93 research outputs found
Determination of the Night Sky Background around the Crab pulsar using its optical pulsation
The poor angular resolution of imaging gamma-ray telescopes is offset by the
large reflector areas of next generation telescopes such as MAGIC (17~m
diameter), which makes the study of optical emission associated with some
gamma-ray sources feasible. Furthermore, the extremely fast time response of
photomultipliers (PMs) makes them ideal detectors for fast (subsecond) optical
transients and periodic sources like pulsars. The optical pulse of the Crab
pulsar was detected with the HEGRA CT1 central pixel using a modified PM,
similar to the future MAGIC camera PMs. The purpose of these periodic
observations was to determine the light of the night sky (LONS) for the
galactic anticenter Crab region.Our results are between 2.5 and 3 times larger
than the previously measured LONS (outside the galactic plane), as expected
since the Crab pulsar is in the galactic plane, which implies a slightly higher
energy threshold for Crab observations, if the higher value of CT1 measured
LONS rate for galactic sources is used.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Astroparticle Physic
Implications of H.E.S.S. observations of pulsar wind nebulae
In this review paper on pulsar wind nebulae (PWN) we discuss the properties
of such nebulae within the context of containment against cross-field diffusion
(versus normal advection), the effect of reverse shocks on the evolution of
offset ``Vela-like'' PWN, constraints on maximum particle energetics, magnetic
field strength estimates based on spectral and spatial properties, and the
implication of such field estimates on the composition of the wind. A
significant part of the discussion is based on the High Energy Stereoscopic
System ({\it H.E.S.S.} or {\it HESS}) detection of the two evolved pulsar wind
nebulae Vela X (cocoon) and HESS J1825-137. In the case of Vela X (cocoon) we
also review evidence of a hadronic versus a leptonic interpretation, showing
that a leptonic interpretation is favored for the {\it HESS} signal. The
constraints discussed in this review paper sets a general framework for the
interpretation of a number of offset, filled-center nebulae seen by {\it HESS}.
These sources are found along the galactic plane with galactic latitudes
, where significant amounts of molecular gas is found. In these
regions, we find that the interstellar medium is inhomogeneous, which has an
effect on the morphology of supernova shock expansion. One consequence of this
effect is the formation of offset pulsar wind nebulae as observed.Comment: to appear in Springer Lecture Notes on Neutron Stars and Pulsars: 40
years after their discovery, eds. W. Becke
TeV Astrophysics Constraints on Planck Scale Lorentz Violation
We analyze observational constraints from TeV astrophysics on Lorentz
violating nonlinear dispersion for photons and electrons without assuming any a
priori equality between the photon and electron parameters. The constraints
arise from thresholds for vacuum Cerenkov radiation, photon decay and
photo-production of electron-positron pairs. We show that the parameter plane
for cubic momentum terms in the dispersion relations is constrained to an order
unity region in Planck units. We find that the threshold configuration can
occur with an asymmetric distribution of momentum for pair creation, and with a
hard photon for vacuum Cerenkov radiation.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX4, 1 figure. Some references and a footnote added,
improved discussion on the photon annihilation and GZK cutoff. Minor changes
of wording. Main results unchanged. Version to appear as a Rapid
Communication in PR
Phenomenology of Particle Production and Propagation in String-Motivated Canonical Noncommutative Spacetime
We outline a phenomenological programme for the search of effects induced by
(string-motivated) canonical noncommutative spacetime. The tests we propose are
based, in analogy with a corresponding programme developed over the last few
years for the study of Lie-algebra noncommutative spacetimes, on the role of
the noncommutativity parameters in the dispersion relation. We focus on
the role of deformed dispersion relations in particle-production collision
processes, where the noncommutativity parameters would affect the threshold
equation, and in the dispersion of gamma rays observed from distant
astrophysical sources. We emphasize that the studies here proposed have the
advantage of involving particles of relatively high energies, and may therefore
be less sensitive to "contamination" (through IR/UV mixing) from the UV sector
of the theory. We also explore the possibility that the relevant deformation of
the dispersion relations could be responsible for the experimentally-observed
violations of the GZK cutoff for cosmic rays and could have a role in the
observation of hard photons from distant astrophysical sources.Comment: With respect to the experimental information available at the time of
writing version 1 of this manuscript (hep-th/0109191v1) the situation has
evolved significantly. Our remarks on the benefits of high-energy
observations found additional encouragement from the results reported in
hep-th/020925
Particle Acceleration in Pulsar Wind Nebulae: PIC modelling
We discuss the role of particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations in unveiling the
origin of the emitting particles in PWNe. After describing the basics of the
PIC technique, we summarize its implications for the quiescent and the flaring
emission of the Crab Nebula, as a prototype of PWNe. A consensus seems to be
emerging that, in addition to the standard scenario of particle acceleration
via the Fermi process at the termination shock of the pulsar wind, magnetic
reconnection in the wind, at the termination shock and in the Nebula plays a
major role in powering the multi-wavelength signatures of PWNe.Comment: 32 pages, 16 figures, to appear in the book "Modelling Nebulae"
edited by D. Torres for Springer, based on the invited contributions to the
workshop held in Sant Cugat (Barcelona), June 14-17, 201
Discovery of the Binary Pulsar PSR B1259-63 in Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays around Periastron with H.E.S.S
We report the discovery of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission of the
binary system PSR B1259-63/SS 2883 of a radio pulsar orbiting a massive,
luminous Be star in a highly eccentric orbit. The observations around the 2004
periastron passage of the pulsar were performed with the four 13 m Cherenkov
telescopes of the H.E.S.S. experiment, recently installed in Namibia and in
full operation since December 2003. Between February and June 2004, a gamma-ray
signal from the binary system was detected with a total significance above 13
sigma. The flux was found to vary significantly on timescales of days which
makes PSR B1259-63 the first variable galactic source of VHE gamma-rays
observed so far. Strong emission signals were observed in pre- and
post-periastron phases with a flux minimum around periastron, followed by a
gradual flux decrease in the months after. The measured time-averaged energy
spectrum above a mean threshold energy of 380 GeV can be fitted by a simple
power law F_0(E/1 TeV)^-Gamma with a photon index Gamma =
2.7+-0.2_stat+-0.2_sys and flux normalisation F_0 = (1.3+-0.1_stat+-0.3_sys)
10^-12 TeV^-1 cm^-2 s^-1. This detection of VHE gamma-rays provides unambiguous
evidence for particle acceleration to multi-TeV energies in the binary system.
In combination with coeval observations of the X-ray synchrotron emission by
the RXTE and INTEGRAL instruments, and assuming the VHE gamma-ray emission to
be produced by the inverse Compton mechanism, the magnetic field strength can
be directly estimated to be of the order of 1 G.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics on 2 June
2005, replace: document unchanged, replaced author field in astro-ph entry -
authors are all members of the H.E.S.S. collaboration and three additional
authors (99+3, see document
Pulsar-wind nebulae and magnetar outflows: observations at radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths
We review observations of several classes of neutron-star-powered outflows:
pulsar-wind nebulae (PWNe) inside shell supernova remnants (SNRs), PWNe
interacting directly with interstellar medium (ISM), and magnetar-powered
outflows. We describe radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations of PWNe,
focusing first on integrated spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) and global
spectral properties. High-resolution X-ray imaging of PWNe shows a bewildering
array of morphologies, with jets, trails, and other structures. Several of the
23 so far identified magnetars show evidence for continuous or sporadic
emission of material, sometimes associated with giant flares, and a few
possible "magnetar-wind nebulae" have been recently identified.Comment: 61 pages, 44 figures (reduced in quality for size reasons). Published
in Space Science Reviews, "Jets and Winds in Pulsar Wind Nebulae, Gamma-ray
Bursts and Blazars: Physics of Extreme Energy Release
High Energy Processes in Pulsar Wind Nebulae
Young pulsars produce relativistic winds which interact with matter ejected
during the supernova explosion and the surrounding interstellar gas. Particles
are accelerated to very high energies somewhere in the pulsar winds or at the
shocks produced in collisions of the winds with the surrounding medium. As a
result of interactions of relativistic leptons with the magnetic field and low
energy radiation (of synchrotron origin, thermal, or microwave background), the
non-thermal radiation is produced with the lowest possible energies up to
100 TeV. The high energy (TeV) gamma-ray emission has been originally
observed from the Crab Nebula and recently from several other objects. Recent
observations by the HESS Cherenkov telescopes allow to study for the first time
morphology of the sources of high energy emission, showing unexpected spectral
features. They might be also interpreted as due to acceleration of hadrons.
However, theory of particle acceleration in the PWNe and models for production
of radiation are still at their early stage of development since it becomes
clear that realistic modeling of these objects should include their time
evolution and three-dimensional geometry. In this paper we concentrate on the
attempts to create a model for the high energy processes inside the PWNe which
includes existence not only relativistic leptons but also hadrons inside the
nebula. Such model should also take into account evolution of the nebula in
time. Possible high energy expectations based on such a model are discussed in
the context of new observations.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, Proc. Multimessenger approach to high energy
gamma-ray source
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