TeV gamma rays from the blazar H 1426+428 and the diffuse extragalactic background radiation

Abstract

The detection of TeV gamma-rays from the blazar H 1426+428 at an integral flux level of (4 +- 2(stat) +- 1(syst)) 10^(-12) erg cm^(-2) s^(-1) above 1 TeV with the HEGRA imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope system is reported. H 1426+428 is located at a redshift of z=0.129, which makes it the most distant source detected in TeV gamma-rays so far. The TeV radiation is expected to be strongly absorbed by the diffuse extragalactic background radiation (DEBRA). The observed energy spectrum of TeV photons is in good agreement with an intrinsic power law spectrum of the source ~E^(-1.9) corrected for DEBRA absorption. Statistical errors as well as uncertainties about the intrinsic source spectrum, however, do not permit strong statements about the density of the DEBRA infrared photon field.