Very high energy gamma rays from the binary pulsar PSR B1259-63

Abstract

This work reports on the discovery of very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission of the binary system PSR B1259-63 / SS 2883, consisting of a radio pulsar orbiting a massive, luminous star in a highly eccentric orbit. The observations of the binary system in the first half of 2004 were performed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), a system of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, recently installed in Namibia and in full operation since December 2003. The instrument collects the Cherenkov light emitted by air showers which are induced by the interaction of cosmic gamma-rays with the upper atmosphere. This technique allows to detect gamma-rays with energies ranging from 10