Abstract
VASSEUR et al.1 have recently presented results which, they suggest, appear to show that the Crab pulsar NP 0531 + 21 emits a flux of ∼ 10−5 photons cm−2 s−1 at a photon energy >50 MeV. Their results, based on balloon-borne spark chamber observations, would, if confirmed, be of great significance not only for the Crab pulsar but also for the field of gamma ray astronomy as a whole, where the evidence for point sources of gamma rays remains marginal2. We feel, however, that the statistical weight of the data in the report is much weaker than the authors suggest.
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Vasseur, J., Paul, J., Parlier, B., Leray, J. P., Forichon, M., Agrinier, B., Boella, G., Maraschi, L., Treves, A., Buccheri, R., and Scarsi, L., Nature, 226, 534 (1970).
Fazio, G. G., Nature, 225, 905 (1970).
Fishman, G. J., Harnden, F. R., Johnson, W. N., and Haymes, R. C., Astrophys. J. Lett., 158, L61 (1969).
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CHARMAN, W., WHITE, G. Possible Pulsed Gamma Ray Emission from the Crab Nebula Pulsar. Nature 226, 1233 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/2261233a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2261233a0
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