A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history

The Fermi-LAT Collaboration

doi:10.1126/science.aat8123

A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history

The Fermi-LAT Collaboration

Physics

Hiroshima University
German Electron Synchrotron
Clemson University
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of Pisa
CEA-IRFU/CNRS/Université Paris Diderot
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
University of Trieste
University of Padua
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
University of Maryland
Polytechnic University of Bari
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
University of Turin
Université Montpellier 2
CNRS
Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Bologna
Italian Space Agency
Naval Research Laboratory
Sonoma State University
Stockholm University
Oskar Klein Centre
National Institute for Astrophysics
University of Bologna
Pegaso Telematic University
Complutense University
Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg
Circolo Astrofili Talmassons
Université d'Orléans
George Washington University
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
University of Iceland
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires Bordeaux-Gradingnan (CENBG)
University of Denver
Max Planck Institute for Physics (Werner Heisenberg Institute)
Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
University of Innsbruck
The University of Hong Kong
NYCB Real-Time Computing Inc.
Purdue University Northwest
Nagoya University
IRAP
Autonomous University of Barcelona
ICREA
University of Perugia
INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory Science Data Centre
California State University Los Angeles
Praxis, Inc.
University of Nova Gorica

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

141 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The light emitted by all galaxies over the history of the Universe produces the extragalactic background light (EBL) at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for gamma rays via photon-photon interactions, leaving an imprint in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources. We measured this attenuation using 739 active galaxies and one gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and determine the star formation history of the Universe over 90% of cosmic time. Our star formation history is consistent with independent measurements from galaxy surveys, peaking at redshift z ~ 2. Upper limits of the EBL at the epoch of reionization suggest a turnover in the abundance of faint galaxies at z ~ 6.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1031-1034
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	362
Issue number	6418
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat8123
Publication status	Published - 30 Nov 2018

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Multidisciplinary

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10.1126/science.aat8123

Cite this

@article{8a7af3f2d8784fe4aac8ca0279fba7e6,

title = "A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history",

abstract = "The light emitted by all galaxies over the history of the Universe produces the extragalactic background light (EBL) at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for gamma rays via photon-photon interactions, leaving an imprint in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources. We measured this attenuation using 739 active galaxies and one gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and determine the star formation history of the Universe over 90\% of cosmic time. Our star formation history is consistent with independent measurements from galaxy surveys, peaking at redshift z \textasciitilde{} 2. Upper limits of the EBL at the epoch of reionization suggest a turnover in the abundance of faint galaxies at z \textasciitilde{} 6.",

author = "\{The Fermi-LAT Collaboration\} and S. Abdollahi and M. Ackermann and M. Ajello and Atwood, \{W. B.\} and L. Baldini and J. Ballet and G. Barbiellini and D. Bastieri and \{Becerra Gonzalez\}, J. and R. Bellazzini and E. Bissaldi and Blandford, \{R. D.\} and Bloom, \{E. D.\} and R. Bonino and E. Bottacini and S. Buson and J. Bregeon and P. Bruel and R. Buehler and Cameron, \{R. A.\} and R. Caputo and Caraveo, \{P. A.\} and E. Cavazzuti and E. Charles and S. Chen and Cheung, \{C. C.\} and G. Chiaro and S. Ciprini and J. Cohen-Tanugi and Cominsky, \{L. R.\} and J. Conrad and D. Costantin and S. Cutini and F. D'Ammando and \{de Palma\}, F. and A. Desai and Digel, \{S. W.\} and \{Di Lalla\}, N. and \{Di Mauro\}, M. and \{Di Venere\}, L. and A. Dom{\'i}nguez and C. Favuzzi and Fegan, \{S. J.\} and J. Finke and A. Franckowiak and Y. Fukazawa and S. Funk and P. Fusco and \{Gallardo Romero\}, G. and S. Razzaque",

year = "2018",

month = nov,

day = "30",

doi = "10.1126/science.aat8123",

language = "English",

volume = "362",

pages = "1031--1034",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6418",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history

AU - The Fermi-LAT Collaboration

AU - Abdollahi, S.

AU - Ackermann, M.

AU - Ajello, M.

AU - Atwood, W. B.

AU - Baldini, L.

AU - Ballet, J.

AU - Barbiellini, G.

AU - Bastieri, D.

AU - Becerra Gonzalez, J.

AU - Bellazzini, R.

AU - Bissaldi, E.

AU - Blandford, R. D.

AU - Bloom, E. D.

AU - Bonino, R.

AU - Bottacini, E.

AU - Buson, S.

AU - Bregeon, J.

AU - Bruel, P.

AU - Buehler, R.

AU - Cameron, R. A.

AU - Caputo, R.

AU - Caraveo, P. A.

AU - Cavazzuti, E.

AU - Charles, E.

AU - Chen, S.

AU - Cheung, C. C.

AU - Chiaro, G.

AU - Ciprini, S.

AU - Cohen-Tanugi, J.

AU - Cominsky, L. R.

AU - Conrad, J.

AU - Costantin, D.

AU - Cutini, S.

AU - D'Ammando, F.

AU - de Palma, F.

AU - Desai, A.

AU - Digel, S. W.

AU - Di Lalla, N.

AU - Di Mauro, M.

AU - Di Venere, L.

AU - Domínguez, A.

AU - Favuzzi, C.

AU - Fegan, S. J.

AU - Finke, J.

AU - Franckowiak, A.

AU - Fukazawa, Y.

AU - Funk, S.

AU - Fusco, P.

AU - Gallardo Romero, G.

AU - Razzaque, S.

PY - 2018/11/30

Y1 - 2018/11/30

N2 - The light emitted by all galaxies over the history of the Universe produces the extragalactic background light (EBL) at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for gamma rays via photon-photon interactions, leaving an imprint in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources. We measured this attenuation using 739 active galaxies and one gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and determine the star formation history of the Universe over 90% of cosmic time. Our star formation history is consistent with independent measurements from galaxy surveys, peaking at redshift z ~ 2. Upper limits of the EBL at the epoch of reionization suggest a turnover in the abundance of faint galaxies at z ~ 6.

AB - The light emitted by all galaxies over the history of the Universe produces the extragalactic background light (EBL) at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for gamma rays via photon-photon interactions, leaving an imprint in the spectra of distant gamma-ray sources. We measured this attenuation using 739 active galaxies and one gamma-ray burst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. This allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of the EBL and determine the star formation history of the Universe over 90% of cosmic time. Our star formation history is consistent with independent measurements from galaxy surveys, peaking at redshift z ~ 2. Upper limits of the EBL at the epoch of reionization suggest a turnover in the abundance of faint galaxies at z ~ 6.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85057548351

U2 - 10.1126/science.aat8123

DO - 10.1126/science.aat8123

M3 - Article

C2 - 30498122

AN - SCOPUS:85057548351

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 362

SP - 1031

EP - 1034

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6418

ER -

A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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