3,326 research outputs found
Ultraluminous X-ray Source 1E 0953.8+6918 (M81 X-9): An Intermediate Mass Black Hole Candidate and its Environs
We present a ROSAT and ASCA study of the Einstein source X-9 and its relation
to a shock-heated shell-like optical nebula in a tidal arm of the M81 group of
interacting galaxies. Our ASCA observation of the source shows a flat and
featureless X-ray spectrum well described by a multi-color disk blackbody
model. The source most likely represents an optically thick accretion disk
around an intermediate mass black hole in its high/soft state, similar to other
variable ultraluminous X-ray sources observed in nearby disk galaxies. Using
constraints derived from both the innermost stable orbit around a black hole
and the Eddington luminosity, we find that the black hole is fast-rotating and
that its mass is between , where is the inclination angle of the disk.
The inferred bolometric luminosity of the accretion disk is . Furthermore, we find that the
optical nebula is very energetic and may contain large amounts of hot gas,
accounting for a soft X-ray component as indicated by archival ROSAT PSPC data.
The nebula is apparently associated with X-9; the latter may be powering the
former and/or they could be formed in the same event (e.g., a hypernova). Such
a connection, if confirmed, could have strong implications for understanding
both the birth of intermediate mass black holes and the formation of energetic
interstellar structures.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Chandra Observations of the Galactic Center and Nearby Edge-on Galaxies
I review our recent Chandra surveys of the center region of the Milky Way and
other nearby edge-on galaxies. Our Galactic center survey provides an
unprecedented high-resolution, broad-band X-ray panorama of a 0.8x2 square
degree swath along the Galactic plane. Our preliminary analysis has led a
detection of about 1000 discrete sources. We find that the diffuse X-ray
emission dominates over the contribution from faint discrete sources and is
globally associated with distinct interstellar structures observed at radio and
mid-infrared wavelengths. We study how high-energy activities in the center
region affect the immediate vicinity and may influence other aspects of the
Galaxy. We have further observed nearby edge-on late-type disk galaxies in
fields of low foreground Galactic extinction to gain external perspectives of
the global disk/halo interaction. We have detected a giant diffuse
X-ray-emitting corona around the galactic disk of NGC 4631. Extraplanar diffuse
X-ray emission is also detected around NGC 3556. These X-ray-emitting coronae
morphologically resemble the radio halos of these galaxies, indicating a close
connection between outflows of hot gas, cosmic rays, and magnetic field from
the galactic disks. There is only marginal evidence for extraplanar diffuse
X-ray emission in NGC 4244 -- a galaxy with an extremely low star formation
rate. In general, the extraplanar diffuse X-ray emission is evidently related
to recent massive star forming activities in the galactic disks, especially in
their central regions.Comment: 7 pages plus figures, based on an invited talk presented at Proc.
Symposium "New Vision of the X-ray Universe in the XMM-Newton and Chandra
Era", a complete and high-resolution version can be found at
http://xray.astro.umass.edu/wqd/papers/gcs/qwang_E3.p
Confronting feedback simulations with observations of hot gas in elliptical galaxies
Elliptical galaxies comprise primarily old stars, which collectively generate
a long-lasting feedback via stellar mass-loss and Type Ia SNe. This feedback
can be traced by X-ray-emitting hot gas in and around such galaxies, in which
little cool gas is typically present. However, the X-ray-inferred mass, energy,
and metal abundance of the hot gas are often found to be far less than what are
expected from the feedback, particularly in so-called low L_X/L_B ellipticals.
This "missing" stellar feedback is presumably lost in galaxy-wide outflows,
which can play an essential role in galaxy evolution (e.g., explaining the
observed color bi-modality of galaxies). We are developing a model that can be
used to properly interpret the X-ray data and to extract key information about
the dynamics of the feedback and its interplay with galactic environment.Comment: To be published in Highlights of Astronomy, Vol 15, XXVIIth IAU
General Assembly, JD
Extra-planar Diffuse Hot Gas Around Normal Disk Galaxies
I review results from {\sl Chandra} observations of nearby normal edge-on
galaxies (Sd to Sa types). These galaxies have a broad range of star formation
rate, but none of them is dominated by a nuclear starburst. The galaxies are
all in directions of low Galactic foreground absorption. Extra-Planar diffuse
soft X-ray emission is detected unambiguously from all the galaxies, except for
N4244 (Sd), which is low in both the stellar mass and the star formation rate.
The thermal nature of the X-ray-emitting gas is well established, although its
chemical and ionization states remain largely uncertain. The X-ray luminosity
of the gas is proportional to the star formation rate and to the stellar mass
of the galaxies. But the luminosity accounts for at most a few percent of the
expected supernova mechanical energy input. Therefore, there is a ``missing''
energy problem for spiral galaxies. Much of the energy in late-type spirals may
be converted and radiated in lower energy bands. But early-type ones most
likely have outflows, which are powered primarily by Type Ia supernovae in
galactic bulges. These galactic outflows may strongly affect both the dynamics
and cooling of the intergalactic gas accretion, hence the evolution of the
galaxies.Comment: 8 pages. To appear in Extraplanar Gas, ed. R. Braun. a version with
full resolution plots can be found
http://www.astro.umass.edu/~wqd/papers/extraplanar.p
The Galactic Central Diffuse X-ray Enhancement: A Differential Absorption/Emission Analysis
The soft X-ray background shows a general enhancement toward the inner region
of the Galaxy. But whether this enhancement is a local feature (e.g., a
superbubble within a distance of <= 200 pc) and/or a phenomenon related to
energetic outflows from the Galactic center/bulge remains unclear. Here we
report a comparative X-ray emission and absorption study of diffuse hot gas
along the sight lines toward 3C 273 and Mrk 421, on and off the enhancement,
but at similar Galactic latitudes. The diffuse 3/4-keV emission intensity, as
estimated from the ROSAT All Sky Survey, is about three times higher toward 3C
273 than toward Mrk 421. Based on archival \chandra grating observations of
these two AGNs, we detect X-ray absorption lines (e.g., OVII Kalpha, Kbeta, and
OVIII Kalpha transitions at z~0) and find that the mean hot gas thermal and
kinematic properties along the two sight lines are significantly different. By
subtracting the foreground and background contribution, as determined along the
Mrk 421 sight line, we isolate the net X-ray absorption and emission produced
by the hot gas associated with the enhancement in the direction of 3C 273. From
a joint analysis of these differential data sets, we obtain the temperature,
dispersion velocity, and hydrogen column density as 2.0(1.6, 2.3)E6 K,
216(104,480) km/s, and 2.2(1.4, 4.1)E19 cm^{-2}, respectively (90% confidence
intervals), assuming that the gas is approximately isothermal, solar in metal
abundances, and equilibrium in collisional ionization. We also constrain the
effective line-of-sight extent of the gas to be 3.4(1.0, 10.1) kpc, strongly
suggesting that the enhancement most likely represents a Galactic central
phenomenon.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figs, and 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ;
references updated; match to the version of proof
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