Tomaschitz, R. (2015). Tachyonic Cherenkov radiation from supernova remnants, Journal of High Energy Astrophysics 8, 10-20, DOI: 10.1016/j.jheap.2015.06.003
Abstract (ScienceDirect, SAO/NASA ADS)
The subexponential decay observed in the gamma-ray spectral maps of supernova remnants is explained in terms of tachyonic Cherenkov emission from a relativistic electron population. The tachyonic radiation densities of an electronic spinor current are derived, the total density as well as the transversal and longitudinal polarization components, taking account of electron recoil. Tachyonic flux quantization subject to dispersive and dissipative permeabilities is discussed, the matrix elements of the transversal and longitudinal Poynting vectors of the Maxwell-Proca field are obtained, Cherenkov emission angles and radiation conditions are derived. The spectral energy flux of an ultra-relativistic electron plasma is calculated, a tachyonic Cherenkov fit to the high-energy (1 GeV to 30 TeV) gamma-ray spectrum of the Crab Nebula is performed, and estimates of the linear polarization degree are given. The spectral tail shows subexponential Weibull decay, which can be modeled with a frequency-dependent tachyon mass in the dispersion relations. Tachyonic flux densities interpolate between exponential and power-law spectral decay, which is further illustrated by Cherenkov fits to the gamma-ray spectra of the supernova remnants IC 443 and W44. Subexponential spectral decay is manifested in double-logarithmic spectral maps as curved Weibull or straight power-law slope.
95.30.Gv Radiation mechanisms; polarization
41.60.Bq Cherenkov radiation
98.38.Mz Supernova remnants
52.27.Ny Relativistic plasmas
description: Roman Tomaschitz (2015) Tachyonic Cherenkov radiation from supernova remnants, J. High Energy Astrophys. 8, 10.
Keywords: Tachyonic gamma-ray spectra of supernova remnants; Crab Nebula, SNR IC 443, SNR W44; Subexponential Weibull spectral decay; Maxwell-Proca radiation fields; Quantized tachyonic Cherenkov densities; Transversal and longitudinal polarization; Superluminal gamma-rays
Highlights
Tachyonic Cherenkov densities of an ultra-relativistic electron plasma.
Subexponential spectral decay of the GeV and TeV gamma-ray flux of supernova remnants.
Cherenkov fits to the gamma-ray spectra of the Crab Nebula, SNR IC 443 and SNR W44.
Dispersive Maxwell-Proca radiation fields with frequency-dependent tachyon mass.
Transversal/longitudinal radiation densities and polarization degree of the gamma-ray flux.
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