The local-filament pattern in the anomalous transparency of the Universe for energetic gamma rays

The propagation length of high-energy photons through the Universe is limited by $$e^{+}e^{-}$$ e + e - pair production on the extragalactic background radiation. Previous studies reported discrepancies between predicted and observed attenuation, suggesting explanations in terms of new physics. However, these effects are dominated by a limited number of observed sources, while many do not show any discrepancy. Here, we consider the distribution in the sky of these apparently anomalous objects, selected in two very different approaches: the study of unphysical hardenings at distance-dependent energies in deabsorbed spectra of TeV blazars, and the observation of ultra-high-energy air showers from the directions of BL Lac type objects. In both cases, directions to the anomalous sources follow the projected local distribution of galaxies: all the distant sources, contributing to the anomalies, are seen through the local filament. This matches the prediction of the proposed earlier explanation of the anomalies based on mixing of photons with axion-like particles in the filament’s magnetic field. For ultra-high energies, this axion interpretation may be tested by the search of primary gamma rays.

Transmission of acoustic-gravity waves through gas–liquid interfaces

It was demonstrated recently that gas–liquid interfaces, which are usually almost perfect reflectors of acoustic waves, become anomalously transparent, and the power flux in the wave transmitted into the gas increases dramatically, when a compact sound source in the liquid approaches the interface within a fraction of the wavelength (Godin, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 97, 2006b, 164301). Powerful underwater explosions and certain natural sources, such as underwater landslides, generate very low-frequency waves in water and air, for which fluid buoyancy and compressibility simultaneously serve as restoring forces. In this paper, analysis of sound transmission through gas–liquid interfaces is extended to acoustic-gravity waves (AGWs) and applied to the air–water interface. It is found that, as for sound, the interface becomes anomalously transparent for sufficiently shallow compact sources of AGWs. Depending on the source type, the increase of a wave power flux into gas due to diffraction effects can reach several orders of magnitude. The physical mechanisms responsible for the anomalous transparency are discussed. Excitation of an interface wave by a point source in the liquid is shown to be an important channel of AGW transmission into the gas, which has no counterpart in the case of sound.