Abstract
A model of compact galactic nuclei in statistical equilibrium was developed in [L. Sh. Grigorian and G. S. Sahakian, Astrofizika (in press)]. It was shown that they should consist predominantly of neutron stars (pulsars) and white dwarfs. The problem of the energy reserves of galactic nuclei is discussed in terms of this concept. The mechanism of conversion of a white dwarf into a neutron star due to the accretion of interstellar matter is considered. This means that a galactic nucleus has an energy reserve of some 5·1060 N8 erg (N is the number of stars in the nucleus). It is shown that galactic nuclei are powerful sources of hard γ radiation [power L » 2·1044µ30N8(Ω/50)17/7 erg/sec, where µ is the magnetic moment and Ω is the angular rotation rate of a neutron star ] due to curvature radiation from relativistic electron fluxes flowing along channels of open magnetic field lines of pulsars. The x-ray and ultraviolet emission are due to synchrotron emission from the same electron fluxes in the magnetic field of the galactic nucleus (L » 1042-1044 erg/sec). The optical (visible and infrared) and radio emission are due to bremsstrahlung from electrons in the interstellar medium [L » 6·1046N 28 (5/Rpc)3 erg/sec, where R is the radius of the galactic nucleus]. An equation is obtained for the magnetic moment of a pulsar: µ ≈ 3.4·10-5LγP17/7, where P is the pulsar’s period and L03B3; is the luminosity of the pulsar’s y radiation.
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Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 483–496, October–December, 1997.
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Sahakian, G.S. Energetics of galactic nuclei. Astrophysics 40, 311–319 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03036019
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03036019