511 keV line from millisecond pulsars in the Galactic center

Abstract

Observations of a strong and extended positron-electron annihilation line emission in the Galactic center (GC) region by the SPI/INTEGRAL are challenging to the existing models of positron sources in the Galaxy. In this paper, we study the possibility that pulsar winds from a millisecond pulsar population in the GC produce the 511 keV line. Our preliminary estimations predict that the e+/- annihilation rate in the GC is around 5 x 10E+42 sE-1, which is consistent with the present observational constraints. Therefore, the e+/- pairs from pulsar winds can contribute significantly to the positron sources in the Galactic center region. Furthermore, since the diffusion length of positrons is short in the magnetic field, we predict that the intensity distribution of the annihilation line should follow the distribution of millisecond pulsars, which should then correlate to the mass distribution in the GC.