Pulsar interpretation for the AMS-02 result

Abstract

The AMS-02 collaboration has just published a high precision measurement of the cosmic positron fraction $e^+/(e^- + e^+)$, which rises with energy from $\sim 5$ GeV to $\sim 350$ GeV. The result indicates the existence of primary electron/positron sources to account for the positron excess. In this work, we investigate the possibility that the nearby mature pulsars are the primary positron sources. By fitting the data we find that the positrons from a single nearby pulsar, such as Geminga or Monogem, with the spectral index $\alpha \sim 2$ can interpret the AMS-02 result. We also investigate the possibility that high energy positrons are generated by multiple known pulsars in the ATNF catalogue. Such a scenario can also fit the AMS-02 data well. Future precise measurements of fine structures in the positron spectrum would be a support to the pulsar scenario.