Abstract
Ultra-high energy (UHE) γ-ray emission, with photon energies up to 2×1016 eV, has been detected1,2 from the galactic X-ray source Cygnus X-3 (Cyg X-3), implying the acceleration of charged particles there to even greater energies. We present here a model for acceleration of particles to such energies in binary-star systems containing accreting magnetized neutron stars, which, if correct, implies that many of the known pulsating X-ray sources and magnetized cataclysmic variables should also emit UHE γ rays.
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Chanmugam, G., Brecher, K. Ultra-high energy γ rays and cosmic rays from accreting degenerate stars. Nature 313, 767–768 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/313767a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/313767a0
