Origin of very high energy emission in galaxy clusters

Abstract

Abstract. The Perseus cluster of galaxies with the central galaxy NGC 1275 is ideally suitable for studying both the physics of relativistic jets from Active Galactic Nuclei and for revealing the feedback role of the central galaxy. We present the results of fifteen-year-long observations of the AGN NGC 1275 at energies 800 GeV-40 TeV discovered by the SHALON telescope in 1996. The data obtained at very high energies by SHALON, namely the images of the galaxy and its surroundings, and the flux variability indicate that TeV γ -ray emission is produced by a number of processes: in particular, part of this emission is generated by relativistic jets in the nucleus of NGC 1275 itself. Unique data on GK Per(Nova 1901) and the IC 310 radio galaxy TeV γ -ray emission were obtained with the SHALON experiment for the first time.