Chandra, Keck and VLA Observations of the Crab Nebula during the 2011-April Gamma-ray Flare

Martin C Weisskopf; Allyn F Tennant; Roger Blandford; Rolf Buehler; Patrizia Caraveo; C. C. Teddy Cheung; Enrico Costa; Andrea de Luca; Carlo Ferrigno; Hai Fu; Stefan Funk; Moritz Habermehl; Dieter Horns; Justin D Linford; Andrei Lobanov; Claire Max; Roberto Mignani; Stephen L O'Dell; Roger W Romani; Edoardo Striani; Marco Tavani; Gregory B Taylor; Yasunobu Uchiyama; Yajie Yuan

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/765/1/56

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Chandra, Keck and VLA Observations of the Crab Nebula during the 2011-April Gamma-ray Flare

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Chandra, Keck and VLA Observations of the Crab Nebula during the 2011-April Gamma-ray Flare

Martin C Weisskopf, Allyn F Tennant, Roger Blandford, Rolf Buehler, Patrizia Caraveo, C. C. Teddy Cheung, Enrico Costa, Andrea de Luca, Carlo Ferrigno, Hai Fu, …

The Astrophysical journal, Vol.765(1), pp.1-10

11/16/2012

DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/765/1/56

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Abstract

We present results from our analysis of Chandra X-ray Observatory, W. M. Keck Observatory, and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) images of the Crab Nebula that were contemporaneous with the gamma-ray flare of 2011 April. Despite hints in the X-ray data, we find no evidence for statistically significant variations that pinpoint the specific location of the flares within the Nebula. The Keck observations extend this conclusion to the "inner knot", i.e., the feature within an arcsecond of the pulsar. The VLA observations support this conclusion. We also discuss theoretical implications of the gamma-ray flares and suggest that the most dramatic gamma-ray flares are due to radiation-reaction-limited synchrotron emission associated with sudden, dissipative changes in the current system sustained by the central pulsar.

Physics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Details

Title: Subtitle: Chandra, Keck and VLA Observations of the Crab Nebula during the 2011-April Gamma-ray Flare
Creators: Martin C Weisskopf - Marshall Space Flight Center
Allyn F Tennant - Marshall Space Flight Center
Roger Blandford - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Rolf Buehler - DESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany
Patrizia Caraveo - INAF
C. C. Teddy Cheung - United States Naval Research Laboratory
Enrico Costa - Scientifica (United Kingdom)
Andrea de Luca - INAF
Carlo Ferrigno - University of Geneva
Hai Fu - University of California, Irvine
Stefan Funk - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Moritz Habermehl - Institut f?r Experimentalphysik, Universit?t Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, D-22761 Hamburg, Germany
Dieter Horns - Institut f?r Experimentalphysik, Universit?t Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, D-22761 Hamburg, Germany
Justin D Linford - University of New Mexico
Andrei Lobanov - Max Planck Society
Claire Max - University of California, Santa Cruz
Roberto Mignani - University College London
Stephen L O'Dell
Roger W Romani - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Edoardo Striani - Scientifica (United Kingdom)
Marco Tavani - Scientifica (United Kingdom)
Gregory B Taylor - University of New Mexico
Yasunobu Uchiyama - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Yajie Yuan - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: The Astrophysical journal, Vol.765(1), pp.1-10
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/765/1/56
ISSN: 0004-637X
eISSN: 1538-4357
Publisher: Institute of Physics (IOP)
Language: English
Date published: 11/16/2012
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199857802771

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