Possible Pulsed Gamma Ray Emission above 50 MeV from the Crab Pulsar

Vasseur, J.; Paul, J.; Parlier, B.; Leray, J. P.; Forichon, M.; Agrinier, B.; Boella, G.; Maraschi, L.; Treves, A.; Buccheri, R.; Scarsi, L.

doi:10.1038/226534a0

Cited by 32 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The first γ-ray instruments with particle-tracking capability were flown on balloons in the early 1970s, confirming the bright emission from the Galactic plane [16] and finding evidence for pulsed γ rays from the Crab pulsar, e.g. [17], [18], [19]. These were followed by two small satellites: the Second Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS-2, 1972−73), which mapped the Galactic emission [20], discovered γ-ray emission from the Vela pulsar [21], and measured an isotropic background radiation [22]; and the COS-B satellite (1975−82), which produced a catalog of high-energy γ-ray sources, 2CG [23], including 3C273, the first extragalactic source [24], as well as much greater detail on the pulsars and Galactic γ radiation, e.g.…”

Section: Egret and Earlier Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 61%

Space detectors for gamma rays (100 MeV–100 GeV): From EGRET to Fermi LAT

Thompson

2015

Comptes Rendus. Physique

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The design of spaceborne high-energy (E>100 MeV) γ-ray detectors depends on two principal factors: (1) the basic physics of detecting and measuring the properties of the γ rays; and (2) the constraints of operating such a detector in space for an extended period. Improvements in technology have enabled major advances in detector performance, as illustrated by two successful instruments, EGRET on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and LAT on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. RésuméDétecteurs spatiaux de rayons gamma (100 MeV − 100 GeV) : depuis EGRET jusqu'à Fermi-LAT L'architecture des détecteurs spatiaux de rayons gamma de hautesénergies (E>100 MeV) dépend de deux facteurs principaux : (1) les principes physiques de base permettant la détection et la mesure des propriétés des rayons gamma, et (2) les contraintes de fonctionnement de tels détecteurs dans l'espace sur de longues durées. Les progrès techniques ont permis des avancées majeures concernant les performances des détecteurs telles qu'illustrées par les deux instruments que sont EGRETà bord du Compton Gamma Ray Observatory et LATà bord du Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.

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Section: Egret and Earlier Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 61%

Space detectors for gamma rays (100 MeV–100 GeV): From EGRET to Fermi LAT

Thompson

2015

Comptes Rendus. Physique

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“…For the Crab, the SAS-2 detection was the confirmation of early, contradictory balloon claims (e.g. Vasseur et al, 1970Vasseur et al, , 1971, while for the older and less energetic Vela it was a genuine novelty. In the '70s pulsars were astronomical newcomers and the gamma-ray detections of Crab and Vela added an important new piece of information in the struggle to understand those extreme stars.…”

Section: Pulsars As Gamma-ray Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 70%

Gamma-Ray Pulsar Revolution

Caraveo

2014

Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.

103

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Isolated Neutron Stars (INSs) were the first sources identified in the field of high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. At first, in the '70s, there were only two identified sources, the Crab and Vela pulsars. However, although few in number, these objects were crucial in establishing the very concept of a gamma-ray source.Moreover, they opened up significant discovery space both in the theoretical and phenomenological fronts. The need to explain the copious gamma-ray emission of these pulsars led to breakthrough developments in understanding the structure and physics of neutron star magnetospheres. In parallel, the 20-year-long chase to understand the nature of Geminga unveiled the existence of a radio-quiet, gammaray-emitting , INS, adding a new dimension to the INS family.Today we are living through an extraordinary time of discovery. The current generation of gamma-ray detectors has vastly increased the population of known of gamma-ray-emitting neutron stars. The 100 mark was crossed in 2011 and we are now approaching 150. The gamma-ray-emitting neutron star population exhibits roughly equal numbers of radio-loud and radio-quiet young INSs, plus an astonishing, and unexpected, group of isolated and binary millisecond pulsars (MSPs). The number of MSPs is growing so rapidly that they are on their way to becoming the most numerous members of the family of gammaray-emitting Neutron Stars (NSs) .Even as these findings have set the stage for a revolution in our understanding of gamma-ray-emitting neutron stars, long term monitoring of the gamma-ray sky has revealed evidence of flux variability in the Crab Nebula as well as in the pulsed emission from PSR J2021+4026, challenging a four-decade-old, constant-emission paradigm. Now we know that both pulsars and their nebulae can, indeed, display variable emission.

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“…As for the direct coupling, we notice that the plasma waves giving electron pitch-angle scattering have frequency co = (k^/k) co pe ; so, if the density is sufficiently high (n e^n0 ), optical emission is produced and this is evidently correlated with X-rays. y-ray emission, which has been tentatively identified recently (Vasseur et al, 1970;Kinzer et al, 1971;Hillier et al, 1971) obviously involves highly relativistic particles. So one possibility is that these particles emit by synchrotron radiation and this be maintained by pitch-angle scattering processes.…”

Section: A High-energy Emissionmentioning

confidence: 87%