Pair cascades in the disk environment of the binary system PSR B1259-63/LS 2883

Abstract

PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 is a very high energy (VHE; E>100 GeV) γ-ray emitting binary consisting of a 48 ms pulsar orbiting around a Be star with a period of ∼3.4 years. The Be star features a circumstellar disk which is inclined with respect to the orbit in such a way that the pulsar crosses it twice every orbit. The circumstellar disk provides an additional field of target photons which may contribute to inverse Compton scattering and γγ-absorption, leaving a characteristic imprint in the observed spectrum of the high energy emission. At GeV energies, the source was detected for the first time during the previous periastron passage which took place on December 15, 2010. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) reported a spectacular and unexpected γ-ray flare occurring around 30 days after periastron and lasting for about 7 weeks. In this paper, we study the signatures of Compton-supported, VHE γ-ray induced pair cascades in the circumstellar disc of the Be star and their possible contribution to the GeV flux. We show that cascade emission generated in the disk cannot be responsible for the GeV flare, but it might explain the GeV emission observed close to periastron. We also show that the γγ-absorption in the disk might explain the observed TeV light curve.