paper

Hypernovae/GRB in the Galactic Center as possible sources of Galactic Positrons

arXiv:astro-ph/0309824 · doi:10.1086/381884

Abstract

The observation of a strong and extended positron-electron line annihilation emission in the central regions of the Galaxy by INTEGRAL-SPI, consistent with the Galactic bulge geometry, without any counterpart in the gamma-ray range, neither at high energy nor in the 1809 keV Al decay line, is challenging. Leaving aside the geometrical question, we address the problem of the adequate positron sources, showing the potentiality of a new category of SN Ic, exemplified by SN2003dh, which is associated to a gamma-ray burst. This kind of supernova/hypernova/GRB event is interpreted as the result of a bipolar Wolf-Rayet explosion, which produces a large amount of Ni and ejects it at high velocity along the rotation axis. The bulk of positrons resulting from Co decay escapes in the surrounding medium due to the rapid thinning of the ejecta in the polar direction. We show that a rate of about 0.02 SN2003dh-like events per century in the central region of the Galaxy is sufficient to explain the positron flux detected by INTEGRAL-SPI. In order to explain this flux by SN Ia events alone, a rate of 0.5 per century is necessary, much higher than indicated by Galactic evolutionary models applied to the bulge. Further observations of late light curves of SNe Ia and SNe Ic in the bulge of spiral galaxies, together with 3D hydrodynamic calculations of anisotropic ejections of Ni in SN Ic/GRB events, will allow to estimate the separate contributions of SNe Ia and SNe Ic to positron injection.

7 pages, 0 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2003 12 08

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