115 research outputs found
The Nature of the Hard-X-Ray Emitting Symbiotic Star RT Cru
We describe Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer
observations of RT Cru, the first of a new sub-class of symbiotic stars that
appear to contain white dwarfs (WDs) capable of producing hard X-ray emission
out to greater than 50 keV. The production of such hard X-ray emission from the
objects in this sub-class (which also includes CD -57 3057, T CrB, and CH Cyg)
challenges our understanding of accreting WDs. We find that the 0.3 -- 8.0 keV
X-ray spectrum of RT Cru emanates from an isobaric cooling flow, as in the
optically thin accretion-disk boundary layers of some dwarf novae. The
parameters of the spectral fit confirm that the compact accretor is a WD, and
they are consistent with the WD being massive. We detect rapid, stochastic
variability from the X-ray emission below 4 keV. The combination of flickering
variability and a cooling-flow spectrum indicates that RT Cru is likely powered
by accretion through a disk. Whereas the cataclysmic variable stars with the
hardest X-ray emission are typically magnetic accretors with X-ray flux
modulated at the WD spin period, we find that the X-ray emission from RT Cru is
not pulsed. RT Cru therefore shows no evidence for magnetically channeled
accretion, consistent with our interpretation that the Chandra spectrum arises
from an accretion-disk boundary layer.Comment: 3 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Optical polarimetric monitoring of the type II-plateau SN 2005af
Aims. Core-collapse supernovae may show significant polarization that implies
non-spherically symmetric explosions. We observed the type II-plateau SN 2005af
using optical polarimetry in order to verify whether any asphericity is present
in the supernova temporal evolution. Methods. We used the IAGPOL imaging
polarimeter to obtain optical linear polarization measurements in R (five
epochs) and V (one epoch) broadbands. Interstellar polarization was estimated
from the field stars in the CCD frames. The optical polarimetric monitoring
began around one month after the explosion and lasted ~30 days, between the
plateau and the early nebular phase. Results. The weighted mean observed
polarization in R band was [1.89 +/- 0.03]% at position angle (PA) 54 deg.
After foreground subtraction, the level of the average intrinsic polarization
for SN 2005af was ~0.5% with a slight enhancement during the plateau phase and
a decline at early nebular phase. A rotation in PA on a time scale of days was
also observed. The polarimetric evolution of SN 2005af in the observed epochs
is consistent with an overall asphericity of ~20% and an inclination of ~30
deg. Evidence for a more complex, evolving asphericity, possibly involving
clumps in the SN 2005af envelope, is found.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, to be published A&
Discovery of optical pulsations in V2116 Ophiuchi/GX 1+4
We report the detection of pulsations with s period in V2116 Oph,
the optical counterpart of the low-mass X-ray binary GX 1+4. The pulsations are
sinusoidal with modulation amplitude of up to 4% in blue light and were
observed in ten different observing sessions during 1996 April-August using a
CCD photometer at the 1.6-m and 0.6-m telescopes of Laborat\'orio Nacional de
Astrof\'{\i}sica, in Brazil. The pulsations were also observed with the
fast photometer. With only one exception the observed optical periods are
consistent with those observed by the BATSE instrument on board the Compton
Gamma Ray Observatory at the same epoch. There is a definite correlation
between the observability of pulsations and the optical brightness of the
system: V2116~Oph had magnitude in the range when the pulsed
signal was detected, and when no pulsations were present. The
discovery makes GX 1+4 only the third of accretion-powered X-ray
pulsars to be firmly detected as a pulsating source in the optical. The
presence of flickering and pulsations in V2116 Oph adds strong evidence for an
accretion disk scenario in this system. The absolute magnitude of the pulsed
component on 1996 May 27 is estimated to be . The implied
dimensions for the emitting region are 1.1 R_{\sun}, 3.2 R_{\sun}, and 7.0
R_{\sun}, for black-body spectral distributions with K, K, and K, respectively.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures in PostScript, latex, accepted for publication on
the Astrophysical Journal Letter
Swift Observations of Hard X-ray Emitting White Dwarfs in Symbiotic Stars
The X-ray emission from most accreting white dwarfs (WDs) in symbiotic binary
stars is quite soft. Several symbiotic WDs, however, produce strong X-ray
emission at energies greater than ~20 keV. The Swift BAT instrument has
detected hard X-ray emission from 4 such accreting WDs in symbiotic stars: RT
Cru, T CrB, CD -57 3057, and CH Cyg. In one case (RT Cru), Swift detected
X-rays out to greater than 50 keV at a > 5 sigma confidence level. Combining
data from the XRT and BAT detectors, we find that the 0.3-150 keV spectra of RT
Cru, T CrB, and CD -57 3057 are well described by emission from a
single-temperature, optically thin thermal plasma, plus an unresolved 6.4-6.9
keV Fe line complex. The X-ray spectrum of CH Cyg contains an additional bright
soft component. For all 4 systems, the spectra suffer high levels of absorption
from material that both fully and partially covers the source of hard X-rays.
The XRT data did not show any of the rapid, periodic variations that one would
expect if the X-ray emission were due to accretion onto a rotating, highly
magnetized WD. The X-rays were thus more likely from the accretion-disk
boundary layer around a massive, non-magnetic WD in each binary. The X-ray
emission from RT Cru varied on timescales of a few days. This variability is
consistent with being due to changes in the absorber that partially covers the
source, suggesting localized absorption from a clumpy medium moving into the
line of sight. The X-ray emission from CD -57 3057 and T CrB also varied during
the 9 months of Swift observations, in a manner that was also consistent with
variable absorption.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 9 pages, 6 figure
SPARC4: A Simultaneous Polarimeter and Rapid Camera in 4 Bands
We present the basic concept of a new astronomical instrument: SPARC4 -
Simultaneous Polarimeter and Rapid Camera in 4 bands. SPARC4 combines in one
instrument: (i) photometric and polarimetric modes; (ii) sub-second
time-resolution in photometric mode and excellent time-resolution in
polarimetric mode; (iii) simultaneous imaging in four broad-bands for both
modes. This combination will make SPARC4 a unique facility for ground-based
optical observatories. Presently, the project is in its conceptual design
phase.Comment: Poster presented at "Stellar Polarimetry: From birth to death". This
article has been submitted to AIP Conference Proceedings. After it is
published, it will be found at http://www.aip.or
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