A detailed analysis of the high energy gamma-ray emission from the Crab pulsar and nebula.
Grenier, I. A.; Hermsen, W.; Bennett, K.; Buccheri, R.; Mayer-Hasselwander, H. A.; Clear, J.; Sacco, B.
Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany
Abstract
The gamma-ray emissions from the Crab pulsar and nebula are analyzed. The data were collected from 1975-1982 in the Galactic anticenter region by COS-B in the energy range 50-3000 MeV. The temporal behavior of the pulsed gamma-ray flux from PSR 0531 + 21 and the unpulsed gamma-ray emissions from the Crab region are examined. It is determined that the spectrum of the pulsar emission is represented by a single power law with an index of 2.00 + or - 0.10 over the energy range of the instrument, and no systematic variation of spectral index with pulsar phase is noted; the spectrum of the unpulsed gamma-ray emission is represented by a single power law with a spectral index of 2.7 + or - 0.3.