Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Local gamma ray events as tests of the antimatter theory of gamma ray bursts

  • Letters to the Editor
  • Published:
Astrophysics and Space Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nearby examples of the antimatter ‘chunks’ postulated by Sofia and Van Horn to explain the cosmic gamma ray bursts may produce detectable gamma ray events when struck by solar system meteoroids. These events would have a much shorter time scale and higher energy spectrum than the bursts already observed. In order to have a reasonably high event rate, the local meteoroid population must extend to a distance from the Sun of the order of 0.1 pc, but the required distance could become much lower if the instrumental threshold is improved. We also examine the expected gamma ray flux for interaction of the antimatter bodies with the solar wind, and find it far below present instrumental capabilities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allen, C. W.: 1973,Astrophysical Quantities, Athlone Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klebesadel, R. W., Strong, I. B., and Olson, R. A.: 1973,Astrophys. J. Letters 182, L85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oort, J. H.: 1950,Bull. Astron. Inst. Neth. 11, 91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sofia, S. and Van Horn, H. M.: 1974,Astrophys. J. 194, 593.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sofia, S. and Van Horn, H. M.: 1975,The Seventh Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics, Annals of the New York Acad. Sciences, in press.

  • Strong, I. B. and Klebesadel, R. W.: 1974,Nature 251, 396.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Astronomy, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla., U.S.A.

    Sabatino Sofia & Robert E. Wilson

  2. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainsville, Fla., U.S.A.

    Sabatino Sofia & Robert E. Wilson

Authors
  1. Sabatino Sofia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert E. Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sofia, S., Wilson, R.E. Local gamma ray events as tests of the antimatter theory of gamma ray bursts. Astrophys Space Sci 39, L7–L11 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00640527

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00640527

Keywords

Search

Navigation