COMPTEL gamma-ray study of the Crab nebula

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dc.creatorvan der Meulen, R. D.
dc.creatorBloemen, H.
dc.creatorBennett, K.
dc.creatorHermsen, W.
dc.creatorKuiper, L.
dc.creatorMuch, R. P.
dc.creatorRyan, J.
dc.creatorSch"onfelder, V.
dc.creatorStrong, A.
dc.date1997-10-20
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T02:24:41Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T02:24:41Z
dc.descriptionWe report on a study of the gamma-ray continuum emission from the Crab supernova nebula and on a search for nuclear de-excitation gamma-ray lines. Crab is the brightest continuum source in the 1-10 MeV gamma-ray sky, and its continuum radiation is most likely of synchrotron origin. It is a likely source of cosmic rays through shock acceleration and thus a potential candidate for gamma-ray line emission from nuclear interactions. Five years of COMPTEL observations enable a fine spectral binning to investigate the behaviour of the 0.75-30 MeV emission in detail and to search for nuclear de-excitation lines on top of the continuum. The nebular spectrum shows a break at the edge of the COMPTEL energy range and connects well to the EGRET spectrum, probably reflecting electron energy losses in the synchrotron emission scenario. Such a smooth continuum model alone may not be sufficient to explain the observations. A weak bump in the spectrum at 1-2 MeV may be present. No significant evidence for distinct line emission is seen, but the presence of a blend of line features or another synchrotron component cannot be excluded.
dc.description6 pages, LaTex using A&A macros, including 3 PS figures. Accepted for publication in A&A
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9710211
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9710211
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/11669
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleCOMPTEL gamma-ray study of the Crab nebula
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