A method of measurement of extragalactic magnetic fields by TeV gamma ray telescopes

Abstract

We propose a method of measurement of extragalactic magnetic fields in observations of TeV gamma-rays from distant blazars. Multi-TeV gamma-rays are emitted by these sources in narrow jet with opening angle of few degrees. These primary gamma-rays interact with the infrared photon background producing secondary electrons and positrons, which can be just slightly deflected by extragalactic magnetic fields before they emit secondary gamma-rays via inverse Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background photons. Secondary gamma-rays emitted toward an observer on the Earth can be detected as extended emission around initially point source. Energy dependent angular size of extended emission is related to the value of extragalactic magnetic field along the line of sight. Small magnetic fields B < 10^{-12} G in the voids of the large scale structure can be measured in this way.