Using H-alpha as a Tracer of the Emission Region of LS I +61 303

M. Virginia McSwain

Published 2011-10-31Version 1

The gamma-ray binary LS I +61 303 is one of the brightest Fermi sources, with orbitally modulated emission across the electromagnetic spectrum. Here we present H-alpha spectra of LS I +61 303 that exhibit a dramatic emission burst shortly before apastron, observed as a redshifted shoulder in the line profile. A correlated burst in radio, X-ray, and GeV emission is observed at the same orbital phase. We interpret the source of the emission as a compact pulsar wind nebula that forms when a tidal mass stream from the Be circumstellar disk interacts with the relativistic pulsar wind. The H-alpha emission offers an important probe of the high energy emission morphology in this system.