Actions for Synchrotron cooling and annihilation of an E(+)-E(-) plasma : The radiation mechanism for the March 5, 1979 transient

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Synchrotron cooling and annihilation of an E(+)-E(-) plasma : The radiation mechanism for the March 5, 1979 transient

Author
Ramaty, R.
Published
Mar 1, 1980.
Physical Description
1 electronic document
Additional Creators
Bussard, R. W. and Lingenfelter, R. E.
Online Version

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Summary
Positron-electron pair radiation is examined as a mechanism that could be responsible for the impulsive phase emission of the March 5, 1979 transient. Synchrotron cooling and subsequent annihilation of the pairs can account for the energy spectrum, the very high brightness, and the approximately 0.4 MeV feature observed from this transient, whose source is likely to be a neutron star in the supernova remnant N49 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. In this model, the observed radiation is produced in the skin layer of a hot, radiation dominated pair atmosphere, probably confined to the vicinity of the neutron star by a strong magnetic field. The width of this layer is only about 0.1 mm. In this layer, approximately 10 to the 12th power generations of pairs are formed (by photon-photon collisions), cooled and annihilated during the approximately 0.15 sec duration of the impulsive phase. The very large burst energy implied by the distance of the Large Magellanic Cloud, and its very rapid release, are unsolved problems. Nonetheless, the possibility of neutron star vibrations, which could transport the energy coherently to the surface, heat the atmosphere mechanically to a hot, pair-producing temperature, and have a characteristic damping time roughly equal to the duration of the impulsive phase are addressed.
Other Subject(s)
Collection
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Collection.
Note
Document ID: 19800017730.
Accession ID: 80N26229.
NASA-TM-80674.
Terms of Use and Reproduction
No Copyright.
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