Cyg X-3: γ rays from a magnetic accretion disk

P. Mészáros; F. Meyer; J. E. Pringle

doi:10.1038/268420a0

Cyg X-3: γ rays from a magnetic accretion disk

P. Mészáros, F. Meyer, J. E. Pringle

Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Abstract

THE recent observation¹ of ∼ 100-MeV γ rays from Cygnus X-3, which have a comparable luminosity to the X-ray emission and which vary in phase with the 4.8-h period displayed by the X-ray and infrared emission, has been taken^{2, 3} as support for the suggestion ⁴ that the X-ray emission is produced by a very young pulsar in a short period binary system. In this letter, we show that the observed γ-ray luminosity can be produced by an accretion disk around a non-magnetic neutron star or low-mass black hole, in a magnetised corona which accelerates relativistic electrons that decay by inverse Compton losses modified through the photon-photon and pair-annihilation processes.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	420-421
Number of pages	2
Journal	Nature
Volume	268
Issue number	5619
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/268420a0
State	Published - Dec 1 1977

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title = "Cyg X-3: γ rays from a magnetic accretion disk",

abstract = "THE recent observation1 of ∼ 100-MeV γ rays from Cygnus X-3, which have a comparable luminosity to the X-ray emission and which vary in phase with the 4.8-h period displayed by the X-ray and infrared emission, has been taken2, 3 as support for the suggestion 4 that the X-ray emission is produced by a very young pulsar in a short period binary system. In this letter, we show that the observed γ-ray luminosity can be produced by an accretion disk around a non-magnetic neutron star or low-mass black hole, in a magnetised corona which accelerates relativistic electrons that decay by inverse Compton losses modified through the photon-photon and pair-annihilation processes.",

author = "P. M{\'e}sz{\'a}ros and F. Meyer and Pringle, {J. E.}",

year = "1977",

month = dec,

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doi = "10.1038/268420a0",

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T2 - γ rays from a magnetic accretion disk

AU - Mészáros, P.

AU - Meyer, F.

AU - Pringle, J. E.

PY - 1977/12/1

Y1 - 1977/12/1

N2 - THE recent observation1 of ∼ 100-MeV γ rays from Cygnus X-3, which have a comparable luminosity to the X-ray emission and which vary in phase with the 4.8-h period displayed by the X-ray and infrared emission, has been taken2, 3 as support for the suggestion 4 that the X-ray emission is produced by a very young pulsar in a short period binary system. In this letter, we show that the observed γ-ray luminosity can be produced by an accretion disk around a non-magnetic neutron star or low-mass black hole, in a magnetised corona which accelerates relativistic electrons that decay by inverse Compton losses modified through the photon-photon and pair-annihilation processes.

AB - THE recent observation1 of ∼ 100-MeV γ rays from Cygnus X-3, which have a comparable luminosity to the X-ray emission and which vary in phase with the 4.8-h period displayed by the X-ray and infrared emission, has been taken2, 3 as support for the suggestion 4 that the X-ray emission is produced by a very young pulsar in a short period binary system. In this letter, we show that the observed γ-ray luminosity can be produced by an accretion disk around a non-magnetic neutron star or low-mass black hole, in a magnetised corona which accelerates relativistic electrons that decay by inverse Compton losses modified through the photon-photon and pair-annihilation processes.

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Cyg X-3: γ rays from a magnetic accretion disk

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