• Title/Summary/Keyword: Gamma-Ray Astronomy

Search Result 112, Processing Time 0.019 seconds

On the Nature of the Gamma-ray Bursts

  • Hong, Kyung-Ai;Kim, Sug-Whan;Kim, Tu-Hwan
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
    • /
    • v.4 no.2
    • /
    • pp.107-127
    • /
    • 1987
  • Review of the $\gamma$-ray burst phenomena are presented. History of the $\gamma$-ray bursts, characteristics, and three radiation mechanisms of thermal bremsstrahlung, thermal synchrotron, and inverse Compton scattering processes are considered.

  • PDF

A GOLDEN DECADE OF GAMMA-RAY PULSAR ASTRONOMY

  • Hui, Chung-Yue
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
    • /
    • v.51 no.6
    • /
    • pp.171-183
    • /
    • 2018
  • To celebrate the tenth anniversary since the launch of Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, we take a retrospect to a series of breakthroughs Fermi has contributed to pulsar astronomy in the last decade. Apart from significantly enlarging the population of ${\gamma}$-ray pulsars, observations with the Large Area Telescope onboard Fermi also show the population is not homogeneous. Instead, many classes and sub-classes have been revealed. In this paper, we will review the properties of different types of ${\gamma}$-ray pulsars, including radio-quiet ${\gamma}$-ray pulsars, millisecond pulsars, ${\gamma}$-ray binaries. Also, we will discuss the prospects of pulsar astronomy in the high energy regime.

Monitoring of Gamma-ray Bright Quasars 3C279 and 1510-089 at 22, 43 and 86GHz using KVN Single Dish Telescopes

  • Baek, Jun-Hyun;Lee, Sang-Sung;Byun, Do-Young;Yang, Jee-Hye;Han, Myoung-Hee;Sohn, Bong-Won
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
    • /
    • v.37 no.2
    • /
    • pp.240.2-240.2
    • /
    • 2012
  • AGN(Active Galactic Nucleus) consists of a supermassive black hole located at its center, an accretion disk around the black hole, and bipolar jets. Since May 2011, we have performed the MOGABA(Monitoring Of GAmma-ray Bright AGN) project for observing gamma-ray bright AGN once a week at multifrequencies using KVN(Korean VLBI Network) 21m radio telescopes. The MOGABA project is the observations for measuring the degree of polarization, polarization angle, and total flux of about 20 AGN at 22, 43 and 86GHz. By this project, we are able to investigate polarization characteristics, spectral index, and variation of rotation measure at radio wavelengths of gamma-ray bright AGN and to study possible relation between gamma-ray flares and magnetic field structure change in AGN. According to previous research, gamma-ray flares of some AGN are coincident with large changes in angle of linear polarization. In this paper we report the preliminary results of linear polarization and total flux at 22, 43, 86GHz of gamma-ray bright quasars 3C279 and 1510-089 showing noticeable variation of total flux at 22GHz in late 2011, and discuss possible correlation with gamma ray light curves.

  • PDF

A Candidate of KVN KSP: Origins of Gamma-ray flares in AGNs

  • Lee, Sang-Sung;Kang, Sincheol;Han, Myoung-Hee;Algaba-Marcos, Juan-Carlos;Byun, Do-Young;Kim, Jeong-Sook;Kim, Soon-Wook;Kino, Motoki;Trippe, Sascha;Wajima, Kiyoaki;Miyazaki, Atsushi
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
    • /
    • v.39 no.2
    • /
    • pp.113.1-113.1
    • /
    • 2014
  • We propose a three-year Key Science Program (KSP) consisting of VLBI monitoring observations and single dish (SD) rapid response observations (RRO). The VLBI monitoring observations are comprised of ten 24-hr observations per year (every month) of about 30 gamma-ray brigt active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with Korea VLBI Network (KVN) at 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz. The SD RROs may consist of twelve 7-hr observations per source (every week for 3 months after triggering) of gamma-ray flaring sources with two KVN SD telescopes at 22, 43, and 86 GHz in dual polarization. We expect one or two sources per year for the SD RROs. Gamma-ray flares of AGNs are known to be occured in innermost regions of relativistic jets which radiate in whole ranges of electromagnetic spectra due to synchrotron radiation, syschrotron self absorption, inverse-compton scttering, doppler boosting etc. Possible explanations of the gamma-ray flares in AGNs are a) shocks-in-jets propagating within jet flow and b) bending of the whole jets. For both cases, we should expect changes in polarization, luminosity, particle distribution, and structures of jets at mas-scale. The multifrequency simultaneous VLBI/SD observations with KVN are the best tool for detecting such changes correlated with gamma-ray flares. This KSP proposal aims to answer the fundamental questions about the basic nature of the flares of AGNs.

  • PDF

Pulsed γ-ray emission from magnetar 1E 2259+586

  • Wu, Jason Hung Kit;Hui, Chung Yue;Huang, Regina Hsiu Hui;Kong, Albert Kwok Hing;Cheng, Kwong Sang;Takata, Jumpei;Tam, Pak Hin Thomas;Wu, Eric Man Ho;Liu, Joe
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
    • /
    • v.30 no.2
    • /
    • pp.83-85
    • /
    • 2013
  • Anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) are thought to be magnetars which are young isolated neutron stars with extremely strong magnetic fields of > $10^{14}$ Gauss. Their tremendous magnetic fields inferred from the spin parameters provide a huge energy reservoir to power the observed X-ray emission. High-energy emission above 0.3 MeV has never been detected despite intensive search. Here, we present the possible Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) detection of ${\gamma}$-ray pulsations above 200 MeV from the AXP, 1E 2259+586, which puts the current theoretical models of ${\gamma}$-ray emission mechanisms of magnetars into challenge. We speculate that the high-energy ${\gamma}$-rays originate from the outer magnetosphere of the magnetar.

Gamma-ray Emission from Globular Clusters

  • Tam, Pak-Hin T.;Hui, Chung Y.;Kong, Albert K. H.
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
    • /
    • v.33 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-11
    • /
    • 2016
  • Over the last few years, the data obtained using the Large Area Telescope (LAT) aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has provided new insights on high-energy processes in globular clusters, particularly those involving compact objects such as MilliSecond Pulsars (MSPs). Gamma-ray emission in the 100 MeV to 10 GeV range has been detected from more than a dozen globular clusters in our galaxy, including 47 Tucanae and Terzan 5. Based on a sample of known gammaray globular clusters, the empirical relations between gamma-ray luminosity and properties of globular clusters such as their stellar encounter rate, metallicity, and possible optical and infrared photon energy densities, have been derived. The measured gamma-ray spectra are generally described by a power law with a cut-off at a few gigaelectronvolts. Together with the detection of pulsed γ-rays from two MSPs in two different globular clusters, such spectral signature lends support to the hypothesis that γ-rays from globular clusters represent collective curvature emission from magnetospheres of MSPs in the clusters. Alternative models, involving Inverse-Compton (IC) emission of relativistic electrons that are accelerated close to MSPs or pulsar wind nebula shocks, have also been suggested. Observations at >100 GeV by using Fermi/LAT and atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes such as H.E.S.S.-II, MAGIC-II, VERITAS, and CTA will help to settle some questions unanswered by current data.

Connection between the gamma-ray outbursts and the jet activity of BL Lacertae

  • Kim, Dae-Won;Trippe, Sascha;Park, Jong-Ho;Oh, Jung-Hwan;Lee, Tae-Seok;Lee, Sang-Sung;Algaba, Juan-Carlos;Zhao, Guangyao;Kino, Motoki;Wajima, Kiyoaki;Kang, Sin-Cheol;Kim, Jae-Young
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
    • /
    • v.41 no.1
    • /
    • pp.66.1-66.1
    • /
    • 2016
  • We present our observational results of BL Lacertae(2200+420) obtained at 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz simultaneously during 27 months(2013.Jan ~ 2015.Mar) which includes their two gamma-ray outbursts(2013.Oct & 2015.Mar) to study a connection between the gamma-ray outbursts and the radio activity. We mainly use a Korean VLBI monitoring program, IMOGABA(Interferometric Monitoring Of Gamma-ray Bright AGNs) which is a monthly monitoring program with the KVN(Korean VLBI Network). Overall, our KVN image shows two components in the map, a stationary core at the center and one moving jet component to the south, but almost core only at 86, 129 GHz. The location of the moving jet component in the maps depend on the frequencies that 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz. We have checked light curves, spectral index, kinematics, and radio structure to find differences before and after the gamma-ray outbursts, but there was no significant correlation. We also have derived a decay time scale of ~9 months for the major radio outburst by applying an exponential decay fitting.

  • PDF

FOREGROUND OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS (GRBS) FROM AKARI FIS DATA

  • Toth, L. Viktor;Doi, Yasuo;Zahorecz, Sarolta;Agas, Marton;Balazs, Lajos G.;Forro, Adrienn;Racz, Istvan I.
    • Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
    • /
    • v.32 no.1
    • /
    • pp.113-116
    • /
    • 2017
  • A significant number of the parameters of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) and its host galaxy are calculated from the afterglow. There are various methods obtaining extinction values for the necessary correction for galactic foreground. These are: galaxy counts, from HI 21 cm surveys, from spectroscopic measurements and colors of nearby Galactic stars, or using extinction maps calculated from infrared surveys towards the GRB. We demonstrate that AKARI Far-Infrared Surveyor sky surface brightness maps are useful uncovering the fine structure of the galactic foreground of GRBs. Galactic cirrus structures of a number of GRBs are calculated with a 2 arcminute resolution, and the results are compared to that of other methods.

THE MILLIMETER-RADIO EMISSION OF BL LACERTAE DURING TWO γ-RAY OUTBURSTS

  • Kim, Dae-Won;Trippe, Sascha;Lee, Sang-Sung;Park, Jong-Ho;Kim, Jae-Young;Algaba, Juan-Carlos;Hodgson, Jeffrey A.;Kino, Motoki;Zhao, Guang-Yao;Wajima, Kiyoaki;Kang, Sincheol;Oh, Junghwan;Lee, Taeseok;Byun, Do-Young;Kim, Soon-Wook;Kim, Jeong-Sook
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
    • /
    • v.50 no.6
    • /
    • pp.167-178
    • /
    • 2017
  • We present a study of the inexplicit connection between radio jet activity and ${\gamma}$-ray emission of BL Lacertae (BL Lac; 2200+420). We analyze the long-term millimeter activity of BL Lac via interferometric observations with the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) obtained at 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz simultaneously over three years (from January 2013 to March 2016); during this time, two ${\gamma}$-ray outbursts (in November 2013 and March 2015) can be seen in ${\gamma}$-ray light curves obtained from Fermi observations. The KVN radio core is optically thick at least up to 86 GHz; there is indication that it might be optically thin at higher frequencies. To first order, the radio light curves decay exponentially over the time span covered by our observations, with decay timescales of $411{\pm}85$ days, $352{\pm}79$ days, $310{\pm}57$ days, and $283{\pm}55$ days at 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz, respectively. Assuming synchrotron cooling, a cooling time of around one year is consistent with magnetic field strengths $B{\sim}2{\mu}T$ and electron Lorentz factors ${\gamma}$ ~ 10 000. Taking into account that our formal measurement errors include intrinsic variability and thus over-estimate the statistical uncertainties, we find that the decay timescale ${\tau}$ scales with frequency ${\nu}$ like ${\tau}{\propto}{\nu}^{-0.2}$. This relation is much shallower than the one expected from opacity effects (core shift), but in agreement with the (sub-)mm radio core being a standing recollimation shock. We do not find convincing radio flux counterparts to the ${\gamma}$-ray outbursts. The spectral evolution is consistent with the 'generalized shock model' of Valtaoja et al. (1992). A temporary increase in the core opacity and the emergence of a knot around the time of the second ${\gamma}$-ray event indicate that this ${\gamma}$-ray outburst might be an 'orphan' flare powered by the 'ring of fire' mechanism.

Multifrequency monitoring of a flaring gamma-ray blazar 3C454.3 at 22 and 43GHz

  • Lee, Sang-Sung;Byun, Do-Young;Sohn, Bong-Won
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
    • /
    • v.36 no.1
    • /
    • pp.50.1-50.1
    • /
    • 2011
  • We report the results of the monitoring of a flaring gamma-ray blazar, 3C454.3 in total flux density at 22 and 43GHz and in polarization at 22GHz with KVN Ulsan 21-m radio telescope every 3-4 days from 19 November 2010 to 31 January 2011. After an extraordinary 5-day gamma-ray outburst in November 2010, the radio total flux density at 22/43GHz and the linear polarization at 22GHz has been decreased with a variation of a short time scale. In this paper, we also discuss a spectral change of 3C454.3 at 22 and 43GHz after the extraordinary gamma-ray outburst.

  • PDF