Possible Optical/Infrared Jet Emission in 4U 1543-47

We have taken optical and infrared observations during the 2002 outburst of the soft X-ray transient, 4U 1543-47. A secondary maximum occurs in the lightcurves during the outburst decline. This feature is much stronger at infrared wavelengths than optical. We have applied single blackbody, multicolor blackbody and broken-power law models to the optical/infrared spectral energy distribution of the secondary maximum and find that the broken power-law provides the best fit. We therefore conclude that the secondary maximum emission originates from a jet. We also show the most recent lightcurves of the 2002/2003 outburst of GX 339-4 in which a secondary maximum appears. This leads us to the conclusion that secondary maxima may be a common occurrence in soft X-ray transients during outburst decline which appear after the object transitions into the low-hard state. Infrared observations of such phenomena will give reliable triggers for multiwavelength observations, allowing us to greatly improve our knowledge of jet formation and behavior, and how this relates to the accretion geometry.Comment: 4 pages, to appear in ``X-Ray Timing 2003: Rossi and Beyond'' conference proceedings, references now visibl

The Phonon Drag Effect in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

A variational solution of the coupled electron-phonon Boltzmann equations is used to calculate the phonon drag contribution to the thermopower in a 1-D system. A simple formula is derived for the temperature dependence of the phonon drag in metallic, single-walled carbon nanotubes. Scattering between different electronic bands yields nonzero values for the phonon drag as the Fermi level varies.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Discovery of a supernova associated with GRB 031203: SMARTS Optical-Infrared Lightcurves from 0.2 to 92 days

Optical and infrared monitoring of the afterglow site of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 031203 has revealed a brightening source embedded in the host galaxy, which we attribute to the presence of a supernova (SN) related to the GRB ("SN 031203"). We present details of the discovery and evolution of SN 031203 from 0.2 to 92 days after the GRB, derived from SMARTS consortium photometry in I and J bands. A template type Ic lightcurve, constructed from SN 1998bw photometry, is consistent with the peak brightness of SN 031203 although the lightcurves are not identical. Differential astrometry reveals that the SN, and hence the GRB, occurred less than 300 h_71^-1 pc (3-sigma) from the apparent galaxy center. The peak of the supernova is brighter than the optical afterglow suggesting that this source is intermediate between a strong GRB and a supernova.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, submitted to ApJ Letter

The 2002 Outburst of the Black-Hole X-ray Binary 4U 1543-47: Optical and Infrared Light Curves

We have obtained simultaneous optical and near infrared observations of 4U 1543-47 during its 2002 outburst. The most striking feature of the outburst light curve is the secondary maximum which appears after the object transitions into the low-hard state. This secondary maximum is much stronger in the infrared bands than optical. We suggest that the origin of the secondary maximum flux may be synchrotron radiation associated with a jet. Close infrared monitoring may lead to reliable triggers for simultaneous multiwavelength campaigns to study jet formation processes.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Complete Multiwavelength Evolution of Galactic Black Hole Transients During Outburst Decay II: Compact Jets and X-ray Variability Properties

We investigated the relation between compact jet emission and X-ray variability properties of all black hole transients with multiwavelength coverage during their outburst decays. We studied the evolution of all power spectral components (including low frequency quasi-periodic oscillations), and related this evolution to changes in jet properties tracked by radio and infrared observations. We grouped sources according to their tracks in radio/X-ray luminosity relation, and show that the standards show stronger broadband X-ray variability than outliers at a given X-ray luminosity when the compact jet turned on. This trend is consistent with the internal shock model and can be important for the understanding of the presence of tracks in the radio/X-ray luminosity relation. We also observed that the total and the QPO rms amplitudes increase together during the earlier part of the outburst decay, but after the compact jet turns either the QPO disappears or its rms amplitude decreases significantly while the total rms amplitudes remain high. We discuss these results with a scenario including a variable corona and a non-variable disk with a mechanism for the QPO separate from the mechanism that create broad components. Finally, we evaluated the timing predictions of the magnetically dominated accretion flow model which can explain the presence of tracks in the radio/X-ray luminosity relation.Comment: Accepted for publication by Ap

The Formation Rate of Blue Stragglers in 47 Tucanae

We investigate the effects of changes in the blue straggler formation rate in globular clusters on the blue straggler distribution in the color-magnitude diagram. We find that the blue straggler distribution is highly sensitive to the past formation rate. Comparing our models to new UBV observations of a region close to the core of 47 Tucanae suggests that this cluster may have stopped forming blue straggler formation several Gyr ago. This cessation of formation can be associated with an epoch of primordial binary burning which has been invoked in other clusters to infer the imminence of core collapse.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journa

Central Proper-Motion Kinematics of NGC 6752

We present proper motions derived from WFPC2 imaging for stars in the core of the peculiar globular cluster NGC 6752. The central velocity dispersion in both components of the proper motion is 12 km/s. We discuss the implications of this result as well as the intrinsic difficulties in making such measurements. We also give an alternative correction for the 34-row problem in the WFPC2 CCDs.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, 1 table included. Accepted for publication in A

The "universal" radio/X-ray flux correlation : the case study of the black hole GX 339-4

The existing radio and X-ray flux correlation for Galactic black holes in the hard and quiescent states relies on a sample which is mostly dominated by two sources (GX 339-4 and V404 Cyg) observed in a single outburst. In this paper, we report on a series of radio and X-ray observations of the recurrent black hole GX 339-4 with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and the Swift satellites. With our new long term campaign, we now have a total of 88 quasi-simultaneous radio and X-ray observations of GX 339-4 during its hard state, covering a total of seven outbursts over a 15--year period. Our new measurements represent the largest sample for a stellar mass black hole, without any bias from distance uncertainties, over the largest flux variations and down to a level that could be close to quiescence, making GX 339-4 the reference source for comparison with other accreting sources (black holes, neutrons stars, white dwarfs and active galactic nuclei). Our results demonstrate a very strong and stable coupling between radio and X-ray emission, despite several outbursts of different nature and separated by a period of quiescence. The radio and X-ray luminosity correlation of the form L_X ~L_Rad^0.62 +/-0.01 confirms the non-linear coupling between the jet and the inner accretion flow powers and better defines the standard correlation track in the radio-X-ray diagram for stellar mass black holes. We further note epochs of deviations from the fit that significantly exceed the measurement uncertainties, especially during the formation and destruction of the compact jets ...[abridged]. We incorporated our new data in a more global study of black hole candidates strongly supporting a scale invariance in the jet-accretion coupling of accreting black holes, and confirms the existence of two populations of sources in the radio/X-ray diagram.Comment: Paper accepted in MNRAS. 18 pages, 9 figure