1,511 research outputs found
Line emission from gamma-ray burst environments
The time and angle dependent line and continuum emission from a dense torus
around a cosmological gamma-ray burst source is simulated, taking into account
photoionization, collisional ionization, recombination, and electron heating
and cooling due to various processes. The importance of the hydrodynamical
interaction between the torus and the expanding blast wave is stressed. Due to
the rapid deceleration of the blast wave as it interacts with the dense torus,
the material in the torus will be illuminated by a drastically different photon
spectrum than observable through a low-column-density line of sight, and will
be heated by the hydrodynamical interaction between the blast wave and the
torus. A model calculation to reproduce the Fe K-alpha line emission observed
in the X-ray afterglow of GRB 970508 is presented. The results indicate that ~
10^{-4} solar masses of iron must be concentrated in a region of less than
10^{-3} pc. The illumination of the torus material due to the hydrodynamic
interaction of the blast wave with the torus is the dominant heating and
ionization mechanism leading to the formation of the iron line. These results
suggest that misaligned GRBs may be detectable as X-ray flashes with pronounced
iron emission line features.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Updated recombination rate data;
discussion on element abundances added; references update
Dust sublimation by GRBs and its implications
The prompt optical flash recently detected accompanying GRB990123 suggests
that, for at least some GRBs, gamma-ray emission is accompanied by prompt
optical-UV emission with luminosity L(1-7.5eV)=10^{49}(\Delta\Omega/4\pi)erg/s,
where \Delta\Omega is the solid angle into which gamma-ray and optical-UV
emission is beamed. Such an optical-UV flash can destroy dust in the beam by
sublimation out to an appreciable distance, approximately 10 pc, and may clear
the dust out of as much as 10^7(\Delta\Omega/4\pi)M_sun of molecular cloud
material on an apparent time scale of 10 seconds. Detection of time dependent
extinction on this time scale would therefore provide strong constraints on the
GRB source environment. Dust destruction implies that existing, or future,
observations of not-heavily-reddened fireballs are not inconsistent with GRBs
being associated with star forming regions. In this case, however, if gamma-ray
emission is highly beamed, the expanding fireball would become reddened on a 1
week time scale.
If the optical depth due to dust beyond approximately 8 pc from the GRB is
0.2<\tau_V<2, most of the UV flash energy is converted to infra-red, \lambda
\sim 1 micron, radiation with luminosity \sim 10^{41} erg/s extending over an
apparent duration of \sim 20(1+z)(\Delta\Omega/0.01) day. Dust infra-red
emission may already have been observed in GRB970228 and GRB980326, and may
possibly explain their unusual late time behavior.Comment: 16 pages, including 1 figure, submitted to Ap
Violent Hard X-ray Variability of Mrk 421 Observed by NuSTAR in 2013 April
The well studied blazar Markarian 421 (Mrk 421, =0.031) was the subject of
an intensive multi-wavelength campaign when it flared in 2013 April. The
recorded X-ray and very high energy (VHE, E100 GeV) -ray fluxes are
the highest ever measured from this object. At the peak of the activity, it was
monitored by the hard X-ray focusing telescope {\it Nuclear Spectroscopic
Telescope Array} ({\it NuSTAR}) and {\it Swift} X-Ray Telescope (XRT). In this
work, we present a detailed variability analysis of {\it NuSTAR} and {\it
Swift}-XRT observations of Mrk 421 during this flaring episode. We obtained the
shortest flux doubling time of 14.015.03 minutes, which is the shortest
hard X-ray (379 keV) variability ever recorded from Mrk 421 and is on the
order of the light crossing time of the black hole's event horizon. A pattern
of extremely fast variability events superposed on slowly varying flares is
found in most of the {\it NuSTAR} observations. We suggest that these peculiar
variability patterns may be explained by magnetic energy dissipation and
reconnection in a fast moving compact emission region within the jet. Based on
the fast variability, we derive a lower limit on the magnetic field strength of
~G, where is the
Doppler factor in units of 10, and is the characteristic X-ray
synchrotron frequency in units of ~Hz.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, to appear in the Astrophysical Journa
X-ray spectral features from GRBs: Predictions of progenitor models
We investigate the potentially observable prompt or delayed X-ray spectral
features from the currently popular gamma-ray burst (GRB) models. During the
evolution of many GRB progenitors, a disk around the central GRB source is
produced. Shock heating as the GRB ejecta collide with the disk may produce
observable X-ray features. We first summarize predictions deduced from previous
calculations which invoke photoionization and relativistic blast waves. We then
calculate the quasi-thermal X-ray line features produced assuming the ejecta
are nonrelativistic (which is more likely for the disk interactions of many GRB
models). In the framework of the Hypernova/Collapsar model, delayed (a few days
- several months after the GRB) bursts of line-dominated, thermal X-ray
emission may be expected. The He-merger scenario predicts similar X-ray
emission line bursts <~ a few days after the GRB. These X-ray signatures should
be observable with Chandra and XMM-Newton out to at least z ~ 1. Weak emission
line features <~ a few days after the GRB may also result from the supranova
GRB scenario. In all three cases, significant X-ray absorption features, in
particular during the prompt GRB phase, are expected. No significant X-ray
spectral features might result from compact-object binary mergers.Comment: 20 pages, including 8 figures and 3 tables. Uses epsf.sty,
rotate.sty. Final version, accepted for publication in to ApJ. Revised
analytical estimate of maximum emission line luminosity. Numerical results
and conclusions unchange
Analyzing the Multiwavelength Spectrum and Variability of BL Lacertae During the July 1997 Outburst
The multiwavelength spectrum of BL Lacertae during its July 1997 outburst is
analyzed in terms of different variations of the homogeneous leptonic jet model
for the production of high-energy radiation from blazars. We find that a
two-component gamma-ray spectrum, consisting of a synchrotron self-Compton and
an external Compton component, is required in order to yield an acceptable fit
to the broadband spectrum. Our analysis indicates that in BL Lac, unlike other
BL Lac objects, the broad emission line region plays an important role for the
high-energy emission. Several alternative blazar jet models are briefly
discussed. In the appendix, we describe the formalism in which the process of
Comptonization of reprocessed accretion disk photons is treated in the
previously developed blazar jet simulation code which we use.Comment: Now accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal.
Significantly extended discussion w.r.t. original version. 3 Figures included
using epsf.sty, rotate.st
Comptonization signatures in the rapid aperiodic variability of Galactic black-hole candidates
We investigate the effect of inverse-Compton scattering of flares of soft
radiation in different geometries of a hot, Comptonizing region and a colder
accretion disk around a solar-mass black hole. The photon-energy dependent
light curves, their Fourier transforms, power spectra and Fourier-period
dependent time lags of hard photons with respect to softer photons are
discussed. On the basis of a comparison with existing data we find arguments
against Comptonization of external soft radiation as well as Comptonization in
a homogeneous medium as dominant mechanisms for the rapid aperiodic variability
in Galactic black-hole candidates. Possible further observational tests for the
influence of Comptonization on the rapid aperiodic variability of Galactic
black-hole candidates are suggested.Comment: 32 pages, including 10 figures and 2 tables; uses epsf.sty,
rotate.sty; submitted to Ap
Testing and validation of a Β; algorithm for cubesat satellites
For most satellite missions, it is essential to decrease the satellite angular velocity. The Β algorithm is a common algorithm to stabilize the spacecraft by using magnetorquers. Controlling the satellite using the magnetorquers is part of the attitude control subsystem
detumbling mode. Due to oscillating disturbances in the space environment, the required initial conditions needs analysis. As a consequence, the satellite stays in Β
detumbling mode for the entire operation. In the detumbling mode, the spacecraft oscillates around its spatial axes. The
purpose of this paper is to extend the Β algorithm with a disturbances compensation module and to achieve reduction of
satellite’s angular velocity. The developed algorithm is found to be able to reduce satellite’s angular velocity up to 10-11 degrees
X-ray Flares from Markarian 501
Motivated by the recent finding of hierarchical X-ray flaring phenomenon in
Mrk 421, we conducted a systematic search for X-ray flares from Mrk 501,
another well-known TeV blazar, by making use of the rich {\em RXTE} archival
database. We detected flares over a wide range of timescales, from months down
to minutes, as in the case of Mrk 421. However, the flares do not seem to occur
nearly as frequently in Mrk 501 as in Mrk 421 on any of the timescales. The
flaring hierarchy also seems apparent in Mrk 501, suggesting that it might be
common among TeV blazars. The results seem to imply a scale-invariant physical
origin of the flares (large or small). The X-ray spectrum of the source shows a
general trend of hardening toward the peak of long-duration flares, with
indication of spectral hysteresis, which is often seen in TeV blazars. However,
the data are not of sufficient quality to allow us to draw definitive
conclusions about spectral variability associated with more rapid but weaker
flares. We critically examine a reported sub-hour X-ray flare from Mrk 501, in
light of intense background flaring activity at the time of the observation,
and concluded that the flare is likely an artifact. On the other hand, we did
identify a rapid X-ray flare that appears to be real. It lasted only for about
15 minutes, during which the flux of the source varied by about 30%.
Sub-structures are apparent in its profile, implying variabilities on even
shorter timescales. Such rapid variabilities of Mrk 501 place severe
constraints on the physical properties of the flaring region in the jet, which
have serious implications on the emission models proposed for TeV blazars.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Monte-Carlo simulations of thermal/nonthermal radiation from a neutron-star magnetospheric accretion shell
We discuss the space-and-time-dependent Monte Carlo code we have developed to
simulate the relativistic radiation output from compact astrophysical objects,
coupled to a Fokker-Planck code to determine the self-consistent lepton
populations. We have applied this code to model the emission from a magnetized
neutron star accretion shell near the Alfven radius, reprocessing the radiation
from the neutron sar surface. We explore the parameter space defined by the
accretion rate, stellar surface field and the level of wave turbulence in the
shell. Our results are relevant to the emission from atoll sources, soft-X-ray
transient X-ray binaries containing weakly magnetized neutron stars, and to
recently suggested models of accretion-powered emission from anomalous X-ray
pulsars.Comment: 24 pages, including 7 figures; uses epsf.sty. final version, accepted
for publication in ApJ. Extended introduction and discussio
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