On the origin of correlated X-ray/VHE emission from LS I +61 303

TL;DR

This study models simultaneous X-ray and VHE gamma-ray emission from LS I +61 303, suggesting adiabatic losses as a key factor and providing insights into particle acceleration and emission mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a one-zone leptonic model with adiabatic losses to explain correlated X-ray and VHE emissions in LS I +61 303, improving understanding of the source's behavior.

Findings

Model reproduces X-ray and VHE spectra and lightcurves

Adiabatic losses are key to explaining emission patterns

Fermi GeV emission likely from a different particle population

Abstract

The MAGIC collaboration has recently reported correlated X-ray and very high-energy gamma-ray emission from the gamma-ray binary LS I +61 303 during ~60% of one orbit. These observations suggest that the emission in these two bands has its origin in a single particle population. We aim at improving our understanding of the source behaviour by explaining the simultaneous X-ray and VHE data through a radiation model. We use a model based on a one zone population of relativistic leptonic particles assuming dominant adiabatic losses located at the position of the compact object. The adiabatic cooling timescale is inferred from the X-ray fluxes. The model can reproduce the spectra and lightcurves in the X-ray and VHE bands. Adiabatic losses could be the key ingredient to explain the X-ray and partially the VHE lightcurves. From the best fit result, we obtain a magnetic field of B=0.2 G, a minimum luminosity budget of ~2x10^35 erg/s and a relatively high acceleration efficiency. In addition, our results seem to confirm that the GeV emission detected by Fermi does not come from the same parent particle population as the X-ray and VHE emission and the Fermi spectrum poses a constraint on the hardness of the particle spectrum at lower energies. In the context of our scenario, more sensitive observations would allow to constrain the inclination angle, which could determine the nature of the compact object.