What caused the GeV flare of PSR B1259-63 ?

PSR B1259-63 is a gamma-ray binary system composed of a high spindown pulsar and a massive star. Non-thermal emission up to TeV energies is observed near periastron passage, attributed to emission from high energy e+e- pairs accelerated at the shock with the circumstellar material from the companion star, resulting in a small-scale pulsar wind nebula. Weak gamma-ray emission was detected by the Fermi/LAT at the last periastron passage, unexpectedly followed 30 days later by a strong flare, limited to the GeV band, during which the luminosity nearly reached the spindown power of the pulsar. The origin of this GeV flare remains mysterious. We investigate whether the flare could have been caused by pairs, located in the vicinity of the pulsar, up-scattering X-ray photons from the surrounding pulsar wind nebula rather than UV stellar photons, as usually assumed. Such a model is suggested by the geometry of the interaction region at the time of the flare. We compute the gamma-ray lightcurve for this scenario, based on a simplified description of the interaction region, and compare it to the observations. The GeV lightcurve peaks well after periastron with this geometry. The pairs are inferred to have a Lorentz factor ~500. They also produce an MeV flare with a luminosity ~1e34 erg/s prior to periastron passage. A significant drawback is the very high energy density of target photons required for efficient GeV emission. We propose to associate the GeV-emitting pairs with the Maxwellian expected at shock locations corresponding to high pulsar latitudes, while the rest of the non-thermal emission arises from pairs accelerated in the equatorial region of the pulsar wind termination shock.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Spectral signature of a free pulsar wind in the gamma-ray binaries LS 5039 and LSI +61\degr303

LS 5039 and LSI +61\degr303 are two binaries that have been detected in the TeV energy domain. These binaries are composed of a massive star and a compact object, possibly a young pulsar. The gamma-ray emission would be due to particle acceleration at the collision site between the relativistic pulsar wind and the stellar wind of the massive star. Part of the emission may also originate from inverse Compton scattering of stellar photons on the unshocked (free) pulsar wind. The purpose of this work is to constrain the bulk Lorentz factor of the pulsar wind and the shock geometry in the compact pulsar wind nebula scenario for LS 5039 and LSI +61\degr303 by computing the unshocked wind emission and comparing it to observations. Anisotropic inverse Compton losses equations are derived and applied to the free pulsar wind in binaries. The unshocked wind spectra seen by the observer are calculated taking into account the gamma-gamma absorption and the shock geometry. A pulsar wind composed of monoenergetic pairs produces a typical sharp peak at an energy which depends on the bulk Lorentz factor and whose amplitude depends on the size of the emitting region. This emission from the free pulsar wind is found to be strong and difficult to avoid in LS 5039 and LSI +61\degr303. If the particles in the pulsar are monoenergetic then the observations constrain their energy to roughly 10-100 GeV. For more complex particle distributions, the free pulsar wind emission will be difficult to distinguish from the shocked pulsar wind emission.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The modulation of the gamma-ray emission from the binary LS 5039

Gamma-ray binaries, composed of a massive star and compact object, have been established as a new class of sources of very high energy (VHE) photons. The gamma-rays are produced by inverse Compton scattering of the stellar light by VHE electrons accelerated in the vicinity of the compact object. The VHE emission from LS 5039 displays an orbital modulation. The inverse Compton spectrum depends on the angle between the incoming and outgoing photon in the electron rest frame. Since the angle at which an observer sees the star and electrons changes with the orbit, a phase dependence of the spectrum is expected. The phase-dependent spectrum of LS 5039 is calculated, assuming a continuous injection of electrons. The shape of the electron distribution depends on the injected power-law and on the magnetic field intensity. Anisotropic scattering produces hard emission at inferior conjunction, when attenuation due to pair production of the VHE gamma-rays on star light is minimum. The computed lightcurve and spectra provide good fits to the HESS and EGRET observations, except at phases of maximum attenuation where pair cascade emission may be significant for HESS. Detailed predictions are made for a modulation in the GLAST energy range. The magnetic field intensity at periastron is 0.8+-0.2 G. Anisotropic inverse Compton scattering plays a major role in LS 5039. The derived magnetic field intensity, injection energy and slope suggest a rotation-powered pulsar wind nebula. Gamma-ray binaries are promising sources to study the environment of pulsars on small scales.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Angular momentum losses and the orbital period distribution of cataclysmic variables below the period gap: effects of circumbinary disks

The population synthesis of cataclysmic variables below the period is investigated. A grid of detailed binary evolutionary sequences has been calculated and included in the simulations to take account of additional angular momentum losses beyond that associated with gravitational radiation and mass loss, due to nova outbursts, from the system. As a specific example, we consider the effect of a circumbinary disk to gain insight into the ingredients necessary to reproduce the observed orbital period distribution. The resulting distributions show that the period minimum lies at about 80 minutes with the number of systems monotonically increasing with increasing orbital period to a maximum near 90 minutes. There is no evidence for an accumulation of systems at the period minimum which is a common feature of simulations in which only gravitational radiation losses are considered. The period distribution is found to be fairly flat for orbital periods ranging from about 85 to 120 minutes. The steepness of the lower edge of the period gap can be reproduced, for example, by an input of systems at periods near 2.25 hrs due to a flow of cataclysmic variable binary systems from orbital periods longer than 2.75 hrs. The good agreement with the cumulated distribution function of observed systems within the framework of our model indicates that the angular momentum loss by a circumbinary disk or a mechanism which mimics its features coupled with a weighting factor to account for selection effects in the discovery of such systems and a flow of systems from above the period gap to below the period gap are important ingredients for understanding the overall period distribution of cataclysmic variable binary systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

What can Simbol-X do for gamma-ray binaries?

Gamma-ray binaries have been uncovered as a new class of Galactic objects in the very high energy sky (> 100 GeV). The three systems known today have hard X-ray spectra (photon index ~ 1.5), extended radio emission and a high luminosity in gamma-rays. Recent monitoring campaigns of LSI +61 303 in X-rays have confirmed variability in these systems and revealed a spectral hardening with increasing flux. In a generic one-zone leptonic model, the cooling of relativistic electrons accounts for the main spectral and temporal features observed at high energy. Persistent hard X-ray emission is expected to extend well beyond 10 keV. We explain how Simbol-X will constrain the existing models in connection with Fermi Space Telescope measurements. Because of its unprecedented sensitivity in hard X-rays, Simbol-X will also play a role in the discovery of new gamma-ray binaries, giving new insights into the evolution of compact binaries.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Proceedings of the 2nd International Simbol-X symposium held in Paris, 2-5 December 200

Relativistic Doppler-boosted emission in gamma-ray binaries

Gamma-ray binaries could be compact pulsar wind nebulae formed when a young pulsar orbits a massive star. The pulsar wind is contained by the stellar wind of the O or Be companion, creating a relativistic comet-like structure accompanying the pulsar along its orbit. The X-ray and the very high energy (>100 GeV, VHE) gamma-ray emissions from the binary LS 5039 are modulated on the orbital period of the system. Maximum and minimum flux occur at the conjunctions of the orbit, suggesting that the explanation is linked to the orbital geometry. The VHE modulation has been proposed to be due to the combined effect of Compton scattering and pair production on stellar photons, both of which depend on orbital phase. The X-ray modulation could be due to relativistic Doppler boosting in the comet tail where both the X-ray and VHE photons would be emitted. Relativistic aberrations change the seed stellar photon flux in the comoving frame so Doppler boosting affects synchrotron and inverse Compton emission differently. The dependence with orbital phase of relativistic Doppler-boosted (isotropic) synchrotron and (anisotropic) inverse Compton emission is calculated, assuming that the flow is oriented radially away from the star (LS 5039) or tangentially to the orbit (LS I +61 303, PSR B1259-63). Doppler boosting of the synchrotron emission in LS 5039 produces a lightcurve whose shape corresponds to the X-ray modulation. The observations imply an outflow velocity of 0.15-0.33c consistent with the expected flow speed at the pulsar wind termination shock. In LS I +61 303, the calculated Doppler boosted emission peaks in phase with the observed VHE and X-ray maximum. Doppler boosting might provide an explanation for the puzzling phasing of the VHE peak in this system.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&

The relativistic jet of Cygnus X-3 in gamma rays

High energy gamma-rays have been detected from Cygnus X-3, a system composed of a Wolf-Rayet star and a black hole or neutron star. The gamma-ray emission is linked to the radio emission from the jet launched in the system. The flux is modulated with the 4.8 hr orbital period, as expected if high energy electrons are upscattering photons emitted by the Wolf-Rayet star to gamma-ray energies. This modulation is computed assuming that high energy electrons are located at some distance along a relativistic jet of arbitrary orientation. Modeling shows that the jet must be inclined and that the gamma ray emitting electrons cannot be located within the system. This is consistent with the idea that the electrons gain energy where the jet is recollimated by the stellar wind pressure and forms a shock. Jet precession should strongly affect the gamma-ray modulation shape at different epochs. The power in non-thermal electrons represents a small fraction of the Eddington luminosity only if the inclination is low i.e. if the compact object is a black hole.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

One-dimensional pair cascade emission in gamma-ray binaries

In gamma-ray binaries such as LS 5039 a large number of electron-positron pairs are created by the annihilation of primary very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays with photons from the massive star. The radiation from these particles contributes to the total high energy gamma-ray flux and can initiate a cascade, decreasing the effective gamma-ray opacity in the system. The aim of this paper is to model the cascade emission and investigate if it can account for the VHE gamma-ray flux detected by HESS from LS 5039 at superior conjunction, where the primary gamma-rays are expected to be fully absorbed. A one-dimensional cascade develops along the line-of-sight if the deflections of pairs induced by the surrounding magnetic field can be neglected. A semi-analytical approach can then be adopted, including the effects of the anisotropic seed radiation field from the companion star. Cascade equations are numerically solved, yielding the density of pairs and photons. In LS 5039, the cascade contribution to the total flux is large and anti-correlated with the orbital modulation of the primary VHE gamma-rays. The cascade emission dominates close to superior conjunction but is too strong to be compatible with HESS measurements. Positron annihilation does not produce detectable 511 keV emission. This study provides an upper limit to cascade emission in gamma-ray binaries at orbital phases where absorption is strong. The pairs are likely to be deflected or isotropized by the ambient magnetic field, which will reduce the resulting emission seen by the observer. Cascade emission remains a viable explanation for the detected gamma-rays at superior conjunction in LS 5039.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic