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Cosmic Ray Positron Production by Gamma Ray Interactions on Starlight

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2016

A. Mastichiadis
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics, University of Adelaide, SA 5001
R. J. Protheroe
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Mathematical Physics, University of Adelaide, SA 5001
S. A. Stephens
Affiliation:
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, India

Abstract

We examine the production of cosmic ray positrons by photon-photon pair production of high-energy γ-rays on starlight photons. We start by calculating the production rate as a function of positron energy and distance from the Sun resulting from interactions with sunlight. The results are generalized to production on other types of star. We calculate the average production rate per unit volume averaged over the local region of the galaxy, and we estimate the contribution to the observed intensity from this process.

Type
High Energy Astrophysics
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 1991

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