Gamma-ray binaries, a new class of very high energy sources

G. Dubus (1, 2)

1 LLR - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
2 IAP - Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris

There are now three sources of ?-rays with energies >100 GeV that have been identified with binaries in our galaxy: LS 5039, LS I+61 303 and PSR B1259-63. All are composed of a massive star and a compact object, neutron star or black hole. The interaction of the relativistic wind from a young pulsar with the stellar wind of the companion provides a common scenario to explain the emission from these sources. They join plerionic sources as the new stars of the VHE sky currently being uncovered by HESS.

Domaines: Cosmologie et astrophysique extra-galactique [astro-ph.CO]; Astrophysique [astro-ph]

G. Dubus. Gamma-ray binaries, a new class of very high energy sources. SF2A-2006: 26ème Semaine de l'Astrophysique Française, Jun 2006, Paris, France. pp.133-136. ⟨in2p3-00135983⟩