122 research outputs found
A candidate gamma-ray pulsar in the supernova remnant CTA 1
We present a detailed analysis of the high energy gamma-ray source 2EG
J0008+7307. The source has a steady flux and a hard spectrum, softening above 2
GeV. The properties of the gamma-ray source are suggestive of emission from a
young pulsar in the spatially coincident CTA 1 supernova remnant, which has
recently been found to have a non-thermal X-ray plerion. Our 95% uncertainty
contour around the >1 GeV source position includes the point-like X-ray source
at the centre of the plerion. We propose that this object is a young pulsar and
is the most likely counterpart of 2EG J0008+7307.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 6 pages including four PS figures.
Uses mn.te
TeV neutrinos from microquasars in compact massive binaries
We consider a compact binary system in which a Wolf-Rayet star supplies
matter onto a stellar mass black hole or a neutron star. This matter forms an
accretion disk which ejects a jet as observed in Galactic microquasars. A part
of the jet kinetic energy, typically 10%, can be transfered to relativistic
nuclei. These nuclei lose nucleons as a result of photo-disintegration process
in collisions with thermal photons from the accretion disk and the massive
star. Due to the head on photon-nucleus collisions most of neutrons released
from nuclei move towards the surface of the accretion disk and/or the massive
star producing neutrinos in collisions with the matter. We calculate the
spectra of muon neutrinos and expected neutrino event rates in a 1 km^2
neutrino detector of the IceCube type from a microquasar inside our Galaxy
applying, as an example, the parameters of the Cyg X-3 binary system, provided
that nuclei are accelerated to the Lorentz factors above 10^6 with the power
law spectrum with an index close to 2.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, ApJ, accepte
Spectroscopy and 3D imaging of the Crab nebula
Spectroscopy of the Crab nebula along different slit directions reveals the 3
dimensional structure of the optical nebula. On the basis of the linear radial
expansion result first discovered by Trimble (1968), we make a 3D model of the
optical emission. Results from a limited number of slit directions suggest that
optical lines originate from a complicated array of wisps that are located in a
rather thin shell, pierced by a jet. The jet is certainly not prominent in
optical emission lines, but the direction of the piercing is consistent with
the direction of the X-ray and radio jet. The shell's effective radius is ~ 79
seconds of arc, its thickness about a third of the radius and it is moving out
with an average velocity 1160 km/s.Comment: 21 pages, 14 figures, submitted to ApJ, 3D movie of the Crab nebula
available at http://www.fiz.uni-lj.si/~vidrih
Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission from Starburst Galaxies and M31
We present a search for high energy gamma-ray emission from 9 nearby
starburst galaxies and M31 with the EGRET instrument aboard CGRO. Though the
diffuse gamma-ray emission from starburst galaxies was suspected to be
detectable, we find no emission from NGC 253, M82 nor from the average of all 9
galaxies. The 2 sigma upper limit for the EGRET flux above 100 MeV for the
averaged survey observations is 1.8 x 10-8 ph cm-2 s-1. From a model of the
expected radio and gamma-ray emission, we find that the magnetic field in the
nuclei of these galaxies is > 25 micro Gauss, and the ratio of proton and
electron densities is < 400. The EGRET limits indicate that the rate of massive
star formation in the survey galaxies is only about an order of magnitude
higher than in the Milky Way. The upper limit to the gamma-ray flux above 100
MeV for M31 is 1.6 x 10-8 ph cm-2 s-1. At the distance of M31, the Milky Way
flux would be over twice this value, indicating higher gamma-ray emissivities
in our Galaxy. Therefore, since the supernova rate of the Milky Way is higher
than in M31, our null detection of M31 supports the theory of the supernova
origin of cosmic rays in galaxies.Comment: 17 pages, plus 1 Postscript figure, AAS Latex macros v4.0, accepted
for publication in ApJ Main Journa
Optical Spectrum of Main-, Inter- and Off-pulse Emission from Crab Pulsar
A dedicated stroboscopic device was used to obtain optical spectra of the
Crab main-pulse and inter-pulse as well as the spectrum of the underlying
nebula when the pulsar is turned off. As the nebular emission is very
inhomogeneous, our ability to effectively subtract the nebular background
signal is crucial.
No spectral lines intrinsic to the pulsar are detected. The main-pulse and
the inter-pulse behave as power laws, both with the same de-reddened index
Alpha = +0.2 +- 0.1. This value was obtained by subtracting the nebular
spectrum at the exact position of the pulsar. The underlying nebula is redder,
Alpha = -0.4 +- 0.1. Its emission lines are split into approaching (sim. -1200
km/s) and receding (sim. +600 km/s) components. The strength of emission line
components and the flux in nebular continuum vary on arcsec scale. The nebular
line and continuum intensities along the N-S slit are given.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 10 pages, 3
Tables, 4 Figure
The AGASA/SUGAR Anisotropies and TeV Gamma Rays from the Galactic Center: A Possible Signature of Extremely High-energy Neutrons
Recent analysis of data sets from two extensive air shower cosmic ray
detectors shows tantalizing evidence of an anisotropic overabundance of cosmic
rays towards the Galactic Center (GC) that ``turns on'' around eV. We
demonstrate that the anisotropy could be due to neutrons created at the
Galactic Center through charge-exchange in proton-proton collisions, where the
incident, high energy protons obey an power law associated with
acceleration at a strong shock. We show that the normalization supplied by the
gamma-ray signal from EGRET GC source 3EG J1746-2851 -- ascribed to pp induced
neutral pion decay at GeV energies -- together with a very reasonable spectral
index of 2.2, predicts a neutron flux at eV fully consistent
with the extremely high energy cosmic ray data. Likewise, the normalization
supplied by the very recent GC data from the HESS air-Cerenkov telescope at
\~TeV energies is almost equally-well compatible with the eV
cosmic ray data. Interestingly, however, the EGRET and HESS data appear to be
themselves incompatible. We consider the implications of this discrepancy. We
discuss why the Galactic Center environment can allow diffusive shock
acceleration at strong shocks up to energies approaching the ankle in the
cosmic ray spectrum. Finally, we argue that the shock acceleration may be
occuring in the shell of Sagittarius A East, an unusual supernova remnant
located very close to the Galactic Center. If this connection between the
anisotropy and Sagittarius A East could be firmly established it would be the
first direct evidence for a particular Galactic source of cosmic rays up to
energies near the ankle.Comment: 57 pages, 2 figure
- …