Comparison of photon-photon and photon-magnetic field pair production rates

Technical Report · Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5577830

Burns, M L

Neutron stars were proposed as the site of gamma-ray burst activity and the copious supply of MeV photons admits the possibility of electron-positron pair production. If the neutron star magnetic field is sufficiently intense ( 10 to the 12th power G), both photon-photon (2 gamma) and photon-magnetic field ( gamma) pair production should be important mechanisms. Rates for the two processes were calculated using a Maxwellian distribution for the photons. The ratio of 1 gamma to 2 gamma pair production rates was obtained as a function of photon temperature and magnetic field strength.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• OSTI ID: 5577830
• Report Number(s): N-8327930
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
NEUTRON STARS
GAMMA SPECTRA
ANNIHILATION
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
COSMIC GAMMA SOURCES
ELECTRONS
INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS
PAIR PRODUCTION
PHOTONS
POSITRONS
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BASIC INTERACTIONS
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources