Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Jun 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995apj...445..736s&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 445, no. 2, p. 736-755
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
88
Compton Effect, Electron Photon Cascades, Gamma Rays, Magnetic Effects, Mathematical Models, Monte Carlo Method, Pair Production, Pulsars, Coherent Scattering, Energy Dissipation, Luminosity, Magnetic Dipoles, Neutron Stars, Particle Acceleration
Scientific paper
Electrons accelerated to relativistic energies in pulsar magnetospheres will Compton scatter surface thermal emission and nonthermal optical, UV, and soft X-ray emission to gamma-ray energies, thereby initiating a pair cascade through synchrotron radiation and magnetic pair production. This process is proposed as the origin of the high-energy radiation that has been detected from six isolated pulsars. We construct an analytic model of magnetic Compton scattering near the polar cap of isolated pulsar magnetospheres and present approximate analytic derivations for scattered spectra, electron energy-loss rates, and photon luminosities. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to model the pair cascade induced by relativistic electrons scattering photons through the cyclotron resonance. For simplicity, the primary electrons are assumed to be monoenergetic and the nonresonant emission is omitted. Assuming that the angle phiB between the magnetic and spin axes is approximately equal to the polar-cap angle thetapc, this model can produce both double-peaked and broad single-peaked pulse profiles and account for the trend of harder gamma-ray spectra observed from older pulsars.
Dermer Charles D.
Michel Curtis F.
Sturner Steven J.
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