Abstract
The γ burst1 of 5 March 1979 was observed by nine experiments2–6 widely spaced on an interplanetary scale allowing an accurate position for a γ-burst source to be determined2,6 for the first time. Spectral observations in the range 50–1,000 keV had sufficient time resolution to resolve spectral changes within the main burst. Early in the main burst, the typical photon energies declined from a spectrum similar to a 30 keV black body to that of a ∼26 keV black body. Thereafter, at the shoulder on the main burst the spectrum became harder (KT ∼31 keV). The γ burst apparently triggered an X-ray pulsar with a period of ∼8.0 s (refs 3–5,7) and with a softer spectrum (KT ≃ 12 keV). We show here that, although the source is probably a neutron star with an obliquely rotating magnetic field, simple cooling of residual hot spots does not completely explain the pulsations.
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Fenimore, E., Evans, W., Klebesadel, R. et al. Spectral evolution of the 5 March 1979 γ burst. Nature 289, 42–43 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/289042a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/289042a0
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