[en] A detailed treatment of the kinematics of relativistic systems of particles and photons is presented. In the case of a relativistic Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of particles, the reaction rate and luminosity are written as single integrals over the invariant cross section, and the production spectrum is written as a double integral over the cross section differential in the energy of the produced particles (or photons) in the center-of-momentum system of two colliding particles. The results are applied to the calculation of the annihilation spectrum of a thermal electron-positron plasma, confirming previous numerical and analytic results. Relativistic thermal electron-ion and electron-electron bremsstrahlung are calculated exactly to lowest order, and relativistic thermal electron-positron bremsstrahlung is calculated in an approximate fashion. An approximate treatment of relativistic Comptonization is developed. The question of thermalization of a relativistic plasma is considered. A formula for the energy loss or exchange rate from the interaction of two relativistic Maxwell-Boltzmann plasmas at different temperatures is derived. Application to a stable, uniform, nonmagnetic relativistic thermal plasma is made. Comparison is made with other studies

[en] Theoretical work on laser cooling of Positronium, including effects of external magnetic and electric fields, is reviewed and extended

[en] A detailed treatment of the kinematics of relativistic systems of particles and photons is presented. In the case of a relativistic Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of particles, the reaction rate and luminosity are written as single integrals over the invariant cross section, and the production spectrum is written as a double integral over the cross section differential in the energy of the produced particles (or photons) in the center-of-momentum system of two colliding particles. The result is valid for all temperatures and for the general case when the plasma contains different mass particles. The results are applied to the calculation of the annihilation spectrum of a thermal electron-positron plasma, confirming previous numerical and analytic results. Relativistic thermal electron-ion and electron-electron bremsstrahlung are calculated exactly to lowest order, and relativistic thermal electron-positron bremsstrahlung is calculated in an approximate way, by interpolating between the modified Bethe-Heitler formula and the exact lowest order electron-electron bremsstrahlung spectrum. An approximate treatment of relativistic Comptonization is developed. The question of thermalization of a relativistic plasma is also considered

[en] This is a continuation of previous studies aimed at predicting spectral signatures of discrete cosmic-ray sources. In this paper, a formalism is developed for calculating gamma-ray spectra observed at Earth from the decay of neutral pions formed in collisions of cosmic-ray protons and ions with galactic gas and dust. The cosmic rays are assumed to be emitted by discrete sources, and their intensities and spectra are described by solutions to a diffusion equation. Calculations of spectral signatures expected from these hypothetical point sources of cosmic rays are presented. In particular, a steady source of cosmic rays could show a harder gamma-ray spectrum than the spectrum of the diffuse galactic background, whereas an impulsive source of cosmic rays could show a much softer spectrum. Observations of the angular variations of gamma-ray intensities and spectra near point sources will provide information on cosmic-ray propagation in other parts of our galaxy, as well as on the nature of the discrete sources themselves. Capabilities of the Egret telescope in mapping spectra from cosmic-ray point sources are briefly discussed. 14 refs., 2 figs

[en] The flux of cosmic ray antiprotons with kinetic energies between /approximately/1 and 15 GeV is /approximately/5 times greater than the flux predicted on the basis of the leaky-box model. This excess is attributed to secondary antineutron production in compact sources. Because the antineutrons are not confined by the magnetic field of the compact source, they leave the interaction site, decay in interstellar space and account for the apparent excess cosmic ray antiproton flux. The escape and decay of neutrons produced in association with the antineutrons is a source of cosmic ray protons. Observations of the angular variation of the intensity and spectral shape of 100 MeV γ-rays produced by neutron-decay protons in the reaction p + p → π⁰ → 2γ could reveal compact-source cosmic ray production sites. COS-B observations of spectral hardening near point sources, and future high-resolution observations of galactic point sources by Gamma-1 and the Egret telescope onboard the Gamma Ray Observatory may provide supporting evidence for this model. 12 refs., 2 figs

[en] Recent Ginga observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxies NGC 4051 and MCG 6-30-15 show a positive correlation between the 2-10 keV luminosity and photon spectral index α. Similar behavior has also been reported in Exosat and Einstein observations of other active galactic nuclei, and is suggested in hard x-ray low-state data of the galactic black-hole candidate Cygnus X-1. A two-temperature thermal Comptonization model with internal soft-photon production provides a simple explanation for this correlation. The electron temperature, determined by a balance between ion heating and radiative cooling, decreases in response to an enhancement of the soft photon flux, resulting in a softening of the spectrum and an increase in the soft x-ray luminosity. The bulk of the soft photons are produced through pion production in collisions between the hot ions. Pivoting of the spectrum at photon energies var-epsilon > 50 keV is a consequence of variations in the ion temperature. An important test of the model would be time correlations between soft and hard x-ray bands. 17 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab

[en] The possibility is investigated that the reported excess low energy antiproton component of the cosmic radiation results from proton-proton (p-p) interactions in relativistic plasmas. Because of both target and projectile motion in such plasmas, the antiproton production threshold in the frame of the plasma is much lower than the threshold of antiproton production in cosmic ray interactions with ambient matter. The spectrum of the resultant antiprotons therefore extends to much lower energy than in the cosmic ray case. The antiproton spectrum is calculated for relativistic thermal plasmas and the spectrum is estimated for relativistic nonthermal plasmas. As possible production sites, matter accreting onto compact objects located in the galaxy is considered. Possible overproduction of gamma rays from associated neutral pion production can be avoided if the site is optically thick to the photons but not to the antiprotons. A possible scenario involves a sufficiently large photon density that the neutral pion gamma rays are absorbed by photon-photon pair production. Escape of the antiprotons to the interstellar medium can be mediated by antineutron production

[en] Nuclear reactions in the hot accretion plasma surrounding a collapsed star are a source of neutrons, primarily through spallation and pion-producing reactions, and antineutrons, principally through the reaction p+p yields p+p+n+anti-n. We calculate spectra of neutrons and antineutrons produced by a variety of nonthermal energetic particle distributions in which the target particles are either at rest or in motion. If only neutral particles are free to escape the interaction site, a component of the proton and antiproton fluxes in the cosmic radiation results from the neutrons and antineutrons which leave the accretion plasma and subsequently decay in the interstellar medium. This additional antiproton component could account for the enhanced flux of antiprotons in the cosmic radiation, compared to values expected from the standard leaky-box model of cosmic-ray propagation and confinement. Moreover, the low-energy antiproton flux measured by Buffington, et al., (1981) could result from target-particle motion in the accretion plasma. This model for the origin of antiprotons predicts a narrow 2.223 MeV line which could be observable

[en] Angular and energy spectra of bremsstrahlung have been calculated from anisotropic electron distributions in solar flares. Results have been compared to observations of gamma-ray limb-brightening and to data on the variation of the gamma-ray spectrum with flare position on the sun

[en] The gamma-ray bump observed between 0.5 and 2 MeV in the spectrum of Cygnus X-1 can be interpreted as the thermal emissions from a hot (kT/approximately/400 keV) pair-dominated cloud. We argue that the X-rays and gamma rays are produced in separate emission regions, and calculate the photon-photon pair production rate from X-ray and gamma-ray interactions in the vicinity of Cyg X-1 by employing a simplified geometry for the two emitting regions