Detection of polarized gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula with the Hitomi Soft Gamma-ray Detector
Authors:   Hitomi Collaboration, Aharonian Felix , Akamatsu Hiroki , Akimoto Fumie , Allen Steven W , Angelini Lorella , Audard Marc , Awaki Hisamitsu , Axelsson Magnus , Bamba Aya , Bautz Marshall W , Blandford Roger , Brenneman Laura W , Brown Gregory V , Bulbul Esra , Cackett Edward M , Chernyakova Maria , Chiao Meng P , Coppi Paolo S , Costantini Elisa , de Plaa Jelle , de Vries Cor P , den Herder Jan-Willem , Done Chris , Dotani Tadayasu , Ebisawa Ken , Eckart Megan E , Enoto Teruaki , Ezoe Yuichiro , Fabian Andrew C , Ferrigno Carlo , Foster Adam R , Fujimoto Ryuichi , Fukazawa Yasushi , Furuzawa Akihiro , Galeazzi Massimiliano , Gallo Luigi C , Gandhi Poshak , Giustini Margherita , Goldwurm Andrea , Gu Liyi , Guainazzi Matteo , Haba Yoshito , Hagino Kouichi , Hamaguchi Kenji , Harrus Ilana M , Hatsukade Isamu , Hayashi Katsuhiro , Hayashi Takayuki , Hayashida Kiyoshi , Hiraga Junko S , Hornschemeier Ann , Hoshino Akio , Hughes John P , Ichinohe Yuto , Iizuka Ryo , Inoue Hajime , Inoue Yoshiyuki , Ishida Manabu , Ishikawa Kumi , Ishisaki Yoshitaka , Iwai Masachika , Kaastra Jelle , Kallman Tim , Kamae Tsuneyoshi , Kataoka Jun , Katsuda Satoru , Kawai Nobuyuki , Kelley Richard L , Kilbourne Caroline A , Kitaguchi Takao , Kitamoto Shunji , Kitayama Tetsu , Kohmura Takayoshi , Kokubun Motohide , Koyama Katsuji , Koyama Shu , Kretschmar Peter , Krimm Hans A , Kubota Aya , Kunieda Hideyo , Laurent Philippe , Lee Shiu-Hang , Leutenegger Maurice A , Limousin Olivier , Loewenstein Michael , Long Knox S , Lumb David , Madejski Greg , Maeda Yoshitomo , Maier Daniel , Makishima Kazuo , Markevitch Maxim , Matsumoto Hironori , Matsushita Kyoko , McCammon Dan , McNamara Brian R , Mehdipour Missagh , Miller Eric D , Miller Jon M , Mineshige Shin , Mitsuda Kazuhisa , Mitsuishi Ikuyuki , Miyazawa Takuya , Mizuno Tsunefumi , Mori Hideyuki , Mori Koji , Mukai Koji , Murakami Hiroshi , Mushotzky Richard F , Nakagawa Takao , Nakajima Hiroshi , Nakamori Takeshi , Nakashima Shinya , Nakazawa Kazuhiro , Nobukawa Kumiko K , Nobukawa Masayoshi , Noda Hirofumi , Odaka Hirokazu , Ohashi Takaya , Ohno Masanori , Okajima Takashi , Ota Naomi , Ozaki Masanobu , Paerels Frits , Paltani Stéphane , Petre Robert , Pinto Ciro , Porter Frederick S , Pottschmidt Katja , Reynolds Christopher S , Safi-Harb Samar , Saito Shinya , Sakai Kazuhiro , Sasaki Toru , Sato Goro , Sato Kosuke , Sato Rie , Sawada Makoto , Schartel Norbert , Serlemtsos Peter J , Seta Hiromi , Shidatsu Megumi , Simionescu Aurora , Smith Randall K , Soong Yang , Stawarz Łukasz , Sugawara Yasuharu , Sugita Satoshi , Szymkowiak Andrew , Tajima Hiroyasu , Takahashi Hiromitsu , Takahashi Tadayuki , Takeda Shin’ichiro , Takei Yoh , Tamagawa Toru , Tamura Takayuki , Tanaka Takaaki , Tanaka Yasuo , Tanaka Yasuyuki T , Tashiro Makoto S , Tawara Yuzuru , Terada Yukikatsu , Terashima Yuichi , Tombesi Francesco , Tomida Hiroshi , Tsuboi Yohko , Tsujimoto Masahiro , Tsunemi Hiroshi , Tsuru Takeshi Go , Uchida Hiroyuki , Uchiyama Hideki , Uchiyama Yasunobu , Ueda Shutaro , Ueda Yoshihiro , Uno Shin’ichiro , Urry C Megan , Ursino Eugenio , Watanabe Shin , Werner Norbert , Wilkins Dan R , Williams Brian J , Yamada Shinya , Yamaguchi Hiroya , Yamaoka Kazutaka , Yamasaki Noriko Y , Yamauchi Makoto , Yamauchi Shigeo , Yaqoob Tahir , Yatsu Yoichi , Yonetoku Daisuke , Zhuravleva Irina , Zoghbi Abderahmen , Uchida Yuusuke 
Published: October 2018

We present the results from the Hitomi Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) observation of the Crab nebula. The main part of SGD is a Compton camera, which in addition to being a spectrometer, is capable of measuring polarization of gamma-ray photons. The Crab nebula is one of the brightest X-ray/gamma-ray sources on the sky, and the only source from which polarized X-ray photons have been detected. SGD observed the Crab nebula during the initial test observation phase of Hitomi. We performed data analysis of the SGD observation, SGD background estimation, and SGD Monte Carlo simulations, and successfully detected polarized gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula with only about 5 ks exposure time. The obtained polarization fraction of the phase-integrated Crab emission (sum of pulsar and nebula emissions) is (22.1% ± 10.6%), and the polarization angle is ${110{^{\circ}_{.}}7}$ +${13{^{\circ}_{.}}2}$/−${13{^{\circ}_{.}}0}$ in the energy range of 60–160 keV (the errors correspond to the 1 σ deviation). The confidence level of the polarization detection was 99.3%. The polarization angle measured by SGD is about one sigma deviation with the projected spin axis of the pulsar, ${124{^{\circ}_{.}}0}$ ± ${0{^{\circ}_{.}}1}$.