Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006mnras.368..976k&link_type=abstract
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 368, Issue 2, pp. 976-984.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Line: Formation, Stars: Magnetic Fields, Stars: Neutron, Gamma-Rays: Theory
Scientific paper
We study the formation of the absorption features, called the cyclotron-annihilation lines, in the γ-spectra of the neutron stars (pulsars), owing to the fundamental quantum-electrodynamic effect of the one-photon pair creation in magnetized vacuum. As a result, we substantiate a new method for the determination of the neutron star magnetic fields B based on measuring the interval between the main annihilation and the first cyclotron-annihilation absorption lines. It is found that these lines may be easily resolved, and, consequently, the method is surely applicable if the following conditions are satisfied. (i) A γ-source has to be compact enough and located near a star, but not close to its magnetic poles. For instance, it may be a disc in the plane of a star magnetic equator with latitudinal angular width less than and radial extent up to 25 per cent of the star radius. (ii) The source is to produce detectable γ-radiation at large angles >~60° to the local magnetic field. Being situated in a closed field line region and having a broad radiation pattern, such a source is not what is usually considered in the context of the polar cap and outer gap models of the pulsar γ-emission dealing with open field lines only. (iii) Magnetic field strength must lie in a certain narrow interval with the centre at ~(3-4)×1012 G. Its width depends on the star orientation and disc radial extend and in the most favourable case is about 20-30 per cent of its lower boundary. Finally, the influence of the star rotation on this method employment is considered and new possibilities arising from forthcoming polarization observations are briefly discussed.
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