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In this work, we introduce the use of the differential geometry Frenet-Serret equations to describe a magnetic line in a pulsar magnetosphere. These equations, which need to be solved numerically, fix the magnetic line in terms of their tangent, normal, and binormal vectors at each position, given assumptions on the radius of curvature and torsion. Once the representation of the magnetic line is defined, we provide the relevant set of transformations between reference frames; the ultimate aim is to express the map of the emission directions in the star co-rotating frame. In this frame, an emission map can be directly read as a light curve seen by observers located at a certain fixed angle with respect to the rotational axis. We provide a detailed step-by-step numerical recipe to obtain the emission map for a given emission process, and give a set of simplified benchmark tests. Key to our approach is that it offers a setting to achieve an effective description of the system's geometry {\it together} with the radiation spectrum. This allows to compute multi-frequency light curves produced by a specific radiation process (and not just geometry) in the pulsar magnetosphere, and intimately relates with averaged observables such as the spectral energy distribution., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We used the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias to search for the optical counterparts to four isolated $\gamma$-ray pulsars, all detected in the X-rays by either \xmm\ or \chan\ but not yet in the optical. Three of them are middle-aged pulsars -- PSR\, J1846+0919 (0.36 Myr), PSR\, J2055+2539 (1.2 Myr), PSR\, J2043+2740 (1.2 Myr) -- and one, PSR\, J1907+0602, is a young pulsar (19.5 kyr). For both PSR\, J1907+0602 and PSR\, J2055+2539 we found one object close to the pulsar position. However, in both cases such an object cannot be a viable candidate counterpart to the pulsar. For PSR\, J1907+0602, because it would imply an anomalously red spectrum for the pulsar and for PSR\, J2055+2539 because the pulsar would be unrealistically bright ($r'=20.34\pm0.04$) for the assumed distance and interstellar extinction. For PSR\, J1846+0919, we found no object sufficiently close to the expected position to claim a possible association, whereas for PSR\, J2043+2740 we confirm our previous findings that the object nearest to the pulsar position is an unrelated field star. We used our brightness limits ($g' \approx 27$), the first obtained with a large-aperture telescope for both PSR\, J1846+0919 and PSR\, J2055+2539, to constrain the optical emission properties of these pulsars and investigate the presence of spectral turnovers at low energies in their multi-wavelength spectra., Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, accpted for publication in MNRAS

We report the analysis of the first deep optical observations of three isolated $\gamma$-ray pulsars detected by the {\em Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope}: the radio-loud PSR\, J0248+6021 and PSR\, J0631+1036, and the radio-quiet PSR\, J0633+0632. The latter has also been detected in the X rays. The pulsars are very similar in their spin-down age ($\tau \sim$40--60 kyrs), spin-down energy ($\dot{E} \sim10^{35}$ erg s$^{-1}$), and dipolar surface magnetic field ($B \sim 3$--$5\times10^{12}$ G). These pulsars are promising targets for multi-wavelength observations, since they have been already detected in $\gamma$ rays and in radio or X-rays. None of them has been detected yet in the optical band. We observed the three pulsar fields in 2014 with the Spanish 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). We could not find any candidate optical counterpart to the three pulsars close to their most recent radio or {\em Chandra} positions down to $3 \sigma$ limits of $g'\sim27.3$, $g'\sim27$, $g'\sim27.3$ for PSR\, J0248+6021, J0631+1036, and J0633+0632, respectively. From the inferred optical upper limits and estimated distance and interstellar extinction, we derived limits on the pulsar optical luminosity. We also searched for the X-ray counterpart to PSR\, J0248+6021 with \chan\ but we did not detect the pulsar down to a 3$\sigma$ flux limit of $5 \times 10^{-14}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ (0.3--10 keV). For all these pulsars, we compared the optical flux upper limits with the extrapolations in the optical domain of the $\gamma$-ray spectra and compared their multi-wavelength properties with those of other $\gamma$-ray pulsars of comparable age., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

One of the most important predictions of any gap model for pulsar magnetospheres is the predicted $\gamma$-ray spectra. In the outer gap model, the properties of the synchro-curvature radiation are sensitive to many parameters, whose realistic ranges have been studied in detail in an accompanying paper. There we demonstrated that the uncertainty in the radius of curvature, the magnetic field geometry, and the X-ray surface flux may affect by orders of magnitude the predicted flux and spectral peak in the $\gamma$-ray regime. Here, we present a systematic, numerical study of the impact of the different parameters on the particle dynamics along the gap and calculate the emitted synchro-curvature radiation along the trajectory. By integrating the emitted radiation along the gap and convolving it with a parametrized particle distribution, we discuss how the comparison with the wealth of {\em Fermi}-LAT data can be used to constrain the applicability of the model. The resulting spectra show very different energy peaks, fluxes and shapes, qualitatively matching the great variety of the observed {\em Fermi}-LAT pulsars. In particular, if we see a large fraction of photons emitted from the initial part of the trajectory, we show that the spectra will be flatter at the low-energy {\it Fermi}-LAT regime (100 MeV -- 1 GeV). This provides a solution for such observed flat spectra, while still maintain synchro-curvature radiation as the origin of these photons., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Accepted for pubblication in MNRAS main journal. References updated

We report on the results of the extensive multi-wavelength campaign from optical to GeV gamma-rays of the 2014 periastron passage of PSR B1259-63, which is a unique high-mass gamma-ray emitting binary system with a young pulsar companion. Observations demonstrate the stable nature of the post-periastron GeV flare and prove the coincidence of the flare with the start of rapid decay of the H$\alpha$ equivalent width, usually interpreted as a disruption of the Be stellar disk. Intensive X-ray observations reveal changes in the X-ray spectral behaviour happening at the moment of the GeV flare. We demonstrate that these changes can be naturally explained as a result of synchrotron cooling of monoenergetic relativistic electrons injected into the system during the GeV flare., Comment: 13 pages, submitted to MNRAS

Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 451(1), 739 - 750 (2015). doi:10.1093/mnras/stv895, The high-frequency-peaked BL Lac (HBL) 1ES 0806+524 (z = 0.138) was discovered in very high energy (VHE) γ-rays in 2008. Until now, the broad-band spectrum of 1ES 0806+524 has been only poorly characterized, in particular at high energies. We analysed multiwavelength observations from γ-rays to radio performed from 2011 January to March, which were triggered by the high activity detected at optical frequencies. These observations constitute the most precise determination of the broad-band emission of 1ES 0806+524 to date. The stereoscopic Major Atmospheric Gamma-Ray Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) observations yielded a γ-ray signal above 250 GeV of (3.7 ± 0.7) per cent of the Crab Nebula flux with a statistical significance of 9.9σ. The multiwavelength observations showed significant variability in essentially all energy bands, including a VHE γ-ray flare that lasted less than one night, which provided unprecedented evidence for short-term variability in 1ES 0806+524. The spectrum of this flare is well described by a power law with a photon index of 2.97 ± 0.29 between ∼150 GeV and 1 TeV and an integral flux of (9.3 ± 1.9) per cent of the Crab nebula flux above 250 GeV. The spectrum during the non-flaring VHE activity is compatible with the only available VHE observation performed in 2008 with VERITAS when the source was in a low optical state. The broad-band spectral energy distribution can be described with a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton model with parameters typical for HBLs, indicating that 1ES 0806+524 is not substantially different from the HBLs previously detected., Published by Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford

We consider the fundamental problem of charged particles moving along and around a curved magnetic field line, revising the synchro-curvature radiation formulae introduced by Cheng and Zhang (1996). We provide more compact expressions to evaluate the spectrum emitted by a single particle, identifying the key parameter that controls the transition between the curvature-dominated and the synchrotron-dominated regime. This parameter depends on the local radius of curvature of the magnetic field line, the gyration radius, and the pitch angle. We numerically solve the equations of motion for the emitting particle by considering self-consistently the radiative losses, and provide the radiated spectrum produced by a particle when an electric acceleration is balanced by its radiative losses, as it is assumed to happen in the outer gaps of pulsar's magnetospheres. We compute the average spectrum radiated throughout the particle trajectory finding that the slope of the spectrum before the peak depends on the location and size of the emission region. We show how this effect could then lead to a variety of synchro-curvature spectra. Our results reinforce the idea that the purely synchrotron or curvature losses are, in general, inadequate to describe the radiative reaction on the particle motion, and the spectrum of emitted photons. Finally, we discuss the applicability of these calculations to different astrophysical scenarios., 9 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS main journal. References updated

The microquasar Cygnus X-1 displays the two typical soft and hard X-ray states of a black hole transient. During the latter, Cygnus X-1 shows a one-sided relativistic radio-jet. Recent detection of the system in the high energy (HE; E greater than or similar to 60 MeV) gamma-ray range with FermiLAT associates this emission with the outflow. Former MAGIC observations revealed a hint of flaring activity in the very high-energy (VHE; E greater than or similar to 100 GeV) regime during this X-ray state. We analyse ~ to 97 h of Cygnus X-1 data taken with the MAGIC telescopes between July 2007 and October 2014. To shed light on the correlation between hard X-ray and VHE gamma rays as previously suggested, we study each main X-ray state separately. We perform an orbital phase-folded analysis to look for variability in the VHE band. Additionally, to place this variability behaviour in a multiwavelength context, we compare our results with Fermi-LAT, AGILE, Swift-BAT, MAXI, RXTE-ASM, AMI and RATAN-600 data. We do not detect Cygnus X-1 in the VHE regime. We establish upper limits for each X-ray state, assuming a power-law distribution with photon index Γ = 3.2. For steady emission in the hard and soft X-ray states, we set integral upper limits at 95 %per cent confidence level for energies above 200 GeV at 2.6 x 10⁻¹² photons cm⁻² s⁻¹ and 1.0 x 10⁻¹¹ photons cm⁻² s ⁻¹, respectively. We rule out steady VHE gamma-ray emission above this energy range, at the level of theMAGIC sensitivity, originating in the interaction between the relativistic jet and the surrounding medium, while the emission above this flux level produced inside the binary still remains a valid possibility.

The positron flux measured near Earth shows a rise with energy beyond 30 GeV. We show that this rise may be compatible with the production of positrons in $p \gamma$ interactions in the jets of microquasars., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, to be published in MNRAS

Indications of a GeV component in the emission from GRBs are known since the EGRET observations during the 1990's and they have been confirmed by the data of the Fermi satellite. These results have, however, shown that our understanding of GRB physics is still unsatisfactory. The new generation of Cherenkov observatories and in particular the MAGIC telescope, allow for the first time the possibility to extend the measurement of GRBs from several tens up to hundreds of GeV energy range. Both leptonic and hadronic processes have been suggested to explain the possible GeV/TeV counterpart of GRBs. Observations with ground-based telescopes of very high energy photons (E>30 GeV) from these sources are going to play a key role in discriminating among the different proposed emission mechanisms, which are barely distinguishable at lower energies. MAGIC telescope observations of the GRB 090102 (z=1.547) field and Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data in the same time interval are analysed to derive upper limits of the GeV/TeV emission. We compare these results to the expected emissions evaluated for different processes in the framework of a relativistic blast wave model for the afterglow. Simultaneous upper limits with Fermi and a Cherenkov telescope have been derived for this GRB observation. The results we obtained are compatible with the expected emission although the difficulties in predicting the HE and VHE emission for the afterglow of this event makes it difficult to draw firmer conclusions. Nonetheless, MAGIC sensitivity in the energy range of overlap with space-based instruments (above about 40 GeV) is about one order of magnitude better with respect to Fermi. This makes evident the constraining power of ground-based observations and shows that the MAGIC telescope has reached the required performance to make possible GRB multiwavelength studies in the very high energy range., 8 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to MNRAS

The very high energy (VHE; >100 GeV) source HESS J0632+057 has been recently confirmed as a \gamma-ray binary, a subclass of the high mass X-ray binary (HMXB) population, through the detection of an orbital period of 321 days. We performed a deep search for the emission of HESS J0632+057 in the GeV energy range using data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). The analysis was challenging due to the source being located in close proximity to the bright \gamma-ray pulsar PSR J0633+0632 and lying in a crowded region of the Galactic plane where there is prominent diffuse emission. We formulated a Bayesian block algorithm adapted to work with weighted photon counts, in order to define the off-pulse phases of PSR J0633+0632. A detailed spectral-spatial model of a 5 deg circular region centred on the known location of HESS J0632+057 was generated to accurately model the LAT data. No significant emission from the location of HESS J0632+057 was detected in the 0.1-100 GeV energy range integrating over ~3.5 years of data; with a 95% flux upper limit of F_{0.1-100 GeV} < 3 x 10-8 ph cm-2 s-1. A search for emission over different phases of the orbit also yielded no significant detection. A search for source emission on shorter timescales (days--months) did not yield any significant detections. We also report the results of a search for radio pulsations using the 100-m Green Bank Telescope (GBT). No periodic signals or individual dispersed bursts of a likely astronomical origin were detected. We estimated the flux density limit of < 90/40 \mu Jy at 2/9 GHz. The LAT flux upper limits combined with the detection of HESS J0632+057 in the 136-400 TeV energy band by the MAGIC collaboration imply that the VHE spectrum must turn over at energies, Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) Main Journal

The detection of pulsations from an X-ray binary is an unambiguous signature of the presence of a neutron star in the system. When the pulsations are missed in the radio band, their detection at other wavelengths, such as X-ray or gamma-rays, requires orbital demodulation, since the length of the observations is often comparable to, or longer than, the system orbital period. A detailed knowledge of the orbital parameters of binary systems plays a crucial role in the detection of the spin period of pulsars since any uncertainty in their determination translates into a loss in the coherence of a signal during the demodulation process. In this paper, we present an analytical study aimed at unveiling how the uncertainties in the orbital parameters might impact on periodicity searches. We find a correlation between the power of the signal in the demodulated arrival time series and the uncertainty in each of the orbital parameters. This correlation is also a function of the pulsar frequency. We test our analytical results with numerical simulations, finding good agreement between them. Finally, we apply our study to the cases of LS 5039 and LS I +61 303 and consider the current level of uncertainties in the orbital parameters of these systems and their impact on a possible detection of a hosted pulsar. We also discuss the possible appearance of a sideband ambiguity in real data. The latter can occur when, due to the use of uncertain orbital parameters, the power of a putative pulsar is distributed in frequencies lying near the pulsar period. Even if the appearance of a sideband is already a signature of a pulsar component, it may introduce an ambiguity in the determination of its period. We present here a method to solve the sideband issue.

In this work, we present a leptonic, time-dependent model of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe). The model seeks a solution for the lepton distribution function considering the full time-energy dependent diffusion-loss equation. The time-dependent lepton population is balanced by injection, energy losses, and escape. We include synchrotron, inverse Compton (IC, with the cosmic-microwave background as well as with IR/optical photon fields), self-synchrotron Compton (SSC), and bremsstrahlung processes, all devoid of any radiative approximations. With this model in place we focus on the Crab nebula as an example and present its time dependent evolution. Afterwards, we analyze the impact of different approximations made at the level of the diffusion-loss equation, as can be found in the literature. Whereas previous models ignored the escape term, e.g., with the diffusion-loss equation becoming advective, others approximated the losses as catastrophic, so that the equation has only time derivatives. Additional approximations are also described and computed. We show which is the impact of these approaches in the determination of the PWN evolution. In particular, we find the time-dependent deviation of the multi-wavelength spectrum and the best-fit parameters obtained with the complete and the approximate models.

HESS J1858+020 is a TeV gamma-ray source that was reported not to have any clear cataloged counterpart at any wavelength. However, it has been recently proposed that this source is indirectly associated with the radio source, re-identified as a supernova remnant (SNR), G35.6-0.4. The latter is found to be middle-aged ($\sim 30$ kyr) and to have nearby molecular clouds (MCs). HESS J1858+020 was proposed to be the result of the interaction of protons accelerated in the SNR shell with target ions residing in the clouds. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) First Source Catalog does not list any source coincident with the position of HESS J1858+020, but some lie close. Here, we analyse more than 2 years of data obtained with the Fermi-LAT for the region of interest, and consider whether it is indeed possible that the closest LAT source, 1FGL J1857.1+0212c, is related to HESS J1858+020. We conclude it is not, and we impose upper limits on the GeV emission originating from HESS J1858+020. Using a simplified 3D model for the cosmic-ray propagation out from the shell of the SNR, we consider whether the interaction between SNR G35.6-0.4 and the MCs nearby could give rise to the TeV emission of HESS J1858+020 without producing a GeV counterpart. If so, the pair of SNR/TeV source with no GeV detection would be reminiscent of other similarly-aged SNRs, such as some of the TeV hotspots near W28, for which cosmic-ray diffusion may be used to explain their multi-frequency phenomenology. However, for HESS J1858+020, we found that although the phase space in principle allows for such GeV--TeV non-correlation to appear, usual and/or observationally constrained values of the parameters (e.g., diffusion coefficients and cloud-SNR likely distances) would disfavor it.

We report on Chandra observations of the TeV emitting High Mass X-ray Binary LS 5039, for a total exposure of ~70ks, using the ACIS-S camera in Continuos Clocking mode to search for a possible X-ray pulsar in this system. We did not find any periodic or quasi-periodic signal in the 0.3-0.4 and 0.75-0.9 orbital phases, and in a frequency range of 0.005-175 Hz. We derived an average pulsed fraction 3sigma upper limit for the presence of a periodic signal of ~15% (depending on the frequency and the energy band), the deepest limit ever reached for this object. If the X-ray emission of LS 5039 is due (at least in part) to a rotational powered pulsar, the latter is either spinning faster than ~5.6 ms, or having a beam pointing away from our line of sight, or contributing to ~15% of the total X-ray emission of the system in the orbital phases we observed.

We have recently interpreted the source MAGIC J0616+225 as a result of delayed TeV emission of cosmic-rays diffusing from IC 443 and interacting with a cloud in the foreground of the remnant. This model was used to make predictions for future observations, especially those to be made with the Fermi satellite. Just recently, AGILE, Fermi, and VERITAS have released new results of their observations of IC 443. In this work, we compare them with the predictions of our model, exploring the GeV to TeV connection in this region of space. We use Fermi data to consider the possibility of constraining the cosmic-ray diffusion features of the environment. We analyze the cosmic-ray distributions, their interactions, and a possible detection of the SNR environment in the neutrino channel.

LS I+61303 is one of the few high-mass X-ray binaries that have been recently observed at TeV and GeV energies. Here we investigate the hard X-ray spectral and timing properties of this source using the IBIS/ISGRI instrument on-board the INTEGRAL satellite. We carry out a systematic analysis based on all available INTEGRAL data since December 28, 2002 up to April 30, 2008. The total exposure time analyzed amounts to 2.1 Ms, hence more than doubling the previous reported sample. The source is best detected in the 18-60 keV band, with a significance level of 12.0 sigma. The hard X-ray data are best fit with a simple power law with a photon index of ~ 1.7+-0.2. We detect a periodical signal at 27 +- 4 days, matching the orbital period of 26.496 days previously reported at other wavelengths. The hard X-rays orbital lightcurve is obtained and compared with those derived at other frequencies.

Theories with varying gravitational constant G have long been studied. Among them, the most promising candidates as alternatives to standard general relativity are known as scalar–tensor theories. They are consistent descriptions of the observed Universe as well as the low-energy limit of several pictures of unified interactions. Thus, increasing interest in the astrophysical, gravitational wave and pulsar evolution consequences of such theories has been sparked over the last few years. In this work we study the evolution of white dwarf stars in the framework of the simplest model of scalar–tensor theory: Brans–Dicke gravity. We assume that the star is able to see the cosmological evolution of G (obtained from relativistic equations) while adopting a Newtonian model for describing its structure. This allows us to determine how the G variation affects the energetics of the stellar interior. The white dwarfs are analysed employing a well-tested computer code, with state-of-the-art data for the equation of state, opacities, neutrinos, etc.; all these characteristics are carefully described in the text. We compute the theoretical white dwarf luminosity function and use previous observational data to compare with and extract conclusions on the feasibility of the gravitational theory analysed. We find several striking results. The cooling of white dwarfs is strongly accelerated, particularly for massive stars and low luminosities, even if the Ο parameter of Brans–Dicke theory is big enough to accord well with any other test of gravitation. This uncommon cooling process translates into several distinctive features of white dwarf evolution, among which are (a) a new profile of luminosity versus fractional mass and age, (b) different central temperature versus surface luminosity, (c) low masses of progenitors, and most importantly (d) an appreciable variation in the luminosity function. We finally analyse the possibilities of, when precise data with unique interpretation are available, converting this into a powerful new test of gravitation., Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Física La Plata

We report on a 95ks Chandra observation of the TeV emitting High Mass X-ray Binary LSI +61 303, using the ACIS-S camera in Continuos Clocking mode to search for a possible X-ray pulsar in this system. The observation was performed while the compact object was passing from phase 0.94 to 0.98 in its orbit around the Be companion star (hence close to the apastron passage). We did not find any periodic or quasi-periodic signal (at this orbital phase) in a frequency range of 0.005-175 Hz. We derived an average pulsed fraction 3 sigma upper limit for the presence of a periodic signal of ~10% (although this limit is strongly dependent on the frequency and the energy band), the deepest limit ever reached for this object. Furthermore, the source appears highly variable in flux and spectrum even in this very small orbital phase range, in particular we detect two flares, lasting thousands of seconds, with a very hard X-ray spectrum with respect to the average source spectral distribution. The X-ray pulsed fraction limits we derived are lower than the pulsed fraction of any isolated rotational-powered pulsar, in particular having a TeV counterpart. In this scenario most of the X-ray emission of LSI +61 303 should necessarily come from the interwind or inner-pulsar wind zone shock rather than from the magnetosphere of the putative pulsar. Furthermore, we did not find evidence for the previously suggested extended X-ray emission (abridged).

The detected high-energy pulsars' population is growing in number, and thus, having agile and physically relevant codes to analyze it consistently is important. Here, we update our existing synchro-curvature radiation model by including a better treatment of the particle injection, particularly where the large pitch angle particles dominate the spectra, and by implementing a fast and accurate minimization technique. The latter allows a large improvement in computational cost, needed to test model enhancements and to apply the model to a larger pulsar population. We successfully fit the sample of pulsars with X-ray and $\gamma$-ray data. Our results indicate that, for every emitting particle, the spatial extent of their trajectory where the pitch angle is large and most of the detected X-ray radiation is produced is a small fraction of the light cylinder. We also confirm with this new approach that synchrotron radiation is not negligible for most of the gamma-ray pulsars detected. In addition, with the results obtained, we argue that J0357+3205 and J2055+2539 are MeV-pulsar candidates and are suggested for exhaustive observations in this energy band., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society