The search for high-energy gamma-ray emission from the close binary system AR Scorpii using Fermi-LAT data

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dc.contributor.advisorMeintjes, P. J.
dc.contributor.advisorVan Heerden, H. J.
dc.contributor.authorKaplan, Quinton
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-09T09:01:00Z
dc.date.available2023-01-09T09:01:00Z
dc.date.issued2021-10
dc.description.abstractAR Scorpii (AR Sco) is an enigmatic close binary system which is observable across most of the electromagnetic spectrum. Multi-wavelength emission consists of both thermal and non-thermal components, where pulsed non-thermal emission has been observed from radio to X-ray. The apparent lack of accretion in the system also suggests that the highly magnetic white dwarf is primarily spin-powered, similar to pulsars, where particles can be accelerated to produce non-thermal emission. The multi-wavelength nature from radio to X-ray of AR Sco has been extensively studied and presented since 2016, showing a clear non-thermal synchrotron component from optical to X-ray. However, the parameters and processes towards the high-energy regime still need to be clearly verified and explored. Hence, a search for non-thermal γ-ray emission from AR Sco using archival Fermi data from the past decade has been performed. By using updated Fermi-LAT software and Pass 8 analysis methods, low-level upper-limit emission has been observed above 100 MeV, with a possible low-level pulsed signal at the spin period (Ps = 117 s) of the white dwarf. Given the results, the possibility of non-thermal emission at higher energies can not be excluded. An updated spectral energy distribution using Fermi-LAT data was also produced to serve as a template for future studies using more sensitive Cherenkov telescope detectors like e.g. the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA).en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11660/12017
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherUniversity of the Free Stateen_ZA
dc.rights.holderUniversity of the Free Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectHigh-energy emissionen_ZA
dc.subjectNon-thermal emissionen_ZA
dc.subjectFermi γ-ray space telescopeen_ZA
dc.subject4FGLen_ZA
dc.subjectPass 8en_ZA
dc.subjectLikelihood analysisen_ZA
dc.subjectTime-series analysisen_ZA
dc.subjectCataclysmic variable staren_ZA
dc.subjectstar - AR Scoen_ZA
dc.subjectDissertation (M.Sc. (Physics))--University of the Fee State, 2021en_ZA
dc.titleThe search for high-energy gamma-ray emission from the close binary system AR Scorpii using Fermi-LAT dataen_ZA
dc.typeDissertationen_ZA
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