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Y. Uchiyama

Publications and source records attributed to Y. Uchiyama.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Cosmic Ray e^+/(e^- + e^+) and pbar/p Ratios Explained by an Injection Model Based on Gamma-ray Observations

We present a model of cosmic ray injection into the Galactic space based on recent gamma-ray observations of supernova remnants (SNRs) and pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) by the Fermi Large Area Telescope and imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Steady-state (SS) injection of nuclear particles and electrons (e^-) from the Galactic ensemble of SNRs, and electrons and positrons (e^+) from the Galactic ensemble of PWNe are assumed, with their injection spectra inferred under guidance of gamma-ray observations and recent development of evolution and emission models. The ensembles of SNRs and PWNe are assumed to share the same spatial distributions. Assessment of possible secondary CR contribution from dense molecular clouds interacting with SNRs is also given. CR propagation in the interstellar space is handled by GALPROP. Different underlying source distribution models and Galaxy halo sizes are employed to estimate the systematic uncertainty of the model. We show that this observation-based model reproduces the positron fraction e^+/(e^- + e^+) and antiproton-to-proton ratio reported by Pamela and other previous missions reasonably well, without calling for any speculative sources. A discrepancy remains, however, between the total e^- + e^+ spectrum measured by Fermi and our model below 20GeV, for which the potential causes are discussed. Important quantities for Galactic CRs including their energy injection, average lifetime, and mean gas density along their typical propagation path are also estimated.

astro-ph.HE↗

Fermi-LAT Detection of the Young SuperNova Remnant Tycho

After almost three years of data taking in sky survey mode, the \emph{Fermi}-LAT has detected $γ$-ray emission toward the Tycho's Supernova Remnant (SNR). The Tycho SNR is among the youngest remnants in the Galaxy, originating from a Type Ia Supernova in AD 1572. The $γ$-ray integral flux from 400 MeV up to 100 GeV has been measured to be (3.5$\pm1.1_{stat}\pm0.7_{syst}$)$\times10^{-9}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ with a photon index of 2.3$\pm0.2_{stat}\pm0.1_{syst}$.

astro-ph.HE↗

The Timing Counter of the MEG experiment: calibration and performance

The MEG detector is designed to test Lepton Flavor Violation in the $μ^+\rightarrow e^+γ$ decay down to a Branching Ratio of a few $10^{-13}$. The decay topology consists in the coincident emission of a monochromatic photon in direction opposite to a monochromatic positron. A precise measurement of the relative time $t_{e^+γ}$ is crucial to suppress the background. The Timing Counter (TC) is designed to precisely measure the time of arrival of the $e^+$ and to provide information to the trigger system. It consists of two sectors up and down stream the decay target, each consisting of two layers. The outer one made of scintillating bars and the inner one of scintillating fibers. Their design criteria and performances are described.

physics.ins-det↗

Fermi Detection of the Pulsar Wind Nebula HESS J1640-465

We present observations of HESS J1640-465 with the Fermi-LAT. The source is detected with high confidence as an emitter of high-energy gamma-rays. The spectrum lacks any evidence for the characteristic cutoff associated with emission from pulsars, indicating that the emission arises primarily from the pulsar wind nebula. Broadband modeling implies an evolved nebula with a low magnetic field resulting in a high gamma-ray to X-ray flux ratio. The Fermi emission exceeds predictions of the broadband model, and has a steeper spectrum, possibly resulting from a distinct excess of low energy electrons similar to what is inferred for both the Vela X and Crab pulsar wind nebulae.

astro-ph.HE↗

A limit for the mu -> e gamma decay from the MEG experiment

A search for the decay mu -> e gamma, performed at PSI and based on data from the initial three months of operation of the MEG experiment, yields an upper limit on the branching ratio of BR(mu -> e gamma) < 2.8 x 10**-11 (90% C.L.). This corresponds to the measurement of positrons and photons from ~ 10**14 stopped mu-decays by means of a superconducting positron spectrometer and a 900 litre liquid xenon photon detector.

hep-ex↗

Suzaku X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy of Cassiopeia A

Suzaku X-ray observations of a young supernova remnant, Cassiopeia A, were carried out. K-shell transition lines from highly ionized ions of various elements were detected, including Chromium (Cr-Kalpha at 5.61 keV). The X-ray continuum spectra were modeled in the 3.4--40 keV band, summed over the entire remnant, and were fitted with a simplest combination of the thermal bremsstrahlung and the non-thermal cut-off power-law models. The spectral fits with this assumption indicate that the continuum emission is likely to be dominated by the non-thermal emission with a cut-off energy at > 1 keV. The thermal-to-nonthermal fraction of the continuum flux in the 4-10 keV band is best estimated as ~0.1. Non-thermal-dominated continuum images in the 4--14 keV band were made. The peak of the non-thermal X-rays appears at the western part. The peak position of the TeV gamma-rays measured with HEGRA and MAGIC is also shifted at the western part with the 1-sigma confidence. Since the location of the X-ray continuum emission was known to be presumably identified with the reverse shock region, the possible keV-TeV correlations give a hint that the accelerated multi-TeV hadrons in Cassiopeia A are dominated by heavy elements in the reverse shock region.

astro-ph.HE↗

Polarimetry and the High-Energy Emission Mechanisms in Quasar Jets

The emission mechanisms in extragalactic jets include synchrotron and various inverse-Compton processes. At low (radio through infrared) energies, it is widely agreed that synchrotron emission dominates in both low-power (FR I) and high-power (FR II and quasar) jets, because of the power-law nature of the spectra observed and high polarizations. However, at higher energies, the emission mechanism for high-power jets at kpc scales is hotly debated. Two mechanisms have been proposed: either inverse-Compton of cosmic microwave background photons or synchrotron emission from a second, high-energy population of electrons. Here we discuss optical polarimetry as a method for diagnosing the mechanism for the high-energy emission in quasar jets, as well as revealing the jet's three-dimensional energetic and magnetic field structure. We then discuss high-energy emission mechanisms for powerful jets in the light of the HST polarimetry of PKS 1136-135.

astro-ph.HE↗

X-ray observations of PSR B1259-63 near the 2007 periastron passage

PSR B1259-63 is a 48 ms radio pulsar in a highly eccentric 3.4 year orbit with a Be star SS 2883. Unpulsed gamma-ray, X-ray and radio emission components are observed from the binary system. It is likely that the collision of the pulsar wind with the anisotropic wind of the Be star plays a crucial role in the generation of the observed non-thermal emission. The 2007 periastron passage was observed in unprecedented details with Suzaku, Swift, XMM-Newton and Chandra missions. We present here the results of this campaign and compare them with previous observations. With these data we are able, for the first time, to study the details of the spectral evolution of the source over a 2 months period of the passage of the pulsar close to the Be star. New data confirm the pre-periastron spectral hardening, with the photon index reaching a value smaller than 1.5, observed during a local flux minimum. If the observed X-ray emission is due to the inverse Compton (IC) losses of the 10 MeV electrons, then such a hard spectrum can be a result of Coulomb losses, or can be related to the existence of the low-energy cut-off in the electron spectrum. Alternatively, if the X-ray emission is a synchrotron emission of very high energy electrons, the observed hard spectrum can be explained if the high energy electrons are cooled by IC emission in Klein-Nishina regime. Unfortunately the lack of simultaneous data in the TeV energy band prevents us from making a definite conclusion on the nature of the observed spectral hardening and, therefore, on the origin of the X-ray emission.

astro-ph.GA↗

Study of the Spectral and Temporal Characteristics of X-Ray Emission of the Gamma-Ray Binary LS 5039 with Suzaku

We report on the results from Suzaku broadband X-ray observations of the galactic binary source LS5039. The Suzaku data, which have continuous coverage of more than one orbital period, show strong modulation of the X-ray emission at the orbital period of this TeV gamma-ray emitting system.The X-ray emission shows a minimum at orbital phase ~ 0.1, close to the so-called superior conjunction of the compact object, and a maximum at phase ~0.7, very close to the inferior conjunction of the compact object. The X-ray spectral data up to 70 keV are described by a hard power-law with a phase-dependent photon index which varies within Gamma ~1.45 - 1.61. The amplitude of the flux variation is a factor of 2.5, but is significantly less than that of the factor ~8 variation in the TeV flux. Otherwise the two light curves are similar, but not identical. Although periodic X-ray emission has been found from many galactic binary systems, the Suzaku result implies a phenomenon different from the "standard" origin of X-rays related to the emission of the hot accretion plasma formed around the compact companion object. The X-ray radiation of LS5039is likely to be linked to very-high-energy electrons which are also responsible for the TeV gamma-ray emission. While the gamma-rays are the result of inverse Compton scattering by electrons on optical stellar photons, X-rays are produced via synchrotron radiation. Yet, while the modulation of the TeV gamma-ray signal can be naturally explained by the photon-photon pair production and anisotropic inverse Compton scattering, the observed modulation of synchrotron X-rays requires an additional process, the most natural one being adiabatic expansion in the radiation production region.

astro-ph↗

An Infrared Study of the Large-scale Jet in Quasar PKS 1136-135

We present Spitzer IRAC imaging of the large-scale jet in the quasar PKS 1136-135 at wavelengths of 3.6 and 5.8 um, combined with previous VLA, HST, and Chandra observations. We clearly detect infrared emission from the jet, resulting in the most detailed multifrequency data among the jets in lobe-dominated quasars. The spectral energy distributions of the jet knots have significant variations along the jet, like the archetypal jet in 3C 273. The infrared measurements with IRAC are consistent with the previous idea that the jet has two spectral components, namely (1) the low-energy synchrotron spectrum extending from radio to infrared, and (2) the high-energy component responsible for the X-ray flux. The optical fluxes may be a mixture of the two components. We consider three radiation models for the high-energy component: inverse Compton scattering off CMB photons by radio-emitting electrons in a highly relativistic jet, synchrotron radiation by a second distinct electron population, and synchrotron radiation by ultra high energy protons. Each hypothesis leads to important insights into and constraints on particle acceleration in the jet, as well as the basic physical properties of the jet such as bulk velocity, transporting power, and particle contents.

astro-ph↗

Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) on Board Suzaku

The Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) on board Suzaku covers a wide energy range from 10 keV to 600 keV by combination of silicon PIN diodes and GSO scintillators. The HXD is designed to achieve an extremely low in-orbit back ground based on a combination of new techniques, including the concept of well-type active shield counter. With an effective area of 142 cm^2 at 20 keV and 273 cm2 at 150 keV, the background level at the sea level reached ~1x10^{-5} cts s^{-1} cm^{-2} keV^{-1} at 30 keV for the PI N diodes, and ~2x10^{-5} cts s^{-1} cm^{-2} keV^{-1} at 100 keV, and ~7x10^{-6} cts s^{-1} cm^{-2} keV^{-1} at 200 keV for the phoswich counter. Tight active shielding of the HXD results in a large array of guard counters surrounding the main detector parts. These anti-coincidence counters, made of ~4 cm thick BGO crystals, have a large effective area for sub-MeV to MeV gamma-rays. They work as an excellent gamma-ray burst monitor with limited angular resolution (~5 degree). The on-board signal-processing system and the data transmitted to the ground are also described.

astro-ph↗

Shedding New Light on the 3C 273 Jet with the Spitzer Space Telescope

We have performed infrared imaging of the jet of the quasar 3C 273 at wavelengths 3.6 and 5.8 microns with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. When combined with the radio, optical and X-ray measurements, the IRAC photometry clearly shows that the optical emission is dominated by the high-energy component of the jet, not by the radio synchrotron component, as had been assumed to date. The high-energy component may be due to a second synchrotron component or to IC scattering of ambient photons. In the former case, we argue that the acceleration of protons exceeding 10^16 eV or possibly even to 10^19 eV would be taking place in the jet. In contrast, the IC model, into which highly relativistic Doppler beaming has to be incorporated, requires very low-energy electrons (~ 1 MeV). The present polarization data in the radio and optical would favor the former interpretation in the case of the 3C 273 jet. Sensitive and detailed measurements of optical polarization are important to establish the radiation mechanism responsible for the high-energy emission. The present study offers new clues as to the controversial origin of the X-ray emission seen in many quasar jets.

astro-ph↗

Spitzer IRAC Imaging of the Relativistic Jet from Superluminal Quasar PKS 0637-752

Emission from the relativistic jet located at hundreds of kpc from the core of the superluminal quasar PKS 0637-752 was detected at 3.6 and 5.8 microns with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The unprecedented sensitivity and arcsecond resolution of IRAC allows us to explore the mid-infrared emission from kiloparsec-scale quasar jets for the first time. The mid-infrared flux from the jet knots, when combined with radio and optical fluxes, confirms a synchrotron origin of the radio-to-optical emission and constrains very well the high energy end of the nonthermal electron distribution. Assuming the X-rays are produced in the relativistically moving knots via inverse Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, the infrared observation puts constraints on the matter content of the quasar extended jet. Specifically, pure electron-positoron pair jet models are unfavorable based on the lack of an infrared bump associated with ``bulk Comptonization'' of CMB photons by an ultrarelativistic jet.

astro-ph↗

Nonthermal X-radiation of SNR RX J1713.7-3946: The Relations to a Nearby Molecular Cloud

The recent X-ray and CO observations of RX J1713.7-3946 show that a significant fraction of the nonthermal X-ray emission of this unique supernova remnant associates, in one way or another, with a molecular cloud interacting with the west part of the shell. This adds a new puzzle in the origin of X-ray emission which cannot be easily explained within the standard model in accordance of which X-rays are result of synchrotron radiation of multi-TeV electrons accelerated by supernova shock waves. We explore an alternative origin of the X-ray emission assuming that it is produced by secondary electrons resulting from high energy hadronic interactions in the molecular gas. Such a scenario could explain in a quite natural way the apparent correlation between the X-ray and CO morphologies. However, the TeV gamma-ray emission recently reported by H.E.S.S. significantly constrains the parameter space of this model. Namely, this mechanism cannot reproduce the bulk of the observed X-ray flux unless one postulates existence of a PeV cosmic-ray component penetrating with an unusually hard spectrum into the dense cloud.

astro-ph↗

Fine-structure in the nonthermal X-ray emission of SNR RX J1713.7-3946 revealed by Chandra

We present morphological and spectroscopic studies of the northwest rim of the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 based on observations by the Chandra X-ray observatory. We found a complex network of nonthermal (synchrotron) X-ray filaments, as well as a 'void' type structure -- a dim region of a circular shape -- in the northwest rim. It is remarkable that despite distinct brightness variations, the X-ray spectra everywhere in this region can be well fitted with a power-law model with photon index around 2.3. We briefly discuss some implications of these results and argue that the resolved X-ray features in the northwest rim may challenge the perceptions of standard (diffusive shock-acceleration) models concerning the production, propagation and radiation of relativistic particles in supernova remnants.

astro-ph↗

An unidentified TeV source in the vicinity of Cygnus OB2

Deep observation (~113 hrs) of the Cygnus region at TeV energies using the HEGRA stereoscopic system of air Cerenkov telescopes has serendipitously revealed a signal positionally inside the core of the OB association Cygnus OB2, at the edge of the 95% error circle of the EGRET source 3EG J2033+4118, and ~0.5deg north of Cyg X-3. The centre of gravity of the source is RA (J2000): 20hr 32m 07s +-9.2s (stat) +-2.2s (sys), Dec (J2000): +41deg 30' 30" +-2.0' (stat) +-0.4' (sys). The source is steady, has a post-trial significance of +4.6 sigma, indication for extension with radius 5.6' at the ~3sigma level, and has a differential power-law flux with hard photon index of -1.9 +-0.3 (stat) +-0.3 (sys). The integral flux above 1 TeV amounts ~3% that of the Crab. No counterpart for the TeV source at other wavelengths is presently identified, and its extension would disfavour an exclusive pulsar or AGN origin. If associated with Cygnus OB2, this dense concentration of young, massive stars provides an environment conducive to multi-TeV particle acceleration and likely subsequent interaction with a nearby gas cloud. Alternatively, one could envisage gamma-ray production via a jet-driven termination shock.

astro-ph↗

Flat Spectrum X-ray Emission from the Direction of a Molecular Cloud Associated with SNR RX J1713.7-3946

We report on the discovery of a hard X-ray source with ASCA from a molecular cloud in the vicinity of the SNR RX J1713.7-3946. The energy spectrum (1--10 keV) shows a flat continuum which is described by a power-law with photon index 1.0 +-0.4. We argue that this unusually flat spectrum can be best interpreted in terms of characteristic bremsstrahlung emission from the ionization-loss-flattened distribution of either sub-relativistic protons or mildly-relativistic electrons. The strong shock of the SNR RX J1713.7-3946, which presumably interacts with the molecular cloud, as evidenced by observations of CO-lines, seems to be a natural site of acceleration of such sub- or mildly-relativistic nonthermal particles. However, the observed X-ray luminosity of 1.7 10^35 erg/s (for 6 kpc distance) requires that a huge kinetic energy of about 10^50 erg be released in the form of nonthermal particles to illuminate the cloud. The shock-acceleration at RX J1713.7-3946 can barely satisfy this energetic requirement, unless (i) the source is located much closer than 6 kpc and/or (ii) the mechanical energy of the explosion essentially exceeds 10^51 erg. Another possibility would be that an essential part of the "lost" energy is somehow converted to plasma waves, which return this energy to nonthermal particles through their turbulent reacceleration on plasma waves. Irrespective of mechanisms responsible for production of high-energy particles, the flat X-ray emission seems to be a signature of a new striking energetic phenomenon in molecular clouds.

astro-ph↗

Magnetic excitations in coupled Haldane spin chains near the quantum critical point

Two quasi-1-dimensional S=1 quantum antiferromagnetic materials, PbNi2V2O8 and SrNi2V2O8, are studied by inelastic neutron scattering on powder samples. While magnetic interactions in the two systems are found to be very similar, subtle differences in inter-chain interaction strengths and magnetic anisotropy are detected. The latter are shown to be responsible for qualitatively different ground state properties: magnetic long-range order in SrNi2V2O8 and disordered ``spin liquid'' Haldane-gap state in PbNi2V2O8.

cond-mat.str-el↗