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Qian Zhong

Publications and source records attributed to Qian Zhong.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Derivation of the injection spectrum of positrons and electrons from Geminga and Monogem

Extended $γ$-ray emission has been observed around several nearby pulsars and is commonly interpreted as inverse-Compton radiation produced by relativistic electrons and positrons diffusing in the surrounding interstellar medium. In this work, a unified analysis of the halos associated with the Geminga and Monogem pulsars is presented, combining GeV--TeV $γ$-ray observations within a common physical framework. Assuming continuous injection of $e^\pm$ pairs from the pulsar wind nebulae, the resulting $γ$-ray emission is modeled by accounting for particle diffusion and radiative energy losses. I find that the observed spectra of both Geminga and Monogem can be reproduced within this framework, provided that particle transport in the vicinity of the sources is significantly suppressed with respect to the average Galactic diffusion. The fits favor hard injection spectra and cutoff energies of order $10^5$--$10^6$~GeV, consistent with efficient lepton acceleration in pulsar environments. Using the best-fit injection models inferred from the $γ$-ray data, then I estimate the contribution of Geminga and Monogem to the local cosmic-ray positron flux measured by AMS-02. I find that the slow-diffusion region surrounding the sources strongly suppresses the positron flux reaching the Earth, leading to a subdominant contribution over most of the AMS-02 energy range, with a possible effect only near the upper end of the measured spectrum. The results support an interpretation in which TeV halos trace regions of inhibited particle diffusion around pulsars, while at the same time implying only a limited impact on the local positron flux. This combined analysis highlights the importance of extended $γ$-ray observations for constraining particle transport in the vicinity of Galactic cosmic-ray sources.

astro-ph.HE

In-orbit background and sky survey simulation study of POLAR-2/LPD

The Low-Energy X-ray Polarization Detector (LPD) is one of the payloads in the POLAR-2 experiment, designed as an external payload for the China Space Station (CSS) deployment in early 2024. LPD is specifically designed to observe the polarization of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) prompt emission in the energy range of 2-10 keV, with a wide field of view (FoV) of 90 degrees in preliminary design. This observation is achieved using an array of X-ray photoelectric polarimeters based on gas pixel detectors. Due to the wide FoV configuration, the in-orbit background count rate in the soft X-ray range is high, while GRBs themselves also exhibit a high flux in this energy band. In order to assess the contribution of various background components to the total count rate, we conducted detailed simulations using the GEANT4 C++ package. Our simulations encompassed the main interactions within the instrument materials and provided insights into various background components within the wide FoV scheme. The simulation results reveal that among the background components, the primary contributors are the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) and bright X-ray sources. The total background count rate of LPD, after applying the charged particle background rejection algorithm, is approximately 0.55 counts/cm^2/s on average, and it varies with the detector's orbit and pointing direction. Furthermore, we performed comprehensive simulations and comparative analyses of the CXB and X-ray bright sources under different FoVs and detector pointings. These analyses provide valuable insights into the background characteristic for soft X-ray polarimeter with wide FoV.

astro-ph.IM

Polarization degree of magnetic field structure changes caused by random magnetic field in Gamma-ray Burst

In a Poynting-flux-dominated (PFD) jet that exhibits an ordered magnetic field, a transition towards turbulence and magnetic disorder follows after magnetic reconnection and energy dissipation during the prompt emission phase. In this process, the configuration of the magnetic field evolves with time, rendering it impossible to entirely categorize the magnetic field as ordered. Therefore, we assumed a crude model that incorporates a random magnetic field and an ordered magnetic field, and takes into account the proportionality of the random magnetic field strength to the ordered magnetic field, in order to compute the polarization degree (PD) curve for an individual pulse. It has been discovered that the random magnetic field has a significant impact on the PD results of the low-energy X-ray. In an ordered magnetic field, the X-ray segment maintains a significant PD compared to those in the hundreds of keV and MeV ranges even after electron injection ceases, this making PD easier to detect by polarimetry. However, when the random magnetic field is introduced, the low-energy and high-energy PDs exhibit a similar trend, with the X-ray PD being lower than that of the high-energy segment. Of course, this is related to the rate of disorder in the magnetic field. Additionally, there is two rotation of the polarization angles (PAs) that were not present previously, and the rotation of the PA in the high-energy segment occurs slightly earlier. These results are unrelated to the structure of the ordered magnetic field.

astro-ph.HE