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Cosmic-ray emission from Cygnus X-3

Abstract

Recent observations1,2 of the X-ray binary source Cygnus X-3 have revealed a flux of ultra-high energy γ rays. Other observations and subsequent models suggest that Cyg X-3 may be a dominant source of galactic high-energy cosmic rays. Here I investigate whether it is possible to escape this conclusion with a model in which most of the energy of accelerated particles at the source is emitted as curvature radiation (that is, radiation emitted by particles travelling on curved paths in a magnetic field so strong that synchrotron radiation is suppressed). I conclude that such a model is not consistent with the observations.

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Porter, N. Cosmic-ray emission from Cygnus X-3. Nature 312, 347–348 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/312347a0

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