arXiv subjects

Matthew G. Baring

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew G. Baring.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

Multiwavelength Spectral Models for SNR G347.3-0.5 from Non-Linear Shock Acceleration

The remnant G347.3-0.5 exhibits strong shell emission in the radio and X-ray bands, and has a purported detection in the TeV gamma-ray band by the CANGAROO-II telescope. The CANGAROO results were touted as evidence for the production of cosmic ray ions, a claim that has proven controversial due to constraining fluxes associated with a proximate unidentified EGRET source 3EG J1714-3857. HESS has now seen this source in the TeV band. The complex environment of the remnant renders modeling of its broadband spectrum sensitive to assumptions concerning the nature and parameters of the circumremnant medium. This paper explores a sampling of reasonable possibilities for multiwavelength spectral predictions from this source, using a non-linear model of diffusive particle acceleration at the shocked shell. The magnetic field strength, shell size and degree of particle cross-field diffusion act as variables to which the radio to X-ray to gamma-ray signal is sensitive. The modeling of the extant data constrains these variables, and the potential impact of the recent HESS detection on such parameters is addressed. Putative pion decay signals in hard gamma-rays resulting from hadronic interactions in dense molecular clouds are briefly discussed; the requisite suppression of the GeV component needed to accommodate the 3EG J1714-3857 EGRET data provides potential bounds on the diffusive distance from the shell to the proximate clouds.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Gamma-Ray Burst Prompt Emission: Implications from Shock Acceleration Theory

The principal paradigm for gamma-ray bursts suggest that the prompt transient gamma-ray signal arises from multiple shocks internal to the relativistic expansion. This paper illustrates some properties of diffusive acceleration at relativistic shocks that pertain to GRB models, providing interpretation of the BATSE/EGRET data. Using a standard Monte Carlo simulation, computations of the spectral shape, and the range of spectral indices are presented, as functions of the shock speed, magnetic field obliquity and the type of particle scattering. It is clear that while quasi-parallel, relativistic shocks with fields approximately normal to the shock plane can efficiently accelerate particles, highly oblique and perpendicular ones cannot unless the particle diffusion is almost isotropic, i.e. extremely close to the Bohm limit. Accordingly, an array of distribution indices should be present in the burst population, as is exhibited by the EGRET data, and even mildly-relativistic internal shocks require strong field turbulence in order to model the >100 MeV observations. In addition, recent spectral fitting to burst data in the BATSE band is discussed, providing probes of the efficiency of injection of non-thermal electrons.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Diffusive Shock Acceleration of High Energy Cosmic Rays

The process of diffusive acceleration of charged particles in shocked plasmas is widely invoked in astrophysics to account for the ubiquitous presence of signatures of non-thermal relativistic electrons and ions in the universe. A key characteristic of this statistical energization mechanism is the absence of a momentum scale; astrophysical systems generally only impose scales at the injection (low energy) and loss (high energy) ends of the particle spectrum. The existence of structure in the cosmic ray spectrum (the "knee") at around 3000 TeV has promoted contentions that there are at least two origins for cosmic rays, a galactic one supplying those up to the knee, and even beyond, and perhaps an extragalactic one that can explain even the ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) seen at 1-300 EeV. Accounting for the UHECRs with familiar astrophysical sites of acceleration has historically proven difficult due to the need to assume high magnetic fields in order to reduce the shortest diffusive acceleration timescale, the ion gyroperiod, to meaningful values. Yet active galaxies and gamma-ray bursts remain strong and interesting candidate sources for UHECRs, turning the theoretical focus to relativistic shocks. This review summarizes properties of diffusive shock acceleration that are salient to the issue of UHECR generation. These include spectral indices, acceleration efficencies and timescales, as functions of the shock speed and mean field orientation, and also the nature of the field turbulence. The interpretation of these characteristics in the context of gamma-ray burst models for the production of UHECRs is also examined.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

A Study of Prompt Emission Mechanisms in Gamma-Ray Bursts

The principal paradigm for the prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts invokes diffusive acceleration at shocks internal to the dynamic ultrarelativistic outflow. This paper explores expectations for burst emission spectra arising from shock acceleration theory in the limit of particles cooling much slower than their acceleration. Parametric fits to burst spectra obtained by the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) are explored for the cases of the synchrotron, inverse Compton and synchrotron self-Compton radiation mechanisms, using a linear combination of thermal and non-thermal electron populations. These fits demand that the preponderance of electrons that are responsible for the prompt emission reside in an intrinsically non-thermal population, strongly contrasting particle distributions obtained from acceleration simulations. This implies a potential conflict for acceleration scenarios where the non-thermal electrons are drawn directly from a thermal gas. It is also found that the CGRO data preclude effective spectroscopic discrimination between the synchrotron and inverse Compton mechanisms. This situation may be resolved with future missions probing gamma-ray bursts, namely Swift and GLAST. However, the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) spectrum is characteristically too broad near the $νF_ν$ peak to viably account for bursts such as GRB 910601, GRB 910814 and GRB 990123. It is concluded that the SSC mechanism may be generally incompatible with differential burst spectra steeper than around $E^{-2.5}$ above the peak, unless the synchrotron component is strongly self-absorbed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Quiescent Magnetar Emission: Resonant Compton Upscattering

A principal candidate for quiescent non-thermal gamma-ray emission from magnetars is resonant inverse Compton scattering in the strong fields of their magnetospheres. This paper outlines expectations for such emission, formed from non-thermal electrons accelerated in a pulsar-like polar cap potential upscattering thermal X-rays from the hot stellar surface. The resultant spectra are found to be strikingly flat, with fluxes and strong pulsation that could be detectable by GLAST.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

High-Energy Emission from Pulsars: The Polar Cap Scenario

The study of pulsars in the three and a half decades since their discovery has highlighted a handful of issues critical to their understanding. To date there is no consensus on the physical mechanism for their radio radio emission, despite a rapid increase in the observed population due to the Parkes Multi-Beam survey and prospects for similar growth in the radio population database in the near future. The small subset of pulsars that emit at X-ray to gamma-ray wavelengths are critical to refining the pulsar paradigm since this energy band (i) is where the vast majority of radiative luminosity is observed, and (ii) is intimately connected to the pair winds that form the dominant mode of energy deposition in the circum-pulsar environment. The most crucial point of contention pertaining to the high energy astrophysics of pulsars is the location of the acceleration region in their magnetospheres: is an outer gap model or a polar cap scenario (or both) the most appropriate picture. Radiative signatures provide the clues to this current enigma. This review focuses on salient characteristics of the polar cap scenario; these form the basis for discriminating observational diagnostics that should drive pulsars studies in the GLAST era just three years away.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Magnetohydrodynamic Jump Conditions for Oblique Relativistic Shocks with Gyrotropic Pressure

Shock jump conditions are obtained for steady-state, plane shocks with oblique magnetic fields and arbitrary flow speeds. For ultrarelativistic and nonrelativistic shocks, the jump conditions may be solved analytically. For mildly relativistic shocks, analytic solutions are obtained for isotropic pressure using an approximation for the adiabatic index that is valid in high sonic Mach number cases. In the more general case of gyrotropic pressure, the jump conditions cannot be solved analytically without additional assumptions, and the effects of gyrotropic pressure are investigated by parameterizing the distribution of pressure parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. Our numerical solutions reveal that relatively small departures from isotropy (e.g., about 20%) produce significant changes in the shock compression ratio, r, at all shock Lorentz factors, including ultrarelativistic ones, where an analytic solution with gyrotropic pressure is obtained. In particular, either dynamically important fields or significant pressure anisotropies can incur marked departures from the canonical gas dynamic value of r=3 for a shocked ultrarelativistic flow and this may impact models of particle acceleration in gamma-ray bursts and other environments where relativistic shocks are inferred. The jump conditions presented apply directly to test-particle acceleration, and will facilitate future self-consistent numerical modeling of particle acceleration at oblique, relativistic shocks.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Identifying the Mysterious EGRET Sources: Signatures of Polar Cap Pulsar Models

The advent of the next generation of gamma-ray experiments, led by GLAST, AGILE, INTEGRAL and a host of atmospheric Čerenkov telescopes coming on line in the next few years, will enable ground-breaking discoveries relating to the presently enigmatic set of EGRET/CGRO UID galactic sources that have yet to find definitive identifications. Pulsars are principal candidates for such sources, and many are expected to be detected by GLAST, some that are radio-selected, like most of the present EGRET/Comptel pulsars, and perhaps even more that are detected via independent pulsation searches. At this juncture, it is salient to outline the principal predictions of pulsar models that might aid identification of gamma-ray sources, and moreover propel subsequent interpretation of their properties. This review summarizes relevant characteristics of the polar cap model, emphasizing where possible distinctions from the competing outer gap model. Foremost among these considerations are the hard X-ray to gamma-ray spectral shape, high energy cutoffs and pulse profiles, and how these characteristics generally depend on pulsar period and period derivative, as well as observational viewing angle. The polar cap model exhibits definitive signatures that will be readily tested by the detections of GLAST and other experiments, thereby establishing cogent observational diagnostics. The paper focuses on different classes of pulsars that might define agendas and parameter regimes for blind gamma-ray pulsation searches; examples include the highly-magnetized ones that are currently quite topical in astrophysics.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Photon Splitting and Pair Creation in Highly Magnetized Pulsars

The absence of radio pulsars with long periods has lead to the popular notion of a high P ``death line.'' In the standard picture, beyond this boundary, pulsars with low spin rates cannot accelerate particles above the stellar surface to high enough energies to initiate pair cascades, and the pair creation needed for radio emission is strongly suppressed. In this paper we explore the possibility of another pulsar ``death line'' in the context of polar cap models, corresponding to high magnetic fields B in the upper portion of the period-period derivative diagram, a domain where few radio pulsars are observed. The origin of this high B boundary, which may occur when B becomes comparable to or exceeds $B_{\rm cr} = 4.4 \times 10^{13}$ Gauss, is also due to the suppression of magnetic pair creation, but primarily because of ineffective competition with magnetic photon splitting. Threshold pair creation also plays a prominent role in the suppression of cascades. We present Monte Carlo calculations of the pair yields in photon splitting/pair cascades which show that, in the absence of scattering effects, pair production is effectively suppressed, but only if all three modes of photon splitting allowed by QED are operating in high fields. This paper describes the probable shape and position of the new ``death line,'' above which pulsars are expected to be radio quiet, but perhaps still X-ray and gamma-ray bright. The hypothesized existence of radio-quiet sources finds dramatic support in the recent discovery of ultra-strong fields in Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars. Guidelines for moderate to high B pulsar searches at radio wavelengths and also in the soft and hard gamma-ray bands are presented.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Compton Scattering in Ultra-Strong Magnetic Fields: Numerical and Analytical Behavior in the Relativistic Regime

This paper explores the effects of strong magnetic fields on the Compton scattering of relativistic electrons. Recent studies of upscattering and energy loss by relativistic electrons that have used the non-relativistic, magnetic Thomson cross section for resonant scattering or the Klein-Nishina cross section for non-resonant scattering do not account for the relativistic quantum effects of strong fields ($ > 4 \times 10^{12}$ G). We have derived a simplified expression for the exact QED scattering cross section for the broadly-applicable case where relativistic electrons move along the magnetic field. To facilitate applications to astrophysical models, we have also developed compact approximate expressions for both the differential and total polarization-dependent cross sections, with the latter representing well the exact total QED cross section even at the high fields believed to be present in environments near the stellar surfaces of Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters and Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars. We find that strong magnetic fields significantly lower the Compton scattering cross section below and at the resonance, when the incident photon energy exceeds $m_ec^2$ in the electron rest frame. The cross section is strongly dependent on the polarization of the final scattered photon. Below the cyclotron fundamental, mostly photons of perpendicular polarization are produced in scatterings, a situation that also arises above this resonance for sub-critical fields. However, an interesting discovery is that for super-critical fields, a preponderance of photons of parallel polarization results from scatterings above the cyclotron fundamental. This characteristic is both a relativistic and magnetic effect not present in the Thomson or Klein-Nishina limits.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Magnetic Photon Splitting: the S-Matrix Formulation in the Landau Representation

Calculations of reaction rates for the third-order QED process of photon splitting in strong magnetic fields traditionally have employed either the effective Lagrangian method or variants of Schwinger's proper-time technique. Recently, Mentzel, Berg and Wunner (1994) presented an alternative derivation via an S-matrix formulation in the Landau representation. Advantages of such a formulation include the ability to compute rates near pair resonances above pair threshold. This paper presents new developments of the Landau representation formalism as applied to photon splitting, providing significant advances beyond the work of Mentzel et al. by summing over the spin quantum numbers of the electron propagators, and analytically integrating over the component of momentum of the intermediate states that is parallel to field. The ensuing tractable expressions for the scattering amplitudes are satisfyingly compact, and of an appearance familiar to S-matrix theory applications. Such developments can facilitate numerical computations of splitting considerably both below and above pair threshold. Specializations to two regimes of interest are obtained, namely the limit of highly supercritical fields and the domain where photon energies are far inferior to that for the threshold of single-photon pair creation. In particular, for the first time the low-frequency amplitudes are simply expressed in terms of the Gamma function, its integral and its derivatives. In addition, the equivalence of the asymptotic forms in these two domains to extant results from effective Lagrangian/proper-time formulations is demonstrated.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Nonlinear Shock Acceleration and Photon Emission in Supernova Remnants

We have extended a simple model of nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (Berezhko and Ellison 1999) to include the injection and acceleration of electrons and the production of photons from bremsstrahlung, synchrotron, inverse-Compton, and pion-decay processes. We argue that the results of this model, which is simpler to use than more elaborate ones, offer a significant improvement over test-particle, power-law spectra which are often used in astrophysical applications of diffusive shock acceleration. With an evolutionary supernova remnant (SNR) model to obtain shock parameters as functions of ambient interstellar medium parameters and time, we predict broad-band continuum photon emission from supernova remnants in general, and SN1006 in particular, showing that our results compare well with the more complete time-dependent and spherically symmetric nonlinear model of Berezhko, Ksenofontov, and Petukhov (1999). We discuss the implications nonlinear shock acceleration has for X-ray line emission, and use our model to describe how ambient conditions determine the TeV/radio flux ratio, an important parameter for gamma-ray observations of radio SNRs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Cosmic Ray Origin, Acceleration and Propagation

This paper summarizes highlights of the OG3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 sessions of the XXVIth International Cosmic Ray Conference in Salt Lake City, which were devoted to issues of origin/composition, acceleration and propagation.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Modelling Hard Gamma-Ray Emission From Supernova Remnants

The observation by the CANGAROO experiment of TeV emission from SN 1006, in conjunction with several instances of non-thermal X-ray emission from supernova remnants, has led to inferences of super-TeV electrons in these extended sources. While this is sufficient to propel the theoretical community in their modelling of particle acceleration and associated radiation, the anticipated emergence in the next decade of a number of new experiments probing the TeV and sub-TeV bands provides further substantial motivation for modellers. In particular, the quest for obtaining unambiguous gamma-ray signatures of cosmic ray ion acceleration defines a ``Holy Grail'' for observers and theorists alike. This review summarizes theoretical developments in the prediction of MeV-TeV gamma-rays from supernova remnants over the last five years, focusing on how global properties of models can impact, and be impacted by, hard gamma-ray observational programs, thereby probing the supernova remnant environment. Properties of central consideration include the maximum energy of accelerated particles, the density of the unshocked interstellar medium, the ambient magnetic field, and the relativistic electron-to-proton ratio. Criteria for determining good candidate remnants for observability in the TeV band are identified.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

High-Energy Spectral Signatures in Gamma-Ray Bursts

One of the principal results obtained by the EGRET experiment aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) was the detection of several Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) above 100 MeV. The broad-band spectra obtained for these bursts gave no indication of any high energy spectral attenuation that might preclude detection of bursts by ground-based Cerenkov telescopes (ACTs), thus motivating several TeV observational programs. This paper explores the expectations for the spectral properties in the TeV and sub-TeV bands for bursts, in particular how attenuation of photons by pair creation internal to the source modifies the spectrum to produce distinctive spectral signatures. The energy of spectral breaks and the associated spectral indices provide valuable information that can constrain the bulk Lorentz factor of the GRB outflow at a given time. These characteristics define palpable observational goals for ACT programs, and strongly impact the observability of bursts in the TeV band.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Photons and Particle Production in Cassiopeia A: Predictions from Nonlinear Diffusive Shock Acceleration

We calculate particle spectra and continuum photon emission from the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant (SNR). The particle spectra, ion and electron, result from diffusive shock acceleration at the forward SNR shock and are determined with a nonlinear Monte Carlo calculation. The calculation self-consistently determines the shock structure under the influence of ion pressure, and includes a simple parameterized treatment of electron injection and acceleration. Our results are compared to photon observations, concentrating on the connection between the Radio and GeV-TeV gamma-ray range, and to cosmic ray ion observations. We include new upper limits from the Cherenkov Array at Themis (CAT) imaging Cherenkov telescope and the Whipple 10m gamma-ray telescope at > 400 GeV. These new limits support the suggestion (e.g. Cowsik & Sarkar 1980; Allen et. al. 1997) that energetic electrons are emitting synchrotron radiation in an extremely high magnetic field (~ 1000 microGauss), far greater than values routinely assigned to the ISM, and help to constrain our model. The large magnetic field allows acceleration of cosmic ray ions to well above $10^{15}$ eV per nucleon in the ~ 300 yr lifetime of Cas A.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

The Production of Anomalous Cosmic Rays by the Solar Wind Termination Shock

We have modeled the injection and acceleration of pickup ions at the solar wind termination shock and investigated the parameters needed to produce the observed Anomalous Cosmic Ray (ACR) fluxes. A non-linear Monte Carlo technique was employed which in effect solves the Boltzmann equation and is not restricted to near isotropic particle distribution functions. This technique models the injection of thermal and pickup ions, the acceleration of these ions, and the determination of the shock structure under the influence of the accelerated ions. The essential effects of injection are treated in a mostly self-consistent manner, including effects from shock obliquity, cross-field diffusion, and pitch-angle scattering. Using recent determinations of pickup ion densities, we are able to match the absolute flux of hydrogen in the ACRs by assuming that pickup ion scattering mean free paths, at the termination shock, are much less than an AU and that moderately strong cross-field diffusion occurs. Simultaneously, we match the flux ratios He$^{+}$/H$^+$ or O$^{+}$/H$^+$ to within a factor ~ 3. If the conditions of strong scattering apply, no pre-termination-shock injection phase is required and the injection and acceleration of pickup ions at the termination shock is totally analogous to the injection and acceleration of ions at highly oblique interplanetary shocks recently observed by the Ulysses spacecraft.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

Photon Attenuation and Pair Creation in Highly-Magnetized Pulsars

Developments over the last couple of years have supported the interpretation that anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) possess unusually high magnetic fields, and furthermore may represent a class or classes of neutron stars distinct from the population of conventional radio pulsars. We have recently suggested that such a dichotomization of the pulsar population may naturally arise due to the inherently different conditions in subcritical and supercritical magnetic fields. In this paper, we summarize, within the polar gap model, expectations for observable properties of highly magnetized pulsars, conventional or anomalous. This includes a discussion of the potential suppression of pair production and cascade generation in very strong fields by photon splitting and by threshold pair creation, which might explain radio quiescence in AXPs and SGRs. X-ray and hard gamma-ray spectral properties and trends are identified, with a view to establishing goals for future high energy experimental programs.

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