14,199 research outputs found
The quiescent X-ray emission of three transient X-ray pulsars
We report on BeppoSAX and Chandra observations of three Hard X-Ray Transients
in quiescence containing fast spinning (P<5 s) neutron stars: A 0538-66, 4U
0115+63 and V 0332+53. These observations allowed us to study these transients
at the faintest flux levels thus far. Spectra are remarkably different from the
ones obtained at luminosities a factor >10 higher, testifying that the
quiescent emission mechanism is different. Pulsations were not detected in any
of the sources, indicating that accretion of matter down to the neutron star
surface has ceased. We conclude that the quiescent emission of the three X-ray
transients likely originates from accretion onto the magnetospheric boundary in
the propeller regime and/or from deep crustal heating resulting from
pycnonuclear reactions during the outbursts.Comment: Accepted for publication on ApJ (5 pages and 2 figures
Sensitivity of Antarctic Urospora penicilliformis (Ulotrichales, Chlorophyta) to ultraviolet radiation is life stage dependent
The sensitivity of different life stages of the eulittoral green alga Urospora penicilliformis (Roth) Aresch. to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) was examinedin the laboratory. Gametophytic filaments and propagules (zoospores and gametes) released from filaments were separately exposed to different fluence of radiation treatments consisting of PAR (P = 400700 nm), PAR + ultraviolet A (UVA) (PA, UVA = 320400 nm), and PAR + UVA + ultraviolet B (UVB) (PAB, UVB = 280320 nm). Photophysiological indices (ETRmax, Ek, and a) derived from rapid light curves were measured in controls, while photosynthetic efficiency and amount of DNA lesions in terms of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) were measured after exposure to radiation treatments and after recovery in low PAR; pigments of propagules were quantified after exposure treatment only. The photosynthetic conversion efficiency (a) and photosynthetic capacity (rETRmax) were higher in gametophytes compared with the propagules. The propagules were slightly more sensitive to UVB-induced DNA damage; however, both life stages of the eulittoral inhabiting turf alga were not severely affected by the negative impacts of UVR. Exposure to a maximum of 8 h UVR caused mild effects on the photochemical efficiency of PSII and induced minimal DNA lesions in both the gametophytes and propagules. Pigment concentrations were not significantly different between PAR-exposed and PAR + UVRexposed propagules. Our data showed that U. penicilliformis from the Antarctic is ratherinsensitive to the applied UVR. This amphi-equatorial species possesses different protective mechanisms that can cope with high UVR in coldtemperatewaters of both hemispheres and in polar regions under conditions of increasing UVR as a consequence of further reduction of stratosphericozone
The faster the narrower: characteristic bulk velocities and jet opening angles of Gamma Ray Bursts
The jet opening angle theta_jet and the bulk Lorentz factor Gamma_0 are
crucial parameters for the computation of the energetics of Gamma Ray Bursts
(GRBs). From the ~30 GRBs with measured theta_jet or Gamma_0 it is known that:
(i) the real energetic E_gamma, obtained by correcting the isotropic equivalent
energy E_iso for the collimation factor ~theta_jet^2, is clustered around
10^50-10^51 erg and it is correlated with the peak energy E_p of the prompt
emission and (ii) the comoving frame E'_p and E'_gamma are clustered around
typical values. Current estimates of Gamma_0 and theta_jet are based on
incomplete data samples and their observed distributions could be subject to
biases. Through a population synthesis code we investigate whether different
assumed intrinsic distributions of Gamma_0 and theta_jet can reproduce a set of
observational constraints. Assuming that all bursts have the same E'_p and
E'_gamma in the comoving frame, we find that Gamma_0 and theta_jet cannot be
distributed as single power-laws. The best agreement between our simulation and
the available data is obtained assuming (a) log-normal distributions for
theta_jet and Gamma_0 and (b) an intrinsic relation between the peak values of
their distributions, i.e theta_jet^2.5*Gamma_0=const. On average, larger values
of Gamma_0 (i.e. the "faster" bursts) correspond to smaller values of theta_jet
(i.e. the "narrower"). We predict that ~6% of the bursts that point to us
should not show any jet break in their afterglow light curve since they have
sin(theta_jet)<1/Gamma_0. Finally, we estimate that the local rate of GRBs is
~0.3% of all local SNIb/c and ~4.3% of local hypernovae, i.e. SNIb/c with
broad-lines.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Multiple tidal disruption flares in the active galaxy IC 3599
Tidal disruption events occur when a star passes too close to a massive black
hole and it is totally ripped apart by tidal forces. It may also happen that
the star is not close enough to the black hole to be totally disrupted and a
less dramatic event might happen. If the stellar orbit is bound and highly
eccentric, just like some stars in the centre of our own Galaxy, repeated
flares should occur. When the star approaches the black hole tidal radius at
periastron, matter might be stripped resulting in lower intensity outbursts
recurring once every orbital period. We report on Swift observations of a
recent bright flare from the galaxy IC 3599 hosting a middle-weight black hole,
where a possible tidal disruption event was observed in the early 1990s. By
light curve modelling and spectral fitting we can consistently account for the
events as the non-disruptive tidal stripping of a star into a highly eccentric
orbit. The recurrence time is 9.5 yr. IC 3599 is also known to host a
low-luminosity active galactic nucleus. Tidal stripping from this star over
several orbital passages might be able to spoon-feed also this activity.Comment: Accepted for publication to Astronomy & Astrophysic
Bulk Lorentz factors of Gamma-Ray Bursts
Knowledge of the bulk Lorentz factor of GRBs allows us to
compute their comoving frame properties shedding light on their physics. Upon
collisions with the circumburst matter, the fireball of a GRB starts to
decelerate, producing a peak or a break (depending on the circumburst density
profile) in the light curve of the afterglow. Considering all bursts with known
redshift and with an early coverage of their emission, we find 67 GRBs with a
peak in their optical or GeV light curves at a time . For another
106 GRBs we set an upper limit . We show that
is due to the dynamics of the fireball deceleration and not to the passage of a
characteristic frequency of the synchrotron spectrum across the optical band.
Considering the of 66 long GRBs and the 85 most constraining upper
limits, using censored data analysis methods, we reconstruct the most likely
distribution of . All are larger than the time when the prompt emission peaks, and are much larger than the time when the fireball becomes transparent. The reconstructed distribution of
has median value 300 (150) for a uniform (wind) circumburst
density profile. In the comoving frame, long GRBs have typical isotropic
energy, luminosity, and peak energy erg, erg s ,
and keV in the homogeneous (wind) case. We
confirm that the significant correlations between and the rest frame
isotropic energy (), luminosity () and peak energy
() are not due to selection effects. Assuming a typical opening
angle of 5 degrees, we derive the distribution of the jet baryon loading which
is centered around a few .Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication on Astronomy
& Astrophysic
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