2,781 research outputs found
Growth and characterization of sputtered BSTO/BaM multilayers
Multilayers of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BSTO) and BaFe12O19 (BaM), with tunable permeability and permittivity are attractive systems for radio frequency and microwave applications. We have grown multilayers of BSTO and BaM using magnetron sputtering on Al2O3 substrates. Film growth conditions such as sputtering parameters were optimized to obtain high quality multilayers. X-ray diffraction established that both BSTO and BaM were formed and cross-sectional SEM studies showed sharp interfaces between BSTO and BaM layers. Magnetization showed a large coercivity (similar to 2000 Oe) consistent with the hexaferrite component. The hysteresis loops also revealed the distinct influence of magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropies at different temperatures
XTE J1739-302: An Unusual New X-ray Transient
A new x-ray transient, designated XTE J1739-302, was discovered with the
Proportional Counter Array (PCA) on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in
data from 12 August 1997. Although it was the brightest source in the Galactic
Center region while active (about 3.0 x 10^-9 ergs/cm2/s from 2 to 25 keV), it
was only observed on that one day; it was not detectable nine days earlier or
two days later. There is no known counterpart at other wavelengths, and its
proximity to the Galactic Center will make such an identification difficult due
to source confusion and extinction. The x-ray spectrum and intensity suggest a
giant outburst of a Be/neutron star binary, although no pulsations were
observed and the outburst was shorter than is usual from these systems.Comment: 11 pages incorporating 6 figures, AAStex; accepted for The
Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 (Letters
INTEGRAL observation of the high-mass X-ray transient V 0332+53 during the 2005 outburst decline
The decline of the high mass X-ray transient V 0332+53 during the Dec. 2004 to Feb. 2005 outburst is analysed from the data recorded by INTEGRAL. The flux is shown to decrease exponentially until 2005 Feb. 10, with a decay time scale of ∼30 days above 20 keV and ∼20 days at lower energies, and to decrease linearly thereafter.
The energy spectrum is well modelled throughout the decay by a power law with a folding energy of ∼7.5 keV, and with two cyclotron absorption features. The folding energy does not vary significantly over the decay, but the spectrum becomes harder with time. Most importantly, we show that the parameters describing the fundamental cyclotron line around 27 keV do vary with time: its energy and depth increase (by about 17% for the energy in ∼6 weeks), while its width decreases. These changes of the cyclotron line parameters are interpreted as resulting from a change in the extent of the cyclotron scattering region.
Two quasi-periodic oscillations are also observed at various times during the observations, one at 0.05 Hz and another one near the pulsation frequency around 0.23 Hz
INTEGRAL and RXTE monitoring of GRS 1758-258 in 2003 and 2004. A transition from the dim soft state to the hard state
The Galactic Center black hole candidate (BHC) GRS 1758-258 has been observed
extensively within INTEGRAL's Galactic Center Deep Exposure (GCDE) program in
2003 and 2004, while also being monitored with RXTE. We present
quasi-simultaneous PCA, ISGRI, and SPI spectra from four GCDE observation
epochs, as well as the evolution of energy-resolved PCA and ISGRI light curves
on time scales of days to months. We find that during the first epoch GRS
1758-258 displayed another of its peculiar dim soft states like the one
observed in 2001, increasing the number of observed occurrences of this state
to three. During the other epochs the source was in the hard state. The hard
X-ray emission component in the epoch-summed spectra can be well described
either by phenomenological models, namely a cutoff power law in the hard state
and a pure power law in the dim soft state, or by thermal Comptonization
models. A soft thermal component is clearly present in the dim soft state and
might also contribute to the softer hard state spectra. We argue that in the
recently emerging picture of the hardness-intensity evolution of black hole
transient outbursts in which hard and soft states are observed to occur in a
large overlapping range of luminosities (hysteresis), the dim soft state is not
peculiar. As noted before for the 2001 dim soft state, these episodes seem to
be triggered by a sudden decrease (within days) of the hard emission, with the
soft spectral component decaying on a longer time scale (weeks). We discuss
this behavior in terms of the existence of two independent accretion flows, the
model previously suggested for the 2001 episode. (Abridged)Comment: Replaced to match accepted versio
Discovery of the INTEGRAL X/Gamma-ray transient IGR J00291+5934: a Comptonised accreting ms pulsar ?
We report the discovery of a high-energy transient with the IBIS/ISGRI
detector on board the INTEGRAL observatory. The source, namely IGR J00291+5934,
was first detected on 2nd December 2004 in the routine monitoring of the
IBIS/ISGRI 20--60 keV images. The observations were conducted during Galactic
Plane Scans, which are a key part of the INTEGRAL Core Programme observations.
After verifying the basic source behaviour, the discovery was announced on 3rd
December. The transient shows a hard Comptonised spectrum, with peak energy
release at about 20 keV and a total luminosity of ~ 0.9E36 erg/s in the 5--100
keV range, assuming a distance of 3 kpc. Following the INTEGRAL announcement of
the discovery of IGR J00291+5934, a number of observations were made by other
instruments. We summarise the results of those observations and, together with
the INTEGRAL data, identifiy IGR J00291+5934 as the 6th member of a class of
accreting X-ray millisecond pulsars.Comment: Accepted for publication as an A&A Letter 24/01/2005. 5 pages, 2
figure
Discovery of a Cyclotron Resonant Scattering Feature in the RXTE Spectrum of 4U 0352+309 (X Per)
We have discovered a ~29 keV Cyclotron Resonant Scattering Feature (CRSF) in
the X-Ray spectrum of 4U 0352+309 (X Per) using observations taken with the
Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. 4U 0352+309 is a persistent low luminosity (L_x =
4.2x10^34 ergs/s) X-ray pulsar, with a 837 s period and which accretes material
from the Be star X Per. The X-Ray spectrum, unusual when compared to brighter
accreting pulsars, may be due to the low mass accretion rate and could be
typical of the new class of persistent low luminosity Be/X-Ray binary pulsars.
We attempted spectral fits with continuum models used historically for 4U
0352+309, and found that all were improved by the addition of a CRSF at ~29
keV. The model that best fit the observations is a combination of a 1.45+/-0.02
keV blackbody with a 5.4x10^8 cm^2 area, and a power-law with a 1.83+/-0.03
photon index modified by the CRSF. In these fits the CRSF energy is
28.6+1.5-1.7 keV, implying a magnetic field strength of 2.5(1+z)x10^12 G in the
scattering region (where z is the gravitational redshift). Phase resolved
analysis shows that the blackbody and cyclotron line energies are consistent
with being constant through the pulse.Comment: 34 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, Accepted by Ap
Multifrequency Observations of the Virgo Blazars 3C 273 and 3C 279 in CGRO Cycle 8
We report first observational results of multifrequency campaigns on the
prominent Virgo blazars 3C 273 and 3C 279 which were carried out in January and
February 1999. Both blazars are detected from radio to gamma-ray energies. We
present the measured X- to gamma-ray spectra of both sources, and for 3C 279 we
compare the 1999 broad-band (radio to gamma-ray) spectrum to measured previous
ones.Comment: 5 pages including 3 figures, latex2e, to appear in: 'Proc. of the 5th
Compton Symposium', AIP, in pres
XMM-Newton detects a relativistically broadened iron line in the spectrum of the ms X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658
We report on a 63-ks long XMM-Newton observation of the accreting millisecond
pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 during the latest X-ray outburst which started on
September 21st 2008. The pn spectrum shows a highly significant emission line
in the energy band where the iron K-alpha line is expected, and which we
identify as emission from neutral (or mildly ionized) iron. The line profile
appears to be quite broad (more than 1 keV FWHM) and asymmetric; the most
probable explanation for this profile is Doppler and relativistic broadening
from the inner accretion disc. From a fit with a diskline profile we find an
inner radius of the disc of 8.7^(+3.7)_(-2.7) R_g, corresponding to
18.0^(+7.6)_(-5.6) km for a 1.4 Msun neutron star. The disc therefore appears
truncated inside the corotation radius (31 km for SAX J1808.4-3658) in
agreement with the fact that the source was still showing pulsations during the
XMM-Newton observation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letters, typos
corrected, references adde
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