Gamma Radiation from PSR B1055-52 (original) (raw)

The telescopes on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) have observed PSR B1055[52 a number of times between 1991 and 1998. From these data a more detailed picture of the gamma radiation from this source has been developed, showing several characteristics that distinguish this pulsar : the light curve is complex ; there is no detectable unpulsed emission ; the energy spectrum is Ñat, with no evidence of a sharp high-energy cuto † up to greater than 4 GeV. Comparisons of the gamma-ray data with observations at longer wavelengths show that no two of the known gamma-ray pulsars have quite the same characteristics ; this diversity makes interpretation in terms of theoretical models difficult.