Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jul 1997
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997apj...483l..49v&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal Letters v.483, p.L49
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
24
Gamma Rays: Observations, Stars: Pulsars: Individual Name: Centaurus X-3, Acceleration Of Particles, Stars: Binaries: Eclipsing
Scientific paper
We present Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) EGRET measurements of an outburst of greater than 100 MeV gamma-ray emission from the massive X-ray binary system Centaurus X-3 that occurred during an interval of rapid spin-down by the X-ray pulsar. For the 1994 October outburst, the phase-averaged 30 MeV-- 10 GeV emission is best fitted by a power law with index alpha = 1.81 +/- 0.37 and an integral flux above 100 MeV of (9.2 +/- 2.3) x 10-7 photons cm-2 s-1, corresponding to a phase-averaged luminosity in GeV gamma rays of ~5 x 1036 ergs s-1. Our phase analysis, employing contemporaneous X-ray pulse observations by CGRO BATSE, indicates modulation of the gamma-ray emission at the pulsar's spin frequency with a significance level higher than 99.5%. Straightforward interpretation of the EGRET measurements requires at least sporadic acceleration of GeV particles within the Cen X-3 binary system. The observations also suggest that Galactic X-ray binary systems may constitute a class of highly variable GeV gamma-ray sources.
Mori Masaki
Sreekumar Parameswaran
Vestrand Thomas W.
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