730 research outputs found
Large Scale Fluctuations in the X-Ray Background
We present an attempt to measure the large angular scale fluctuations in the
X-Ray Background (XRB) from the HEAO1-A2 data, expressed in terms of spherical
harmonics. We model the harmonic coefficients assuming a power spectrum and an
epoch-dependent bias parameter, and using a phenomenological scenario
describing the evolution of the X-ray sources. From the few low-order
multipoles detected above shot noise, we estimate the power-spectrum
normalization on scales intermediate between those explored by local galaxy
redshift surveys (~ 100 Mpc) and by the COBE Microwave Background measurements
(~ 1000 Mpc). We find that the HEAO1 harmonics are consistent with present
epoch rms fluctuations of the X-ray sources bx(0)sigma8 ~ 1-2 in 8 Mpc spheres.
Therefore the observed fluctuations in the XRB are roughly as expected from
interpolating between the local galaxy surveys and the COBE CMB experiment. We
predict that an X-ray all-sky surface brightness survey resolving sources a
factor of 10 fainter than HEAO1, may reveal fluctuations to significantly
larger angular scales and therefore more strongly constrain the large scale
structure of the Universe on scales of hundreds of Mpcs.Comment: 14 pages, 3 Postscript figures, uses aaspp4.sty and psfig. Revised
following referee's report. Accepted for publication in Ap
Discovery and evolution of the new black hole candidate Swift J1539.2-6227 during its 2008 outburst
We report on the discovery by the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer of the black
hole candidate Swift J1539.2-6227 and the subsequent course of an outburst
beginning in November 2008 and lasting at least seven months. The source was
discovered during normal observations with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope
(BAT) on 2008 November 25. An extended observing campaign with the Rossi X-Ray
Timing Explorer (RXTE) and Swift provided near-daily coverage over 176 days,
giving us a good opportunity to track the evolution of spectral and timing
parameters with fine temporal resolution through a series of spectral states.
The source was first detected in a hard state during which strong low-frequency
quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) were detected. The QPOs persisted for about
35 days and a signature of the transition from the hard to soft intermediate
states was seen in the timing data. The source entered a short-lived thermal
state about 40 days after the start of the outburst. There were variations in
spectral hardness as the source flux declined and returned to a hard state at
the end of the outburst. The progression of spectral states and the nature of
the timing features provide strong evidence that Swift J1539.2-6227 is a
candidate black hole in a low-mass X-ray binary system.Comment: Accepted by the Astrophysical Journa
Discovery of a new Transient X-ray Pulsar in the Small Magellanic Cloud
Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud have
revealed a previously unknown transient X-ray pulsar with a pulse period of
95s. Provisionally designated XTE SMC95, the pulsar was detected in three
Proportional Counter Array observations during an outburst spanning 4 weeks in
March/April 1999. The pulse profile is double peaked reaching a pulse fraction
\~0.8. The source is proposed as a Be/neutron star system on the basis of its
pulsations, transient nature and characteristically hard X-ray spectrum. The
2-10 keV X-ray luminosity implied by our observations is > 2x10^37 erg/s which
is consistent with that of normal outbursts seen in Galactic systems. This
discovery adds to the emerging picture of the SMC as containing an extremely
dense population of transient high mass X-ray binaries.Comment: Accepted by A&A. 7 pages, 6 figure
Study of the Fast X-Ray Transient XTE J1901+014 Based on INTEGRAL, RXTE and ROSAT Data
The source XTE J1901+014 discovered by the RXTE observatory during an intense
outburst of hard radiation and classified as a fast X-ray transient is studied.
The source's spectral characteristics in the quiescent state have been
investigated for the first time both in the soft X-ray energy range (0.6-20
keV) based on ROSAT and RXTE data and in the hard energy range (>20 keV) based
on INTEGRAL data. A timing analysis of the source's properties has revealed
weak nonperiodic bursts of activity on time scales of several tens of seconds
and two intense (0.5-1 Crab) outbursts more than several hundred seconds
in duration. Certain assumptions about the nature of the object under study are
made.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure
The broad iron Kalpha line of Cygnus X-1 as seen by XMM-Newton in the EPIC-pn modified timing mode
We present the analysis of the broadened, flourescent iron Kalpha line in
simultaneous XMM-Newton and RXTE data from the black hole Cygnus X-1. The
XMM-Newton data were taken in a modified version of the timing mode of the
EPIC-pn camera. In this mode the lower energy threshold of the instrument is
increased to 2.8 keV to avoid telemetry drop outs due to the brightness of the
source, while at the same time preserving the signal-to-noise ratio in the Fe
Kalpha band. We find that the best-fit spectrum consists of the sum of an
exponentially cut off power-law and relativistically smeared, ionized
reflection. The shape of the broadened Fe Kalpha feature is due to strong
Compton broadening combined with relativistic broadening. Assuming a standard,
thin accretion disk, the black hole is close to rotating maximally.Comment: Astron. Astrophys., in pres
The first multi-wavelength campaign of AXP 4U 0142+61 from radio to hard X-rays
For the first time a quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength campaign has been
performed on an Anomalous X-ray Pulsar from the radio to the hard X-ray band.
4U 0142+61 was an INTEGRAL target for 1 Ms in July 2005. During these
observations it was also observed in the X-ray band with Swift and RXTE, in the
optical and NIR with Gemini North and in the radio with the WSRT. In this paper
we present the source-energy distribution. The spectral results obtained in the
individual wave bands do not connect smoothly; apparently components of
different origin contribute to the total spectrum. Remarkable is that the
INTEGRAL hard X-ray spectrum (power-law index 0.79 +/- 0.10) is now measured up
to an energy of ~230 keV with no indication of a spectral break. Extrapolation
of the INTEGRAL power-law spectrum to lower energies passes orders of magnitude
underneath the NIR and optical fluxes, as well as the low ~30 microJy (2 sigma)
upper limit in the radio band.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure. To be published in the proceedings of the
conference "Isolated Neutron Stars: from the Interior to the Surface" (April
24-28, 2006, London, UK), eds. S. Zane, R. Turolla and D. Pag
Post-outburst X-ray flux and timing evolution of Swift J1822.3-1606
Swift J1822.3-1606 was discovered on 2011 July 14 by the Swift Burst Alert
Telescope following the detection of several bursts. The source was found to
have a period of 8.4377 s and was identified as a magnetar. Here we present a
phase-connected timing analysis and the evolution of the flux and spectral
properties using RXTE, Swift, and Chandra observations. We measure a spin
frequency of 0.1185154343(8) s and a frequency derivative of
at MJD 55761.0, in a timing analysis that include
significant non-zero second and third frequency derivatives that we attribute
to timing noise. This corresponds to an estimated spin-down inferred dipole
magnetic field of G, consistent with previous estimates
though still possibly affected by unmodelled noise. We find that the
post-outburst 1--10 keV flux evolution can be characterized by a
double-exponential decay with decay timescales of and
days. We also fit the light curve with a crustal cooling model which suggests
that the cooling results from heat injection into the outer crust. We find that
the hardness-flux correlation observed in magnetar outbursts also characterizes
the outburst of Swift J1822.3-1606. We compare the properties of Swift
J1822.3-1606 with those of other magnetars and their outbursts.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Bursts, eclipses, dips and a refined position for the luminous low-mass X-ray binary in the globular cluster Terzan 6
GRS 1747-312 is a bright transient X-ray source in the globular cluster
Terzan 6 with quasi-periodic outbursts approximately every 4.5 months. We
carried out 2-60 keV target-of-opportunity observations during eight outbursts
with the Proportional Counter Array on the RXTE satellite, for a total exposure
time of 301 ks, and detect the first unambiguous thermonuclear X-ray bursts
from this source. This identifies the compact accretor in this binary as a
neutron star. The neutron star identification implies that twelve out of
thirteen luminous (above 10^36 erg/s X-ray sources in Galactic globular
clusters harbor neutron stars, with AC211's nature (in M15) remaining elusive.
We observed 24 transitions of eclipses of the X-ray emitting region by the
companion star and are able to improve the accuracy of the orbital period by a
factor of 10^4. The period is P=0.514980303(7) d. We do not detect a period
derivative with an upper limit of |\dot{P}/P|=3X10^-8 yr^{-1}. Archival Chandra
data were analyzed to further refine the X-ray position, and the cluster's
center of gravity was re-determined from optical data resulting in a correction
amounting to 2 core radii. We find that GRS 1747-312 is 0.2+/-0.2 core radii
from the cluster center.Comment: Accepted by A&
Pulsed Gamma Rays from the Original Millisecond and Black Widow Pulsars: a case for Caustic Radio Emission?
We report the detection of pulsed gamma-ray emission from the fast
millisecond pulsars (MSPs) B1937+21 (also known as J1939+2134) and B1957+20
(J1959+2048) using 18 months of survey data recorded by the \emph{Fermi} Large
Area Telescope (LAT) and timing solutions based on radio observations conducted
at the Westerbork and Nan\c{c}ay radio telescopes. In addition, we analyzed
archival \emph{RXTE} and \emph{XMM-Newton} X-ray data for the two MSPs,
confirming the X-ray emission properties of PSR B1937+21 and finding evidence
() for pulsed emission from PSR B1957+20 for the first time. In
both cases the gamma-ray emission profile is characterized by two peaks
separated by half a rotation and are in close alignment with components
observed in radio and X-rays. These two pulsars join PSRs J0034-0534 and
J2214+3000 to form an emerging class of gamma-ray MSPs with phase-aligned peaks
in different energy bands. The modeling of the radio and gamma-ray emission
profiles suggests co-located emission regions in the outer magnetosphere.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Hierarchical patterning modes orchestrate hair follicle morphogenesis
Two theories address the origin of repeating patterns, such as hair follicles, limb digits, and intestinal villi, during development. The Turing reaction–diffusion system posits that interacting diffusible signals produced by static cells first define a prepattern that then induces cell rearrangements to produce an anatomical structure. The second theory, that of mesenchymal self-organisation, proposes that mobile cells can form periodic patterns of cell aggregates directly, without reference to any prepattern. Early hair follicle development is characterised by the rapid appearance of periodic arrangements of altered gene expression in the epidermis and prominent clustering of the adjacent dermal mesenchymal cells. We assess the contributions and interplay between reaction–diffusion and mesenchymal self-organisation processes in hair follicle patterning, identifying a network of fibroblast growth factor (FGF), wingless-related integration site (WNT), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling interactions capable of spontaneously producing a periodic pattern. Using time-lapse imaging, we find that mesenchymal cell condensation at hair follicles is locally directed by an epidermal prepattern. However, imposing this prepattern’s condition of high FGF and low BMP activity across the entire skin reveals a latent dermal capacity to undergo spatially patterned self-organisation in the absence of epithelial direction. This mesenchymal self-organisation relies on restricted transforming growth factor (TGF) β signalling, which serves to drive chemotactic mesenchymal patterning when reaction–diffusion patterning is suppressed, but, in normal conditions, facilitates cell movement to locally prepatterned sources of FGF. This work illustrates a hierarchy of periodic patterning modes operating in organogenesis
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