Affiliation:
1. P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii Prospekt 53, Moscow 119991, Russia
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Extinct radio pulsars, in which stationary, self-sustaining generation of a relativistic electron–positron plasma becomes impossible when rotation brakes down, can be sources of a subrelativistic flux of positrons and electrons. We assume that the observed excess of positrons in the bulge and the disc of the Galaxy is associated with these old neutron stars. The production of pairs in their magnetospheres occurs due to one-photon absorption of gamma quanta of the Galactic and extragalactic backgrounds. The cascade process of plasma production leads to the flux of positrons escaping from the open magnetosphere ≃3 × 1034 s−1. The total flux of positrons from all old Galactic neutron stars with rotational periods 1.5 < P < 35 s is ≃3 × 1043 s−1. The energy of positrons is less than ≃10 MeV. The estimated characteristics satisfy the requirements for the positron source responsible for the 511-keV Galactic annihilation line.
Funder
Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research
RFBR
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Space and Planetary Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics
Cited by
3 articles.
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