scholarly journals Very-high-energy Emission from Pulsars

2021 ◽  
Vol 923 (2) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Alice K. Harding ◽  
Christo Venter ◽  
Constantinos Kalapotharakos

Abstract Air-Cherenkov telescopes have detected pulsations at energies above 50 GeV from a growing number of Fermi pulsars. These include the Crab, Vela, PSR B1706−44, and Geminga, with the first two having pulsed detections above 1 TeV. In some cases, there appears to be very-high-energy (VHE) emission that is an extension of the Fermi spectra to high energies, while in other cases, additional higher-energy spectral components that require a separate emission mechanism may be present. We present results of broadband spectral modeling using global magnetospheric fields and multiple emission mechanisms that include synchro-curvature (SC) and inverse Compton scattered (ICS) radiation from accelerated particles (primaries) and synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) emission from lower-energy pairs. Our models predict three distinct VHE components: SC from primaries whose high-energy tail can extend to 100 GeV, SSC from pairs that can extend to several TeV, and ICS from primary particles accelerated in the current sheet that scatter pair synchrotron radiation, which appears beyond 10 TeV. Our models suggest that H.E.S.S.-II and MAGIC have detected the high-energy tail of the primary SC component that produces the Fermi spectrum in Vela, Geminga, and PSR B1706−44. We argue that the ICS component peaking above 10 TeV from Vela has been seen by H.E.S.S. Detection of this emission component from the Crab and other pulsars is possible with the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory and Cherenkov Telescope Array, and will directly measure the maximum particle energy in pulsars.

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S324) ◽  
pp. 70-73
Author(s):  
Alessio Berti ◽  

AbstractGamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most violent explosions in the Universe, releasing a huge amount of energy in few seconds. While our understanding of the prompt and the afterglow phases has increased with Swift and Fermi, we have very few information about their High Energy (HE, E ≲ 100) emission components. This requires a ground-based experiment able to perform fast follow-up with enough sensitivity above ~ 50 GeV. The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov) telescopes have been designed to perform fast follow-up on GRBs thanks to fast slewing movement and low energy threshold (~ 50 GeV). Since the beginning of the operations, MAGIC followed-up 89 GRBs in good observational conditions. In this contribution the MAGIC GRBs follow-up campaign and the results which could be obtained by detecting HE and Very High Energy (VHE, E ≳ 100 GeV) γ-rays from GRBs will be reviewed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (2) ◽  
pp. 251
Author(s):  
V. A. Acciari ◽  
S. Ansoldi ◽  
L. A. Antonelli ◽  
A. Arbet Engels ◽  
M. Artero ◽  
...  

Abstract PSR J0218+4232 is one of the most energetic millisecond pulsars known and has long been considered as one of the best candidates for very high-energy (VHE; >100 GeV) γ-ray emission. Using 11.5 yr of Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data between 100 MeV and 870 GeV, and ∼90 hr of Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) observations in the 20 GeV to 20 TeV range, we searched for the highest energy γ-ray emission from PSR J0218+4232. Based on the analysis of the LAT data, we find evidence for pulsed emission above 25 GeV, but see no evidence for emission above 100 GeV (VHE) with MAGIC. We present the results of searches for γ-ray emission, along with theoretical modeling, to interpret the lack of VHE emission. We conclude that, based on the experimental observations and theoretical modeling, it will remain extremely challenging to detect VHE emission from PSR J0218+4232 with the current generation of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes, and maybe even with future ones, such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array.


Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 421
Author(s):  
Mathieu de Naurois

Thirty years after the discovery of the first very-high-energy γ-ray source by the Whipple telescope, the field experienced a revolution mainly driven by the third generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). The combined use of large mirrors and the invention of the imaging technique at the Whipple telescope, stereoscopic observations, developed by the HEGRA array and the fine-grained camera, pioneered by the CAT telescope, led to a jump by a factor of more than ten in sensitivity. The advent of advanced analysis techniques led to a vast improvement in background rejection, as well as in angular and energy resolutions. Recent instruments already have to deal with a very large amount of data (petabytes), containing a large number of sources often very extended (at least within the Galactic plane) and overlapping each other, and the situation will become even more dramatic with future instruments. The first large catalogues of sources have emerged during the last decade, which required numerous, dedicated observations and developments, but also made the first population studies possible. This paper is an attempt to summarize the evolution of the field towards the building up of the source catalogues, to describe the first population studies already made possible, and to give some perspectives in the context of the upcoming, new generation of instruments.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (06) ◽  
pp. 1023-1029
Author(s):  
◽  
JAVIER RICO

MAGIC is a single-dish Cherenkov telescope located on La Palma (Spain), hence with an optimal view on the Northern sky. Sensitive to the 30 GeV–30 TeV energy band, it is nowadays the only ground-based instrument being able to measure high-energy gamma-rays below 100 GeV. With the operation in coincidence with MACIC-II, starting in Fall 2009, the sensitivity will be improved by a factor ~ 2. We review the results obtained by MAGIC on the very-high energy emission from pulsars, binary systems and microquasars.


2017 ◽  
Vol 145 ◽  
pp. 04001
Author(s):  
V.G. Sinitsyna ◽  
V.Y. Sinitsyna

1996 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 363-364
Author(s):  
S.A. Dazeley ◽  
P.G. Edwards ◽  
J.R. Patterson ◽  
G.P. Rowell ◽  
M. Sinnott ◽  
...  

TheCollaboration ofAustralia andNippon for aGAmmaRayObservatory in theOutback operates two large telescopes at Woomera (South Australia), which detect the Čerenkov light images produced in the atmosphere by electronpositron cascades initiated by very high energy (~1 TeV or 1012eV) gamma rays. These gamma rays arise from a different mechanism than at EGRET energies: inverse Compton (IC) emission from relativistic electrons.The spoke-like images are recorded by a multi-pixel camera which facilitates the rejection of the large numbers of oblique and ragged cosmic ray images. A field of view ~3.5° is required. The Australian team operates a triple 4 m diameter mirror telescope, BIGRAT, with a 37 photomultiplier tube camera and energy threshold 600 GeV. The Japanese operate a single, highly accurate 3.8 m diameter f/1 telescope and high resolution 256 photomultipler tube camera. In 1998 a new 7 m telescope is planned for Woomera with a design threshold ~;200GeV.


1992 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 207-208
Author(s):  
S. V. Bogovalov ◽  
YU. D. Kotov

AbstractSuper-hard γ-ray radiation spectra have been calculated. This radiation is generated near the velocity-of-light cylinder through the process of inverse-Compton scattering of relativistic electrons by thermal photons radiated by a neutron star. These calculations have been compared with observations of the Crab and Vela pulsars at 1000-GeV γ-ray energies. A correlation between γ-ray flares and those in soft (Ex ≃ lkeV) X-rays are predicted.


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