X-Ray through Very High Energy Intrabinary Shock Emission from Black Widows and Redbacks

dc.citation.articleNumber91en_US
dc.citation.issueNumber2en_US
dc.citation.journalTitleThe Astrophysical Journalen_US
dc.citation.volumeNumber904en_US
dc.contributor.authorvan der Merwe, C.J.T.en_US
dc.contributor.authorWadiasingh, Z.en_US
dc.contributor.authorVenter, C.en_US
dc.contributor.authorHarding, A.K.en_US
dc.contributor.authorBaring, M.G.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2021-02-10T14:04:22Zen_US
dc.date.available2021-02-10T14:04:22Zen_US
dc.date.issued2020en_US
dc.description.abstractBlack widow and redback systems are compact binaries in which a millisecond pulsar heats and may even ablate its low-mass companion by its intense wind of relativistic particles and radiation. In such systems, an intrabinary shock can form as a site of particle acceleration and associated nonthermal emission. We model the X-ray and gamma-ray synchrotron and inverse Compton spectral components for select spider binaries, including diffusion, convection, and radiative energy losses in an axially symmetric, steady-state approach. Our new multizone code simultaneously yields energy-dependent light curves and orbital-phase-resolved spectra. Using parameter studies and matching the observed X-ray spectra and light curves, as well as Fermi Large Area Telescope spectra where available, with a synchrotron component, we can constrain certain model parameters. For PSR J1723–2837 these are notably the magnetic field and bulk flow speed of plasma moving along the shock tangent, the shock acceleration efficiency, and the multiplicity and spectrum of pairs accelerated by the pulsar. This affords a more robust prediction of the expected high-energy and very high energy gamma-ray flux. We find that nearby pulsars with hot or flaring companions may be promising targets for the future Cerenkov Telescope Array. Moreover, many spiders are likely to be of significant interest to future MeV-band missions such as AMEGO and e-ASTROGAM.en_US
dc.identifier.citationvan der Merwe, C.J.T., Wadiasingh, Z., Venter, C., et al.. "X-Ray through Very High Energy Intrabinary Shock Emission from Black Widows and Redbacks." <i>The Astrophysical Journal,</i> 904, no. 2 (2020) IOP Publishing: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abbdfb.en_US
dc.identifier.digitalvan_der_Merwe_2020_ApJ_904_91en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abbdfben_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/109850en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherIOP Publishingen_US
dc.rightsOriginal content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en_US
dc.subject.keywordMillisecond pulsarsen_US
dc.subject.keywordClose binary starsen_US
dc.subject.keywordNon-thermal radiation sourcesen_US
dc.subject.keywordGamma-ray astronomyen_US
dc.subject.keywordStellar windsen_US
dc.titleX-Ray through Very High Energy Intrabinary Shock Emission from Black Widows and Redbacksen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.type.dcmiTexten_US
dc.type.publicationpublisher versionen_US
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