Inverse Compton Emission of TeV Gamma Rays from PSR B1259-63
Abstract
We derive light curves for the hard gamma-ray emission, at energies up to several TeV, expected from the unique pulsar/Be-star binary system PSR B1259-63. This is the only known system in our galaxy in which a radio pulsar is orbiting a main sequence star. We show that inverse Compton emission from the electrons and positrons in the shocked pulsar wind, scattering target photons from the Be star, produces a flux of hard gamma-rays that should be above the sensitivity threshold of present day atmospheric Cerenkov detectors. Furthermore, we predict that the flux of hard gamma-rays produced via this mechanism has a characteristic variation with orbital phase that should be observable, and which is not expected from any other mechanism.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9808112,
title = {Inverse Compton Emission of TeV Gamma Rays from PSR B1259-63},
author = {J. G. Kirk and Lewis Ball and Olaf Skjaeraasen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9808112},
year = {2011}
}
Comments
To be published in Astroparticle Physics. 24 pages, 8 figures