Simplified Models for Photohadronic Interactions in Cosmic Accelerators

We discuss simplified models for photo-meson production in cosmic accelerators, such as active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Our self-consistent models are directly based on the underlying physics used in the SOPHIA software and can be easily adapted if new data are included. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2010-09, Vol.721 (1), p.630-652
Main Authors: Hümmer, S, Rüger, M, Spanier, F, Winter, W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accelerators
Astronomy
ASTROPHYSICS
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
BARYONS
BOSONS
COMPOSITE MODELS
COMPUTER CODES
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
COSMIC RADIATION
DELTA BARYONS
DELTA-1232 BARYONS
Earth, ocean, space
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
Exact sciences and technology
FERMIONS
FLAVOR MODEL
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MESONS
MUONS
NBARYONS
NEUTRINOS
PARTICLE MODELS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
PHOTONS
PHYSICS
PIONS
PIONS MINUS
PIONS NEUTRAL
PIONS PLUS
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
PSEUDOSCALAR MESONS
QUARK MODEL
RADIATIONS
TIME DEPENDENCE
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Description
Summary:We discuss simplified models for photo-meson production in cosmic accelerators, such as active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Our self-consistent models are directly based on the underlying physics used in the SOPHIA software and can be easily adapted if new data are included. They allow for the efficient computation of neutrino and photon spectra (from {pi}{sup 0} decays) as a major requirement of modern time-dependent simulations of the astrophysical sources and parameter studies. In addition, the secondaries (pions and muons) are explicitly generated, a necessity if cooling processes are to be included. For the neutrino production, we include the helicity dependence of the muon decays which in fact leads to larger corrections than the details of the interaction model. The separate computation of the {pi}{sup 0}, {pi}{sup +}, and {pi}{sup -} fluxes allows, for instance, for flavor ratio predictions of the neutrinos at the source, which are a requirement of many tests of neutrino properties using astrophysical sources. We confirm that for charged pion generation, the often used production by the {Delta}(1232)-resonance is typically not the dominant process in AGNs and GRBs, and we show, for arbitrary input spectra, that the number of neutrinos are underestimated by at least a factor of two if they are obtained from the neutral-to-charged pion ratio. We compare our results for several levels of simplification using isotropic synchrotron and thermal spectra and demonstrate that they are sufficiently close to the SOPHIA software.
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.1088/0004-637X/721/1/630