
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Article: Observation of TeV gamma-rays from the unidentified source HESS J1841-055 with the ARGO-YBJ experiment
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ABSTRACT: We report the observation of a very high energy \gamma-ray source, whose position is coincident with HESS J1841-055. This source has been observed for 4.5 years by the ARGO-YBJ experiment from November 2007 to July 2012. Its emission is detected with a statistical significance of 5.3 standard deviations. Parameterizing the source shape with a two-dimensional Gaussian function we estimate an extension \sigma=(0.40(+0.32,-0.22}) degree, consistent with the HESS measurement. The observed energy spectrum is dN/dE =(9.0-+1.6) x 10^{-13}(E/5 TeV)^{-2.32-+0.23} photons cm^{-2} s^{-1} TeV^{-1}, in the energy range 0.9-50 TeV. The integral \gamma-ray flux above 1 TeV is 1.3-+0.4 Crab units, which is 3.2-+1.0 times the flux derived by HESS. The differences in the flux determination between HESS and ARGO-YBJ, and possible counterparts at other wavelengths are discussed.03/2013; -
Article: Long-term Monitoring on Mrk 501 for Its VHE gamma Emission and a Flare in October 2011
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ABSTRACT: As one of the brightest active blazars in both X-ray and very high energy $\gamma$-ray bands, Mrk 501 is very useful for physics associated with jets from AGNs. The ARGO-YBJ experiment is monitoring it for $\gamma$-rays above 0.3 TeV since November 2007. Starting from October 2011 the largest flare since 2005 is observed, which lasts to about April 2012. In this paper, a detailed analysis is reported. During the brightest $\gamma$-rays flaring episodes from October 17 to November 22, 2011, an excess of the event rate over 6 $\sigma$ is detected by ARGO-YBJ in the direction of Mrk 501, corresponding to an increase of the $\gamma$-ray flux above 1 TeV by a factor of 6.6$\pm$2.2 from its steady emission. In particular, the $\gamma$-ray flux above 8 TeV is detected with a significance better than 4 $\sigma$. Based on time-dependent synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) processes, the broad-band energy spectrum is interpreted as the emission from an electron energy distribution parameterized with a single power-law function with an exponential cutoff at its high energy end. The average spectral energy distribution for the steady emission is well described by this simple one-zone SSC model. However, the detection of $\gamma$-rays above 8 TeV during the flare challenges this model due to the hardness of the spectra. Correlations between X-rays and $\gamma$-rays are also investigated.09/2012; -
Article: Measurement of the cosmic ray antiproton/proton flux ratio at TeV energies with the ARGO-YBJ detector
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ABSTRACT: Cosmic ray antiprotons provide an important probe to study the cosmic ray propagation in the interstellar space and to investigate the existence of dark matter. Acting the Earth-Moon system as a magnetic spectrometer, paths of primary antiprotons are deflected in the opposite sense with respect to those of the protons in their way to the Earth. This effect allows, in principle, the search for antiparticles in the direction opposite to the observed deficit of cosmic rays due to the Moon (the so-called `Moon shadow'). The ARGO-YBJ experiment, located at the Yangbajing Cosmic Ray Laboratory (Tibet, P.R. China, 4300 m a.s.l., 606 g/cm$^2$), is particularly effective in measuring the cosmic ray antimatter content via the observation of the cosmic rays shadowing effect due to: (1) good angular resolution, pointing accuracy and long-term stability; (2) low energy threshold; (3) real sensitivity to the geomagnetic field. Based on all the data recorded during the period from July 2006 through November 2009 and on a full Monte Carlo simulation, we searched for the existence of the shadow cast by antiprotons in the TeV energy region. No evidence of the existence of antiprotons is found in this energy region. Upper limits to the $\bar{p}/p$ flux ratio are set to 5 % at a median energy of 1.4 TeV and 6 % at 5 TeV with a confidence level of 90%. In the TeV energy range these limits are the lowest available.01/2012; -
Article: Observation of the Cosmic Ray Moon shadowing effect with ARGO-YBJ
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ABSTRACT: Cosmic rays are hampered by the Moon and a deficit in its direction is expected (the so-called \emph{Moon shadow}). The Moon shadow is an important tool to determine the performance of an air shower array. Indeed, the westward displacement of the shadow center, due to the bending effect of the geomagnetic field on the propagation of cosmic rays, allows the setting of the absolute rigidity scale of the primary particles inducing the showers recorded by the detector. In addition, the shape of the shadow permits to determine the detector point spread function, while the position of the deficit at high energies allows the evaluation of its absolute pointing accuracy. In this paper we present the observation of the cosmic ray Moon shadowing effect carried out by the ARGO-YBJ experiment in the multi-TeV energy region with high statistical significance (55 standard deviations). By means of an accurate Monte Carlo simulation of the cosmic rays propagation in the Earth-Moon system, we have studied separately the effect of the geomagnetic field and of the detector point spread function on the observed shadow. The angular resolution as a function of the particle multiplicity and the pointing accuracy have been obtained. The primary energy of detected showers has been estimated by measuring the westward displacement as a function of the particle multiplicity, thus calibrating the relation between shower size and cosmic ray energy. The stability of the detector on a monthly basis has been checked by monitoring the position and the deficit of the Moon shadow. Finally, we have studied with high statistical accuracy the shadowing effect in the "day"/"night" time looking for possible effect induced by the solar wind.07/2011; -
Article: Measurement of Cosmic Ray antiproton/proton flux ratio at TeV energies with ARGO-YBJ
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ABSTRACT: Cosmic ray antiprotons provide an important probe for the study of cosmic-ray propagation in the interstellar space and to investigate the existence of Galactic dark matter. The ARGO-YBJ experiment, located at the Yangbajing Cosmic Ray Laboratory (Tibet, P.R. China, 4300 m a.s.l., 606 g/cm$^2$), is the only experiment exploiting the full coverage approach at very high altitude presently at work. The ARGO-YBJ experiment is particularly effective in measuring the cosmic ray antimatter content via the observation of the cosmic rays Moon shadowing effect. Based on all the data recorded during the period from July 2006 through November 2009 and a full Monte Carlo simulation, we searched for the existence of the shadow produced by antiprotons at the few-TeV energy region. No evidence of the existence of antiprotons was found in this energy region. Upper limits to the antip/p flux ratio are set to 5 % at a median energy of 2 TeV and 6 % at 5 TeV with a confidence level of 90 %. In the few-TeV energy range this result is the lowest available.07/2011; -
Article: Long-term monitoring of the TeV emission from Mrk 421 with the ARGO-YBJ experiment
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ABSTRACT: ARGO-YBJ is an air shower detector array with a fully covered layer of resistive plate chambers. It is operated with a high duty cycle and a large field of view. It continuously monitors the northern sky at energies above 0.3 TeV. In this paper, we report a long-term monitoring of Mrk 421 over the period from 2007 November to 2010 February. This source was observed by the satellite-borne experiments Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and Swift in the X-ray band. Mrk 421 was especially active in the first half of 2008. Many flares are observed in both X-ray and gamma-ray bands simultaneously. The gamma-ray flux observed by ARGO-YBJ has a clear correlation with the X-ray flux. No lag between the X-ray and gamma-ray photons longer than 1 day is found. The evolution of the spectral energy distribution is investigated by measuring spectral indices at four different flux levels. Hardening of the spectra is observed in both X-ray and gamma-ray bands. The gamma-ray flux increases quadratically with the simultaneously measured X-ray flux. All these observational results strongly favor the synchrotron self-Compton process as the underlying radiative mechanism.06/2011; -
Article: Proton-air cross section measurement with the ARGO-YBJ cosmic ray experiment
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ABSTRACT: The proton-air cross section in the energy range 1-100 TeV has been measured by the ARGO-YBJ cosmic ray experiment. The analysis is based on the flux attenuation for different atmospheric depths (i.e. zenith angles) and exploits the detector capabilities of selecting the shower development stage by means of hit multiplicity, density and lateral profile measurements at ground. The effects of shower fluctuations, the contribution of heavier primaries and the uncertainties of the hadronic interaction models, have been taken into account. The results have been used to estimate the total proton-proton cross section at center of mass energies between 70 and 500 GeV, where no accelerator data are currently available. Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures04/2009; -
Article: Results from the ARGO-YBJ Test Experiment
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ABSTRACT: An RPC carpet covering ~10**4 m**2 (ARGO-YBJ experiment) will be installed in the YangBaJing Laboratory (Tibet, P.R. China) at an altitude of 4300 m a.s.l.. A test-module of ~50 m**2 has been put in operation in this laboratory and about 10**6 air shower events have been collected. The carpet capability of reconstructing the shower features is presented.09/1999; -
Article: High Altitude test of RPCs for the ARGO-YBJ experiment
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ABSTRACT: A 50 m**2 RPC carpet was operated at the YangBaJing Cosmic Ray Laboratory (Tibet) located 4300 m a.s.l. The performance of RPCs in detecting Extensive Air Showers was studied. Efficiency and time resolution measurements at the pressure and temperature conditions typical of high mountain laboratories, are reported.09/1999;
