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Hard X-ray Variations in the Crab NebulaIn the first two years of science operations of the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM), August 2008 to August 2010, a approx.7% (70 mcrab) decline was discovered in the overall Crab Nebula flux in the 15 - 50 keV band, measured with the Earth occultation technique. This decline was independently confirmed with four other instruments: the RXTE/PCA, Swift/BAT, INTEGRAL/IBIS, and INTEGRAL/SPI. The pulsed flux measured with RXTE/PCA from 1999-2010 was consistent with the pulsar spin-down, indicating that the observed changes were nebular. From 2001 to 2010, the Crab nebula flux measured with RXTE/PCA was particularly variable, changing by up to approx.3.5% per year in the 15-50 keV band. These variations were confirmed with INTEGRAL/SPI starting in 2003, Swift/BAT starting in 2005, and Fermi GBM starting in 2008. Before 2001 and since 2010, the Crab nebula flux has appeared more stable, varying by less than 2% per year. I will present updated light curves in multiple energy bands for the Crab nebula, including recent data from Fermi GBM, Swift/BAT, and MAXI, and a 16-year long light curve from RXTE/PCA.
Document ID
20130001680
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Cherry, M. L.
(Louisiana State Univ. LA, United States)
Case, G. L.
(Louisiana State Univ. LA, United States)
Baumgarter, W. H.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Beklen, E.
(METU/SDU unknown)
Bhat, P. N.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Briggs, M. S.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Camero-Arranz, A.
(Universities Space Research Association Huntsville, AL, United States)
Chaplin, V.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Connaughton, V.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Finger, M. H.
(Universities Space Research Association Huntsville, AL, United States)
Gehrels, N.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Greiner, J.
(Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Extraterrestrische Physik Garching, Germany)
Jahoda, K.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Jenke, P.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Kippen, R. M.
(Los Alamos National Lab. NM, United States)
Kouveliotou, C.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Krimm, H. A.
(Universities Space Research Association Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kuulkers, E.
(European Space Astronomy Center (ESAC) unknown)
Lund, N.
(Danish National Space Center Denmark)
Meegan, C. A.
(Universities Space Research Association United States)
Natalucci, L.
(Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica (INAF-IASF) Rome, Italy)
Paciesas, W. S.
(Universities Space Research Association United States)
Preece, R.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Rodi, J. C.
(Louisiana State Univ. LA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 27, 2013
Publication Date
October 28, 2012
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
M12-2069
Meeting Information
Meeting: 4th International Fermi Symposium
Location: Monterey, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: October 28, 2012
End Date: November 2, 2012
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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