Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2002-12-19
AIP Conf.Proc. 666 (2003) 183-186
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
4 pages, 2 figures, contribution to the 13th Annual Astrophysics Conference in Maryland, The Emergence of Cosmic Structure
Scientific paper
10.1063/1.1581788
We have developed a numerical model for the temporal evolution of particle and photon spectra resulting from nonthermal processes at the shock fronts formed in merging clusters of galaxies. Fermi acceleration is approximated by injecting power-law distributions of particles during a merger event, subject to constraints on maximum particle energies. We consider synchrotron, bremsstrahlung, Compton, and Coulomb processes for the electrons, nuclear, photomeson, and Coulomb processes for the protons, and knock-on electron production. Broadband radio through gamma-ray light curves radiated by nonthermal protons and primary and secondary electrons are calculated both during and after the merger event. Using ROSAT observations to establish typical parameters for the matter density profile of clusters of galaxies, we find that merger shocks are weak and accelerate particles with relatively soft spectra. Our results suggest that only a minor contribution to the diffuse extragalactic gamma-ray background can originate from cluster merger shocks.
Berrington Robert Charles
Dermer Charles D.
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