http://arxiv.org/abs/1801.05839
We perform spectral analyses of four bright $\gamma$-ray pulsars: PSR J0007+7303, Vela, Geminga and PSR J2021+3651 concentrating on the high-energy tails, defined as emission above 10\,GeV. The two competing models of pulsar $\gamma$-ray emission predict qualitatively different spectra well above the break energy: curvature emission predicts an exponential cut-off in the spectra, while the inverse-Compton scattering mechanism favors a power-law. We perform fits to the phase-averaged spectral energy distributions for each of the four pulsars. We find that in all cases both models fit the data equally well—the present data set does not allow any firm claim to be made about the shape of the spectra above 10\,GeV.
In no case is the power-law fit or exponential cut-off fit significantly preferred over the other.
The Crab pulsar remains the only known pulsar in which the power-law fit is clearly preferred over the exponential cut-off.
G. Richards and M. Lyutikov
Fri, 19 Jan 18
64/68
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