1,899 research outputs found
Enhanced abundances in three large-diameter mixed-morphology supernova remnants
We present an X-ray study of three mixed-morphology supernova remnants
(SNRs), HB 21, CTB 1 and HB 3, using archival ASCA and ROSAT data. These data
are complemented by archival Chandra X-ray Observatory data for CTB 1 and
XMM-Newton X-ray Observatory data for HB 3. The spectra from HB 21 and HB 3 are
well-described with a single-temperature thermal plasma in ionization
equilibrium, while a two-temperature thermal plasma is found in CTB 1. We found
enhanced abundances in all three SNRs. The elemental abundance of Mg is clearly
enhanced in CTB 1, while HB 21 has enhanced abundances of Si and S. The
situation is not so clear in HB 3 -- the plasma in this SNR either has
significantly enhanced abundances of O, Ne and Mg, or it has marginally
enhanced abundances of Mg and under-abundant Fe. We discuss the plausibility of
mixed-morphology SNR models for the three SNRs and the presence of enhanced
abundances. We revise a list of MM SNRs and their properties, compare the three
SNRs studied here with other members of this class, and discuss the presence of
enhanced elemental abundances in MM SNRs. We also report the ASCA detection of
a compact source in the southern part of HB 3. The source spectrum is
consistent with a power law with a photon index of ~2.7, and an unabsorbed
X-ray flux of ~10^{-12} erg/cm^2/s in the 0.5--10.0 keV band. The column
density towards this source differs from that towards the SNR, and it is
therefore unlikely they are related.Comment: 26 pages, 15 figures, revised version (minor changes), accepted for
publication in ApJ (10 Aug 2006
Analyzing X-Ray Pulsar Profiles: Geometry and Beam Pattern of Her X-1
We report on our analysis of a large sample of energy dependent pulse
profiles of the X-ray binary pulsar Hercules X-1. We find that all data are
compatible with the assumption of a slightly distorted magnetic dipole field as
sole cause of the asymmetry of the observed pulse profiles. Further the
analysis provides evidence that the emission from both poles is equal. We
determine an angle of 20 deg between the rotation axis and the local magnetic
axis. One pole has an offset of 5 deg from the antipodal position of the other
pole. The beam pattern shows structures that can be interpreted as pencil- and
fan-beam configurations. Since no assumptions on the polar emission are made,
the results can be compared with various emission models. A comparison of
results obtained from pulse profiles of different phases of the 35-day cycle
indicates different attenuation of the radiation from the poles being
responsible for the change of the pulse shape during the main-on state. These
results also suggest the resolution of an ambiguity within a previous analysis
of pulse profiles of Cen X-3, leading to a unique result for the beam pattern
of this pulsar as well. The analysis of pulse profiles of the short-on state
indicates that a large fraction of the radiation cannot be attributed to the
direct emission from the poles. We give a consistent explanation of both the
evolution of the pulse profile and the spectral changes with the 35-day cycle
in terms of a warped precessing accretion disk.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures. To appear in ApJ 529 #2, 1 Feb 200
Shocked Molecular Gas in the Supernova Remnant HB 21
We report the discovery of the shocked molecular gas in the supernova remnant
HB 21. We derive the physical parameters of the shocked gas from CO J=1-0 and
J=2-1 line observations. We discuss the correlation of the shocked molecular
gas with the previously detected, shocked atomic gas and the associated
infrared emission.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures, To appear in the ApJ, scheduled for the April
10, 2001 issue (v551
Antibody to a cryptic, solid phase ClQ antigen in membranoproliferative nephritis
Antibody to a cryptic solid phase Clq antigen in membranoproliferative nephritis. IgG containing material detected in membranoproliferative nephritis (MPGN) serum with a solid phase (sp) Clq ELISA has been presumed to be immune complexes. However, in serum from 13 MPGN patients containing large amounts of spClq-binding material, sucrose density ultracentrifugation and sieve chromatography showed spClq-binding protein to sediment at 7S or cofractionate with IgG. One serum (stored for 12 years) contained, in addition, spClq-binding material sedimenting at more than 19S. Isolated MPGN IgG was shown to bind to spClq SpClq-binding material could be totally removed from MPGN serum by absorption with BSA-anti-BSA immune precipitates, and by acid elution of the precipitates IgG binding to spClq could be recovered. F(abâČ)2, isolated from pepsin digested MPGN IgG, continued to bind spClq. Binding of MPGN IgG or F(abâČ)2 to spClq was not inhibited by 2 M NaCl. Incubation of MPGN serum with 125I Clq followed by sucrose density ultracentrifugation resulted in a peak of radioactivity at 11S, the sedimentation rate of Clq, giving evidence that material binding fluid phase Clq is not present SpClq-binding IgG was detected in 54% of 68 MPGN patients. These results indicate that the 7S spClq-binding IgG represents antibody to a cryptic antigen revealed only when Clq fixes to a solid surface
A Study of Labour Use on Irish Grassland Farms Specialising in Suckler Production
Important structural changes have taken place within the agricultural workforce in recent years. There has been a persistent decline in the proportion of the total workforce engaged in agriculture. Demand for labour by farmers has become a major issue, and if this shortage continues it will have a significant impact on the development of Irish farms in future (Ruane et al., 2001)
XMM-Newton discovery of transient X-ray pulsar in NGC 1313
We report on the discovery and analysis of the transient X-ray pulsar XMMU
J031747.5-663010 detected in the 2004 November 23 XMM-Newton observation of the
spiral galaxy NGC 1313. The X-ray source exhibits pulsations with a period
P~765.6 s and a nearly sinusoidal pulse shape and pulsed fraction ~38% in the
0.3-7 keV energy range. The X-ray spectrum of XMMU J031747.5-663010 is hard and
is well fitted with an absorbed simple power law of photon index ~1.5 in the
0.3-7 keV energy band. The X-ray properties of the source and the absence of an
optical/UV counterpart brighter than 20 mag allow us to identify XMMU
J031747.5-663010 as an accreting X-ray pulsar located in NGC 1313. The
estimated absorbed 0.3-7 keV luminosity of the source L~1.6\times 10^{39}
ergs/s, makes it one of the brightest X-ray pulsars known. Based on the
relatively long pulse period and transient behaviour of the source, we classify
it as a Be binary X-ray pulsar candidate. XMMU J031747.5-663010 is the second
X-ray pulsar detected outside the Local Group, after transient 18 s pulsating
source CXOU J073709.1+653544 discovered in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 2403.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Updated to
match the accepted versio
Hydrodynamical simulations of the jet in the symbiotic star MWC 560 III. Application to X-ray jets in symbiotic stars
In papers I and II in this series, we presented hydrodynamical simulations of
jet models with parameters representative of the symbiotic system MWC 560.
These were simulations of a pulsed, initially underdense jet in a high density
ambient medium. Since the pulsed emission of the jet creates internal shocks
and since the jet velocity is very high, the jet bow shock and the internal
shocks are heated to high temperatures and should therefore emit X-ray
radiation. In this paper, we investigate in detail the X-ray properties of the
jets in our models. We have focused our study on the total X-ray luminosity and
its temporal variability, the resulting spectra and the spatial distribution of
the emission. Temperature and density maps from our hydrodynamical simulations
with radiative cooling presented in the second paper are used together with
emissivities calculated with the atomic database ATOMDB. The jets in our models
show extended and variable X-ray emission which can be characterized as a sum
of hot and warm components with temperatures that are consistent with
observations of CH Cyg and R Aqr. The X-ray spectra of our model jets show
emission line features which correspond to observed features in the spectra of
CH Cyg. The innermost parts of our pulsed jets show iron line emission in the
6.4 - 6.7 keV range which may explain such emission from the central source in
R Aqr. We conclude that MWC 560 should be detectable with Chandra or
XMM-Newton, and such X-ray observations will provide crucial for understanding
jets in symbiotic stars.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ, uses
emulateap
Observable form of pulses emitted from relativistic collapsing objects
In this work, we discuss observable characteristics of the radiation emitted
from a surface of a collapsing object. We study a simplified model in which a
radiation of massless particles has a sharp in time profile and it happens at
the surface at the same moment of comoving time. Since the radiating surface
has finite size the observed radiation will occur during some finite time. Its
redshift and bending angle are affected by the strong gravitational field. We
obtain a simple expression for the observed flux of the radiation as a function
of time. To find an explicit expression for the flux we develop an analytical
approximation for the bending angle and time delay for null rays emitted by a
collapsing surface. In the case of the bending angle this approximation is an
improved version of the earlier proposed Beloborodov-Leahy-approximation. For
rays emitted at the accuracy of the proposed improved approximations
for the bending angle and time delay is of order (or less) than 2-3%. By using
this approximation we obtain an approximate analytical expression for the
observed flux and study its properties.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures;Typos in equations and refrences are corrected.
No change in the results and discussion
Spatially resolved spectra of 3C galaxy nuclei
We present and discuss visible-wavelength long-slit spectra of four low
redshift 3C galaxies obtained with the STIS instrument on the Hubble Space
Telescope. The slit was aligned with near-nuclear jet-like structure seen in
HST images of the galaxies, to give unprecedented spatial resolution of the
galaxy inner regions. In 3C 135 and 3C 171, the spectra reveal clumpy emission
line structures that indicate outward motions of a few hundred km s
within a centrally illuminated and ionised biconical region. There may also be
some low-ionisation high-velocity material associated with 3C 135. In 3C 264
and 3C 78, the jets have blue featureless spectra consistent with their
proposed synchrotron origin. There is weak associated line emission in the
innermost part of the jets with mild outflow velocity. These jets are bright
and highly collimated only within a circumnuclear region of lower galaxy
luminosity, which is not dusty. We discuss the origins of these central regions
and their connection with relativistic jets.Comment: 15 pages incl Tables, 12 diagrams, To appear in A
Photon Propagation Around Compact Objects and the Inferred Properties of Thermally Emitting Neutron Stars
Anomalous X-ray pulsars, compact non-pulsing X-ray sources in supernova
remnants, and X-ray bursters are three distinct types of sources for which
there are viable models that attribute their X-ray emission to thermal emission
from the surface of a neutron star. Inferring the surface area of the emitting
regions in such systems is crucial in assessing the viability of different
models and in providing bounds on the radii of neutron stars. We show that the
inferred areas of the emitting regions may be over- or under-estimated by a
factor of <=2, because of the geometry of the system and general relativistic
light deflection, combined with the effects of phase averaging. Such effects
make the determination of neutron-star radii uncertain, especially when
compared to the ~5% level required for constraining the equation of state of
neutron-star matter. We also note that, for a given spectral shape, the
inferred source luminosities and pulse fractions are anticorrelated because
they depend on the same properties of the emitting regions, namely their sizes
and orientations, i.e., brighter sources have on average weaker pulsation
amplitudes than fainter sources. We argue that this property can be used as a
diagnostic tool in distinguishing between different spectral models. As an
example, we show that the high inferred pulse fraction and brightness of the
pulsar RXS J1708-40 are inconsistent with isotropic thermal emission from a
neutron-star surface. Finally, we discuss the implication of our results for
surveys in the soft X-rays for young, cooling neutron stars in supernova
remnants and show that the absence of detectable pulsations from the compact
source at the center of Cas A (at a level of >=30%) is not a strong argument
againts its identification with a spinning neutron star.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, to appear in the Astrophysical Journal; minor
change
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