Razmik MirzoyanMax Planck Institute for Physics | MPP · Department of Experimental Astro-Physics
Razmik Mirzoyan
PhD
Writing and reviewing papers, designing a new experimental setup for stellar intensity interferometry, ...
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775
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Introduction
Razmik Mirzoyan is working as experimental Astro-Particle physicist at the Max Planck Institute for Physics. He does research in Astro-Particle Physics and Astrophysics, but also in adjacent fields linked to cosmology and particle physics. The current projects are the twin 17m MAGIC, CTA & LST IACTs for ground-based gamma-ray astrophysics (La Palma, Canary islands), Photonics with fast Low Light Level photon detectors (SiPM, PMT, hybrid PMT) and Astro Particle Physics with the TAIGA detector.
Publications
Publications (775)
Context. To date, three pulsars have been firmly detected by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). Two of them reached the TeV energy range, challenging models of very high-energy (VHE) emission in pulsars. More precise observations are needed to better characterize pulsar emission at these energies. The LST-1 is the prototype of the la...
Flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) constitute a class of jetted active galaxies characterized by a very luminous accretion disk, prominent and rapidly moving line-emitting cloud structures (Broad Line Region, BLR), and a surrounding dense dust structure known as dusty torus. The intense radiation field of the accretion disk strongly determines the...
Instruments for gamma-ray astronomy at Very High Energies ($E>100\,{\rm GeV}$) have traditionally derived their scientific results through proprietary data and software. Data standardisation has become a prominent issue in this field both as a requirement for the dissemination of data from the next generation of gamma-ray observatories and as an ef...
Ground-based observations of Very High Energy (VHE) gamma rays from extreme astrophysical sources are significantly influenced by atmospheric conditions. This is due to the atmosphere being an integral part of the detector when utilizing Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). Clouds and dust particles diminish atmospheric transmission of...
Ground-based observations of Very High Energy (VHE) gamma rays from extreme astrophysical sources are significantly influenced by atmospheric conditions. This is due to the atmosphere being an integral part of the detector when utilizing Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). Clouds and dust particles diminish atmospheric transmission of...
The Intensity Interferometry technique consists of measuring the spatial coherence (visibility) of an object via its intensity fluctuations over a sufficient range of telescope separations (baselines). This allows us to study the size, shape and morphology of stars with an unprecedented resolution. Cherenkov telescopes have a set of characteristics...
The Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV), a proposed consequence of certain quantum gravity (QG) scenarios, could instigate an energy-dependent group velocity for ultra-relativistic particles. This energy dependence, although suppressed by the massive QG energy scale E_QG, expected to be on the level of the Planck energy 1.22 × 10¹⁹ GeV, is potential...
The ground-based technique for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes became a rapidly developing and powerful branch of science. Thanks to this technique, over 250 very high-energy gamma-ray sources of galactic and extragalactic origin have been discovered. Many fundamental questions of astrophysics, astro-particle physics, the physics of cosmic...
The Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV), a proposed consequence of certain quantum gravity (QG) scenarios, could instigate an energy-dependent group velocity for ultra-relativistic particles. This energy dependence, although suppressed by the massive QG energy scale $E_\mathrm{QG}$, expected to be on the level of the Planck energy $1.22 \times 10^{1...
Aims. We present the first multiwavelength study of Mrk 501 that contains simultaneous very-high-energy (VHE) γ -ray observations and X-ray polarization measurements from the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).
Methods. We used radio-to-VHE data from a multiwavelength campaign carried out between March 1, 2022, and July 19, 2022 (MJD 59639 t...
In recent years, a new generation of optical intensity interferometers has emerged, leveraging the existing infrastructure of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). The MAGIC telescopes host the MAGIC-SII system (Stellar Intensity Interferometer), implemented to investigate the feasibility and potential of this technique on IACTs. After...
PG 1553 + 113 is one of the few blazars with a convincing quasi-periodic emission in the gamma-ray band. The source is also a very high energy (VHE; >100 GeV) gamma-ray emitter. To better understand its properties and identify the underlying physical processes driving its variability, the MAGIC Collaboration initiated a multiyear, multiwavelength m...
Aims. We have performed the first broadband study of Mrk 421 from radio to TeV gamma rays with simultaneous measurements of the X-ray polarization from IXPE.
Methods. The data were collected as part of an extensive multiwavelength campaign carried out between May and June 2022 using MAGIC, Fermi -LAT, NuSTAR , XMM-Newton , Swift , and several optic...
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are explosive transient events occurring at cosmological distances, releasing a large amount of energy as electromagnetic radiation over several energy bands. We report the detection of the long GRB 201216C by the MAGIC telescopes. The source is located at z = 1.1 and thus it is the farthest one detected at very high energie...
Context . We are operating an elastic light detecting and ranging system (LIDAR) for the monitoring of atmospheric conditions during regular observations of the MAGIC telescopes.
Aims . We present and evaluate methods for converting aerosol extinction profiles, obtained with the LIDAR, into corrections of the reconstructed gamma-ray event energy an...
Context. We are operating an elastic LIDAR for the monitoring of atmospheric conditions during regular observations of the MAGIC Telescopes. Aims. We present and evaluate methods to convert aerosol extinction profiles, obtained with the LIDAR, into corrections of the reconstructed gamma-ray event energy and Instrument Response Functions of Imaging...
Linelike features in TeV γ rays constitute a "smoking gun" for TeV-scale particle dark matter and new physics. Probing the Galactic Center region with ground-based Cherenkov telescopes enables the search for TeV spectral features in immediate association with a dense dark matter reservoir at a sensitivity out of reach for satellite γ-ray detectors,...
The Tunka Advanced Instrument for Gamma- and cosmic-ray Astronomy (TAIGA) is a multicomponent experiment for the measurement of TeV to PeV gamma- and cosmic rays. Our goal is to establish a novel hybrid direct air shower technique, sufficient to access the energy domain of the long-sought Pevatrons. The hybrid air Cherenkov light detection techniqu...
The Tunka Advanced Instrument for Gamma- and cosmic-ray Astronomy (TAIGA) is a multicomponent experiment for the measurement of TeV to PeV gamma- and cosmic rays. Our goal is to establish a novel hybrid direct air shower technique, sufficient to access the energy domain of the long-sought Pevatrons. The hybrid air Cherenkov light detection techniqu...
Line-like features in TeV $\gamma$-rays constitute a ''smoking gun'' for TeV-scale particle dark matter and new physics. Probing the Galactic Center region with ground-based Cherenkov telescopes enables the search for TeV spectral features in immediate association with a dense dark matter reservoir at a sensitivity out of reach for satellite $\gamm...
The Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes are a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). IACTs make calorimetric use of the Earth’s atmosphere, which allows them to reach large effective areas, but also makes them strongly dependent on the quality of the atmosphere at the time of the observations. D...
Every large world-class observatory must operate in a very dark environment that is as free as possible of anthropogenic sources of light pollution, which can degrade the quality of ground-based astronomical observations. A LIDAR is able to measure, and subtract from its laser return signals, a corresponding contribution from the night-sky brightne...
We have analyzed seven years of quasi-continuous LIDAR data taken during those nights when the MAGIC telescopes were operating. Characterization of the nocturnal ground layer is possible through an absolute calibration of the LIDAR during clear nights and yields zenith and azimuth-angle dependent aerosol extinction scale heights for clear nights. W...
The SNR G106.3+2.7, detected at 1--100 TeV energies by different $\gamma$-ray facilities, is one of the most promising PeVatron candidates. This SNR has a cometary shape which can be divided into a head and a tail region with different physical conditions. However, it is not identified in which region the 100 TeV emission is produced due to the lim...
The BL Lac object 1ES 0647+250 is one of the few distant $\gamma$-ray emitting blazars detected at very high energies (VHE, $\gtrsim$100 GeV) during a non-flaring state. It was detected with the MAGIC telescopes during its low activity in the years 2009-2011, as well as during three flaring activities in the years 2014, 2019 and 2020, with the high...
MAGIC is a system of two imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) located on the Canary island of La Palma. Each telescope's imaging camera consists of 1039 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). We developed three detector modules based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) of seven pixels each that are mechanically and electronically compatible with...
The TAIGA gamma observatory is continuing its deployment at the Tunka valley, close to lake Baikal. The new, original detectors, able to work under severe conditions of Siberia, were developed to increase the TAIGA sensitivity for the study of gamma-quanta at energies about 1 PeV and above. The distinguishing feature of the detectors is the use of...
The current status of the equipment development for the new wide-angle gamma-ray imaging air Cherenkov telescope for TAIGA hybrid installation is presented. A front-end electronic and data acquisition system board based on the Zynq family Xilinx FPGA chips specially designed for this project have been produced and are being tested. A detailed descr...
Extended and delayed emission around distant TeV sources induced by the effects of propagation of gamma rays through the intergalactic medium can be used for the measurement of the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF). We search for delayed GeV emission from the hard-spectrum TeV blazar 1ES 0229+200 with the goal to detect or constrain the IGMF-depe...
LHAASO J2108+5157 is one of the few known unidentified Ultra-High-Energy (UHE) gamma-ray sources with no Very-High-Energy (VHE) counterpart, recently discovered by the LHAASO collaboration. We observed LHAASO J2108+5157 in the X-ray band with XMM-Newton in 2021 for a total of 3.8 hours and at TeV energies with the Large-Sized Telescope prototype (L...
Context: Several new Ultra-High-Energy (UHE) gamma-ray sources have recently been discovered by the LHAASO collaboration, which represent a step forward in the search for the so-called galactic PeVa-trons, the enigmatic sources of the Galactic cosmic rays up to PeV energies. However, it has been shown that multi-TeV gamma-ray emission does not nece...
MAGIC is a system of two imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) located on the Canary island of La Palma. Each telescope’s imaging camera consists of 1039 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). We developed three detector modules based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) of seven pixels each that are mechanically and electronically compatible with...
The two MAGIC 17-m diameter Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes have been equipped to work also as an intensity interferometer with a deadtime-free, 4-channel, GPU-based, real-time correlator. Operating with baselines between approx. 40 and 90 m the MAGIC interferometer is able to measure stellar diameters of 0.5-1 mas in the 400-440 nm wavele...
MAXI J1820+070 is a low-mass X-ray binary with a black hole as a compact object. This binary underwent an exceptionally bright X-ray outburst from March to October 2018, showing evidence of a non-thermal particle population through its radio emission during this whole period. The combined results of 59.5 hours of observations of the MAXI J1820+070...
MAXI J1820+070 is a low-mass X-ray binary with a black hole as a compact object. This binary underwent an exceptionally bright X-ray outburst from March to October 2018, showing evidence of a non-thermal particle population through its radio emission during this whole period. The combined results of 59.5 hours of observations of the MAXI J1820+070...
We present a new elastic LIDAR concept, based on a bi-axially mounted Nd:YAG laser and a telescope with HPD readout, combined with fast FADC signal digitization and offline pulse analysis. The LIDAR return signals have been extensively quality checked and absolutely calibrated. We analyse seven years of quasi-continuous LIDAR data taken during thos...
Classical novae are cataclysmic binary star systems in which the matter of a companion star is accreted on a white dwarf1,2. Accumulation of hydrogen in a layer eventually causes a thermonuclear explosion on the surface of the white dwarf3, brightening the white dwarf to ~105 solar luminosities and triggering ejection of the accumulated matter. Nov...
The TAIGA astroparticle observatory is progressing with the deployment of new detector stations. The Tunka-Grande — scintillation counter array of the observatory expands with the new TAIGA-Muon stations. Several simulation studies were conducted for optimisation of the new station positioning and performance. Extensive air showers induced by gamma...