99 research outputs found
Identification of the X-ray pulsar in Hercules: A new optical pulsar
A series of photographic, photoelectric, and spectroscopic observations beginning June 1, 1972 has led to the optical identification of Her X-1 (2U 1705 + 34), a pulsed X-ray source in an eclipsing binary system, with the thirteenth magnitude blue variable star HZ Herculis. The detection of optical pulses at the frequency of the X-ray pulsar on three nights makes the identification conclusive and establishes HZ Her as the second known optical pulsar. The strength of the optical pulses may be correlated with the orbital phase but is not obviously related to the high or low intensity states of the X-ray source
Discovery of an Ultra-fast X-ray Pulsar in the Supernova Remnant N157B
We present the serendipitous discovery of 16 ms pulsed X-ray emission from
the Crab-like supernova remnant N157B in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This is
the fastest spinning pulsar associated with a supernova remnant (SNR).
Observations with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), centered on the field
containing SN1987A, reveal an X-ray pulsar with a narrow pulse profile.
Archival ASCA X-ray data confirm this detection and locate the pulsar within 1'
of the supernova remnant N157B, 14' from SN1987A. The pulsar manifests evidence
for glitch(es) between the RXTE and ASCA observations which span 3.5 years; the
mean linear spin-down rate is Pdot = 5.126 X 10E-14 s/s. The background
subtracted pulsed emission is similar to other Crab-like pulsars with a power
law of photon index of ~ 1.6. The characteristic spin-down age (~ 5000 years)
is consistent with the previous age estimate of the SNR. The inferred B-field
for a rotationally powered pulsar is ~ 1 X 10E12 Gauss. Our result confirms the
Crab-like nature of N157B; the pulsar is likely associated with a compact X-ray
source revealed by ROSAT HRI observations.Comment: 9 pages with 3 eps figure, LaTex (aas2pp2, psfig). Submitted to the
Astrophysical Journal Letter
Is T Leonis a superoutbursting intermediate polar?
We present an XMM-Newton analysis of the cataclysmic variable T Leo. The
X-ray light curve shows sinusoidal variation on a period P_x equal to
0.89^{+0.14}_{-0.10} times the previously spectroscopically determined orbital
period. Furthermore, we find a signal in the power spectrum at 414 sec that
could be attributed to the spin period of the white dwarf. If true, T Leo would
be the first confirmed superoutbursting intermediate polar IP). The spin
profile is double-peaked with a peak separation of about 1/3 spin phases. This
appears to be a typical feature for IPs with a small magnetic field and fast
white dwarf rotation. An alternative explanation is that the 414 sec signal is
a Quasi-periodic Oscillation (QPO) that is caused by mass transfer variation
from the secondary, a bright region (``blob'') rotating in the disc at a radius
of approximately ~9 Rwd or - more likely - a travelling wave close to the inner
disc edge of a dwarf nova with a low field white dwarf. The XMM-Newton RGS
spectra reveal double peaked emission for the O VIII Ly alpha line. Scenarios
in the IP and dwarf nova model are discussed (an emitting ring in the disc,
bright X-ray spot on disc edge, or emitting accretion funnels), but the
intermediate polar model is favoured. Supported is this idea by the finding
that only the red peak appears to be shifted and the `blue' peak is compatible
with the rest wavelength. The red peak thus is caused by emission from the
northern accretion spot when it faces the observer. Instead, the peak at the
rest wavelength is caused when the southern accretion funnel is visible just on
the lower edge of the white dwarf - with the velocity of the accreting material
being perpendicular to the line of sight.Comment: 11 pages, 15 figures, accepted by A&
A VLT-ULTRACAM study of the fast optical quasi-periodic oscillations in the polar V834 Centauri
Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of a few seconds have been detected in some polars, the synchronised subclass of cataclysmic systems containing a strongly magnetised white dwarf which accretes matter from a red dwarf companion. The QPOs are thought to be related to instabilities of a shock formed in the accretion column, close to the white dwarf photosphere above the impact region. We present optical observations of the polar V834 Centauri performed with the fast ULTRACAM camera mounted on the ESO-VLT simultaneously in three filters (u′, He ii λ4686, r′) to study these oscillations and characterise their properties along the orbit when the column is seen at different viewing angles. Fast Fourier transforms and wavelet analysis have been performed and the mean frequency, rms amplitude, and coherence of the QPOs are derived; a detailed inspection of individual pulses has also been performed. The observations confirm the probable ubiquity of the QPOs for this source at all epochs when the source is in a high state, with observed mean amplitude of 2.1% (r′), 1.5% (He ii), and 0.6% (u′). The QPOs are present in the r′ filter at all phases of the orbital cycle, with a higher relative amplitude around the maximum of the light curve. They are also detected in the He ii and u′ filters but at a lower level. Trains of oscillations are clearly observed in the r′ light curve and can be mimicked by a superposition of damped sinusoids with various parameters. The QPO energy distribution is comparable to that of the cyclotron flux, consistent for the r′ and He ii filters but requiring a significant dilution in the u′ filter. New 1D hydrodynamical simulations of shock instabilities, adapted to the physical parameters of V834 Cen, can account for the optical QPO amplitude and X-ray upper limit assuming a cross section of the accretion column in the range ~(4 − 5) × 1014 cm2. However, the predicted frequency is larger than the observed one by an order of magnitude. This shortcoming indicates that the QPO generation is more complex than that produced in a homogeneous column and calls for a more realistic 3D treatment of the accretion flow in future modelling
The Mass of the Compact Object in the X-Ray Binary Her X-1/HZ Her
We have obtained the first estimates of the masses of the components of the
Her X-1/HZ Her X-ray binary system taking into account non-LTE effects in the
formation of the H_gamma absorption line: mx=1.8Msun and mv=2.5Msun. These mass
estimates were made in a Roche model based on the observed radial-velocity
curve of the optical star, HZ Her. The masses for the X-ray pulsar and optical
star obtained for an LTE model lie are mx=0.85\pm0.15Msun and
mv=1.87\pm0.13Msun. These mass estimates for the components of Her X-1/HZ Her
derived from the radial-velocity curve should be considered tentative. Further
mass estimates from high-precision observations of the orbital variability of
the absorption profiles in a non-LTE model for the atmosphere of the optical
component should be made.Comment: 20 pages, 4 tables, 8 figure
Twenty Years of Galactic Observations in Searching for Bursts of Collapse Neutrinos with the Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope
The results of twenty-year-long Galactic observations in neutrino radiation
are summarized. Except for the recording of a neutrino signal from the
supernova SN 1987A, no Galactic bursts of collapse neutrinos have been
detected. An upper bound on the mean frequency of gravitational collapses in
our Galaxy was obtained, .Comment: latex, 7 pages, 2 eps figure
A kinematic analysis of the spine during rugby scrummaging on natural and synthetic turfs
Artificial surfaces are now an established alternative to grass (natural) surfaces in rugby union. Little is known, however, about their potential to reduce injury. This study characterises the spinal kinematics of rugby union hookers during scrummaging on third-generation synthetic (3G) and natural pitches. The spine was sectioned into five segments, with inertial sensors providing three-dimensional kinematic data sampled at 40 Hz/sensor. Twenty-two adult, male community club and university-level hookers were recruited. An equal number were analysed whilst scrummaging on natural or synthetic turf. Players scrummaging on synthetic turf demonstrated less angular velocity in the lower thoracic spine for right and left lateral bending and right rotation. The general reduction in the range of motion and velocities, extrapolated over a prolonged playing career, may mean that the synthetic turf could result in fewer degenerative injuries. It should be noted, however, that this conclusion considers only the scrummaging scenario
Svestka's Research: Then and Now
Zdenek Svestka's research work influenced many fields of solar physics,
especially in the area of flare research. In this article I take five of the
areas that particularly interested him and assess them in a "then and now"
style. His insights in each case were quite sound, although of course in the
modern era we have learned things that he could not readily have envisioned.
His own views about his research life have been published recently in this
journal, to which he contributed so much, and his memoir contains much
additional scientific and personal information (Svestka, 2010).Comment: Invited review for "Solar and Stellar Flares," a conference in honour
of Prof. Zden\v{e}k \v{S}vestka, Prague, June 23-27, 2014. This is a
contribution to a Topical Issue in Solar Physics, based on the presentations
at this meeting (Editors Lyndsay Fletcher and Petr Heinzel
Much Ado About Nothing: Several Large-Area Surveys for Radio Pulsars From Arecibo
We report surveyed regions and flux limits for several large-area surveys at 430 MHz for radio pulsars using the 305 m reflector at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The surveys used integration times between 8 and 67 s and covered a total area of ~515 square degrees. No previously undiscovered pulsars were detected in these regions, although all previously known pulsars were detected. The nondetection of new pulsars places constraints on the population of low-luminosity pulsars and must be taken into account in estimates of the local density of millisecond pulsars
Long-term timing and emission behavior of the young Crab-like pulsar PSR B0540-69
We present timing solutions and spin properties of the young pulsar PSR B0540-69 from analysis of 15.8 years of data from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. We perform a partially phase-coherent timing analysis in order to mitigate the pronounced effects of timing noise in this pulsar. We also perform fully coherent timing over large subsets of the data set in order to arrive at a more precise solution. In addition to the previously reported first glitch undergone by this pulsar, we find a second glitch, which occurred at MJD 52927 +/- 4, with fractional changes in spin frequency Delta nu/nu = (1.64 +/- 0.05) x 10(-9) and spin-down rate Delta(nu) over dot/(nu) over dot = (0.930 +/- 0.011) x 10(-4) (taken from our fully coherent analysis). We measure a braking index that is consistent over the entire data span, with a mean value n = 2.129 +/- 0.012, from our partially coherent timing analysis. We also investigated the emission behavior of this pulsar, and have found no evidence for significant flux changes, flares, burst-type activity, or pulse profile shape variations. While there is strong evidence for the much-touted similarity of PSR B0540-69 to the Crab pulsar, they nevertheless differ in several aspects, including glitch activity, where PSR B0540-69 can be said to resemble certain other very young pulsars. It seems clear that the specific processes governing the formation, evolution, and interiors of this population of recently born neutron stars can vary significantly, as reflected in their observed properties
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