OSSE and RXTE observations of GRS 1915+105: evidence for nonthermal comptonization

Abstract

GRS 1915+105 was observed by the Oriented Scintillation Spectroscopy Experiment (OSSE) aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory nine times in 1995-2000, and eight of those observations were simultaneous with those by the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). We present an analysis of all of the OSSE data and of two RXTE-OSSE spectra with the lowest and highest X-ray fluxes. The OSSE data show a power-law-like spectrum extending up to ≳ 600 keV without any break. We interpret this emission as strong evidence for the presence of nonthermal electrons in the source. The broadband spectra cannot be described by either thermal or bulk-motion Comptonization, whereas they are well described by Comptonization in hybrid thermal/nonthermal plasmas.