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A Possible X-Ray and Radio Counterpart of the High-Energy Gamma-Ray Source 3EG J2227+6122The identity of the persistent EGRET sources in the Galactic plane is largely a mystery. For one of these, 3EG J2227+6122, our complete census of X-ray and radio sources in its error circle reveals a remarkable superposition of an incomplete radio shell with a flat radio spectrum, and a compact, power-law X-ray source with photon index Gamma = 1.5 and with no obvious optical counterpart. The radio shell is polarized at a level of approx. = 25%. The anomalous properties of the radio source prevent us from deriving a completely satisfactory theory as to its nature. Nevertheless, using data from ROSAT, ASCA, the VLA, and optical imaging and spectroscopy, we argue that the X-ray source may be a young pulsar with an associated wind-blown bubble or bow shock nebula, and an example of the class of radio-quiet pulsars which are hypothesized to comprise the majority of EGRET sources in the Galaxy. The distance to this source can be estimated from its X-ray absorption as 3 kpc. At this distance, the X-ray and gamma-ray luminosities would be approx. = 1.7 x 10(exp 33) and approx. = 3.7 x 10(exp 35) erg/s, respectively, which would require an energetic pulsar to power them. If, on the contrary, this X-ray source is not the counterpart of 3EG J2227+6122, then by process of elimination the X-ray luminosity of the latter must be less than 10(exp -4) of its gamma-ray luminosity, a condition not satisfied by any established class of gamma-ray source counterpart. This would require the existence of at least a quantitatively new type of EGRET source, as has been suggested in studies of other EGRET fields.
Document ID
20010055706
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Halpern, Jules P.
(Columbia Univ. New York, NY United States)
Gotthelf, E. V.
(Columbia Univ. New York, NY United States)
Helfand, D. J.
(Columbia Univ. New York, NY United States)
Leighly, K. M.
(Columbia Univ. New York, NY United States)
Oliversen, Ronald
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 2001
Publication Information
Publication: The New X-Ray/Gamma-Ray Pulsars
Subject Category
Space Radiation
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-3229
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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