468 research outputs found
A Thermal-Nonthermal Inverse Compton Model for Cyg X-1
Using Monte Carlo methods to simulate the inverse Compton scattering of soft
photons, we model the spectrum of the Galactic black hole candidate Cyg X-1,
which shows evidence of a nonthermal tail extending beyond a few hundred keV.
We assume an ad hoc sphere of leptons, whose energy distribution consists of a
Maxwellian plus a high energy power-law tail, and inject 0.5 keV blackbody
photons. The spectral data is used to constrain the nonthermal plasma fraction
and the power-law index assuming a reasonable Maxwellian temperature and
Thomson depth. A small but non-negligible fraction of nonthermal leptons is
needed to explain the power-law tail.Comment: 5 pages, 2 PostScript figure, uses aipproc.sty, to appear in
Proceedings of Fourth Compton Symposiu
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Waveform-level time-domain simulation comparison study of three shipboard power system architectures
Detailed waveform-level modeling and simulation of three alternative shipboard power system architectures is presented herein. The three system architectures are based on conventional 60Hz medium-voltage ac (MVAC), higherfrequency 240Hz medium-voltage ac (HFAC) and mediumvoltage dc (MVDC) technologies. To support the quantitative assessment and comparison of these three different power system architectures, each technology was modeled using a common representative, notional baseline ship. The baseline ship represents a multi-mission destroyer fitted with an 80MW next generation integrated power system (NGIPS). Modeling of each power system architecture is set forth along with simulation studies for three fault scenarios. Each of the three power system architectures was implemented within the MATLAB/ Simulink environment. Continuity of service was evaluated for each architecture along with a fault scenario using an operability metric. After a brief description of the three power system architectures and the operability metric, quantitative results are presented.Center for Electromechanic
Synchrotron Radiation as the Source of Gamma-Ray Burst Spectra
We investigate synchrotron emission models as the source of gamma-ray burst
spectra. We show that including the possibility for synchrotron
self-absorption, a ``smooth cutoff'' to the electron energy distribution, and
an anisotropic distribution for the electron pitch angles produces a whole
range of low energy spectral behavior. In addition, we show that the procedure
of spectral fitting to GRB data over a finite bandwidth can introduce a
spurious correlation between spectral parameters - in particular, the value of
the peak of the nu F_nu spectrum, E_p, and the low energy photon spectral index
alpha (the lower E_p is, the lower (softer) the fitted value of alpha will be).
From this correlation and knowledge of the E_p distribution, we show how to
derive the expected distribution of alpha. We show that optically thin
synchrotron models with an isotropic electron pitch angle distribution can
explain the distribution of alpha below alpha=-2/3. This agreement is achieved
if we relax the unrealistic assumption of the presence of a sharp low energy
cutoff in the spectrum of accelerated electrons, and allow for a more gradual
break. We show that this low energy portion of the electron spectrum can be at
most flat. We also show that optically thin synchrotron models with an
anisotropic electron pitch angle distribution can explain all bursts with -2/3
< alpha <= 0$. The very few bursts with low energy spectral indices that fall
above alpha=0 may be due the presence of a the synchrotron self-absorption
frequency entering the lower end of the BATSE window. Our results also predict
a particular relationship between alpha and E_p during the temporal evolution
of a GRB. We give examples of spectral evolution in GRBs and discuss how the
behavior are consistent with the above models.Comment: 21 pages, including 10 postscript figures. To appear in the December
10, 2000 issue of Ap
Evolution of the Low-Energy Photon Spectra in Gamma-Ray Bursts
We report evidence that the asymptotic low-energy power law slope alpha
(below the spectral break) of BATSE gamma-ray burst photon spectra evolves with
time rather than remaining constant. We find a high degree of positive
correlation exists between the time-resolved spectral break energy E_pk and
alpha. In samples of 18 "hard-to-soft" and 12 "tracking" pulses, evolution of
alpha was found to correlate with that of the spectral break energy E_pk at the
99.7% and 98% confidence levels respectively. We also find that in the flux
rise phase of "hard-to-soft" pulses, the mean value of alpha is often positive
and in some bursts the maximum value of alpha is consistent with a value > +1.
BATSE burst 3B 910927, for example, has a alpha_max equal to 1.6 +/- 0.3. These
findings challenge GRB spectral models in which alpha must be negative of
remain constant.Comment: 12 pages (including 6 figures), accepted to Ap
Spectral Hardness Decay with Respect to Fluence in BATSE Gamma-Ray Bursts
We have analyzed the evolution of the spectral hardness parameter Epk as a
function of fluence in gamma-ray bursts. We fit 41 pulses within 26 bursts with
the trend reported by Liang & Kargatis (1996) which found that Epk decays
exponentially with respect to photon fluence. We also fit these pulses with a
slight modification of this trend, where Epk decays linearly with energy
fluence. In both cases, we found the set of 41 pulses to be consistent with the
trend. For the latter trend, which we believe to be more physical, the
distribution of the decay constant is roughly log-normal, with a mean of 1.75
+/- 0.07 and a FWHM of 1.0 +/- 0.1. Regarding an earlier reported invariance in
the decay constant among different pulses in a single burst, we found
probabilities of 0.49 to 0.84 (depending on the test used) that such invariance
would occur by coincidence, most likely due to the narrow distribution of decay
constant values among pulses.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure pages, 2 table pages, submitted to The
Astrophysical Journa
Unblocking Temperatures of Viscous Remanent Magnetism in Displaced Granitic Boulders, Icicle Creek Glacial Moraines (Washington, USA)
Viscous remanent magnetization (VRM) may partially overprint original magnetization in rocks displaced by geomorphic events. An established theoretical relationship between the time and temperature of acquisition of VRM and the time and temperature of demagnetization suggests that laboratory demagnetization (unblocking) of VRM can be used to estimate the displacement age of rocks. We test this hypothesis at four nested glacial moraines in the Icicle Creek drainage of central Washington, the ages of which were previously determined by cosmogenic surface exposure dating. The moraines are composed primarily of granodiorite boulders, and magnetic remanence is carried dominantly by magnetite. Both the maximum and average pVRM demagnetization temperatures (TD) increase with relative age of the moraines. For the three younger moraines, the average TD yields an age comparable to the cosmogenic age, within uncertainty of pVRM acquisition temperature. Uncertainty in the acquisition and demagnetization temperatures can limit the utility of pVRM for absolute dating
Multiwavelength Observations of GX 339-4 in 1996. I. Daily Light Curves and X-ray and Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy
As part of our multiwavelength campaign of GX 339-4 observations in 1996 we
present our radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations made in July, when the
source was in a hard state (= soft X-ray low state). The radio observations
were made at the time when there was a possible radio jet. We show that the
radio spectrum was flat and significantly variable, and that the radio spectral
shape and amplitude at this time were not anomalous for this source. Daily
light curves from our pointed observation July 9-23 using OSSE, from BATSE, and
from the ASM on RXTE also show that there was no significant change in the X-
and gamma-ray flux or hardness during the time the possible radio jet-like
feature was seen. The higher energy portion of our pointed RXTE observation
made July 26 can be equally well fit using simple power law times exponential
(PLE) and Sunyaev-Titarchuk (ST) functions. An additional soft component is
required, as well as a broad emission feature centered on 6.4 keV. This may be
an iron line that is broadened by orbital Doppler motions and/or scattering off
a hot medium. Its equivalent width is 600 eV. Our simplistic continuum fitting
does not require an extra reflection component. Both a PLE and a ST model also
fit our OSSE spectrum on its own. Although the observations are not quite
simultaneous, combining the RXTE and CGRO spectra we find that the PLE model
easily fits the joint spectrum. However, the ST model drops off too rapidly
with increasing energies to give an acceptable joint fit.Comment: Submitted to Astrophysical Journal. 25 pages. 11 figure
Dynamics of solar wind protons reflected by the Moon
Solar system bodies that lack a significant atmosphere and significant
internal magnetic fields, such as the Moon and asteroids, have been considered
as passive absorbers of the solar wind. However, ion observations near the Moon
by the SELENE spacecraft show that a fraction of the impacting solar wind
protons are reflected by the surface of the Moon. Using new observations of the
velocity spectrum of these reflected protons by the SARA experiment on-board
the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft at the Moon, we show by modeling that the
reflection of solar wind protons will affect the global plasma environment.
These global perturbations of the ion fluxes and the magnetic fields will
depend on microscopic properties of the object's reflecting surface. This solar
wind reflection process could explain past ion observations at the Moon, and
the process should occur universally at all atmosphereless non-magnetized
objects.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure
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