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arXiv 1003.3588astro-ph.GAastro-ph.HE
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费米大天区望远镜观测到的发射球状星团的gamma-ray群

A population of gamma-ray emitting globular clusters seen with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

The Fermi LAT collaboration

摘要:

球状星团中存在大量的毫秒双星(MSP),被认为是高能γ射线的潜在发射源。我们的目标是从伽玛射线观测的分析中约束球状星团中毫秒脉冲星的种群。我们利用费米伽玛射线空间望远镜上的大面积望远镜连续546天的巡天观测资料,研究了13个球状星团的伽玛射线辐射。在8个球状星团中观测到稳定的点状高能γ射线辐射。其中5个(47 Tuccenda,Omega Cen,NGC 6388,Terzan 5和M 28)显示出硬光谱功率指数$(0.7 < Γ<1.4)$和明显的证据,表明在1.0-2.6 GeV范围内存在指数截止,这是MSP磁层发射的特征信号。其中三个(M 62,NGC 6440和NGC 6652)也显示了硬光谱指数$(1.0 < Γ< 1.7)$,但指数截止的存在不能明确地建立。其中三颗(欧米茄Cen,NGC 6388,NGC 6652)没有已知的无线电或X射线MSP,但仍然表现出MSP光谱特性。从观测到的伽马射线光度,我们估计的MSP,预计将存在于这些球状星团的总数。我们发现,我们的估计MSP人口与恒星相遇率,我们估计2600-4700 MSP在银河系球状星团,与以前的估计相称。因此,观测球状星团的高能伽马射线辐射提供了一种可靠的独立方法来评估它们的毫秒脉冲星种群,这种方法可以用来对原始中子星X射线双星种群进行约束,这对于理解双星系统在减缓球状星团不可避免的核心崩溃中的重要性至关重要。

英文摘要:

Globular clusters with their large populations of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are believed to be potential emitters of high-energy gamma-ray emission. Our goal is to constrain the millisecond pulsar populations in globular clusters from analysis of gamma-ray observations. We use 546 days of continuous sky-survey observations obtained with the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to study the gamma-ray emission towards 13 globular clusters. Steady point-like high-energy gamma-ray emission has been significantly detected towards 8 globular clusters. Five of them (47 Tucanae, Omega Cen, NGC 6388, Terzan 5, and M 28) show hard spectral power indices $(0.7 < Γ<1.4)$ and clear evidence for an exponential cut-off in the range 1.0-2.6 GeV, which is the characteristic signature of magnetospheric emission from MSPs. Three of them (M 62, NGC 6440 and NGC 6652) also show hard spectral indices $(1.0 < Γ< 1.7)$, however the presence of an exponential cut-off can not be unambiguously established. Three of them (Omega Cen, NGC 6388, NGC 6652) have no known radio or X-ray MSPs yet still exhibit MSP spectral properties. From the observed gamma-ray luminosities, we estimate the total number of MSPs that is expected to be present in these globular clusters. We show that our estimates of the MSP population correlate with the stellar encounter rate and we estimate 2600-4700 MSPs in Galactic globular clusters, commensurate with previous estimates. The observation of high-energy gamma-ray emission from a globular cluster thus provides a reliable independent method to assess their millisecond pulsar populations that can be used to make constraints on the original neutron star X-ray binary population, essential for understanding the importance of binary systems in slowing the inevitable core collapse of globular clusters.

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