Discovery of X-ray eclipses from the transient source CXOGC J174540.0-290031 with XMM-Newton

We present the XMM-Newton observations obtained during four revolutions in Spring and Summer 2004 of CXOGC J174540.0-290031, a moderately bright transient X-ray source, located at only 2.9" from SgrA*. We report the discovery of sharp and deep X-ray eclipses, with a period of 27,961+/-5 s and a duration of about 1,100+/-100 s, observed during the two consecutive XMM revolutions from August 31 to September 2. No deep eclipses were present during the two consecutive XMM revolutions from March 28 to April 1, 2004. The spectra during all four observations are well described with an absorbed power law continuum. While our fits on the power law index over the four observations yield values that are consistent with Gamma=1.6-2.0, there appears to be a significant increase in the column density during the Summer 2004 observations, i.e. the period during which the eclipses are detected. The intrinsic luminosity in the 2-10 keV energy range is almost constant with 1.8-2.3 x 10^34 (d_8kpc)^2 erg/s over the four observations. In the framework of eclipsing semidetached binary systems, we show that the eclipse period constrains the mass of the assumed main-sequence secondary star to less than 1.0 M_odot. Therefore, we deduce that CXOGC J174540.0-290031 is a low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB). Moreover the eclipse duration constrains the mass of the compact object to less than about 60 M_odot, which is consistent with a stellar mass black hole or a neutron star. The absence of deep X-ray eclipses during the Spring 2004 observations could be explained if the centroid of the X-ray emitting region moves from a position on the orbital plane to a point above the compact object, possibly coincident with the base of the jet which was detected in radio at this epoch. [Abstract truncated].Comment: A&A, accepted for publication (10 pages, 8 figures, 2 Tables

AX J1749.1-2733 and AX J1749.2-2725 - the close pair of X-ray pulsars behind the Galactic Center: an optical identification

Two faint X-ray pulsars, AX J1749.2-2725 and AX J1749.1-2733, located in the direction to the Galactic Center, were studied in detail using data of INTEGRAL, XMM-Newton and Chandra observatories in X-rays, the SOFI/NTT instrument in infrared and the RTT150 telescope in optics. X-ray positions of both sources were determined with the uncertainty better than ~1 arcsec, that allowed us to identify their infrared counterparts. From the subsequent analysis of infrared and optical data we conclude that counterparts of both pulsars are likely massive stars of B0-B3 classes located behind the Galactic Center at distances of 12-20 kpc, depending on the type, probably in further parts of galactic spiral arms. In addition, we investigated the extinction law towards the galactic bulge and found that it is significantly different from standard one.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, will be published in MNRA

ASCA X-ray source catalogue in the Galactic Center region

The ASCA satellite made 107 pointing observations on a 5 x 5 deg^2 region around the center of our Milky Way Galaxy (the Galactic Center) from 1993 to 1999. In the X-ray images of the 0.7--3 keV or 3--10 keV bands, we found 52 point sources and a dozen diffuse sources. All the point sources are uniformly fitted with an absorbed power-law model. For selected bright sources, Sgr A*, AX J1745.6-2901, A 1742-294, SLX 1744-300, GRO J1744-28, SLX 1737-282, GRS 1734-292, AX J1749.2-2725, KS 1741-293, GRS 1741.9-2853, and an unusual flare source XTE J1739-302, we present further detailed spectral and timing analyses, and discuss their nature. The dozen extended X-ray sources comprise radio supernova remnants, giant molecular clouds, and some new discoveries. Most show emission lines from either highly ionized atoms or low-ionized irons. The X-ray spectra were fitted with either a thin thermal or power-law model. This paper summarizes the results and provides the ASCA X-ray source catalogue in the Galactic Center region.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJS, also found in http://www.star.le.ac.uk/~mas/research/paper/#Sakano2001apj

Bursting behavior of the Galactic Center faint X-ray transient GRS 1741.9-2853

The neutron star low-mass X-ray binary GRS 1741.9-2853 is a known type-I burster of the Galactic Center. It is transient, faint, and located in a very crowded region, only 10 arcmin from the supermassive black hole Sgr A*. Therefore, its bursting behavior has been poorly studied so far. In particular, its persistent emission has rarely been detected between consecutive bursts, due to lack of sensitivity or confusion. This is what made GRS 1741.9-2853 one of the nine "burst-only sources" identified by BeppoSAX a few years ago. The physical properties of GRS 1741.9-2853 bursts are yet of great interest since we know very little about the nuclear regimes at stake in low accretion rate bursters. We examine here for the first time several bursts in relation with the persistent emission of the source, using INTEGRAL, XMM-Newton, and Swift observations. We investigate the source flux variability and bursting behavior during its 2005 and 2007 long outbursts. The persistent luminosity of GRS 1741.9-2853 varied between ~1.7 and 10.5 10^36 erg s^-1, i.e. 0.9-5.3% of the Eddington luminosity. The shape of the spectrum as described by an absorbed power-law remained with a photon index Gamma ~ 2 and a column density $N_{\rm H} ~ 12 10^22 cm^-2 throughout the outbursts. We discovered 11 type-I bursts with INTEGRAL, and inspected 4 additional bursts: 2 recorded by XMM-Newton and 2 by Swift. From the brigthest burst, we derive an upper limit on the source distance of ~7 kpc. The observed bursts characteristics and source accretion rate suggest pure helium explosions igniting at column depths y_{ign} ~ 0.8-4.8 10^8 g cm^-1, for typical energy releases of ~1.2-7.4 10^39 erg.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&

A New 626 s Periodic X-ray Source in the Direction of the Galactic Center

Here we report the detection of a 626 s periodic modulation from the X-ray source 2XMM J174016.0-290337 located in the direction of the Galactic center. We present temporal and spectral analyses of archival XMM-Newton data and photometry of archived near-infrared data in order to investigate the nature of this source. We find that the X-ray light curve shows a strong modulation at 626 +/- 2 s with a confidence level > 99.9% and a pulsed fraction of 54%. Spectral fitting demonstrates that the spectrum is consistent with an absorbed power law. No significant spectral variability was observed over the 626 s period. We have investigated the possibility that the 626 s period is orbital in nature (either that of an ultra-compact X-ray binary or an AM CVn) or related to the spin of a compact object (either an accretion powered pulsar or an intermediate polar). The X-ray properties of the source and the photometry of the candidate near-infrared counterparts are consistent with an accreting neutron star X-ray binary on the near-side of the Galactic bulge, where the 626 s period is most likely indicative of the pulsar spin period. However, we cannot rule out an ultra-compact X-ray binary or an intermediate polar with the data at hand. In the former case, if the 626 s modulation is the orbital period of an X-ray binary, it would be the shortest period system known. In the latter case, the modulation would be the spin period of a magnetic white dwarf. However, we find no evidence for absorption dips over the 626 s period, a low temperature black body spectral component, or Fe Kalpha emission lines. These features are commonly observed in intermediate polars, making 2XMM J174016.0-290337 a rather unusual member of this class if confirmed. We instead suggest that 2XMM J174016.0-290337 could be a new addition to the emerging class of symbiotic X-ray binaries.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, submitted to A&A on 18th January 2010, accepted for publication 20th August 201

OH (1720 MHz) Masers and Mixed-Morphology Supernova Remnants

Radio surveys of supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Galaxy have uncovered 19 SNRs accompanied by OH maser emission at 1720 MHz. This unusual class of maser sources is suggested to be produced behind a shock front from the expansion of a supernova remnant running into a molecular cloud. An important ingredient of this model is that X-ray emission from the remnant enhances the production of OH molecule. The role of X-ray emission from maser emitting (ME) SNRs is investigated by comparing the X-ray induced ionization rate with theory. One aspect of this model is verified: there is a strong association between maser emitting and mixed-morphology (MM) or thermal composite SNRs --center-filled thermal X-ray emission surrounded by shell-like radio morphology. We also present ROSAT and ASCA observations of two maser emitting SNRs: G21.8--0.6 (Kes 69) and G357.7--0.1 (Tornado).Comment: 13 pages, 2 tables, 1 figure, ApJ (in press

New fast X-ray transient IGR J18462-0223 discovered by the INTEGRAL observatory

Details of the discovery of a new X-ray source, IGR J18462-0223, on October 12, 2007, during a short (several hours), intense (~ 35 mCrab at the peak) outburst of hard radiation by the IBIS/ISGRI gamma-ray telescope onboard the INTEGRAL observatory are given. The detection of another earlier outburst from this source occurred on April 28, 2006, in the archival data of the telescope is reported. We present the results of the source's localization and our spectral/timing analysis of the observational data. The source may turn out to be yet another representative of the continuously growing population of fast X-ray transients, which are the focus of attention because of the identification of their optical counterparts with early-type supergiants

Optical Identification of the ASCA Large Sky Survey

We present results of optical identification of the X-ray sources detected in the ASCA Large Sky Survey. Optical spectroscopic observations were done for 34 X-ray sources which were detected with the SIS in the 2-7 keV band above 3.5 sigma. The sources are identified with 30 AGNs, 2 clusters of galaxies, and 1 galactic star. Only 1 source is still unidentified. The flux limit of the sample corresponds to 1 x 10^{-13} erg s^{-1} cm^{-2} in the 2-10 keV band. Based on the sample, the paper discusses optical and X-ray spectral properties of the AGNs, contribution of the sources to the Cosmic X-ray Background, and redshift and luminosity distributions of the AGNs. An interesting result is that the redshift distribution of the AGNs suggests a deficiency of high-redshift (0.5 10^{44} erg s^{-1}) absorbed narrow-line AGNs (so called type 2 QSOs).Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 57 pages with 13 figures, 9 JPG plates, 5 additional PS tables. Original EPS plates (gzipped format ~1Mbyte/plate) and TeX tables are available from ftp://ftp.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/pub/akiyama/0001289

Further studies of 1E 1740.7-2942 with ASCA

We report the ASCA results of the Great Annihilator 1E 1740.7-2942 obtained with five pointing observations in a time span of 3.5 years. The X-ray spectrum for each period is well fitted with a single power-law absorbed by a high column of gas. The X-ray flux changes by a factor of 2 from period to period, but the other spectral parameters show no significant change. The photon index is flat with \Gamma = 0.9--1.3. The column densities of hydrogen N_H is $\sim$ 1.0 x 10^{23} H cm^{-2} and that of iron N_{Fe} is $\sim$ 10^{19} Fe cm^{-2}. These large column densities indicate that 1E 1740.7-2942 is near at the Galactic Center. The column density ratio leads the iron abundance to be 2 times larger than the other elements in a unit of the solar ratio. The equivalent width of the K\alpha-line from a neutral iron is less than 15 eV in 90% confidence. This indicates that the iron column density within several parsecs from 1E 1740.7-2942 is less than 5 x 10^{17} Fe cm^{-2}. In addition, the derived hydrogen column density is about 1/6 of that of giant molecular clouds in the line of sight. All these facts support that 1E 1740.7-2942 is not in a molecular cloud, but possibly in front of it; the X-rays are not powered by accretion from a molecular cloud, but from a companion star like ordinary X-ray binaries.Comment: To appear in ApJ July 20, 1999 issue, Vol. 520 #1, 23 pages LaTeX files, uses aasms4.sty and psfig.sty, also available at http://www-cr.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp/member/sakano/work/paper/index-e.htm

Analysis of Shot Noise at Finite Temperatures in Fractional Quantum Hall Edge States

We investigate shot noise at {\it finite temperatures} induced by the quasi-particle tunneling between fractional quantum Hall (FQH) edge states. The resulting Fano factor has the peak structure at a certain bias voltage. Such a structure indicates that quasi-particles are weakly {\it glued} due to thermal fluctuation. We show that the effect makes it possible to probe the difference of statistics between $\nu=1/5,{}2/5$ FQH states where quasi-particles have the same unit charge.Finally we propose a way to indirectly obtain statistical angle in hierarchical FQH states.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure