arXiv subjects

F. W. Stecker

Publications and source records attributed to F. W. Stecker.

62 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv1997

Gamma-Ray Absorption at High Redshifts and the Gamma-Ray Background

We present results of a calculation of absorption of 10-500 GeV gamma-rays at high redshifts. This calculation requires the determination of the high- redshift evolution of the full spectral energy distribution of the intergalactic photon field. For this, we have primarily followed the recent analysis of Fall, Charlot and Pei. We give our results for the gamma-ray opacity as a function of redshift out to a redshift of 3. We then give predicted gamma-ray spectra for selected blazars and also extend our results on the background from unresolved blazars to an energy of 500 GeV. Absorption effects are predicted to significantly steepen the background spectrum above 20 GeV. Our absorption calculations can be used to place limits on the redshifts of gamma-ray bursts. Our background calculations can be used to determine the observability of multi-GeV lines from dark matter neutralino particles.

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arXiv1997

Absorption of High Energy Gamma Rays by Interactions With Starlight Photons in Extragalactic Space at High Redshifts and the High Energy Gamma-Ray Background

We calculate the absorption of 10-500 GeV gamma-rays at high redshifts. This calculation requires the determination of the high-redshift evolution of the intergalactic starlight photon field, including its IR-UV spectral energy distribution. To estimate this evolution, we have followed a recent analysis of Fall, Charlot and Pei which gives results consistent with recent data. We give our results for the gamma-ray opacity as a function of redshift out to a redshift of 3. We also give predicted gamma-ray spectra for selected blazars and give an extragalactic unresolved blazar background spectrum up to 500 GeV. Our results indicate that this background should steepen significantly above 20 GeV owing to intergalactic absorption. Future observations of this steepening would provide a test for the blazar background origin hypothesis. We have used our results to discuss upper limits on the redshifts of gamma-ray bursts. We note that the 17 Feb. 1994 burst observed by EGRET must have originated at a redshift less than 2. We also use our estimates of the background to determine the observability of multi-GeV gamma-ray lines from the annihilation of supersymmetric dark matter particles in the galactic halo.

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arXiv1996

Predicted Extragalactic TeV Gamma-Ray Sources

We suggest that low-redshift XBLs (X-ray selected BL Lacertae objects) may be the only extragalactic gamma-ray sources observable at TeV energies. We use simple physical considerations involving synchrotron and Compton component spectra for blazars to suggest why the observed TeV sources are XBLs, whereas mostly RBLs and FSRQs are seen at GeV energies. These considerations indicate that the differences between XBLs and RBLs cannot be explained purely as relativistic jet orientation effects. We note that the only extragalactic TeV sources which have been observed are XBLs and that a nearby RBL with a very hard spectrum in the GeV range has not been seen at TeV energies. We also note that of the 14 BL Lacs observed by EGRET, 12 are RBLs, whereas only 2 are XBLs. We give a list of nearby XBLs which we consider to be good candidate TeV sources and predict estimated TeV fluxes for these objects.

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arXiv1996

On the Absorption of High Energy Gamma-Rays by Intergalactic Infrared Radiation

We present a new calculation of the intergalactic $γ$-ray pair-production absorption coefficient as a function of both energy and redshift up to the redshift of 3C279, z = 0.54. In reexamining this problem, we make use of new observational data on the intergalactic infrared radiation field (IIRF), together with recent theoretical models of the galactic spectral energy distributions of the IIRF from stars and dust reradiation and estimates of the IIRF from galaxy counts and {\it COBE} results. We present our results for two fairly well defined IIRF spectral energy distributions, one of which is within $1 σ$ of our previous estimate of the IIRF at $ \sim 20$ $μ$m. We then apply our results to the $γ$-ray spectrum of Mrk 421, and obtain good agreement with the observational data, including the recent results of the {\it HEGRA} group.

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arXiv1996

Gamma-Rays and Neutrinos from Dark Matter

High energy gamma-rays and neutrinos can be produced both by the annihilation and by the possible slow decay of dark matter particles. We discuss the fluxes and spectra of such secondaries produced by dark matter particles in the universe and their observability in competition with other astrophysical gamma-ray signals and with atmospheric neutrinos. To do this, we work within the assumption that the dark matter particles are neutralinos which are the lightest supersymmetric particles (LSPs) predicted by supersymmetry theory.

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arXiv1996

The Gamma-Ray Background from Blazars: A New Look

We present the results of a new model calculation of the gamma-ray background produced by unresolved blazars, using the second EGRET catalogue and taking account of flaring. These results are compared to the preliminary gamma-ray background spectrum reported recently by the EGRET team. We find that blazars can account for the entire extragalactic gamma-ray background observed by EGRET. In addition, the EGRET spectrum shows some evidence of a signature for the blazar background, in the form of a concavity in the spectrum.

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arXiv1995

High Energy Neutrinos from Quasars

We review and clarify the assumptions of our basic model for neutrino production in the cores of quasars, as well as those modifications to the model subsequently made by other workers. We also present a revised estimate of the neutrino background flux and spectrum obtained using more recent empirical studies of quasars and their evolution. We compare our results with other thoeretical calculations and experimental upper limits on the AGN neutrino background flux. We also estimate possible neutrino fluxes from the jets of blazars detected recently by the EGRET experiment on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. We discuss the theoretical implications of these estimates.

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arXiv1995

Absorption of High Energy Gamma-Rays by Low Energy Intergalactic Photons

Following our previously proposed technique, we have used the recent gamma-ray observations of Mrk 421 to place theoretically significant constraints on and possible estimates of the intergalactic infrared radiation field (IIRF) which are consistent with normal galactic IR production by stars and dust and rule out exotic mechanisms proposed to produce a larger IIRF. Using models for the low energy intergalactic photon spectrum from microwave to UV energies, we calculate the opacity of inter- galactic space to gamma-rays as a function of energy and redshift. These calculations indicate that the GeV gamma-ray burst recently observed by the EGRET experiment on CGRO originates at a redshift less than approximately 1.5.

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