scholarly journals The Impact of Plasma Instabilities on the Spectra of TeV Blazars

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Alves Batista ◽  
Andrey Saveliev ◽  
Elisabete M de Gouveia Dal Pino
Keyword(s):  
Compton Scattering ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Plasma Instabilities ◽  
Cascade Process ◽  
Extragalactic Background Light ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Relativistic jets from blazars are known to be sources of very-high-energy gamma rays (VHEGRs). During their propagation in the intergalactic space, VHEGRs interact with pervasive cosmological photon fields such as the extragalactic background light (EBL) and the cosmic microwave background (CMB), producing electron-positron pairs. These pairs can upscatter CMB/EBL photons to high energies via inverse Compton scattering, thereby continuing the cascade process. This is often used to set limits on intergalactic magnetic fields (IGMFs). However, the picture may change if plasma instabilities, arising due to the interaction of the pairs with the intergalactic medium (IGM), cool down the electrons/positrons faster than inverse Compton scattering. As a consequence, the kinetic energy lost by the pairs to the IGM could cause a hardening in the observed gamma-ray spectrum at energies below ∼100 GeV. Here we study several types and models of instabilities and assess their impact for interpreting observations of distant blazars. Our results suggest that plasma instabilities can describe the spectra of some blazars and mimic the effects of IGMFs, depending on parameters such as intrinsic spectrum of the object, the density and temperature of the IGM, and the luminosity of the beam. On the other hand, we find that for our fiducial set of parameters plasma instabilities do not have a major impact on the spectra of some of the blazars studied. Therefore, they may be used for constraining IGMFs.

scholarly journals GAMMA-RAY EMISSION OF RELATIVISTIC JETS AS A SUPERCRITICAL PROCESS

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (09) ◽  
pp. 1611-1617 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. E. STERN ◽  
J. POUTANEN
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Lorentz Factor ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Relativistic Fluids ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
Astrophysical Objects ◽  
Particle Propagation ◽  
The Impact

Supercriticality of the same kind as that in a nuclear pile can take place in high-energy astrophysical objects producing a number of impressive effects. For example, it could cause an explosive release of the energy of a cloud of ultrarelativistic protons into radiation. More certainly, supercriticality should be responsible for energy dissipation of very energetic relativistic fluids such as ultrarelativistic shocks in gamma-ray bursts and jets in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In this case, the photon breeding process operates. It is a kind of converter mechanism with the high-energy photons and e+e- pairs converting into each other via pair production and inverse Compton scattering. Under certain conditions, which should be satisfied in powerful AGNs, the photon breeding mechanism becomes supercritical: the high-energy photons breed exponentially until their feedback on the fluid changes its velocity pattern. Then the system comes to a self-adjusting near-critical steady state. Monte-Carlo simulations with detailed treatment of particle propagation and interactions demonstrate that a jet with a Lorentz factor Γ ≈ 20 can radiate away up to a half of its total energy, and for Γ = 40 the radiation efficiency can be up to 80 per cent. Outer layers of the jet decelerate down to a moderate Lorentz factor 2–4, while the spine of the jet has a final Lorentz factor in the range 10–20 independent of the initial Γ. Such sharp deceleration under the impact of radiation must cause a number of interesting phenomena such as formation of internal shocks and an early generation of turbulence.

scholarly journals Gamma-ray source through inverse Compton scattering in a thermal hohlraum

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.L. Ping ◽  
X.T. He ◽  
H. Zhang ◽  
B. Qiao ◽  
H.B. Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Relativistic Electron ◽  
Compton Scattering ◽  
Relativistic Electron Beam ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
Energy Gamma ◽  
Background Temperature

AbstractA new inverse Compton scattering scheme for production of high-energy Gamma-ray sources is proposed in which a Giga-electronvolt (GeV) electron beam is injected into a thermal hohlraum. It is found that by increasing the hohlraum background temperature, the scattered photons experience kinematic pileup, resulting in more monochromatic spectrum and smaller scattering angle. When a relativistic electron beam with energy 1 GeV and charge 10nC is injected into a 0.5 keV hohlraum, 80% of the scattered photons have energy above 0.5 GeV.

scholarly journals Very High Energy γ-Ray Generation Near The Light Cylinder of an Axisymmetric Rotator: Cos-B Like γ-Ray Sources

1992 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 207-208
Author(s):  
S. V. Bogovalov ◽  
YU. D. Kotov
Keyword(s):  
High Energy ◽  
Relativistic Electrons ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Light Cylinder ◽  
Radiation Spectra ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
Very High Energy ◽  
Γ Ray ◽  
Very High

AbstractSuper-hard γ-ray radiation spectra have been calculated. This radiation is generated near the velocity-of-light cylinder through the process of inverse-Compton scattering of relativistic electrons by thermal photons radiated by a neutron star. These calculations have been compared with observations of the Crab and Vela pulsars at 1000-GeV γ-ray energies. A correlation between γ-ray flares and those in soft (Ex ≃ lkeV) X-rays are predicted.

scholarly journals An Explanation for Pulsar Mode Changing Phenomenon

1996 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 225-226
Author(s):  
B. Zhang ◽  
G.J. Qiao ◽  
W.P. Lin ◽  
J.L. Han
Keyword(s):  
Resonant Frequency ◽  
Compton Scattering ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Switching Effect ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Thermal Peak ◽  
Curvature Radiation ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
High Energy Particles

AbstractThere are three mechanisms to cause pulsar inner gap breakdown: the inverse Compton scattering (ICS) of the high energy particles off the thermal-peak photons, off the resonant-frequency photons and the curvature radiation (CR). The pulsar mode-changing phenomenon can be interpreted as a switching effect between theresonant ICS sparking modeand thethermal ICS sparking mode.

scholarly journals Quiescent Magnetar Emission: Resonant Compton Upscattering

2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 267-270
Author(s):  
Matthew G. Baring
Keyword(s):  
Compton Scattering ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Stellar Surface ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Polar Cap ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Strong Fields ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
Gamma Ray Emission

A principal candidate for quiescent non-thermal gamma-ray emission from magnetars is resonant inverse Compton scattering in the strong fields of their magnetospheres. This paper outlines expectations for such emission, formed from non-thermal electrons accelerated in a pulsar-like polar cap potential upscattering thermal X-rays from the hot stellar surface. The resultant spectra are found to be strikingly flat, with fluxes and strong pulsation that could be detectable by GLAST.

scholarly journals Particle Acceleration in Extragalactic Jets and Implications for the High-Energy Emission from Blazars

1994 ◽  
Vol 159 ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
R. Schlickeiser ◽  
C. D. Dermer
Keyword(s):  
Compton Scattering ◽  
Accretion Disk ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Relativistic Electrons ◽  
Spectral Evolution ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Central Engine ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
Γ Rays ◽  
Γ Ray

We demonstrate that the prevalence of superluminal sources in the sample of γ-ray blazars and the peak of their luminosity spectra at γ-ray energies can be readily explained if the γ-rays result from the inverse Compton scattering of the accretion disk radiation by relativistic electrons in outflowing plasam jets. Compton scattering of external radiation by nonthermal particles in blazar jets is dominated by accretion disk photons rather than scattered radiation to distances of ∼ 0.01–0.1 pc from the central engine for standard parameters. The size of the γ-ray photosphere and the spectral evolution of the relativistic electron spectra constrain the location of the acceleration and emission sites in these objects.

scholarly journals Inverse Compton Scattering in pulsar physics

1996 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 159-162
Author(s):  
G.J. Qiao
Keyword(s):  
Radio Emission ◽  
Compton Scattering ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Position Angle ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Particle Energy ◽  
Important Process ◽  
Frequency Wave ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Inverse Compton

AbstractInverse Compton Scattering (ICS) is a very important process not only in inner gap physics, but also for radio emission. ICS of high energy particles with thermal photons is the dominant and a very efficient mechanism of the particle energy loss above the neutron star surface, and is an important process in causing gap breakdown. The pulsar distribution in theP−Pdiagram and the observed mode changing phenomenon of some pulsars can be expained by the sparking conditions due to ICS. ICS of the secondary particles with the low frequency wave from the inner gap sparking can be responsible for radio emission. In this ICS model, many observational features of pulsar radio emission can be explained, such as: one core and two conal emission components, their different emission altitudes and relative time delay effects; spectral behavior of pulse profiles; the behavior of the linear polarization and position angle.

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