Impact of local foreground radiations on very high energy observations of extragalactic sources
Phys. Rev. D 112, 043005 – Published 7 August, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/83cr-dd3m
Abstract
In the framework of exploiting very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations of extragalactic sources to infer constraints on the intensity of cosmological background radiations, as well as on deviations from the standard model of particles and physical interactions (like violations of Lorentz invariance and axionlike particles—LIV and ALPs), we discuss here possible contaminant effects due to the presence of radiations fields from local sources. We specifically model and analyze the foreground radiations produced inside the host galaxy of the VHE source and the cosmic environment itself hosting the source, as well as radiations produced in the Milky Way, along the VHE source’s observational line-of-sights. Our analysis shows that such contaminant foregrounds may indeed impact on observations of only the very local Active Galactic Nuclei (e.g., Centaurus A), but not significantly those in the Virgo cluster (M87) and beyond.
