1,305 research outputs found
Classification and Ranking of Fermi LAT Gamma-ray Sources from the 3FGL Catalog using Machine Learning Techniques
We apply a number of statistical and machine learning techniques to classify
and rank gamma-ray sources from the Third Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT)
Source Catalog (3FGL), according to their likelihood of falling into the two
major classes of gamma-ray emitters: pulsars (PSR) or Active Galactic Nuclei
(AGN). Using 1904 3FGL sources that have been identified/associated with AGN
(1738) and PSR (166), we train (using 70% of our sample) and test (using 30%)
our algorithms and find that the best overall accuracy (>96%) is obtained with
the Random Forest (RF) technique, while using a logistic regression (LR)
algorithm results in only marginally lower accuracy. We apply the same
techniques on a sub-sample of 142 known gamma-ray pulsars to classify them into
two major subcategories: young (YNG) and millisecond pulsars (MSP). Once more,
the RF algorithm has the best overall accuracy (~90%), while a boosted LR
analysis comes a close second. We apply our two best models (RF and LR) to the
entire 3FGL catalog, providing predictions on the likely nature of {\it
unassociated} sources, including the likely type of pulsar (YNG or MSP). We
also use our predictions to shed light on the possible nature of some gamma-ray
sources with known associations (e.g. binaries, SNR/PWN). Finally, we provide a
list of plausible X-ray counterparts for some pulsar candidates, obtained using
Swift, Chandra, and XMM. The results of our study will be of interest for both
in-depth follow-up searches (e.g. pulsar) at various wavelengths, as well as
for broader population studies.Comment: Accepted by Ap
Radio-quiet and radio-loud pulsars: similar in Gamma-rays but different in X-rays
We present new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of a sample of eight
radio-quiet Gamma-ray pulsars detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. For
all eight pulsars we identify the X-ray counterpart, based on the X-ray source
localization and the best position obtained from Gamma-ray pulsar timing. For
PSR J2030+4415 we found evidence for an about 10 arcsec-long pulsar wind
nebula. Our new results consolidate the work from Marelli et al. 2011 and
confirm that, on average, the Gamma-ray--to--X-ray flux ratios (Fgamma/Fx) of
radio-quiet pulsars are higher than for the radio-loud ones. Furthermore, while
the Fgamma/Fx distribution features a single peak for the radio-quiet pulsars,
the distribution is more dispersed for the radio-loud ones, possibly showing
two peaks. We discuss possible implications of these different distributions
based on current models for pulsar X-ray emission.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; 12 pages, 3
figures, 2 table
The Hilbert space operator formalism within dynamical reduction models
Unlike standard quantum mechanics, dynamical reduction models assign no
particular a priori status to `measurement processes', `apparata', and
`observables', nor self-adjoint operators and positive operator valued measures
enter the postulates defining these models. In this paper, we show why and how
the Hilbert-space operator formalism, which standard quantum mechanics
postulates, can be derived from the fundamental evolution equation of dynamical
reduction models. Far from having any special ontological meaning, we show that
within the dynamical reduction context the operator formalism is just a compact
and convenient way to express the statistical properties of the outcomes of
experiments.Comment: 25 pages, RevTeX. Changes made and two figures adde
Observations of one young and three middle-aged -ray pulsars with the Gran Telescopio Canarias
We used the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias to search for the optical
counterparts to four isolated -ray pulsars, all detected in the X-rays
by either \xmm\ or \chan\ but not yet in the optical. Three of them are
middle-aged pulsars -- PSR\, J1846+0919 (0.36 Myr), PSR\, J2055+2539 (1.2 Myr),
PSR\, J2043+2740 (1.2 Myr) -- and one, PSR\, J1907+0602, is a young pulsar
(19.5 kyr). For both PSR\, J1907+0602 and PSR\, J2055+2539 we found one object
close to the pulsar position. However, in both cases such an object cannot be a
viable candidate counterpart to the pulsar. For PSR\, J1907+0602, because it
would imply an anomalously red spectrum for the pulsar and for PSR\, J2055+2539
because the pulsar would be unrealistically bright () for the
assumed distance and interstellar extinction. For PSR\, J1846+0919, we found no
object sufficiently close to the expected position to claim a possible
association, whereas for PSR\, J2043+2740 we confirm our previous findings that
the object nearest to the pulsar position is an unrelated field star. We used
our brightness limits (), the first obtained with a
large-aperture telescope for both PSR\, J1846+0919 and PSR\, J2055+2539, to
constrain the optical emission properties of these pulsars and investigate the
presence of spectral turnovers at low energies in their multi-wavelength
spectra.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, accpted for publication in MNRA
Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients uncovered by the EXTraS project: flares reveal the development of magnetospheric instability in accreting neutron stars
The low luminosity, X-ray flaring activity, of the sub-class of high mass
X-ray binaries called Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients, has been investigated
using XMM-Newton public observations, taking advantage of the products made
publicly available by the EXTraS project. One of the goals of EXTraS was to
extract from the XMM-Newton public archive information on the aperiodic
variability of all sources observed in the soft X-ray range with EPIC (0.2-12
keV). Adopting a Bayesian block decomposition of the X-ray light curves of a
sample of SFXTs, we picked out 144 X-ray flares, covering a large range of soft
X-ray luminosities (1e32-1e36 erg/s). We measured temporal quantities, like the
rise time to and the decay time from the peak of the flares, their duration and
the time interval between adjacent flares. We also estimated the peak
luminosity, average accretion rate and energy release in the flares. The
observed soft X-ray properties of low-luminosity flaring activity from SFXTs is
in qualitative agreement with what is expected by the application of the
Rayleigh-Taylor instability model in accreting plasma near the neutron star
magnetosphere. In the case of rapidly rotating neutron stars, sporadic
accretion from temporary discs cannot be excluded.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (accepted 2019 May 1; received 2019
April 30; in original form 2019 February 25). 22 pages, 16 figures, 3 tables
A candidate optical counterpart to the middle-aged gamma-ray pulsar PSR J1741-2054
We carried out deep optical observations of the middle-aged -ray
pulsar PSR J1741-2054 with the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We identified two
objects, of magnitudes and , at positions
consistent with the very accurate Chandra coordinates of the pulsar, the
faintest of which is more likely to be its counterpart. From the VLT images we
also detected the known bow-shock nebula around PSR J1741-2054. The nebula is
displaced by \sim 0\farcs9 (at the confidence level) with respect
to its position measured in archival data, showing that the shock propagates in
the interstellar medium consistently with the pulsar proper motion. Finally, we
could not find evidence of large-scale extended optical emission associated
with the pulsar wind nebula detected by Chandra, down to a surface brightness
limit of magnitudes arcsec. Future observations are needed
to confirm the optical identification of PSR J1741-2054 and characterise the
spectrum of its counterpart.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, Astrophysical Journal, in pres
Large Binocular Telescope observations of PSR J2043+2740
We present the results of deep optical imaging of the radio/-ray
pulsar PSR J2043+2740, obtained with the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). With
a characteristic age of 1.2 Myr, PSR J2043+2740 is one of the oldest (non
recycled) pulsars detected in -rays, although with still a quite high
rotational energy reservoir ( erg
s). The presumably close distance (a few hundred pc), suggested by the
hydrogen column density ( cm),
would make it a viable target for deep optical observations, never attempted
until now. We observed the pulsar with the Large Binocular Camera of the LBT.
The only object (V=25.440.05) detected within ~3" from the pulsar radio
coordinates is unrelated to it. PSR J2043+2740 is, thus, undetected down to
V~26.6 (3-), the deepest limit on its optical emission. We discuss the
implications of this result on the pulsar emission properties.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication on MNRA
Chamber basis of the Orlik-Solomon algebra and Aomoto complex
We introduce a basis of the Orlik-Solomon algebra labeled by chambers, so
called chamber basis. We consider structure constants of the Orlik-Solomon
algebra with respect to the chamber basis and prove that these structure
constants recover D. Cohen's minimal complex from the Aomoto complex.Comment: 16 page
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