0000000000073154
AUTHOR
H. A. Mayer-hasselwander
New high energy γ-ray sources observed by COS B
LOCALISED γ-ray sources contribute to the overall galactic emission; some of these sources have been identified with known astronomical objects1,2, while several unidentified γ-ray sources have also been reported3,4. We describe here a search for γ-ray sources using data from the ESA γ-ray satellite COS B which revealed 10 new unidentified sources. These sources seem to be galactic with typical γ-ray luminosities above 100 MeV in excess of 1035 erg s−1.
Pulsed high-energy γ-rays from the radio pulsar PSRI706–44
Gamma radiation above 100 MeV in energy has been detected from the radio pulsar PSR1706-44. The gamma emission forms a single broad peak within the pulsar period of 102 ms, in contrast to the two narrow peaks seen in the other three known high-energy gamma-ray pulsars. The emission mechanism in all cases is probably the same, the differences arising from the geometry of the magnetic and rotation axes and the line of sight. Gamma-ray emission accounts for as much as 1 percent of the total neutron star spindown energy in these pulsars, much more than emerges at optical or radio frequencies. Thus, study of this emission is important in understanding pulsar emission and evolution.
COS B observation of high-energy γ radiation from 3C273
THE discovery of a high-energy γ-ray source at α(1950) = 12h 29 min±6 min, δ(1950)= +3°±1.5° is reported here. Arguments are given for the identification with 3C273. If this identification is correct, the γ-ray luminosity of 3C273 in the energy range 50–500 MeV is 2×1046 erg s−1 for H0 = 60 km s−1 Mpc−1.