Inverse Comptonization by one-dimensional relativistic electrons
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
The authors study gamma-ray spectra produced by the inverse Compton upscattering of soft photons by relativistic electrons with a one-dimensional momentum distribution using the Monte Carlo technique. Such electron distributions may be obtained in strong magnetic fields (B > 10[sup 10] G) when the synchrotron cooling time of transverse energy becomes much shorter than the isotropization time via Coulomb or Compton collisions. Gamma-ray spectra emerging from such Compton upscatterings may be relevant to cosmic gamma-ray bursts if they originate from strongly magnetized neutron stars. The authors find that for high enough electron longitudinal temperatures the output power is strongly beamed in the electron momentum direction, and the spectrum softens rapidly with increasing angle from the momentum direction. This has implications for gamma-ray burst spectra interpretations, detectability, and statistics.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5706599
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (United States) Vol. 323; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
CALCULATION METHODS
COMPTON EFFECT
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
COSMIC RADIATION
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ENERGY RANGE
GAMMA SPECTRA
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NEUTRON STARS
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
RADIATIONS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SCATTERING
SPECTRA
STARS