X-ray Transient Sources (Multifrequency Laboratories) The Case of the Prototype A0535+26/HDE 245770

The goal of this paper is to discuss the behaviour of the X-ray transient source A0535+26 which is considered for historical reasons and for the huge amount of multifrequency data, spread over a period of 35 years, as the prototype of this class of objects. Transient sources are formed by a Be star — the primary — and a neutron star X-ray pulsar — the secondary — and constitute a sub-class of X-ray binary systems. We will emphasize the discovery of low-energy indicators of high-energy processes. They are UBVRI magnitudes and Balmer lines of the optical companion. Particular unusual activity of the primary star — usually at the periastron passage of the neutron star – indicates that an X-ray flare is drawing near. The shape and intensity of X-ray outbursts are dependent on the strength of the activity of the primary. We derive the optical orbital period of the system as 110.856 ± 0.02 days. By using the optical flare of December 5, 1981 (here after 811205-E) that triggered the subsequent X-ray outburst of December 13, 1981, we derive the ephemeris of the system as JD Popt−outb = JD0 (2, 444, 944) ± n(110.856 ± 0.02). Thus the passage of the neutron star at the periastron occurs with a periodicity of 110.856 ± 0.02 days and the different kinds of X-ray outbursts of A0535+26 — following the definitions reported in the review by Giovannelli & Sabau-Graziati (1992) — occur just after ∼ 8 days. The delay between optical and X-ray outbursts is just the transit time of the material coming out from the optical companion to reach the neutron star X-ray pulsar. The occurrence of X-ray “normal outbursts”, “anomalous outbursts” or “casual outbursts” is dependent on the activity of the Be star: “quiet state: steady stellar wind”, “excited state: stellar wind plus puffs of material”, and “expulsion of a shell”, respectively. In the latter case, the primary manifests a strong optical activity and the consequent strong X-ray outburst can occur in any orbital phase, with a preference at the periastron passage of the neutron star, because of its gravitational effects on the Be star

The Intriguing Nature of the Cataclysmic Variable SS Cygni

The classification of SS Cyg as a dwarf nova (DN), a subclass of the non–magnetic (NM) cataclysmic variable (CV) has been considered by most of the community as well established because of a paper appeared in Nature (Bath & van Paradijs, 1983), which was a bandwagon for all the papers discussing SS Cyg behaviour both from experimental and theoretical points of view. This classification has been widely accepted until nowadays, in spite of the many arguments and circumstantial proofs about its possible intermediate polar nature, as claimed by Franco Giovannelli’s group for more than 25 years.The goal of this paper is to present an objective discussion of the problems connected with the controversial nature of SS Cyg, using all the different interpretations of its multifrequency data in order to demonstrate beyond doubt its intermediate polar nature

The Golden Age of Cataclysmic Variables and Related Objects (Old and News)

In this paper we review cataclysmic variables (CVs) discussing several hot points about the renewing interest of today astrophysics about these sources. We will briefly discuss also about classical and recurrent novae, as well as the intriguing problem of progenitors of the Type Ia supernovae. This paper is an extended and updated version of the review by Giovannelli (2008). Because of limited length of the paper and our knowledge, this review does not pretend to be complete. However, we would like to demonstrate that the improvement on knowledge of the physics of our Universe is strictly related also with the multifrequency behaviour of CVs, which apparently in the recent past lost to have a leading position in modern astrophysics

Follow-up of X-ray transients detected by SWIFT with COLORES using the BOOTES network

The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES) is a network of telescopes that allows the continuous monitoring of transient astrophysical sources. It was originally devoted to the study of the optical emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that occur in the Universe. In this paper we show the initial results obtained using the spectrograph COLORES (mounted on BOOTES-2), when observing compact objects of diverse nature.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figues, to appear in "Swift: 10 years of discovery", Proceedings of Scienc

INITIAL FOLLOW-UP OF OPTICAL TRANSIENTS WITH COLORES USING THE BOOTES NETWORK

The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES) is a network of telescopes that allows the continuous monitoring of transient astrophysical sources. It was originally devoted to the study of the optical emissions from gamma-raybursts (GRBs) that occur in the Universe. In this paper we show the initial results obtained using the spectrograph COLORES (mounted on BOOTES-2), when observing optical transients (OTs) of a diverse nature

The star-forming cores in the centre of the Trifid nebula (M 20): from Herschel to the near-infrared

A new detailed infrared (IR) study of eight star-forming dense condensations (TCs) in M 20, the Trifid nebula, is presented. The aim is to determine the physical properties of the dust in such globules and establish the presence and properties of their embedded protostellar and/or young stellar population. For this, we analysed new Herschel far-IR and Calar Alto near-IR images of the region, combined with Spitzer Infrared Array Camera (Spitzer/IRAC) archival observations. We confirm the presence of several young stellar objects (YSOs), most with mid-IR colours of Class II sources in all but one of the observed cores. Five TCs are dominated in the far-IR by Class I sources with bolometric luminosities between 100 and 500 L☉. We report the discovery of a possible counterjet to HH 399 and its protostellar engine inside the photodissociation region TC2, as well as a bipolar outflow system, signposted by symmetric H2 emission knots, embedded in TC3. The present results are compatible with previous suggestions that star formation has been active in the region for some 3 × 105 yr, and that the most recent events in some of these TCs may have been triggered by the expansion of the H II region. We also obtained a revised value for the distance to M 20 of 2.0 ± 0.1 kpc

The second flight of the SUNRISE balloon-borne solar observatory: overview of instrument updates, the flight, the data and first results

The SUNRISE balloon-borne solar observatory, consisting of a 1~m aperture telescope that provided a stabilized image to a UV filter imager and an imaging vector polarimeter, carried out its second science flight in June 2013. It provided observations of parts of active regions at high spatial resolution, including the first high-resolution images in the Mg~{\sc ii}~k line. The obtained data are of very high quality, with the best UV images reaching the diffraction limit of the telescope at 3000~\AA\ after Multi-Frame Blind Deconvolution reconstruction accounting for phase-diversity information. Here a brief update is given of the instruments and the data reduction techniques, which includes an inversion of the polarimetric data. Mainly those aspects that evolved compared with the first flight are described. A tabular overview of the observations is given. In addition, an example time series of a part of the emerging active region NOAA AR~11768 observed relatively close to disk centre is described and discussed in some detail. The observations cover the pores in the trailing polarity of the active region, as well as the polarity inversion line where flux emergence was ongoing and a small flare-like brightening occurred in the course of the time series. The pores are found to contain magnetic field strengths ranging up to 2500~G and, while large pores are clearly darker and cooler than the quiet Sun in all layers of the photosphere, the temperature and brightness of small pores approach or even exceed those of the quiet Sun in the upper photosphere.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

The Sunrise Mission

The first science flight of the balloon-borne \Sunrise telescope took place in June 2009 from ESRANGE (near Kiruna/Sweden) to Somerset Island in northern Canada. We describe the scientific aims and mission concept of the project and give an overview and a description of the various hardware components: the 1-m main telescope with its postfocus science instruments (the UV filter imager SuFI and the imaging vector magnetograph IMaX) and support instruments (image stabilizing and light distribution system ISLiD and correlating wavefront sensor CWS), the optomechanical support structure and the instrument mounting concept, the gondola structure and the power, pointing, and telemetry systems, and the general electronics architecture. We also explain the optimization of the structural and thermal design of the complete payload. The preparations for the science flight are described, including AIV and ground calibration of the instruments. The course of events during the science flight is outlined, up to the recovery activities. Finally, the in-flight performance of the instrumentation is briefly summarized.Comment: 35 pages, 17 figure

The Sunrise Mission

The first science flight of the balloon-borne Sunrise telescope took place in June 2009 from ESRANGE (near Kiruna/Sweden) to Somerset Island in northern Canada. We describe the scientific aims and mission concept of the project and give an overview and a description of the various hardware components: the 1-m main telescope with its postfocus science instruments (the UV filter imager SuFI and the imaging vector magnetograph IMaX) and support instruments (image stabilizing and light distribution system ISLiD and correlating wavefront sensor CWS), the optomechanical support structure and the instrument mounting concept, the gondola structure and the power, pointing, and telemetry systems, and the general electronics architecture. We also explain the optimization of the structural and thermal design of the complete payload. The preparations for the science flight are described, including AIV and ground calibration of the instruments. The course of events during the science flight is outlined, up to the recovery activities. Finally, the in-flight performance of the instrumentation is discussed. © 2010 The Author(s)