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At least 1,693 records · Page 94
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

TeV Gamma-Ray Observations of the Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817 with H.E.S.S.

Here, we search for high-energy gamma-ray emission from the binary neutron star merger GW170817 with the H.E.S.S. Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes. The observations presented here have been obtained starting only 5.3 hr after GW170817. The H.E.S.S. target selection identified regions of high probability to find a counterpart of the gravitational-wave event. The first of these regions contained the counterpart SSS17a that has been identified in the optical range several hours after our observations. We can therefore present the first data obtained by a ground-based pointing instrument on this object. A subsequent monitoring campaign with the H.E.S.S. telescopes extended over several days, covering timescales from 0.22 to 5.2 days and energy ranges between $270\,\mathrm{GeV}$ to $8.55\,\mathrm{TeV}$. No significant gamma-ray emission has been found. The derived upper limits on the very-high-energy gamma-ray flux for the first time constrain non-thermal, high-energy emission following the merger of a confirmed binary neutron star system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Detector Response Function and Directional Gamma-Ray Source Calculations for Polaris

A Directional Unfolded Source Term (DUST) method was developed to compute directionally resolved gamma-ray source terms based on back-projection spectra synthesized by Compton Cameras. Spectral features in the unprocessed spectra are indistinct primarily because the rotational angles for the conical projections cannot be determined, so probability distributions are constructed from overlapping cones. The DUST method uses an angular response function to compute a covariance matrix, which is used to process count rates in back-projection spectra by linear regression to partition the gamma-rays among several spatial regions. This method was applied to analyze data collected by the Polaris detector during an evaluation that was conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The evaluation includes measurements of calibration sources with angular separations ranging from 1° to more than 50°. Measurements were also performed for cylindrical depleted uranium castings and a 137 Cs source inside a large polyethylene sphere. The DUST algorithm was able to differentiate gamma-rays emitted by 137 Cs and 60 Co when the sources were separated by less than 2°, but separation greater than 10° was required to isolate the 133 Ba emission from gamma-rays emitted by the other sources. The computed source terms were consistent with emission profiles from the calibration sources and from models of the spatially-extended sources. Methods for viewing radiation profiles were also evaluated because user input is required to select spatial regions of interest.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1970

Production of gamma rays in the crab nebula pulsar

The gamma-ray flux at energies above 50 MeV from NP0532 is evaluated for a pulsar model in which the optical and X-radiation is produced by synchrotron effect. Synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering are considered as production mechanisms of the gamma-rays. The theoretical estimates are compared with the experimental values.

Treves, A.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Full Spectrum Fitting Analysis of Bulk Elemental Composition Analyzer (BECA) Gamma Ray Data

The Bulk Elemental Composition Analyzer (BECA) is an instrument developed through NASA’s Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) program to measure the in situ bulk elemental composition of the lunar regolith from either a lander or rover platform. BECA uses active neutron and gamma ray spectroscopy to make these measurements and thus consists of a Pulsed Neutron Generator (PNG), a CeBr3 scintillator Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), and two He-3 neutron detectors. As shown in Figure 1, the PNG emits 14.1 MeV neutrons that induce lunar materials to emit gamma rays with energies characteristic of the elements that produced them. The GRS measures the energy spectra of these gamma rays to identify the elements present and establish their absolute concentrations in the regolith. The analysis of BECA’s gamma ray spectral data yields quantitative elemental concentrations by mass (wt.%) in the material directly beneath the lunar lander or rover. A Compact Neutron Monitor (CNM) attached to the PNG precisely measures the output of 14.1 MeV neutrons to enable quantification of absolute elemental abundances.

Mauricio Ayllon Unzueta↗
NASA NTRS1982

Gamma-ray and optical observations of the 1979 November 8 solar flare

The solar flare on 1979 November 8 11h 21m 28s UT was observed by the Tel Aviv telescope of the Big Bear Solar Observatory and the High Resolution Gamma-Ray Spectrometer on the High Energy Astronomy Observatory HEAO 3. Photographs in alpha hydrogen show the development of the flare and a subsequent Moreton wave. Although the flare was not detected with the high spectral resolution germanium detectors, the HEAO C-1 CsI shield detected a statistically significant signal above 80 keV, from 420 to 585 keV, and above 3.8 MeV. The temporal structure of microwave, optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray emission is consistent to within about 1 s with a simultaneous flare response at all energies. There is no evidence for either second-stage acceleration of charged particles (Bai and Ramaty, 1979) or a delay between gamma-ray and X-ray continuum emission due to energy-dependent electron energy loss times (Bai and Ramaty).

Riegler, G. R.↗
DOE OSTI2013

SEARCH FOR PULSED {gamma}-RAY EMISSION FROM GLOBULAR CLUSTER M28

Using the data from the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, we have searched for {gamma}-ray pulsations from the direction of the globular cluster M28 (NGC 6626). We report the discovery of a signal with a frequency consistent with that of the energetic millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR B1821-24 in M28. A weighted H-test test statistic of 28.8 is attained, which corresponds to a chance probability of {approx}10{sup -5} (4.3{sigma} detection). With a phase-resolved analysis, the pulsed component is found to contribute {approx}25% of the total observed {gamma}-ray emission from the cluster. However, the unpulsed level provides a constraint for the underlying MSP population and the fundamental plane relations for the scenario of inverse Compton scattering. Follow-up timing observations in radio/X-ray are encouraged to further investigate this periodic signal candidate.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evidence for a high-energy tail in the gamma-ray spectra of globular clusters

Millisecond pulsars are very likely the main source of gamma-ray emission from globular clusters. However, the relative contributions of two separate emission processes – curvature radiation from millisecond pulsar magnetospheres versus inverse Compton emission from relativistic pairs launched into the globular cluster environment by millisecond pulsars – have long been unclear. To address this, we search for evidence of inverse Compton emission in 8-yr Fermi–LAT data from the directions of 157 Milky Way globular clusters. We find a mildly statistically significant (3.8σ) correlation between the measured globular cluster gamma-ray luminosities and their photon field energy densities. However, this may also be explained by a hidden correlation between the photon field densities and the stellar encounter rates of globular clusters. Analysed in toto, we demonstrate that the gamma-ray emission of globular clusters can be resolved spectrally into two components: (i) an exponentially cut-off power law and (ii) a pure power law. The latter component – which we uncover at a significance of 8.2σ – has a power index of 2.79 ± 0.25. It is most naturally interpreted as inverse Compton emission by cosmic-ray electrons and positrons injected by millisecond pulsars. Here, we find the luminosity of this power-law component is comparable to, or slightly smaller than, the luminosity of the curved component, suggesting the fraction of millisecond pulsar spin-down luminosity into relativistic leptons is similar to the fraction of the spin-down luminosity into prompt magnetospheric radiation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2015

New Identification of the Mixed-Morphology Supernova Remnant G298.6-0.0 with Possible Gamma-Ray Association

We present an X-ray analysis on the Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) G298.6−0.0 observed with Suzaku. The X-ray image shows a center-filled structure inside a radio shell, implying that this SNR can be categorized as a mixed-morphology (MM) SNR. The spectrum is well reproduced by a single-temperature plasma model in ionization equilibrium, with a temperature of 0.78 (0.70-0.87) keV. The total plasma mass of 30M indicates that the plasma has an interstellar medium origin. The association with a GeV gamma-ray source, 3FGL J1214.0−6236, on the shell of the SNR is discussed, in comparison with other MMSNRs with GeV gamma-ray associations. It is found that the flux ratio between absorption-corrected thermal X-rays and GeV gamma-rays decreases as the physical size of MMSNRs becomes larger. The absorption-corrected thermal X-ray flux of G298.6−0.0 and the GeV gamma-ray flux of 3FGL J1214.0−6236 closely follow this trend, implying that 3FGL J1214.0−6236 is likely to be a GeV counterpart of G298.6−0.0.

ISM: supernova remnants↗
NASA NTRS1992

Martian volatiles determined using the Mars observer gamma ray spectrometer

The relative abundances of H2O and CO2 and their latitude, longitude, and depth profiles on Mars sensitively reflect, as well as help control, past and present Martian climate patterns. Seasonal variations of their distributions at high latitudes also reflect and help control global weather patterns and erosion through surface weathering. A combined analysis of gamma ray line and neutron flux maps constructed from data measured using the Mars Observer Gamma Ray Spectrometer (MOGRS) should allow a determination of seasonal changes in both the horizontal and vertical structure of CO2 ice that covers the north polar cap during winter and the south polar cap throughout the year and both the horizontal and vertical structure of residual H2O ice within the top meter of the surface that was predicted from Viking observations to exist primarily at high latitudes. Particularly important in this regard will be maps of thermal and epithermal neutron fluxes measured using the MOGRS anticoincidence shield, the intensity of the hydrogen, neutron capture gamma ray line at 2.223 MeV, the intensity of a capture gamma ray line as 1.725 MeV from iron, and the intensity of an inelastic scatter gamma ray line as 1.779 MeV from silicon.

Feldman, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Computer-generated maps of lunar composition from gamma-ray data

Processing of some of the gamma-ray data obtained by Apollo 15 and 16 has been accomplished by analyzing count rates in three energy bands. The count rate variations in the three energy bands are due in various degrees to thorium, uranium, potassium, iron and titanium. The mapping which results from the gamma-ray count rates has an effective resolution of about two degrees. Regions of high titanium content in certain maria, the low values of iron in a zone of the central equatorial highland and the relatively low value of iron near Archimedes are noted.

Arnold, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Astrophysical gamma-ray production by inverse Compton interactions of relativistic electrons

The inverse Compton scattering of background photon gases by relativistic electrons is a good candidate for the production of high-energy gamma rays in the diffuse interstellar medium as well as in discrete sources. By discussing the special case of the scattering of the diffuse starlight in the interstellar medium by cosmic ray electrons, we demonstrate that previous derivations of the gamma ray source function for this process on the basis of the Thomson limit of the Klein-Nishina cross section lead to incorrect values for gamma-ray energies above 100 MeV. It is shown that the Thomson limit is not applicable for the calculation of gamma-ray source functions in astrophysical circumstances in which target photons with energies greater than 1 eV are scattered by relativistic electrons.

Schlickeiser, R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Application of the Approximate Bayesian Computation Algorithm to Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

Radioisotope identification (RIID) algorithms for gamma-ray spectroscopy aim to infer what isotopes are present and in what amounts in test items. RIID algorithms either use all energy channels in the analysis region or only energy channels in and near identified peaks. Because many RIID algorithms rely on locating peaks and estimating each peak’s net area, peak location and peak area estimation algorithms continue to be developed for gamma-ray spectroscopy. This paper shows that approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) can be effective for peak location and area estimation. Algorithms to locate peaks can be applied to raw or smoothed data, and among several smoothing options, the iterative bias reduction algorithm (IBR) is recommended; the use of IBR with ABC is shown to potentially reduce uncertainty in peak location estimation. Extracted peak locations and areas can then be used as summary statistics in a new ABC-based RIID. ABC allows for easy experimentation with candidate summary statistics such as goodness-of-fit scores and peak areas that are extracted from relatively high dimensional gamma spectra with photopeaks (1024 or more energy channels) consisting of count rates versus energy for a large number of gamma energies.

Burr, Tom↗
NASA NTRS1974

Neutron propagation and 2.2 MeV gamma-ray line production in the solar atmosphere

Calculation of the 2.2-MeV gamma-ray line intensity from the sun using a Monte Carlo method for neutron propagation in the solar atmosphere. Detailed results are provided concerning the total gamma-ray yield per neutron and the time profile of the 2.2-MeV line from an instantaneous and monoenergetic neutron source. The parameters which have the most significant effects on the line intensity are the energies of the neutrons, the position of the neutron source on the sun, and the abundance of He-3 in the photosphere. For an isotropic neutron source which is not too close to the limb of the sun, the gamma-ray yield is between about 0.02 to 0.2 photons per neutron, provided that the neutron energies are in the range from 1 to 100 MeV and the ratio He-3/H is less than about .00005.

Wang, H. T.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Spectral evolution of pulse structures in gamma-ray bursts

The Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) and Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) data from the Solar Maximum Mission satellite have been searched for gamma-ray bursts with sufficient intensities and relatively simple time profiles such that their spectral behavior may be studied on a time scale of about 1 s. Ten such events were observed with the GRS experiment, and four of these were also detected within the HXRBS field of view. Details are presented for two moderately intense bursts with relatively simple structure. The spectral evolutions of the remaining events are summarized briefly. Results suggest a pattern in the spectral evolution within burst pulses: a tendency for the high-energy emission to lead the low-energy emission, in contrast to the correlation of intensity and spectral hardness reported by Golenetskii et al. (1983).

Norris, J. P.↗
DOE OSTI2013

DISCOVERY OF TeV GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM CTA 1 BY VERITAS

We report the discovery of TeV gamma-ray emission coincident with the shell-type radio supernova remnant (SNR) CTA 1 using the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory. The source, VER J0006+729, was detected as a 6.5 standard deviation excess over background and shows an extended morphology, approximated by a two-dimensional Gaussian of semimajor (semiminor) axis 0. Degree-Sign 30 (0. Degree-Sign 24) and a centroid 5' from the Fermi gamma-ray pulsar PSR J0007+7303 and its X-ray pulsar wind nebula (PWN). The photon spectrum is well described by a power-law dN/dE = N {sub 0}(E/3 TeV){sup -{Gamma}}, with a differential spectral index of {Gamma} = 2.2 {+-} 0.2{sub stat} {+-} 0.3{sub sys}, and normalization N {sub 0} = (9.1 {+-} 1.3{sub stat} {+-} 1.7{sub sys}) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -14} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} TeV{sup -1}. The integral flux, F {sub {gamma}} = 4.0 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -12} erg cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} above 1 TeV, corresponds to 0.2% of the pulsar spin-down power at 1.4 kpc. The energetics, colocation with the SNR, and the relatively small extent of the TeV emission strongly argue for the PWN origin of the TeV photons. We consider the origin of the TeV emission in CTA 1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1994

On the energetics and number of gamma-ray pulsars

We examine a nearly aligned pulsar model with polar cap acceleration in order to explain the energetics and number of the known gamma-ray pulsars. In this model, the efficiency of converting spin-down luminosity to gamma-ray luminosity increases with decreasing spin-down luminosity, a trend recently emphasized by Ulmer. The predicted gamma-ray flux is proportional to dot P(exp 3/4)/P(exp 5/4) d(exp 2), where P is the period, dot P is the period derivative, and d is the distance to the pulsar. For initial spin periods between approximately equals 10 and 30 ms and neutron star polar magnetic fields between approximately equals 1 and 4 TG, this model accounts for the number and age distribution of the five pulsars which have been observed to emit gamma rays at energies greater than 100 MeV. Implications for pulsar studies are considered.

Dermer, Charles D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

On the high-energy gamma-ray signature of cosmic-ray sources

Monte Carlo simulations of the gamma-ray emission from hypothetical cosmic-ray sources are performed. Sources which might correspond to acceleration by supernova shocks in 'average' interstellar conditions and deep within giant molecular clouds are considered. The consequences of dropping the common assumption that the cosmic-ray spectrum at the sources is the same as that observed at earth are examined. Spectral effects which can be related to the depth of the material shroud and the population of accelerated particles are explored using these simulations and are described. The results are compared with the COS B catalog of gamma-ray sources, and the implications for the underlying particle populations and source mechanisms are discussed.

Ormes, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Systematic Effects on Duration Measurements of Gamma-Ray Bursts

The parameters T(sub 90) and T(sub 50) have recently been introduced as a measurement of the duration of gamma-ray bursts. We present here a description of the method of measuring T(sub 90) and T(sub 50) and its application to gamma-ray bursts observed with the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) onboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO). We use simulated as well as observed time profiles to address some of the possible systematic effects affecting individual T(sub 90) (T(sub 50)) measurements. We show that these systematic effects do not mimic those effects that would result from time dilation if the burst sources are at distances of several Gpc. We discuss the impact of these systematic effects on the T(sub 90) (T(sub 50)) distributions for the gamma-ray bursts observed with BATSE. We distinguish between various types of T(sub 90) (T(sub 50)) distributions, and discuss the ways in which distributions observed with different experiments can vary, even though the measurements for commonly observed bursts may be the same. We then discuss the distributions observed with BATSE and compare them to those observed with other experiments.

Koshut, Thomas M.↗