Engineering topics

Harding, Alice K.

Publications and source records attributed to Harding, Alice K..

81 records · Page 5

NASA NTRS1990

Positron annihilation in gamma-ray bursts

Emission features appear at energies of 350 to 450 keV in the spectra of a number of gamma ray burst sources. These features were interpreted as electron-positron annihilation lines, redshifted by the gravitational field near the surface of a neutron star. Evidence that gamma ray bursts originate at neutron stars with magnetic field strengths of approx. 10(exp 12) Gauss came from recent observations of cyclotron scattering harmonics in the spectra of two bursts. Positrons could be produced in gamma ray burst sources either by photon-photon pair production or by one-photon pair production in a strong magnetic field. The annihilation of positrons is affected by the presence of a strong neutron star magnetic field in several ways. The relaxation of transverse momentum conservation causes an intrinsic broadening of the two-photon annihilation line and there is a decrease in the annihilation cross section below the free-space value. An additional channel for one-photon annihilation also becomes possible in high magnetic fields. The physics of pair production and annihilation near strongly magnetized neutron stars will be reviewed. Results from a self-consistent model for non-thermal synchrotron radiation and pair annihilation are beginning to identify the conditions required to produce observable annihilation features from strongly magnetized plasmas.

Harding, Alice K.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Nonthermal synchrotron radiation and pair annihilation in gamma-ray bursts

A self-consistent Monte Carlo simulation of quantized synchrotron emission, pair production, and pair annihilation in strong (2 x 10 to the 12th G or greater) magnetic fields is presented as a model of the production of annihilation lines in gamma-ray burst sources. The calculation determines the self-consistent photon spectrum and pair distribution functions resulting from a nonthermal injection of electrons into a region of homogeneous, strong magnetic field. The results indicate that the appearance of observable annihilation features in gamma-ray burst spectra requires isotropic or fan-beamed injection of electrons with energies of at least 5 MeV. The lines are narrow because higher energy electrons escape annihilation and do not contribute to Doppler-broadening. Injection beamed along the field did not produce observable annihilation lines in any of the cases studied. As a result, emission at energies much greater than 1 MeV produced through beaming seems to be incompatible with observable annihilation in this model. These results are discussed in relation to observed features in gamma-ray burst spectra.

Preece, Robert↗

NASA NTRS1989

Signatures of particle acceleration at SN 1987A

At least eight experiments are currently monitoring SN 1987A for photons or neutrinos with energies in the TeV range or higher. Observation of such signals would indicate that the supernova is the site of acceleration of charged particles to even higher energies. The way that the acceleration might occur is discussed, and the prospects for detection of such signals in light of current limits on power in the supernova from sources other than the nickel-cobalt-iron decay chain are evaluated. It is pointed out that signals of particle acceleration may show up in continuum MeV gamma rays as well as in the 100 MeV range.

Gaisser, T. K.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Cyclotron scattering lines in gamma-ray burst spectra

If cyclotron scattering, rather than absorption, is responsible for the line features observed recently in two gamma-ray burst spectra (Murakami et al., 1988), then the second and higher harmonics are due to resonant scattering events that excite the electron to Landau levels above the ground state. Here, relativistic Compton scattering cross sections are used to estimate the expected ratio of third to second harmonics in the presence of Doppler broadening. At the field strength (1.7 TG) required to give first and second harmonics at 19 keV and 38 keV, there should be no detectable third harmonic in the spectrum.

Harding, Alice K.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Comptonization of thermal photons by relativistic electron beams

This paper presents a numerical calculation of gamma-ray emission produced by Compton scattering of relativistic electron beams on background thermal radiation, which includes spatial dependence of electron energy losses and cyclotron resonance scattering in a strong magnetic field. In the first version, the scattering is described by the fully relativistic Klein-Nishina cross section, but the magnetic field is neglected. In the second version, the scattering is described by the magnetic resonant cross section in the Thomson limit. It is found that when the magnetic field is not included, electron energy losses are important only at higher neutron star surface temperatures (T about 3,000,000 K). In the presence of a strong magnetic field, (10 to the 12th G), resonant scattering greatly increases electron energy losses, making scattering very efficient even at lower surface temperatures. Resulting photon and electron spectra for both cases ae discussed in relation to models for pulsar X-ray and gamma-ray emission.

Daugherty, Joseph K.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The search for evidence of particle acceleration at SN 1987A in MeV to PeV gamma rays

The prospects for obtaining evidence of the particle acceleration by SN 1987A pulsar wind are discussed. It is noted that, of the seven experiments that searched for high-energy signals since the discovery of SN 1987A, operating in both the TeV region (air Cerenkov arrays) and the 100-TeV region (air shower arrays), not one has reported a continuous signal from the supernova. The only signal reported so far that could be interpreted as a signal from the supernova remnant is from an air shower experiment YANZOS (Bond, 1988), in which a transient flux of photons above 3 TeV was observed. It is pointed out however, that, if a TeV signal is seen, the accompanying gamma-ray flux around 100 MeV should be well above threshold for detection by the EGRET detector on Gamma-Ray Observatory.

Harding, Alice K.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Quantized synchrotron radiation in strong magnetic fields

Spectra from electrons making synchrotron transitions in high magnetic fields are calculated using the exact quantum transition rates for Landau states up to n = 500, and the results are compared with spectra calculated from the classical formula and the asymptotic quantum formula. The behavior of the transition rates are examined at low and high harmonics as a function of the spin state of the electron. The calculations confirm those of Herold, Ruder, and Wunner (1982) for low Landau states, extending them to higher states and individual spin state transitions. The results also confirm the dominance of ground-state transitions at high field strengths noted by White (1976). Single particle emissivities for electrons with both spin-up and spin-down in the initial state are calculated using these transition rates. Spectra for thermal electron distributions at transrelativistic temperatures and for steady state injection of monoenergetic electrons with isotropic pitch angles are also presented.

Harding, Alice K.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The pulsar contribution to galactic cosmic ray positrons

Measurements of high energy positrons in the cosmic rays appear to show an increase in the positron fraction above 10 GeV which is inconsistent with theoretical predictions of secondary positron production. We explore the possibility that observations of .1 - 1 GeV and very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays from the Crab and Vela pulsars could imply a significant primary positron contribution from galactic radio pulsars at energies above 10 GeV. Assuming that positrons are produced through magnetic pair creation in the cascades near the polar cap which may be the source of the observed gamma rays, we can estimate the flux and spectrum of the pulsar positron contribution. The pulsar positron component has a flatter spectrum than that expected from secondary cosmic ray production. The level of this contribution above 10 GeV is high enough to make pulsars viable sources of the high energy positron excess, and may also put interesting constraints on pulsar emission models.

Harding, Alice K.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Compton scattering in strong magnetic fields

The relativistic cross section for Compton scattering by electrons in strong magnetic fields is derived. The results confirm and extend earlier work which has treated only transitions to the lowest or first excited Landau levels. For the teragauss field strengths expected in neutron star magnetospheres, the relative rates for excited state transitions are found to be significant, especially for incident photon energies several times the cyclotron frequency. Since these transitions must result in the rapid emission of one or more cyclotron photons as well as the Compton-scattered photon, the scattering process actually becomes a photon 'splitting' mechanism which acts to soften hard photon spectra, and also provides a specific mechanism for populating higher Landau levels in the electron distribution function. The results should be significant for models of gamma-ray bursters and pulsating X-ray sources.

Daugherty, Joseph K.↗