15,442 research outputs found
Gamma-ray emission from globular clusters
Over the last few years, the data obtained using the Large Area Telescope
(LAT) aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has provided new insights on
high-energy processes in globular clusters, particularly those involving
compact objects such as Millisecond Pulsars (MSPs). Gamma-ray emission in the
100 MeV to 10 GeV range has been detected from more than a dozen globular
clusters in our galaxy, including 47 Tucanae and Terzan 5. Based on a sample of
known gamma-ray globular clusters, the empirical relations between gamma-ray
luminosity and properties of globular clusters such as their stellar encounter
rate, metallicity, and possible optical and infrared photon energy densities,
have been derived. The measured gamma-ray spectra are generally described by a
power law with a cut-off at a few gigaelectronvolts. Together with the
detection of pulsed gamma-rays from two MSPs in two different globular
clusters, such spectral signature lends support to the hypothesis that
gamma-rays from globular clusters represent collective curvature emission from
magnetospheres of MSPs in the clusters. Alternative models, involving
Inverse-Compton (IC) emission of relativistic electrons that are accelerated
close to MSPs or pulsar wind nebula shocks, have also been suggested.
Observations at >100 GeV by using Fermi/LAT and atmospheric Cherenkov
telescopes such as H.E.S.S.-II, MAGIC-II, VERITAS, and CTA will help to settle
some questions unanswered by current data.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, J. Astron. Space Sci., in pres
Gamma-ray emission from the globular clusters Liller 1, M80, NGC 6139, NGC 6541, NGC 6624, and NGC 6752
Globular clusters (GCs) are emerging as a new class of gamma-ray emitters,
thanks to the data obtained from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. By now,
eight GCs are known to emit gamma-rays at energies >100~MeV. Based on the
stellar encounter rate of the GCs, we identify potential gamma-ray emitting GCs
out of all known GCs that have not been studied in details before. In this
paper, we report the discovery of a number of new gamma-ray GCs: Liller 1, NGC
6624, and NGC 6752, and evidence for gamma-ray emission from M80, NGC 6139, and
NGC 6541, in which gamma-rays were found within the GC tidal radius. With one
of the highest metallicity among all GCs in the Milky Way, the gamma-ray
luminosity of Liller 1 is found to be the highest of all known gamma-ray GCs.
In addition, we confirm a previous report of significant gamma-ray emitting
region next to NGC 6441. We briefly discuss the observed offset of gamma-rays
from some GC cores. The increasing number of known gamma-ray GCs at distances
out to ~10 kpc is important for us to understand the gamma-ray emitting
mechanism and provides an alternative probe to the underlying millisecond
pulsar populations of the GCs.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables; ApJ, in pres
Discovery of X-ray pulsations from "next Geminga" - PSR J1836+5925
We report the X-ray pulsation of ~173.3 ms for the "next Geminga", PSR
J1836+5925, with recent XMM-Newton investigations. The X-ray periodicity is
consistent wtih the gamma-ray ephemeris at the same epoch. The X-ray folded
light curve has a sinusoidal structure which is different from the
double-peaked gamma-ray pulse profile. We have also analysed the X-ray
phase-averaged spectra which shows the X-ray emission from PSR J1836+5925 is
thermal dominant. This suggests the X-ray pulsation mainly originates from the
modulated hot spot on the stellar surface.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ Lette
High-Energy emissions from the Pulsar/Be binary system PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213
PSR J2032+4127 is a radio-loud gamma-ray-emitting pulsar; it is orbiting
around a high-mass Be type star with a very long orbital period of 25-50years,
and is approaching periastron, which will occur in late 2017/early 2018. This
system comprises with a young pulsar and a Be type star, which is similar to
the so-called gamma-ray binary PSR~B1259-63/LS2883. It is expected therefore
that PSR J2032+4127 shows an enhancement of high-energy emission caused by the
interaction between the pulsar wind and Be wind/disk around periastron. Ho et
al. recently reported a rapid increase in the X-ray flux from this system. In
this paper, we also confirm a rapid increase in the X-ray flux along the orbit,
while the GeV flux shows no significant change. We discuss the high-energy
emissions from the shock caused by the pulsar wind and stellar wind interaction
and examine the properties of the pulsar wind in this binary system. We argue
that the rate of increase of the X-ray flux observed by Swift indicates (1) a
variation of the momentum ratio of the two-wind interaction region along the
orbit, or (2) an evolution of the magnetization parameter of the pulsar wind
with the radial distance from the pulsar. We also discuss the pulsar wind/Be
disk interaction at the periastron passage, and propose the possibility of
formation of an accretion disk around the pulsar. We model high-energy
emissions through the inverse-Compton scattering process of the
cold-relativistic pulsar wind off soft photons from the accretion disk.Comment: 18 pages, 23 figures, 1 Table, accepted for publication in Ap
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