Journal
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Volume 399, Issue 3, Pages 1121-1134Publisher
EDP SCIENCES S A
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20021854
Keywords
stars : early-type; stars : binaries : general; stars : winds, outflows; radio continuum : stars; gamma-rays : observations; gamma-rays : theory
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
In the colliding wind region of early-type binaries, electrons can be accelerated up to relativistic energies displaying power-law spectra, as demonstrated by the detection of non-thermal radio emission from several WR+OB systems. The particle acceleration region, located between the stars, is exposed to strong photon fields in such a way that inverse Compton cooling of the electrons could result in a substantial high-energy non-thermal flux. In particular cases, the ratio of the energy densities of magnetic to photon fields in the colliding wind region will determine whether a given source can produce or not significant gamma-ray emission. We present here a study of the binaries WR 140, WR 146, and WR 147 in the light of recent radio and gamma-ray observations. We show that with reasonable assumptions for the magnetic field strength WR 140 can produce the gamma-ray flux from the EGRET source 3EG J2022+4317. WR 146 and WR 147 are below the detection threshold, but new and forthcoming instruments like INTEGRAL and GLAST might detect non-thermal emission from them.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available