Very high energy gamma-ray observations of the galaxy clusters Abell 496 and Abell 85 with H.E.S.S

Understand

Aims: The nearby galaxy clusters Abell 496 and Abell 85 are studied in the very high energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) band to investigate VHE cosmic rays (CRs) in this class of objects which are the largest gravitationally bound systems in the Universe.

• Methods: H.E.S.S., an array of four Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT), is used to observe the targets in the range of VHE gamma rays.
• Results: No significant gamma-ray signal is found at the respective position of the two clusters with several different source size assumptions for each target.
• In particular, emission regions corresponding to the high density core, to the extension of the entire X-ray emission in these clusters, and to the very extended region where the accretion shock is expected, are investigated.