A gamma-ray determination of the Universe's star formation history
Journal
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Fermi-LAT Collaboration
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Abdollahi, S.
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Ackermann, M.
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Ajello, M.
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Atwood, W. B.
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Baldini, L.
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Ballet, J.
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Barbiellini, G.
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Bastieri, D.
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Becerra Gonzalez, J.
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Bellazzini, R.
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Palatiello, M.
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Paliya, V. S.
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Paneque, D.
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Perkins, J. S.
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Porter, T. A.
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Pesce-Rollins, M.
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Primack, J. R.
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Rainò, S.
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Troja, E.
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Rando, R.
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Razzano, M.
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Razzaque, S.
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Reimer, A.
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Bissaldi, E.
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Reimer, O.
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Saz Parkinson, P. M.
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Sgrò, C.
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Siskind, E. J.
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Spandre, G.
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Valverde, J.
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Spinelli, P.
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Suson, D. J.
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Tajima, H.
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Takahashi, M.
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Thayer, J. B.
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Blandford, R. D.
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Tibaldo, L.
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Torres, D. F.
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Tosti, G.
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Vianello, G.
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Tramacere, A.
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Vogel, M.
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Wood, K.
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Bloom, E. D.
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Zaharijas, G.
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Bonino, R.
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Bottacini, E.
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Buson, S.
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Di Lalla, N.
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Bregeon, J.
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Bruel, P.
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Buehler, R.
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Cameron, R. A.
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Caputo, R.
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Cavazzuti, E.
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Charles, E.
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Chen, S.
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Cheung, C. C.
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Di Mauro, M.
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Chiaro, G.
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Ciprini, S.
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Cohen-Tanugi, J.
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Cominsky, L. R.
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Conrad, J.
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Costantin, D.
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Cutini, S.
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de Palma, F.
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Desai, A.
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Di Venere, L.
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Digel, S. W.
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Domínguez, A.
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Favuzzi, C.
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Fegan, S. J.
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Finke, J.
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Franckowiak, A.
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Fukazawa, Y.
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Funk, S.
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Longo, F.
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Fusco, P.
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Gallardo Romero, G.
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Gargano, F.
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Gasparrini, D.
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Giglietto, N.
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Giordano, F.
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Green, D.
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Grenier, I. A.
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Guillemot, L.
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Loparco, F.
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Guiriec, S.
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Hartmann, D. H.
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Hays, E.
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Helgason, K.
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Horan, D.
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Jóhannesson, G.
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Kocevski, D.
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Kuss, M.
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Larsson, S.
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Latronico, L.
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Lott, B.
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Li, J.
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Lovellette, M. N.
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Lubrano, P.
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Madejski, G. M.
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Magill, J. D.
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Maldera, S.
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Manfreda, A.
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Marcotulli, L.
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Petrosian, V.
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Mazziotta, M. N.
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McEnery, J. E.
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Meyer, M.
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Michelson, P. F.
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Mizuno, T.
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Monzani, M. E.
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Morselli, A.
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Moskalenko, I. V.
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Negro, M.
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Nuss, E.
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Piron, F.
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Ojha, R.
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Omodei, N.
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Orlando, E.
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Ormes, J. F.
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.
Volume
362
Issue
6418
Start page
1031
Issn Identifier
0036-8075
Ads BibCode
2018Sci...362.1031F
Rights
open.access
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