arXiv subjects

Agnieszka Sierpowska-Bartosik

Publications and source records attributed to Agnieszka Sierpowska-Bartosik.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2009

gamma-ray emission from LS I +61 303: The impact of basic system uncertainties

LS I +61 303 has been recently detected as a periodic gamma-ray source by the Major Atmospheric Imaging Cerenkov (MAGIC) telescope. A distinctive orbital correlation of the $γ$-ray emission was found. This work shows that the range of uncertainties yet at hand in the orbital elements of the binary system LSI as well as in the possible assumptions on the stellar wind of the optical companion play a non-negligible role in the computation of opacities to high energy processes leading to $γ$-ray predictions. The geometry influence on the propagation and escape of $γ$-ray photons is explored. With this study at hand, we analyse the results of a pulsar wind zone model for the production of gamma-rays and compare it with recent MAGIC observations.

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arXiv2008

The nature of LS 5039 under the scrutiny of gamma-rays

Several gamma-ray binaries have been recently detected by the High-Energy Stereoscopy Array (H.E.S.S.) and the Major Atmospheric Imaging Cerenkov (MAGIC) telescope. In two cases, their nature is unknown, since a final observational feature for a black hole or a pulsar compact object companion is still missing. One such system is LS 5039. Here we present results from a model (it includes a detailed account of the system geometry, the angular dependence of processes such as Klein-Nishina inverse Compton and gamma-gamma absorption, and a Monte Carlo simulation of cascading) of the high energy phenomenology of LS 5039 in which it is assumed that the companion object is a pulsar rotating around an O6.5V star in the 3.9 days orbit. We show that the H.E.S.S. phenomenology at all scales (spectra along the orbit in both broad and short phase-bins and lightcurve) is described within this model. We focus on presenting predictions for photons with lower energies (for E>1 GeV), subject to test in the forthcoming months with the GLAST satellite, and we also present predictions for future observations with high-energy arrays, such as H.E.S.S. II. Both set of predictions go beyond the description of the current data, and could provide a high-energy determination of the system's composition.

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arXiv2008

Pulsar wind zone processes in LS 5039

Several $γ$-ray binaries have been recently detected by the High-Energy Stereoscopy Array (H.E.S.S.) and the Major Atmospheric Imaging Cerenkov (MAGIC) telescope. In at least two cases, their nature is unknown. In this paper we aim to provide the details of a theoretical model of close $γ$-ray binaries containing a young energetic pulsar as compact object, earlier presented in recent Letters. This model includes a detailed account of the system geometry, the angular dependence of processes such as Klein-Nishina inverse Compton and $γγ$ absorption in the anisotropic radiation field of the massive star, and a Monte Carlo simulation of leptonic cascading. We present and derive the used formulae and give all details about their numerical implementation, particularly, on the computation of cascades. In this model, emphasis is put in the processes occurring in the pulsar wind zone of the binary, since, as we show, opacities in this region can be already important for close systems. We provide a detailed study on all relevant opacities and geometrical dependencies along the orbit of binaries, exemplifying with the case of LS 5039. This is used to understand the formation of the very high-energy lightcurve and phase dependent spectrum. For the particular case of LS 5039, we uncover an interesting behavior of the magnitude representing the shock position in the direction to the observer along the orbit, and analyze its impact in the predictions. We show that in the case of LS 5039, the H.E.S.S. phenomenology is matched by the presented model, and explore the reasons why this happens while discussing future ways of testing the model.

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arXiv2008

Gamma-rays from binary system with energetic pulsar and Be star with aspherical wind: PSR B1259-63/SS2883

At least one massive binary system containing an energetic pulsar, PSR B1259-63/SS2883, has been recently detected in the TeV gamma-rays by the HESS telescopes. These gamma-rays are likely produced by particles accelerated in the vicinity of the pulsar and/or at the pulsar wind shock, in comptonization of soft radiation from the massive star. However, the process of gamma-ray production in such systems can be quite complicated due to the anisotropy of the radiation field, complex structure of the pulsar wind termination shock and possible absorption of produced gamma-rays which might initiate leptonic cascades. In this paper we consider in detail all these effects. We calculate the gamma-ray light curves and spectra for different geometries of the binary system PSR B1259-63/SS2883 and compare them with the TeV gamma-ray observations. We conclude that the leptonic IC model, which takes into account the complex structure of the pulsar wind shock due to the aspherical wind of the massive star, can explain the details of the observed gamma-ray light curve.

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arXiv2008

GLAST testing of a pulsar model matching H.E.S.S. observations of LS 5039

LS 5039 is one of a handful of X-ray binaries that have been recently detected at high-energy $γ$-rays, in this case, by the High-Energy Stereoscopy Array (H.E.S.S.). The nature of this system is unknown: both a black hole and a pulsar have been invoked as possible compact object companions. Here we work with a model of the high energy phenomenology of the system in which it is assumed that the companion object is a pulsar rotating around an O6.5V star in the $\sim 3.9$ days orbit. The model assumes two different sets of power-law spectral parameters of the interacting primary leptons corresponding to the two orbital phase intervals defined by H.E.S.S. as having different gamma-ray spectra and very-high-energy (VHE) cutoffs. We show the H.E.S.S. phenomenology is completely explained by this model. We present predictions for photons with lower energies (for $E>1 $ GeV), subject to test in the forthcoming months with the GLAST satellite. We find that GLAST is able to judge on this model within one year.

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arXiv2007

Pulsar model of the high energy phenomenology of LS 5039

Under the assumption that LS 5039 is a system composed by a pulsar rotating around an O6.5V star in a $\sim 3.9$ day orbit, we present the results of a theoretical modeling of the high energy phenomenology observed by the High Energy Stereoscopy Array (H.E.S.S.). This model (including detailed account of the system geometry, Klein-Nishina inverse Compton, $γ$-$γ$ absorption, and cascading) is able to describe well the rich observed phenomenology found in the system at all timescales, both flux and spectrum-wise.

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