The high-energy γ-ray emission of AP Librae

Abstract

The γ-ray spectrum of the low-frequency-peaked BL Lac (LBL) object AP Librae is studied, following the discovery of very-high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) γ-ray emission up to the TeV range by the H.E.S.S. experiment. This makes AP Librae one of the few VHE emitters of the LBL type. The measured spectrum yields a flux of (8.8 ± 1.5stat ± 1.8sys) × 10-12 cm-2 s-1 above 130 GeV and a spectral index of Γ = 2.65 ± 0.19stat ± 0.20sys. This study also makes use of Fermi-LAT observations in the high energy (HE, E> 100 MeV) range, providing the longest continuous light curve (5 years) ever published on this source. The source underwent a flaring event between MJD 56 306-56 376 in the HE range, with a flux increase of a factor of 3.5 in the 14 day bin light curve and no significant variation in spectral shape with respect to the low-flux state. While the H.E.S.S. and (low state) Fermi-LAT fluxes are in good agreement where they overlap, a spectral curvature between the steep VHE spectrum and the Fermi-LAT spectrum is observed. The maximum of the γ-ray emission in the spectral energy distribution is located below the GeV energy range.