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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
A low level of extragalactic background light as revealed by γ-rays from blazars
Nature, Volume 440, No. 7087, Year 2006
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Description
The diffuse extragalactic background light consists of the sum of the starlight emitted by galaxies through the history of the Universe, and it could also have an important contribution from the 'first stars', which may have formed before galaxy formation began. Direct measurements are difficult and not yet conclusive, owing to the large uncertainties caused by the bright foreground emission associated with zodiacal light1. An alternative approach2-5 is to study the absorption features imprinted on the γ-ray spectra of distant extragalactic objects by interactions of those photons with the background light photons6. Here we report the discovery of γ-ray emission from the blazars7 H 2356-309 and 1ES 1101-232, at redshifts z = 0.165 and z = 0.186, respectively. Their unexpectedly hard spectra provide an upper limit on the background light at optical/near-infrared wavelengths that appears to be very close to the lower limit given by the integrated light of resolved galaxies8. The background flux at these wavelengths accordingly seems to be strongly dominated by the direct starlight from galaxies, thus excluding a large contribution from other sources - in particular from the first stars formed9. This result also indicates that intergalactic space is more transparent to γ-rays than previously thought. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group.
Authors & Co-Authors
Aharonian, F. A.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Akhperjanian, Ashot G.
Armenia, Yerevan
Yerevan Physics Institute
Bazer-Bachi, A. R.
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Beilicke, Matthias
Germany, Hamburg
Universität Hamburg
Benbow, Wystan R.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Berge, David
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Bernlöhr, Konrad
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Germany, Berlin
Humboldt-universität zu Berlin
Boisson, Catherine
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Bolz, O.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Borrel, V.
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Braun, Isabel
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Breitling, Frank
Germany, Berlin
Humboldt-universität zu Berlin
Brown, Anthony M.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Chadwick, Paula M.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Chounet, L. M.
France, Palaiseau
École Polytechnique
Cornils, R.
Germany, Hamburg
Universität Hamburg
Costamante, Luigi
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Germany
European Associated Laboratory for Gamma-ray Astronomy
Degrange, Bernard
France, Palaiseau
École Polytechnique
Dickinson, Hugh J.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Djannati-Ataï, Arache
France, Paris
Apc - Astroparticule et Cosmologie
Drury, Luke O'C
Ireland, Dublin
Institiúid Ard-lénn Bhaile Átha Cliath
Dubus, Guillaume
France, Palaiseau
École Polytechnique
Emmanoulopoulos, Dimitrios
Germany, Heidelberg
Landessternwarte Heidelberg
Espigat, P.
France, Paris
Apc - Astroparticule et Cosmologie
Feinstein, Fabrice
France, Montpellier
Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
Fontaine, Gérard
France, Palaiseau
École Polytechnique
Fuchs, Yaël
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Funk, Stefan
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Gallant, Yves A.
France, Montpellier
Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
Giebels, Berrie
France, Palaiseau
École Polytechnique
Gillessen, Stefan
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Glicenstein, Jean François
France, Gif-sur-yvette
Cea Saclay
Goret, Philippe
France, Gif-sur-yvette
Cea Saclay
Hadjichristidis, C. N.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Häuser, D.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Hauser, Marcus
Germany, Heidelberg
Landessternwarte Heidelberg
Heinzelmann, Götz
Germany, Hamburg
Universität Hamburg
Henri, Gilles
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Hermann, German
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Hinton, James A.J.A.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Hofmann, Werner
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Holleran, M.
South Africa, Potchefstroom
North-west University
Horns, Dieter
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Jachołkowska, Agnieszka
France, Montpellier
Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
de Jager, Ocker C.
South Africa, Potchefstroom
North-west University
Khélifi, Bruno
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Klages, S.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Komin, Nukri
Germany, Berlin
Humboldt-universität zu Berlin
Konopelko, Alexander K.
Germany, Berlin
Humboldt-universität zu Berlin
Latham, Ian J.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Le Gallou, Roland
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Lemière, Anne
France, Paris
Apc - Astroparticule et Cosmologie
Lemoine-Goumard, Marianne
France, Palaiseau
École Polytechnique
Leroy, Nicolas
France, Palaiseau
École Polytechnique
Lohse, Thomas
Germany, Berlin
Humboldt-universität zu Berlin
Martin, Jean Marc
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Martineau-Huynh, Olivier
France, Paris
Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
Marcowith, Alexandre
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Masterson, C.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Germany
European Associated Laboratory for Gamma-ray Astronomy
McComb, T. J.Lowry
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
de Naurois, Mathieu
France, Paris
Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
Nolan, Sam J.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Noutsos, Aristeidis
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Orford, K. J.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Osborne, J. L.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Ouchrif, M.
Germany
European Associated Laboratory for Gamma-ray Astronomy
France, Paris
Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
Panter, M.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Pelletier, Guy
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Pita, Santiago
France, Paris
Apc - Astroparticule et Cosmologie
Pûhlhofer, Gerd
Germany, Heidelberg
Landessternwarte Heidelberg
Punch, Michael
France, Paris
Apc - Astroparticule et Cosmologie
Raubenheimer, B. Christo
South Africa, Potchefstroom
North-west University
Raue, Martin
Germany, Hamburg
Universität Hamburg
Raux, Julien
France, Paris
Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
Rayner, S. M.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Reimer, Anita
Germany, Bochum
Ruhr-universitat Bochum
Reimer, Olaf
Germany, Bochum
Ruhr-universitat Bochum
Ripken, Joachim
Germany, Hamburg
Universität Hamburg
Rob, L.
Czech Republic, Prague
Charles University
Rolland, Loïc
France, Paris
Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
Rowell, Gavin P.
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Sahakian, Vardan H.
Armenia, Yerevan
Yerevan Physics Institute
Saugé, Ludovic
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Schlenker, Stefan
Germany, Berlin
Humboldt-universität zu Berlin
Schlickeiser, Reinhard
Germany, Bochum
Ruhr-universitat Bochum
Schuster, C.
Germany, Bochum
Ruhr-universitat Bochum
Schwanke, Ullrich
Germany, Berlin
Humboldt-universität zu Berlin
Siewert, M.
Germany, Bochum
Ruhr-universitat Bochum
Sol, Hélène
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Spangler, D.
United Kingdom, Durham
Durham University
Steenkamp, R.
Namibia, Windhoek
University of Namibia
Stegmann, Christian
Germany, Berlin
Humboldt-universität zu Berlin
Tavernet, Jean Paul
France, Paris
Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
Terrier, Régis
France, Paris
Apc - Astroparticule et Cosmologie
Théoret, C. G.
France, Paris
Apc - Astroparticule et Cosmologie
Tluczykont, Martin
France, Palaiseau
École Polytechnique
Germany
European Associated Laboratory for Gamma-ray Astronomy
Van Eldik, Christopher
Germany, Heidelberg
Max-planck-institut Für Kernphysik
Vasileiadis, Georges
France, Montpellier
Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier
Venter, Christo
South Africa, Potchefstroom
North-west University
Vincent, Pierre
South Africa, Potchefstroom
North-west University
Statistics
Citations: 454
Authors: 100
Affiliations: 18
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1038/nature04680
ISSN:
00280836
e-ISSN:
14764687
Research Areas
Environmental