Towards a proper ultra-high-energy gamma-ray production mechanism in Cygnus X-3
Abstract
A theory of UHE gamma-ray production in Cyg X-3 is proposed, subject to the necessary constraint that the ultimate power supply of this accretion-fed X-ray binary is limited by the Eddington value. The presently accepted nuclear-beam dumping model clearly fails this test because the power requirement there is higher by one or two orders of magnitude. In particular, in view of a recent suggestion that the PeV gamma-ray production in Cyg X-3 can be understood in terms of an inverse Compton process, every possible mode of inverse Compton production is considered, to rule them out in this connection. This systematic search ends with another nuclear process, the production of photopions by UHE protons on the strong X-ray background of Cyg X-3. Only this process can generate a pion flux and subsequently a corresponding gamma-ray flux of luminosity 10 to the 37th ergs/sec starting from a proton beam luminosity of 10 to the 38th ergs/sec.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- August 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990A&A...234L...5M
- Keywords:
-
- Gamma Ray Bursts;
- Gamma Ray Spectra;
- X Ray Binaries;
- Cos-B Satellite;
- Cygnus Constellation;
- Infrared Spectra;
- Optical Thickness;
- Photoabsorption;
- Pions;
- Astrophysics