Gamma-ray Astronomy ( Cambridge Astrophysics )

Publication series ：Cambridge Astrophysics

Author： P. V. Ramana Murthy; A. W. Wolfendale

Publisher： Cambridge University Press‎

Publication year： 1993

E-ISBN: 9780511890604

P-ISBN(Paperback): 9780521420815

Subject： P172.3 gamma ray astronomy

Keyword：天体物理学

Language： ENG

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Gamma-ray Astronomy

Description

The recent launch of NASA's Gamma-Ray Observatory will increase interest in gamma-ray astronomy. This is a fully up-dated new edition of the authors' earlier volume published in 1986 and covers both the background science and the current state-of-the-art in this field. The emphasis is on the astronomy and astrophysics of known sources of cosmic gamma-rays outside the solar system. The authors discuss the mechanisms for the production and absorption of gamma-rays. The gamma-ray line astronomy of the interstellar medium, galactic centre, and various discrete sources is then considered. Gamma-ray bursts are treated in considerable detail in chapter three, and the final two chapters describe medium energy and ultra-high energy gamma-rays. Relevant data from supernova SN1987A is also included in this edition. The book includes comprehensive references to the primary literature, together with many figures and tables. The concentration on phenomenology makes this book a fine introduction to gamma-ray astronomy.

Chapter

Preface to the first edition

Preface to the second edition

1 Production and absorption mechanisms

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Gamma-ray production mechanisms

1.2.1 Gamma-ray lines

1.2.2 The gamma-ray continuum

1.2.2 A Electrons

1.2.2B Protons

1.2.2C pp annihilations

1.2.2D Black body radiation and thermal bremsstrahlung

1.2.3 Summary of production mechanisms

1.3 Gamma-ray loss mechanisms

1.3.1 Introduction

1.3.2 Gamma-ray-matter interactions

1.3.3 Gamma-gamma interactions

2 Gamma-ray line astronomy

2.1 Introduction

2.2.1 Expectations

2.2 Lines from the interstellar medium

2.2.2 Observations

2.3 The 511 keV line from the Galactic Centre

2.3.1 The observations

2.3.2 The main features of the 511 ke V line

2.3.3 Models for the origin of the 511 keV line

2.4 Gamma-ray lines from other Galactic objects

2.4.1 The Crab pulsar and nebula

2.4.2 SS 433

2.5 SN 1987A

2.6 Gamma-ray lines from other galaxies

2.6.1 A search for lines from near-normal galaxies

2.6.2 Gamma-ray lines from Centaurus A

2.6.3 Gamma-ray lines from active galaxies

2.7 Summary

3 Gamma-ray bursts

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Detectors and instrumentation

3.2.1 Detector description

3.2.2 Selection effects and observational biases

3.3 Time histories

3.3.1 Burst profiles and durations

3.3.2 Burst risetimes

3.3.3 Burst periodicities and quasi-periodicities

3.3.4 Burst recurrences

3.3.4A Soft gamma repeaters (SGRs)

3.3.4B Classical gamma-ray bursts

3.4 Energy spectra

3.4.1 Spectral measurements and fits

3.4.2 Spectral features

3.4.2A Absorption features

3.4.2B Emission features

3.4.3 Variability of energy spectra

3.4.4 Correlations

3.5 Identification of burst sources at other wavelengths

3.5.1 General description of methods

3.5.1 A Catalogue searches

3.5.1 B Optical searches

3.5.1C X-ray searches

3.5.2 Results from specific searches

3.6 Statistics of gamma-ray bursts

3.6.1 Frequency of occurrence

3.6.2 Source distances

3.6.3 Angular distributions

3.6.4 log N-log S distribution

3.7 Source models and mechanisms

3.7.1 Neutron star origin of gamma-ray bursts

3.7.2 Source model hypotheses

3.8 Summary

4 Medium energy gamma-rays

4.1 Introduction

4.2 History

4.3 The SAS II satellite

4.3.1 The experimental details

4.3.2 A summary of the SAS II results

4.4 The COS B satellite

4.4.1 Experimental details

4.4.2 A summary of the COS B results

4.5 Gamma-ray sources

4.5.1 Introductory remarks

4.5.2 Gamma-ray pulsars

4.5.3 The 2CG gamma-ray source catalogue

4.5.4 Cygnus X-3

4.5.5 Geminga

4.5.6 The possibility of pseudo-sources

4.6 The diffuse Galactic emission

4.6.1 General remarks

4.6.2 Gas in the Galaxy

4.6.3 Correlation of gamma-ray intensity with gas column density

4.6.4 Gamma-rays from specific molecular clouds

4.6.5 Relevance of cosmic gamma-rays to the mass of gas in the Galaxy

4.6.6 Relevance of cosmic gamma-rays to the origin of the cosmic radiation

4.6.7 Variations of the gamma-ray spectral index across the Galaxy

4.7 Extragalactic gamma-rays

4.7.1 General remarks

4.7.2 Discrete sources of extragalactic gamma-rays

4.7.3 The diffuse extragalactic flux

4.8 New experimental programmes

4.8.1 General remarks

4.8.2 GAMMA I

4.8.3 Gamma Ray Observatory

5 Ultra high energy gamma-rays

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Observational and analytical techniques

5.2.1 The atmospheric Cerenkov technique

5.2.2 The air shower technique

5.2.3 Periodicity analysis

5.3 Results on UHEGR emission

5.3.1 Galactic objects

5.3.1 A A Crab pulsar/nebula

5.3.1 B Vela pulsar

5.3.1C PSR0355 + 54

5.3.ID CygnusX-3

5.3.IE Hercules X-l

5.3. 1F Vela X-l

5.3.1G Galactic Plane

5.3.1 H Primordial black holes

5.3.11 Other sources

5.3.2 Extragalactic objects

5.3.2 A SN 1987 a

5.3.2B LMC X-4

5.3.2C M31

53.2D Centaurus A

5.3.2E 3C273

5.4 Source models and implications

5.4.1 Production of UHEGR in supernova remnants

5.4.2 Production of UHEGR in pulsar and X-ray binary environs

5.4.3 Implications of UHEGR

5.5 Puzzles

5.6 Summary

5.7 Appendix: gamma-ray sources

References

Index

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