8,801 research outputs found
Swift observations of the 2015 outburst of AG Peg -- from slow nova to classical symbiotic outburst
Symbiotic stars often contain white dwarfs with quasi-steady shell burning on
their surfaces. However, in most symbiotics, the origin of this burning is
unclear. In symbiotic slow novae, however, it is linked to a past thermonuclear
runaway. In June 2015, the symbiotic slow nova AG Peg was seen in only its
second optical outburst since 1850. This recent outburst was of much shorter
duration and lower amplitude than the earlier eruption, and it contained
multiple peaks -- like outbursts in classical symbiotic stars such as Z And. We
report Swift X-ray and UV observations of AG Peg made between June 2015 and
January 2016. The X-ray flux was markedly variable on a time scale of days,
particularly during four days near optical maximum, when the X-rays became
bright and soft. This strong X-ray variability continued for another month,
after which the X-rays hardened as the optical flux declined. The UV flux was
high throughout the outburst, consistent with quasi-steady shell burning on the
white dwarf. Given that accretion disks around white dwarfs with shell burning
do not generally produce detectable X-rays (due to Compton-cooling of the
boundary layer), the X-rays probably originated via shocks in the ejecta. As
the X-ray photo-electric absorption did not vary significantly, the X-ray
variability may directly link to the properties of the shocked material. AG
Peg's transition from a slow symbiotic nova (which drove the 1850 outburst) to
a classical symbiotic star suggests that shell burning in at least some
symbiotic stars is residual burning from prior novae.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS 23 June 2016. Manuscript submitted in original form
5 April 201
Symbiotic stars in X-rays III: Suzaku observations
We describe the X-ray emission as observed with Suzaku from five symbiotic
stars that we selected for deep Suzaku observations after their initial
detection with ROSAT, ASCA and Swift. We find that the X-ray spectra of all
five sources can be adequately fit with absorbed, optically thin thermal plasma
models, with either single- or multi-temperature plasmas. These models are
compatible with the X-ray emission originating in the boundary layer between an
accretion disk and a white dwarf. The high plasma temperatures of kT keV
for all five targets were greater than expected for colliding winds. Based on
these high temperatures, as well as previous measurements of UV variability and
UV luminosity, and the large amplitude of X-ray flickering in 4 Dra, we
conclude that all five sources are accretion-powered through predominantly
optically thick boundary layers. Our X-ray data allow us to observe a small,
optically thin portion of the emission from these boundary layers. Given the
time between previous observations and these observations, we find that the
intrinsic X-ray flux and the intervening absorbing column can vary by factors
of three or more on a time scale of years. However, the location of the
absorber and the relationship between changes in accretion rate and absorption
are still elusive.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures and 3 tables. Accepted to published 04/15/2016.
arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1505.0063
The Nature of the Hard-X-Ray Emitting Symbiotic Star RT Cru
We describe Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer
observations of RT Cru, the first of a new sub-class of symbiotic stars that
appear to contain white dwarfs (WDs) capable of producing hard X-ray emission
out to greater than 50 keV. The production of such hard X-ray emission from the
objects in this sub-class (which also includes CD -57 3057, T CrB, and CH Cyg)
challenges our understanding of accreting WDs. We find that the 0.3 -- 8.0 keV
X-ray spectrum of RT Cru emanates from an isobaric cooling flow, as in the
optically thin accretion-disk boundary layers of some dwarf novae. The
parameters of the spectral fit confirm that the compact accretor is a WD, and
they are consistent with the WD being massive. We detect rapid, stochastic
variability from the X-ray emission below 4 keV. The combination of flickering
variability and a cooling-flow spectrum indicates that RT Cru is likely powered
by accretion through a disk. Whereas the cataclysmic variable stars with the
hardest X-ray emission are typically magnetic accretors with X-ray flux
modulated at the WD spin period, we find that the X-ray emission from RT Cru is
not pulsed. RT Cru therefore shows no evidence for magnetically channeled
accretion, consistent with our interpretation that the Chandra spectrum arises
from an accretion-disk boundary layer.Comment: 3 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Regional improvement of global reanalyses by means of a new long-term Mediterranean hindcasted precipitation dataset: a first study over the Iberian Peninsula
Generation of a Mediterranean long-term (1958-2001) homogeneous high resolution environmental database constituted the main objective whitin the HIPOCAS Project. The high number of parameters included in this database allows a complete characterization of Mediterranean storms. In this paper, the HIPOCAS precipitation reliability over the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands is evaluated against long-term in-situ observations from Iberia. In order to provide a more complete study, comparisons of the HIPOCAS field with NCEP/NCAR and ERA global reanalysis show the important improvement in the characterisation of the observed precipitation introduced by the HIPOCAS hindcast
Periodic Chaotic Billiards: Quantum-Classical Correspondence in Energy Space
We investigate the properties of eigenstates and local density of states
(LDOS) for a periodic 2D rippled billiard, focusing on their quantum-classical
correspondence in energy representation. To construct the classical
counterparts of LDOS and the structure of eigenstates (SES), the effects of the
boundary are first incorporated (via a canonical transformation) into an
effective potential, rendering the one-particle motion in the 2D rippled
billiard equivalent to that of two-interacting particles in 1D geometry. We
show that classical counterparts of SES and LDOS in the case of strong chaotic
motion reveal quite a good correspondence with the quantum quantities. We also
show that the main features of the SES and LDOS can be explained in terms of
the underlying classical dynamics, in particular of certain periodic orbits. On
the other hand, statistical properties of eigenstates and LDOS turn out to be
different from those prescribed by random matrix theory. We discuss the quantum
effects responsible for the non-ergodic character of the eigenstates and
individual LDOS that seem to be generic for this type of billiards with a large
number of transverse channels.Comment: 13 pages, 18 figure
X-ray and UV emission from the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi in quiescence: Signatures of accretion and shocked gas
RS Ophiuchi is a recurrent nova system that experiences outbursts every ~20
years, implying accretion at a high rate onto a massive white dwarf. However,
previous X-ray observations of the system in quiescence have detected only
faint emission that is difficult to reconcile with the high accretion rate
predicted by nova theory for such frequent outbursts. Here, we use new Chandra
and XMM-Newton observations obtained 537 and 744 days after the 2006 outburst
to constrain both the accretion rate onto the white dwarf and the properties of
the nova ejecta at these times. We detect low level UV variability with the
XMM-Newton Optical Monitor on day 744 that is consistent with accretion disk
flickering, and use this to place a lower limit on the accretion rate. The
X-ray spectra in both observations are well described by a two component
thermal plasma model. The first component originates in the nova shell, which
can emit X-rays for up to a decade after the outburst. The other component
likely arises in the accretion disk boundary layer, and can be equally well fit
by a single temperature plasma or a cooling flow model. Although the flux of
the single temperature model implies an accretion rate that is 40 times lower
than theoretical predictions for RS Oph, the best fit cooling flow model
implies Mdot < 1.2x10^-8 M_sol/yr 537 days after the outburst, which is within
a factor of 2 of the theoretical accretion rate required to power an outburst
every 20 years. Furthermore, we place an upper limit on the accretion rate
through an optically thick region of the boundary layer of 2.0x10^-8 M_sol/yr.
Thus, the X-ray emission in quiescence is consistent with the accretion rate
expectations of nova theory. Finally, we discuss the possible origins of the
low temperature associated with the accretion component, which is a factor of
10 lower than in T CrB, an otherwise similar recurrent nova.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
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