scholarly journals A search for variability of hard X-ray emission from the Vela pulsar wind nebula

2021 ◽  
Vol 2103 (1) ◽  
pp. 012006
Author(s):  
A M Krassilchtchikov ◽  
M S Pshirkov ◽  
A M Bykov
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Term Evolution ◽  
Flux Variability ◽  
Vela Pulsar ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
Significant Flux

Abstract Observations of hard X-ray emission from the Vela pulsar wind nebula (PWN) with the ISGRI camera aboard INTEGRAL gamma-ray observatory have been analysed with the aim to search for possible flux variability on scales from weeks to years, which could be caused by short-term evolution of pulsar wind structures similar to those governing sharp flares and flux depressions observed in the sub-GeV emission of the Crab PWN. No statistically significant flux depressions or flares have been found in none of the considered energy ranges: 20-50 keV, 50-100 keV, and 100-200 keV, however some hints of flux instability can be seen in the former two bands. If the variability of the pulsar wind termination surface or instabilities of turbulent magnetic field in the nebula predicted by a number of PWN models indeed influence the synchrotron spectrum of such objects, the variability of the 1-30 MeV emission from the Vela PWN could be checked with the next generation of gamma-ray facilities, like eASTROGAM or HERMES.

scholarly journals Modelling multiwavelength emissions from PSR B1259–63/LS 2883: Effects of the stellar disc on shock radiations

2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. A87 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Chen ◽  
J. Takata ◽  
S. X. Yi ◽  
Y. W. Yu ◽  
K. S. Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Orbital Plane ◽  
Light Curves ◽  
Double Peak ◽  
Stellar Disc ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
Star Binary

PSR B1259–63/LS 2883 is an elliptical pulsar/Be star binary that emits broadband emissions from radio to TeV γ-rays. The massive star possesses an equatorial disc that is inclined with the orbital plane of the pulsar. Non-thermal emission from the system is believed to be produced by pulsar wind shock and double-peak profiles in the X-ray, and TeV γ-ray light curves are related to the phases of the pulsar passing through the disc region of the star. In this paper, we investigate the interactions between the pulsar wind and stellar outflows, especially with the presence of the disc, and present a multiwavelength modelling of the emission from this system. We show that the double-peak profiles of X-ray and TeV γ-ray light curves are caused by the enhancements of the magnetic field and soft photons at the shock during the disc passages. As the pulsar is passing through the equatorial disc, the additional pressure of the disc pushes the shock surface closer to the pulsar, which causes the enhancement of magnetic field in the shock, and thus increases the synchrotron luminosity. The TeV γ-rays due to the inverse-Compton (IC) scattering of shocked electrons with seed photons from the star are expected to peak around periastron, which is inconsistent with observations. However, the shock heating of the stellar disc could provide additional seed photons for IC scattering during the disc passages, and thus produces the double-peak profiles as observed in the TeV γ-ray light curve. Our model can possibly be examined and applied to other similar gamma-ray binaries, such as PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213, HESS J0632+057, and LS I+61°303.

scholarly journals Multiband nonthermal radiative properties of pulsar wind nebulae

2018 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
pp. A110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo-Tao Zhu ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Jun Fang
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Energy Electron ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Pulsar Wind Nebulae ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Pulsar Wind

Aims. The nonthermal radiative properties of 18 pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are studied in the 1D leptonic model. Methods. The dynamical and radiative evolution of a PWN in a nonradiative supernova remnant are self-consistently investigated in this model. The leptons (electrons/positrons) are injected with a broken power-law form, and nonthermal emission from a PWN is mainly produced by time-dependent relativistic leptons through synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton process. Results. Observed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of all 18 PWNe are reproduced well, where the indexes of low-energy electron components lie in the range of 1.0–1.8 and those of high-energy electron components in the range of 2.1–3.1. Our results show that FX/Fγ > 10 for young PWNe; 1 <FX/Fγ ≤ 10 for evolved PWNe, except for G292.0+1.8; and FX/Fγ ≤ 1 for mature/old PWNe, except for CTA 1. Moreover, most PWNe are particle-dominated. Statistical analysis for the sample of 14 PWNe further indicate that (1) not all pulsar parameters have correlations with electron injection parameters, but electron maximum energy and PWN magnetic field correlate with the magnetic field at the light cylinder, the potential difference at the polar cap, and the spin-down power; (2) the spin-down power positively correlates with radio, X-ray, bolometric, and synchrotron luminosities, but does not correlate with gamma-ray luminosity; (3) the spin-down power positively correlates with radio, X-ray, and γ-band surface brightness; and (4) the PWN radius and the PWN age negatively correlate with X-ray luminosity, the ratio of X-ray to gamma-ray luminosities, and the synchrotron luminosity.

scholarly journals H.E.S.S. and Suzaku observations of the Vela X pulsar wind nebula

2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. A100 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
H. Abdalla ◽  
F. Aharonian ◽  
F. Ait Benkhali ◽  
E. O. Angüner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Termination Shock ◽  
Reverse Shock ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Electron Spectra ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Pulsar Wind

Context. Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) represent the most prominent population of Galactic very-high-energy gamma-ray sources and are thought to be an efficient source of leptonic cosmic rays. Vela X is a nearby middle-aged PWN, which shows bright X-ray and TeV gamma-ray emission towards an elongated structure called the cocoon. Aims. Since TeV emission is likely inverse-Compton emission of electrons, predominantly from interactions with the cosmic microwave background, while X-ray emission is synchrotron radiation of the same electrons, we aim to derive the properties of the relativistic particles and of magnetic fields with minimal modelling. Methods. We used data from the Suzaku XIS to derive the spectra from three compact regions in Vela X covering distances from 0.3 to 4 pc from the pulsar along the cocoon. We obtained gamma-ray spectra of the same regions from H.E.S.S. observations and fitted a radiative model to the multi-wavelength spectra. Results. The TeV electron spectra and magnetic field strengths are consistent within the uncertainties for the three regions, with energy densities of the order 10−12 erg cm−3. The data indicate the presence of a cutoff in the electron spectrum at energies of ~ 100 TeV and a magnetic field strength of ~6 μG. Constraints on the presence of turbulent magnetic fields are weak. Conclusions. The pressure of TeV electrons and magnetic fields in the cocoon is dynamically negligible, requiring the presence of another dominant pressure component to balance the pulsar wind at the termination shock. Sub-TeV electrons cannot completely account for the missing pressure, which may be provided either by relativistic ions or from mixing of the ejecta with the pulsar wind. The electron spectra are consistent with expectations from transport scenarios dominated either by advection via the reverse shock or by diffusion, but for the latter the role of radiative losses near the termination shock needs to be further investigated in the light of the measured cutoff energies. Constraints on turbulent magnetic fields and the shape of the electron cutoff can be improved by spectral measurements in the energy range ≳ 10 keV.

scholarly journals Aperiodic Flux Variability in A 0535+262

1996 ◽  
Vol 165 ◽  
pp. 313-319
Author(s):  
Mark H. Finger ◽  
Robert B. Wilson ◽  
B. Alan Harmon ◽  
William S. Paciesas
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Star ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Beat Frequency ◽  
Power Spectra ◽  
Center Frequency ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Binary Pulsar ◽  
Transient Source ◽  
Flux Variability ◽  
Burst And Transient Source

A “giant” outburst of A 0535+262, a transient X-ray binary pulsar, was observed in 1994 February and March with the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) onboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. During the outburst power spectra of the hard X-ray flux contained a QPO-like component with a FWHM of approximately 50% of its center frequency. Over the course of the outburst the center frequency rose smoothly from 35 mHz to 70 mHz and then fell to below 40 mHz. We compare this QPO frequency with the neutron star spin-up rate, and discuss the observed correlation in terms of the beat frequency and Keplerian frequency QPO models in conjunction with the Ghosh-Lamb accretion torque model.

scholarly journals XMM-Newton and Geminga

2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 215-218
Author(s):  
Patrizia Caraveo ◽  
Andrea De Luca ◽  
Sandro Mereghetti ◽  
Alberto Pellizzoni ◽  
Giovanni Bignami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Surrounding Medium ◽  
Matter Density ◽  
Bow Shock ◽  
Synchrotron Emission ◽  
Electron Synchrotron ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Injection Energy ◽  
Pulsar Wind ◽  
Supersonic Motion

A deep XMM-Newton/EPIC observation of the field of the Geminga pulsar unveiled the presence of two elongated parallel X-ray tails trailing the neutron star. They are aligned with the object's supersonic motion, extend for ∼ 2′, and have a nonthermal spectrum produced by electron-synchrotron emission in the bow shock between the pulsar wind and the surrounding medium. Such a first ever X-ray detection of a pulsar bow shock allows us to gauge the pulsar electron injection energy and the shock magnetic field while constraining the angle of Geminga's motion and the local matter density.

scholarly journals Recent Results on the Search for 1011 eV Gamma Rays from the Crab Nebula

1971 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 65-67
Author(s):  
G. G. Fazio ◽  
H. F. Helmken ◽  
G. H. Rieke ◽  
T. C. Weekes
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Crab Nebula ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Air Showers ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
The Crab Nebula ◽  
Cerenkov Light ◽  
Significant Flux

The detection of Čerenkov light emitted by cosmic-ray air showers was used to search for cosmic gamma rays from the Crab Nebula. By use of the 10-m optical reflector at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, the Crab Nebula was observed during the winter of 1969–1970 for approximately 112 hours, which was a significant increase in exposure time over previous experiments. Above a gamma-ray energy of 2.2 × 1011 eV, no significant flux was detected, resulting in an upper limit to the flux of 8.1 × 10-11 photon/cm2 sec. In the synchrotron-Compton-scattering model of gamma-ray production in the Crab Nebula, this limit on the flux indicates the average magnetic field in the nebula must be greater than 3 × 10-4 G.

scholarly journals Symmetric and triangle-shaped variability of blazars

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (S313) ◽  
pp. 97-98
Author(s):  
Kenji Yoshida
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Light Curves ◽  
X Ray ◽  
High Energy Electrons ◽  
Flux Variability ◽  
Low Energy Electrons ◽  
Flux Increase ◽  
Rise Phase

AbstractSymmetric and triangle-shaped flux variability in X-ray and gamma-ray light curves is observed from many blazars. We derived the X-ray spectrum changing in time by using a kinetic equation of high energy electrons. Giving linearly changing the injection of low energy electrons into accelerating and emitting region, we obtained the preliminary results that represent the characteristic X-ray variability of the linear flux increase with hardening in the rise phase and the linear decrease with softening in the decay phase.

scholarly journals The Hunt for Pulsating Ultraluminous X-ray Sources

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
X Song ◽  
D J Walton ◽  
G B Lansbury ◽  
P A Evans ◽  
A C Fabian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Next Generation ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Monitoring Programs ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Flux Variability ◽  
Order Of Magnitude

Abstract Motivated by the recent discoveries that six Ultraluminous X-ray Sources (ULXs) are powered by highly super-Eddington X-ray pulsars, we searched for additional pulsating ULX (PULX) candidates by identifying sources that exhibit long-term flux variability of at least an order of magnitude (a common feature seen in the 6 known PULXs, which may potentially be related to transitions to the propeller regime). Expanding on previous studies, we used the available fluxes from XMM-Newton, Swift and Chandra, along with carefully computed upper limits in cases of a non-detection, to construct long-term lightcurves for a sample of 296 ULXs selected from the XMM-Newton archive. Among these 296, we find 25 sources showing flux variability larger than a factor of 10, of which 17 show some evidence for (or are at least consistent with) exhibiting bi-modal flux distributions, as would be expected for sources undergoing propeller transitions. These sources are excellent candidates for continued monitoring programs to further test for this behaviour. There are 3 sources in our final sample with fluxes similar to NGC 5907 ULX1, currently the faintest known PULX, which would also be good targets for deeper observations with current facilities to search for pulsations. For the rest of the PULX candidates identified here, the next generation of X-ray telescopes (such as Athena) may be required to determine their nature owing to their lower peak fluxes.

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