Abstract
We discuss the radiative transfer at the cyclotron first, second, and third harmonics for simplified accreting pulsar and gamma-ray burster emission regions. We include two-photon scattering as well as two-photon emission, which play a major role in determining the line-strength ratio. Stimulated effects are also important for accurately modeling the optically thick line and continuum regions. These calculations are compared with recent observations of accreting pulsars and gamma-ray burst sources, showing a qualitative agreement. We find that the cyclotron harmonic lines should be strongly polarized.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 565-572 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
| Volume | 372 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 10 1991 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science