Contribution of nuclei accelerated by gamma-ray pulsars to cosmic rays in the Galaxy

We consider the galactic population of gamma-ray pulsars as possible sources of cosmic rays at and just above the “knee” in the observed cosmic ray spectrum at 10¹⁵–10¹⁶ eV. We suggest that iron nuclei may be accelerated in the outer gaps of pulsars, and then suffer partial photo-disintegration in the non-thermal radiation fields of the outer gaps. As a result, protons, neutrons, and surviving heavier nuclei are injected into the expanding supernova remnant. We compute the spectra of nuclei escaping from supernova remnants into the interstellar medium, taking into account the observed population of radio pulsars.

Our calculations, which include a realistic model for acceleration and propagation of nuclei in pulsar magnetospheres and supernova remnants, predict that heavy nuclei accelerated directly by gamma-ray pulsars could contribute about 20% of the observed cosmic rays in the knee region. Such a contribution of heavy nuclei to the cosmic ray spectrum at the knee can significantly increase the average value of lnA with increasing energy as is suggested by recent observations.     

Possible Contribution of Mature γ-ray Pulsars to Cosmic-ray Positrons

We restudy the possible contribution of mature gamma-ray pulsars to cosmic ray positrons based on the new version of outer gap model. In this model, the inclination angle and average properties of the outer gap are taken into account, and more mature pulsars can have the outer gap and emit high energy photons. Half of the primary particles in the outer gaps will flow back toward the star surface and emit synchrotron photons, which can produce electron/positron pairs by the cascade of pair production. Some of these pairs will escape from the light cylinder and be accelerated to relativistic energies in the pulsar wind driven by low-frequency electromagnetic waves. Using a Monte Carlo method, we obtain a sample of mature gamma-ray pulsars and then calculate the production of the positrons from these pulsars. The observed excess of cosmic positrons can be well explained by this model.     

Possible Contribution of Mature γ-ray Pulsars to Cosmic-ray Positrons

We restudy the possible contribution of mature gamma-ray pulsars to cosmic ray positrons based on the new version of outer gap model. In this model, the inclination angle and average properties of the outer gap are taken into account, and more mature pulsars can have the outer gap and emit high energy photons. Half of the primary particles in the outer gaps will flow back toward the star surface and emit synchrotron photons, which can produce electron/positron pairs by the cascade of pair production. Some of these pairs will escape from the light cylinder and be accelerated to relativistic energies in the pulsar wind driven by low-frequency electromagnetic waves. Using a Monte Carlo method, we obtain a sample of mature gamma-ray pulsars and then calculate the production of the positrons from these pulsars. The observed excess of cosmic positrons can be well explained by this model.     

Region of enhanced flux of cosmic rays with PeV energies toward the pulsars PSR J1840+5640 and LAT PSR J1836+5925

Analysis of the arrival directions of extensive air showers (EASs) detected on the EAS MSU array and the prototype of the EAS-1000 array has revealed a region of enhanced flux of cosmic rays with PeV energies toward the pulsars PSR J1840+5640 and LAT PSR J1836+5925 at a confidence level up to 4.5σ. The first pulsar was discovered almost 30 years ago and is a well-studied old radio pulsar at a distance of 1.7 kpc from the Solar system. The second pulsar belongs to a new class of pulsars discovered by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Observatory whose pulsations are seen neither in the X-ray nor in the radio bands, but only in the gamma-ray energy range (gamma-ray-only pulsars). In our opinion, the existence of a region of enhanced cosmic-ray flux in the data sets obtained on two different arrays suggests that the pulsars can make a noticeable contribution to the flux of Galactic cosmic rays with PeV energies.     

Possible Contribution of Mature γ-ray Pulsars to Cosmic-ray Positrons

We restudy the possible contribution of mature gamma-ray pulsars to cosmic ray positrons based on the new version of outer gap model. In this model, the inclination angle and average properties of the outer gap are taken into account, and more mature pulsars can have the outer gap and emit high energy photons. Half of the primary particles in the outer gaps will flow back toward the star surface and emit synchrotron photons, which can produce electron/positron pairs by the cascade of pair production. Some of these pairs will escape from the light cylinder and be accelerated to relativistic energies in the pulsar wind driven by low-frequency electromagnetic waves. Using a Monte Carlo method, we obtain a sample of mature gamma-ray pulsars and then calculate the production of the positrons from these pulsars. The observed excess of cosmic positrons can be well explained by this model.     

Pulsars and the origin of cosmic rays

The capabilities and limitations of pulsars as sources of cosmic rays are reviewed in the light of experimental observations. Pulsars can supply the cosmic ray power if they have rotational velocities in excess of 700 rad s^?1 at birth. Though this is theoretically possible, there is no experimental proof for the same. Pulsars can accelerate particles to the highest energies of 10²⁰ eV, but in general, the spectra on simple considerations, turn out to be flatter than the observed cosmic ray spectrum. At the highest energies, absorption processes due to fragmentation and photodisintegration dominate for heavy nuclei. The existence of a steady flux of cosmic rays of energy greater than 10¹⁷ eV demands acceleration of particles to last over fifty years, the time interval between supernovae outbursts, whereas the expected period of activity is less than a few years. Finally, the problem of anisotropy with relevance to pulsars as sources and the possibility of observing pulsar accelerated particles from galactic clusters is considered.     

Adiabatic deceleration of cosmic rays near their sources

Every plausible source of cosmic rays yields a high flux of cosmic rays near the source. The high flux leads to plasma effects that cause scattering of the cosmic rays, coupling to the interstellar gas and hence to adiabatic deceleration. The cosmic rays are released from the gas only when their pressure has fallen to the cosmic-ray pressure near the Sun multiplied by a factor between 10 and 100. I discuss a model aimed to minimize the deceleration before the cosmic rays are released. The volume which cosmic rays occupy before scattering is maximized by injection into a large but thin disk. Even then, deceleration is reduced only to a factor of two. Such deceleration should cause quasi-supernova remnants somewhat resembling the Cygnus loop but associated with much younger pulsars. Since both the required model and the predicted observations cause difficulties, the problem of adiabatic deceleration remains severe.Work supported by NSF grant GP-34742.     

Are pulsars externally triggered?

We show that inverse Compton losses of ultrarelativistic electrons travelling upstream through the outflowing fields of a radio pulsar prevent the entry ofall cosmic ray electrons into most pulsars’ magnetospheres. We also argue that gamma ray triggering is probably not relevant, and conclude that the external triggering of electron-positron cascades proposed by Ruderman & Sutherland and by Radhakrishnan is not likely to be a major contributor to the plasma dynamics of pulsars.     

脉冲星在空间飞行器定位中的应用

利用脉冲星钟模型能高精度地预报脉冲星脉冲到达太阳系质心的时间。基于脉冲星时、空参考架可实现各类空间飞行器的自主导航。讨论了脉冲星钟的模型和脉冲星导航系统的框架结构,描述了脉冲星导航的基本原理和算法。指出脉冲星导航系统对脉冲星脉冲到达探测器时刻的测量精度,是决定空间飞行器位置解算精度的关键因素。脉冲星导航观测采用的原子钟如果足够稳定,则空间飞行器位置的解算方法可以简化。在脉冲星导航系统计时观测精度达到或优于几十微秒量级时,脉冲星视差、相对论效应的影响是不可忽略的。对脉冲星导航系统开发设计中的关键技术和进一步研究的主要问题进行了初步分析和讨论。     

Cosmic rays from binary neutron stars

Within the more than 30 yr of cosmic ray astrophysics, neither their origin nor their precise mode of propagation have found undisputable explanations. Among the favoured boosters have been point sources, like supernovae and pulsars, as well as extended sources, like cosmic clouds and supernova remnants. Extended sources have been proposed by Fermi (1949), and pushed more recently by a number of investigators because of the huge available reservoirs, and because repetitive shock acceleration can generate power law spectra which are similar to the ones observed (Axfordet al., 1977; Bell, 1978; Blandford and Ostriker, 1978; Krymsky, 1977). Yet the shock acceleration model cannot easily be adjusted to achieve particle energies in excess of some critical energy, of order 10^4±1 GeV (Völket al., 1981). For this and several other reasons, the suggestion is revived that neutron stars are the dominant source of high-energy cosmic rays. To be more precise: the (relativistic) ionic component of the cosmic rays is argued to be injected by young binary neutron stars (?10⁵ yr) whose rotating magnetospheres act like grindstones in the wind of their companion (Kundt, 1976). The high-energy (?30 GeV) electron-positron component may be generated by young pulsars (?10⁵ yr) and by collision processes, and the electron component below 30 GeV predominantly by supernova remnants.     

Multi messenger astronomy and CTA: TeV cosmic rays and electrons

Cosmic rays are a sample of solar, galactic and extragalactic matter. Their origin and properties are one of the most intriguing question in modern astrophysics. The most energetic events and active objects in the Universe: supernovae explosion, pulsars, relativistic jets, active galactic nuclei, have been proposed as sources of cosmic rays although unambiguous evidences have still to be found. Electrons, while comprising ∼1% of the cosmic radiation, have unique features providing important information regarding the origin and propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy that is not accessible from the study of the cosmic-ray nuclear components due to their differing energy-loss processes. In this paper we will analyse, discussing the experimental uncertainties and challenges, the most recent measurements on cosmic-ray nuclei and, in particular, electrons with energies from tens of GeV into the TeV region.     

Path length distribution of cosmic rays from pulsar nebula complexes

Particles accelerated in the vicinity of pulsars have to traverse the nebular matter surrounding pulsars. Using the variation of pulsar luminosity and nebular expansion, the path length distribution for the particle radiation is deduced and compared with that obtained from experimental observation. It is found that a significant amount of matter traversed by cosmic rays can be in the source itself; but it is not possible to simultaneously account for the production of secondary electrons and secondary nuclei with the same set of parameters.     

The contribution to the Galactic diffuse gamma-ray spectrum from unresolved rotation-powered pulsars

We consider the contribution to the Galactic diffuse γ-ray emission from unresolved γ-ray pulsars. Based on the thick outer gap model, Monte Carlo methods are used to simulate the properties (period, distance, magnetic field, etc.) of the Galactic population of rotation-powered pulsars the gamma-ray flux of which is lower than the threshold sensitivity of the EGRET detector on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory . Furthermore, the contribution to the Galactic diffuse γ-ray spectrum from the unresolved γ-ray pulsars is calculated. Our results indicate that the unresolved γ-ray pulsars contribute ∼5 to ∼10 per cent to the measured Galactic diffuse γ-ray emission if the birth rate of neutron stars in the Galaxy is 1 to 2 per century, and that these pulsars contribute significantly to the observed Galactic diffuse γ-ray emission above 1 GeV. Comparing the model spectrum with the observed spectrum, we show that the unresolved γ-ray pulsars contribute very little to the diffuse emission at lower energies but can account for ∼50 per cent of the observed spectrum above 1 GeV if the product of the birth rate of neutron stars and the γ-ray beaming fraction is about unity. Such a large pulsar contribution can explain the difference (∼60 per cent) between the intensity of the Galactic diffuse emission as measured by EGRET above 1 GeV and model predictions based on cosmic ray–matter interaction only.     

Search for the sources of cosmic rays with energies above 10<Superscript>20</Superscript> eV

The sources of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs, E >10¹⁸ eV) are still unknown, mainly due to the loss of the direction to the source after the deflection of cosmic rays’ (CRs) trajectories in the galactic and extragalactic magnetic fields. With the increase in CR energy (rigidity), the influence of the magnetic field weakens; therefore, the most promising approach is to search for the sources of events with the highest energy. In our work, we expand the existing UHECR (E > 10²⁰ eV) sample from 33 to 42 events by calibrating the AUGER events. The sample is characterized by the presence of an event triplet in a circle of radius 3°. The highest-energy event is still the shower (E = 3.2 × 10²⁰ eV) detected with the Fly’s Eye fluorescent detector (FE-event) in 1993. The possible sources of the triplet and the FE-event are analyzed. Taking into account the deflection of CR trajectories in the extragalactic and galactic magnetic fields, it is shown that transient sources of the FE-event and the triplet may be galaxies with active star formation, where CRs are accelerated by newborn millisecond pulsars. Among the galactic sources, the potential candidates are young pulsars that might have had millisecond periods at birth and giant magnetar flares.     

Re-ignition of dead pulsars by passages of interstellar comets through the magnetosphere: Possible nature of cosmic gamma-ray bursts

In a recent paper by Ruderman and Cheng (1988) a general scenario of radio pulsars evolution has been proposed, which explains jointly all galactical classes of neutron stars (NSs) radiating gamma-rays. This scheme associates cosmic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with electromagnetic cascades in magnetosphere of dead pulsars. Due to re-ignition processes in outer gaps, rotation energy of the NS was thought to convert to gamma-rays, but possible matches for re-ignition has not been pointed out. The passage of interstellar comet through the magnetosphere of dead pulsars is proposed below as a possible initiator of the GRBs. Values of the main parameters of the model (period of the NS rotation, concentration of interstellar comets and fraction of bursting NSs) are estimated, thus allowing to explain general characteristics of the phenomenon of the GRBs.     

On the aberration–retardation effects in pulsars

The magnetospheric locations of pulsar radio emission region are not well known. The actual form of the so-called radius-to-frequency mapping should be reflected in the aberration–retardation (A/R) effects that shift and/or delay the photons depending on the emission height in the magnetosphere. Recent studies suggest that in a handful of pulsars the A/R effect can be discerned with respect to the peak of the central core emission region. To verify these effects in an ensemble of pulsars, we launched a project analysing multifrequency total intensity pulsar profiles obtained from the new observations from the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT), Arecibo Observatory (AO) and archival European Pulsar Network (EPN) data. For all these profiles, we measure the shift of the outer cone components with respect to the core component, which is necessary for establishing the A/R effect. Within our sample of 23 pulsars, seven show the A/R effects, 12 of them (doubtful cases) show a tendency towards this effect, while the remaining four are obvious counterexamples. The counterexamples and doubtful cases may arise from uncertainties in the determination of the location of the meridional plane and/or the core emission component. Hence, it appears that the A/R effects are likely to operate in most pulsars from our sample. We conclude that in cases where those effects are present the core emission has to originate below the conal emission region.     

Active galactic nuclei and pulsars as cosmic ray sources

Relativistic e^± particles and cosmic rays are accelerated in the magnetospheres of supermassive black holes and neutron stars. The possibility of synchrotron radiation with extremely high intensity inside the deepest regions of magnetospheres is investigated. Very high brightness temperatures are expected for such radiation by relativistic protons, which can be made even higher in the presence of non-stationary conditions, Doppler boosting and coherent processes. The main parameters for models of such high-brightness-temperature radiation are determined. Two types of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are expected. One type is associated with the acceleration and ejection of relativistic e^± particles only (probably non-IDV sources and FR-I radio galaxies). The second type of AGN is also associated with e^± acceleration, but is dominated by the contribution of relativistic protons (probably IDV sources and FR-II radio galaxies). Analogous objects for pulsars are plerion and shell supernova remnants with neutron stars or pulsars without synchrotron nebulae, respectively.     

宇宙线直接探测进展概述

宇宙线从发现起至今已超过百年。在20世纪上半叶,大型粒子加速器技术成熟以前,对宇宙线的研究引领着基本粒子物理的发展,从宇宙线研究中取得的多项成果斩获诺贝尔奖。21世纪,宇宙线因其与极端高能的物理规律和暗物质等新物理现象联系密切而绽放出新的活力,宇宙线起源、加速、传播等相关的天文学及物理学问题也备受关注。简述了近年来在空间直接观测宇宙线实验方面取得的进展,以及其对理解宇宙线物理问题的推动。最后概述了中国在相关领域的研究历程和现状。     

‘Dead’ pulsars: Cosmic-ray sources

Dead pulsars outnumber live pulsars by a factor of 10⁴. It is estimated that there are 3×10⁹ of them in our Galaxy. The exospheres of the atmosphere of dead pulsars are characterised by cosmic-ray energies per particle, as the result of accretion of cold particles from interstellar space. Velocities of particles in the exosphere tend to be Maxwellianised by collisions there. The temperature of the exosphere from which particles escape is of the order of 10¹² K while the temperature of the photosphere closer to the surface of the pulsar is of the order of 10⁷ K. Collisions in the exosphere result in Jeans's type escape of cosmic rays with GeV energies at infinity. Two braod ranges of conditions for the exospheres are considered (a) with no magnetic fields involved, and (b) with magnetic fields. Similar conclusions are reached regarding the escape of cosmic rays. Conditions are delineated such that the exospheres of dead pulsars might be major sources of cosmic rays.Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 80th birthday, 30 May 1988.     

Detecting the errors in solar system ephemeris by pulsar timing

Pulsar timing uses planetary ephemerides to convert the measured pulse arrival time at an observatory to the arrival time at the Solar System barycenter(SSB). Since these planetary ephemerides cannot be perfect, a method of detecting the associated errors based on a pulsar timing array is developed. By using observations made by an array of 18 millisecond pulsars from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array, we estimated the vector uncertainty from the Earth to the SSB of JPL DE421, which reflects the offset of the ephemeris origin with respect to the ideal SSB, in different piecewise intervals of pulsar timing data, and found consistent results. To investigate the stability and reliability of our method, we divided all the pulsars into two groups. Both groups yield largely consistent results, and the uncertainty of the Earth-SSB vector is several hundred meters, which is consistent with the accuracy of JPL DE421. As an improvement in the observational accuracy, pulsar timing will be helpful to improve the solar system ephemeris in the future.