γ-rays from binary system with energetic pulsar and Be star with aspherical wind: PSR B1259-63/SS2883
Abstract
At least one massive binary system containing an energetic pulsar, PSR B1259-63/SS2883, has been recently detected in the TeV γ-rays by the HESS telescopes. These γ-rays are likely produced by particles accelerated in the vicinity of the pulsar and/or at the pulsar wind shock, in comptonization of soft radiation from the massive star. However, the process of γ-ray production in such systems can be quite complicated due to the anisotropy of the radiation field, complex structure of the pulsar wind termination shock and possible absorption of produced γ-rays which might initiate leptonic cascades. In this paper, we consider in detail all these effects. We calculate the γ-ray light curves and spectra for different geometries of the binary system PSR B1259-63/SS2883 and compare them with the TeV γ-ray observations. We conclude that the leptonic inverse-Compton model, which takes into account the complex structure of the pulsar wind shock due to the aspherical wind of the massive star, can explain the details of the observed γ-ray light curve.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- April 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13002.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0801.3516
- Bibcode:
- 2008MNRAS.385.2279S
- Keywords:
-
- radiation mechanisms: non-thermal;
- pulsars: individual: PSR B1259-63;
- gamma-rays: theory;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS