Pulsar wind model of close massive gamma-ray binaries: The influence of geometry in the pulsar wind zone processes
Abstract
Several gamma-ray binaries have been recently detected by the High-Energy Stereoscopy Array (H.E.S.S.) and the Major Atmospheric Imaging Cerenkov (MAGIC) telescope. In at least two cases, their nature is unknown, since a distinctive, final observational feature for a black hole or a pulsar compact object companion is still missing. In this paper we aim to provide the details of a theoretical model of close gamma-ray binaries containing a young energetic pulsar as compact object. This model includes a detailed account of the system geometry, the angular dependence of processes such as Klein-Nishina inverse Compton and gamma-gamma absorption, and a Monte Carlo simulation of cascading. We present and derive the used formulae and give all details about their numerical implementation, particularly, on the computation of cascades. In this model, emphasis is put in the processes occurring in the pulsar wind zone of the binary, i.e., the region between the pulsar and the shock in between of the two stars, since as we show, opacities can be already important for close systems. We thus provide a detailed study on all relevant opacities and geometrical dependencies along the orbit of binaries, exemplifying with the case of LS 5039, for which we have recently presented summary results elsewhere. This is used to understand the formation of the very high-energy lightcurve and phase dependent spectrum. For the particular case of LS 5039, we uncover an interesting behavior of the magnitude representing the shock position in the direction to the observer along the orbit, and analyze its impact in the predictions. We show that in the case of LS 5039, the H.E.S.S. phenomenology is completely matched by the presented model, and explore the reasons why this happens while discussing future ways of testing the model.Keywords
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