476 research outputs found
RX J0440.9+4431: a persistent Be/X-ray binary in outburst
The persistent Be/X-ray binary RX J0440.9+4431 flared in 2010 and 2011 and
has been followed by various X-ray facilities Swift, RXTE, XMM-Newton, and
INTEGRAL. We studied the source timing and spectral properties as a function of
its X-ray luminosity to investigate the transition from normal to flaring
activity and the dynamical properties of the system. We have determined the
orbital period from the long-term Swift/BAT light curve, but our determinations
of the spin period are not precise enough to constrain any orbital solution.
The source spectrum can always be described by a bulk-motion Comptonization
model of black body seed photons attenuated by a moderate photoelectric
absorption. At the highest luminosity, we measured a curvature of the spectrum,
which we attribute to a significant contribution of the radiation pressure in
the accretion process. This allows us to estimate that the transition from a
bulk-motion-dominated flow to a radiatively dominated one happens at a
luminosity of ~2e36 erg/s. The luminosity dependency of the size of the black
body emission region is found to be . This
suggests that either matter accreting onto the neutron star hosted in RX
J0440.9+4431 penetrates through closed magnetic field lines at the border of
the compact object magnetosphere or that the structure of the neutron star
magnetic field is more complicated than a simple dipole close to the surfaceComment: Accepted for publication by A&
Confirming the thermal Comptonization model for black hole X-ray emission in the low-hard state
Hard X-ray spectra of black hole binaries in the low/hard state are well
modeled by thermal Comptonization of soft seed photons by a corona-type region
with \thinspace{\thinspace}keV and optical depth around 1.
Previous spectral studies of 1E{\thinspace}1740.72942, including both the
soft and the hard X-ray bands, were always limited by gaps in the spectra or by
a combination of observations with imaging and non-imaging instruments. In this
study, we have used three rare nearly-simultaneous observations of
1E{\thinspace}1740.71942 by both XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL satellites to
combine spectra from four different imaging instruments with no data gaps, and
we successfully applied the Comptonization scenario to explain the broadband
X-ray spectra of this source in the low/hard state. For two of the three
observations, our analysis also shows that, models including Compton reflection
can adequately fit the data, in agreement with previous reports. We show that
the observations can also be modeled by a more detailed Comptonization scheme.
Furthermore, we find the presence of an iron K-edge absorption feature in one
occasion, which confirms what had been previously observed by Suzaku. Our
broadband analysis of this limited sample shows a rich spectral variability in
1E{\thinspace}1740.72942 at the low/hard state, and we address the possible
causes of these variations. More simultaneous soft/hard X-ray observations of
this system and other black-hole binaries would be very helpful in constraining
the Comptonization scenario and shedding more light on the physics of these
systems.Comment: 6 pages, two figures, accepted for publication in A&
Short term X-ray rms variability of Cyg X-1
A linear dependence of the amplitude of broadband noise variability on flux
for GBHC and AGN has been recently shown by Uttley & McHardy (2001). We present
the long term evolution of this rms-flux-relation for Cyg X-1 as monitored from
1998-2002 with RXTE. We confirm the linear relationship in the hard state and
analyze the evolution of the correlation for the period of 1996-2002. In the
intermediate and the soft state, we find considerable deviations from the
otherwise linear relationship. A possible explanation for the rms-flux-relation
is a superposition of local mass accretion rate variations.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the 4th Microquasar Workshop, eds.
Ph Durouchoux, Y. Fuchs and J. Rodriguez, published by the Center for Space
Physics: Kolkat
Discovery of a Third Harmonic Cyclotron Resonance Scattering Feature in the X-ray Spectrum of 4U 0115+63
We have discovered a third harmonic cyclotron resonance scattering feature
(CRSF) in observations of the recent outburst of 4U 0115+63 with the Rossi
X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The spectrum in a narrow pulse phase range shows
CRSFs at 12.40+0.65/-0.35, 21.45+0.25/-0.38, and 33.56+0.70/-0.90 keV. With
centroid energy ratios to the fundamental of 1.73+/-0.08 and 2.71+/-0.13, the
CRSFs are not harmonically spaced. Strong variability of the continuum and
CRSFs with pulse phase indicate a complex emission geometry near the neutron
star polar cap. In addition, one RXTE observation, which spanned periastron
passage, revealed a strong 2 mHz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO). This is
slower by two orders of magnitude than the beat-frequency QPO expected in this
system and slower by a factor of more than 5 compared with other QPOs seen in
accreting X-ray pulsars.Comment: To appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 4 pages, 5 figures.
Uses "emulateapj.sty". Revised version includes new figures and additions to
the analysi
Polarized Gamma-ray Emission from the Galactic Black Hole Cygnus X-1
Because of their inherently high flux allowing the detection of clear
signals, black hole X-ray binaries are interesting candidates for polarization
studies, even if no polarization signals have been observed from them before.
Such measurements would provide further detailed insight into these sources'
emission mechanisms. We measured the polarization of the gamma-ray emission
from the black hole binary system Cygnus X-1 with the INTEGRAL/IBIS telescope.
Spectral modeling of the data reveals two emission mechanisms: The 250-400 keV
data are consistent with emission dominated by Compton scattering on thermal
electrons and are weakly polarized. The second spectral component seen in the
400keV-2MeV band is by contrast strongly polarized, revealing that the MeV
emission is probably related to the jet first detected in the radio band.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Science in April 22nd 2011,
available on Science Express Web site (March 24th edition
Different kinds of long-term variability from Cygnus X-1
We present a study of the long-term variability of Cyg X-1 using data from
the RXTE/ASM and the RXTE/PCA during the time between the two soft states of
1996 and 2001/2002. This period has been characterized by many short ASM
flaring episodes which we have identified as "failed state transitions". The
150 d period which has been seen before and shortly after the 1996 soft state
is not obviously present in the ASM rate during most of this time. Applying
selection criteria from our pointed RXTE/PCA observations to exclude the
flaring episodes we show that the 150 d period can indeed still be
significantly detected in the hard state. Furthermore, while the ~420 d
timescale associated with the flaring is reduced in the selected hard state
count rate, it is still pronounced in the temporal evolution of the
corresponding hardness ratios. The Ryle radio flux is also consistent with the
150 d period being present but distorted during this time.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Proceedings of "X-ray Timing 2003:
Rossi and Beyond", ed. P. Kaaret, F.K. Lamb, & J.H. Swan
Probing large-scale wind structures in Vela X-1 using off-states with INTEGRAL
Vela X-1 is the prototype of the class of wind-fed accreting pulsars in high
mass X-ray binaries hosting a supergiant donor. We have analyzed in a
systematic way ten years of INTEGRAL data of Vela X-1 (22-50 keV) and we found
that when outside the X-ray eclipse, the source undergoes several luminosity
drops where the hard X-rays luminosity goes below 3x10^35 erg/s, becoming
undetected by INTEGRAL. These drops in the X-ray flux are usually referred to
as "off-states" in the literature. We have investigated the distribution of
these off-states along the Vela X-1 ~8.9 d orbit, finding that their orbital
occurrence displays an asymmetric distribution, with a higher probability to
observe an off-state near the pre-eclipse than during the post-eclipse. This
asymmetry can be explained by scattering of hard X-rays in a region of ionized
wind, able to reduce the source hard X-ray brightness preferentially near
eclipse ingress. We associate this ionized large-scale wind structure with the
photoionization wake produced by the interaction of the supergiant wind with
the X-ray emission from the neutron star. We emphasize that this observational
result could be obtained thanks to the accumulation of a decade of INTEGRAL
data, with observations covering the whole orbit several times, allowing us to
detect an asymmetric pattern in the orbital distribution of off-states in Vela
X-1.Comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Society (5 pages, 3 figures). A few typos fixed to match the published
versio
The near-synchronous polar V1432 Aql (RX J1940.1-1025): Accretion geometry and synchronization time scale
The magnetic Cataclysmic Variable (mCV) V1432 Aql (RX 1940.1-1025) belongs to
the four-member subclass of near-synchronous polars with a slight
non-synchronism (<2 %) between the spin period of the white dwarf and the
binary period. In these systems the accretion geometry changes periodically
with phase of the beat cycle. We present the application of a dipole accretion
model for near-synchronous systems developed by Geckeler & Staubert (1997a) to
extended optical and X-ray data. We detect a significant secular change of the
white dwarf spin period in V1432 Aql of dP_spin/dt = -5.4 (+3.7/-3.2) 10-9 s/s
from the optical data set alone. This corresponds to a synchronization time
scale tau_sync = 199 (+441/-75) yr, comparable to the time scale of 170 yr for
V1500 Cyg. The synchronization time scale in V1432 Aql is in excellent
agreement with the theoretical prediction from the dominating magnetic torque
in near-synchronous systems. We also present period analyses of optical CCD
photometry and RXTE X-ray data, which argue against the existence of a 4000 s
period and an interpretation of V1432 Aql as an intermediate polar. The dipole
accretion model also allows to constrain the relevant parameters of the
accretion geometry in this system: the optical data allow an estimate of the
dimensionless parameter (R_t0'/R_wd)1/2 sin(beta) = 3.6 (+2.7/-1.1), with a
lower limit for the threading radius of R_t0' > 10 R_wd (68% confidence).Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, 6 tables accepted by A&
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