scholarly journals Theories of discrete X-ray and γ-ray sources: (Invited discourse)

1970 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 216-237
Author(s):  
James E. Felten

This is a critical review of theories of known discrete X-ray sources. The Crab is omitted, having been dealt with in Woltjer's review. Two of the identified sources, Sco X-1 and Cyg X-2, seem to be of the same sort. A binary or gas-stream model like that of Prendergast and Burbidge, with dimension R ∼ 109 cm and density n ∼ 1016 cm−3, appears reconcilable with the observed features of these sources, though much detailed work remains to be done. Neither object is yet known to be binary. Theoretical work becomes more difficult if, as appears to be the case at least for Sco X-1, the objects are optically thick due to electron scattering; this may affect the optical and X-ray spectra.The recent searches for iron lines in the X-ray spectrum of Sco X-1 are reviewed briefly. The calculations and the energy resolution are not yet good enough to make this a dependable test of models.Several possibilities are offered for explaining the excess radio flux from Sco X-1.Other theories of Sco X-1-type sources are discussed briefly. The theory of Manley and Olbert seems a little superfluous when the gas-stream theory is still in a strong position.There are serious discrepancies between X-ray and optical estimates of the distance to Sco X-1. 21-cm measurements must also be considered. The situation is reviewed, and ways out of the difficulty are discussed.Cen X-2 seems to be like Sco X-1, but several other unidentified sources have hard spectra like the Crab. It is tempting to speculate that most of the galactic sources are supernova remnants.The extended γ-ray source in the galactic plane may be the extrapolated unresolved sum of galactic X-ray sources, as suggested by Ogelman. There are several other possibilities.M87 is the only established extragalactic source. Radio, optical and X-ray observations are summarized and graphed. A power-law extrapolation to the X-ray band is far from mandatory; nevertheless the optical flux from the jet is known to be synchrotron radiation. The time-scale difficulties in the jet are described, and several theories of the survival of the optical electrons are reviewed.Processes for producing X-rays other than thermal bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation are listed. These other processes are characterized by low efficiency, and are likely to be unimportant in discrete sources, though several have attracted attention with reference to the diffuse background.

1983 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 361-365
Author(s):  
W. T. Sanders ◽  
D. N. Burrows ◽  
D. McCammon ◽  
W. L. Kraushaar

Almost all of the B band (0.10–0.19 keV) and C band (0.15–0.28 keV) X-rays probably originate in a hot region surrounding the Sun, which Cox and Anderson have modeled as a supernova remnant. This same region may account for a significant fraction of the M band (0.5–1 keV) X-rays if the nonequilibrium models of Cox and Anderson are applicable. A population of distant SNR similar to the local region, with center-to-center spacing of about 300 pc, could provide enough galactic M band emission to fill in the dip in the count rate in the galactic plane that would otherwise be present due to absorption of both the extra-galactic power law flux and any large-scale-height stellar (or galactic halo) emission.


1968 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 206-209
Author(s):  
Hugh M. Johnson

The six or eight optically identified X-ray sources comprise starlike objects and extended supernova remnants in the Galaxy, well as as a radio galaxy and a quasar. Both X-ray and radiofrequency radiation penetrate the entire galactic plane, but only two or three galactic radio sources have been identified with X-ray sources. This has led Hayakawa et al. to postulate that detectable X-ray sources are not farther than 1 kpc. However, other studies suggest that there is a cluster of a few intrinsically bright sources actually near the galactic nucleus and a scattering of weaker sources near the sun.The distances of X-ray sources can be estimated from extinction by interstellar gas or intergalactic gas on spectra above 10 Å, but the method ultimately depends on the radio and optical data of the gas. Conversely, interstellar densities of certain elements with large photo-ionization cross-sections may be determined from the absorption of X-rays, after calibration of source distances by the methods of optical astronomy.


2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (A) ◽  
pp. 635-640
Author(s):  
Frank Krennrich

The scope of this paper is to discuss two important questions relevant for TeV γ-ray astronomy; the pursuit to reveal the origin of cosmic rays in our galaxy, and the opacity of the universe in γ-rays. The origin of cosmic rays stipulated the field of TeV astronomy in the first place, and led to the development of the atmospheric Cherenkov technique; significant progress has been made in the last decade through the detection of several supernova remnants, the primary suspects for harboring the acceleration sites of cosmic rays. TeV γ-rays propagate mostly unhindered through the galactic plane, making them excellent probes of processes in SNRs and other galactic sources. Key results related to the SNR origin of cosmic rays are discussed. TeV γ-ray spectra from extragalactic sources experience significant absorption when traversing cosmological distances. The opacity of the universe to γ-rays above 10 GeV progressively increases with energy and redshift; the reason lies in their pair production with ambient soft photons from the extragalactic background light (EBL). While this limits the γ-ray horizon, it offers the opportunity to gain information about cosmology, i.e. the EBL intensity, physical conditions in intergalactic space, and potentially new interaction processes. Results and implications pertaining to the EBL are given.


1973 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 51-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. Peterson

A review of the observational status of X-ray sources detected in the 20 ⋍ 500 keV range is presented. Of the approximately 115 sources listed in the March 1972 edition of the UHURU 2–6 keV sky survey catalog, about 15 sources have been studied in hard X-rays. Most of the data have been obtained from balloons, although the OSO-3, and more recently the OSO-7, have contributed. With the exception of CEN A, the SMC, and possibly M-87, all the sources detected at higher energies are galactic and heavily concentrated in the galactic plane. The Crab Nebula has been measured to about 500 keV in continuous emission and a component at the ⋍ 33 ms pulsar period comprising about 20% of the total emission has been detected to ∼10 MeV. Objects such as SCO-1 and CYG-2 are characterized by an exponential spectrum, which varies over a 10 min. time scale about a factor of two, and a flatter spectrum extending to above 40 keV which exhibits independent variability. Objects such as CYG-1 and possibly CYG-3 have a multi-component power law spectrum extending to over 100 keV, and may vary many factors over a period of weeks. Other sources generally not yet identified with optical or radio candidates, located in the Galactic Center and the Centaurus/Crux region also show considerable variability, and in one case may have been detected to nearly 500 keV. Only upper limits at about 2 × 10−4 photon (cm2 s keV)−1 in the 20–50 keV range exist for most supernova remnants and extragalactic sources.


1983 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 321-328
Author(s):  
R. H. Becker

On the basis of extensive radio surveys of the galactic plane, approximately 140 sources of diffuse radio emission have been classified as supernova remnants (SNR). Using spectral index and spatial distribution as the primary selection criteria, these have been subdivided into two groups, “shell” and “Crab-like”. In each case, the radio emission is assumed to be of non-thermal origin. The two distinct morphologies arise from two distinct energy sources. For shell remnants, the energy is drawn from the reservoir of kinetic energy in the expanding shock front; in Crab-like remnants, the energy is drawn from the rotational kinetic energy of a central stellar remnant.These two classes of remnants differ significantly in their x-ray emission. With few exceptions, radio shell remnants emit thermal x-rays from shock heated gas which is itself distributed in a shell. Crab-like sources (as defined by their radio properties) emit synchrotron x-rays in a centrally-peaked spatial distribution. Presumably, the x-ray emission from these objects is an extension of the radio spectrum. Crab-like sources have a high probability of containing a compact (unresolved) source of x-ray emission which in analogy to the Crab Nebula, is identified as the central stellar remnant.The general absence of either compact x-ray sources or Crab-like diffuse nebulae within shell sources indicates that active pulsars are not usually formed in SN events which eventually form shell sources. However, there are several examples of remnants which share both shell and Crab-like characteristics so we cannot rule out an evolutionary connection between these two classes of SNR.


2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 407-414
Author(s):  
G. P. Rowell

I review the present status of ground-based γ-ray astronomy, concentrating on the population of Galactic TeV sources. A number of new telescope systems are now being completed, and promise to yield exciting new discoveries, expanding rapidly the number of sources. The TeV Galactic sources today include a number of plerions, shell-type supernova remnants, an X-ray binary, and also one unidentified candidate. Their present status, and our understanding of their TeV γ-ray emission processes are summarized and some motivation driving development of the field is outlined.


2007 ◽  
Vol 130 ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew N. Fitch

The highly-collimated, intense X-rays produced by a synchrotron radiation source can be harnessed to build high-resolution powder diffraction instruments with a wide variety of applications. The general advantages of using synchrotron radiation for powder diffraction are discussed and illustrated with reference to the structural characterisation of crystalline materials, atomic PDF analysis, in-situ and high-throughput studies where the structure is evolving between successive scans, and the measurement of residual strain in engineering components.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (H15) ◽  
pp. 808-808
Author(s):  
Emma de Oña-Wilhelmi

AbstractThe H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey (GPS) has revealed a large number of Galactic Sources, including Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWN), Supernova Remnants (SNRs), giant molecular clouds, star formation regions and compact binary systems, as well as a number of unidentified objects, or dark sources, for which no obvious counterparts at other wavelengths have yet been found. We will review the latest results from the GPS observations and discuss the most interesting cases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Hanabusa Takao ◽  
Ayumi Shiro ◽  
Tatsuya Okada

Residual stresses of a copper bicrystal were measured by X-ray diffraction and synchrotron radiation. A copper bicrystal specimen with a 90-degree tilt boundary was fabricated by the Brigdman technique. After the plastic extension of 30%, kink bands developed in a deformed matrix along the grain boundary. In this study, we focused on the residual stress distribution along the transverse direction of the specimen surface and the residual stresses in deformed matrix and kink band near the grain boundary. Residual stresses were evaluated by the X-ray single crystal measurement method. Stereographic projections were used to determine crystal orientations of deformed regions. It was found that crystal orientations were different between the deformed matrix and the kink band. Residual stresses in the direction along the grain boundary were compressive in the vicinity of the boundary and tensile in the region apart from the boundary. Residual stresses in the kink band were large in compression in compared with those in the deformation matrix. The difference in the results between X-rays and synchrotron radiation suggests that there is a depth variation in the deformation and therefore the residual stress development.


2010 ◽  
pp. 109-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda Motchurova-Dekova ◽  
David Harper

Synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) is a non-destructive technique for the investigation and visualization of the internal features of solid opaque objects, which allows reconstruction of a complete three-dimensional image of internal structures by recording of the differences in the effects on the passage of waves of energy reacting with those structures. Contrary to X-rays, produced in a conventional X-ray tube, the intense synchrotron light beams are sharply focused like a laser beam. We report encouraging results from the use of SRXTM for purely taxonomic purposes in brachiopods: an attempt to find a non-destructive and more efficient alternative to serial sectioning and several other methods of dissection together with the non-destructive method of X-ray computerised micro-tomography. Two brachiopod samples were investigated using SRXTM. In ?Rhynchonella? flustracea it was possible to visualise the 3D shape of the crura and dental plates. In Terebratulina imbricata it was possible to reveal the form of the brachidium. It is encouraging that we have obtained such promising results using SRXTM with our very first two fortuitous samples, which had respectively fine-grained limestone and marl as infilling sediment, in contrast to the discouraging results communicated to us by some colleagues who have tested specimens with such infillings using X-ray micro-tomography. In future the holotypes, rare museum specimens or delicate Recent material may be preferentially subjected to this mode of analysis.


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