arXiv subjects

Peter L. Gonthier

Publications and source records attributed to Peter L. Gonthier.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

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↗

arXiv1997

The Attenuation of Gamma-Ray Emission in Strongly-Magnetized Pulsars

Gamma-rays from pulsars can be efficiently attenuated in their magnetospheres via the mechanism of single-photon pair production and also the exotic QED process of photon splitting, which become prolific in fields approaching the quantum critical value of $B_{cr}=4.41\times 10^{13}$ Gauss. Recently we have published results of our modelling of strongly-magnetized $γ$-ray pulsars, which focused on the escape or attenuation of photons emitted near the pole at the neutron star surface in dipole fields, in a Schwarzschild metric. We found that pair production and splitting totally inhibit emission above around 10--30 MeV in PSR1509-58, whose surface field is inferred to be as high as $0.7B_{cr}$. Our model pulsar spectra are consistent with the EGRET upper limits for PSR1509-58 for a wide range of polar cap sizes. Here we review the principal predictions of our attenuation analysis, and identify how its powerful observational diagnostic capabilities relate to current and future gamma-ray experiments. Diagnostics include the energy of the gamma-ray turnover and the spectral polarization, which constrain the estimated polar cap size and field strength, and can determine the relative strength of splitting and pair creation.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1996

Photon Splitting Cascades in Gamma-Ray Pulsars and the Spectrum of PSR1509-58

Magnetic photon splitting, a QED process that becomes important only in magnetic fields approaching the quantum critical value, B_cr = 4.41 X 10^13 Gauss, is investigated as a mechanism for attenuation of gamma-rays emitted near the surface of strongly-magnetized pulsars. We model photon splitting attenuation and subsequent splitting cascades in gamma-ray pulsars, including the dipole field and curved spacetime geometry of the neutron star magnetosphere. We focus specifically on PSR1509-58, which has the highest surface magnetic field of all the gamma-ray pulsars (B_0 = 3 X 10^13 Gauss). We find that splitting will not be important for most gamma-ray pulsars, i.e. those with B_0 <~ 0.2 B_cr, but will be important for gamma-ray pulsars having B_0 >~ 0.3 B_cr, where the splitting attenuation lengths and escape energies become comparable to or less than those for pair production. We compute Monte Carlo spectral models for PSR1509-58. We find that photon splitting, or combined splitting and pair production, can explain the unusually low cutoff energy (between 2 and 30 MeV) of PSR1509-58, and that the model cascade spectra, which display strong polarization, are consistent with the observed spectral points and upper limits for polar cap emission at a range of magnetic colatitudes up to ~ 25 degrees.

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