112 research outputs found
RXTE Observations of Cygnus X-3
In the period between May 1997 and August 1997 a series of pointed RXTE
observations were made of Cyg X-3. During this period Cyg X-3 made a transition
from a quiescent radio state to a flare state (including a major flare) and
then returned to a quiescent radio state. Analyses of the observations are made
in the context of concurrent observations in the hard X-ray (CGRO/BATSE), soft
X-ray (RXTE/ASM) and the radio (Green Bank Interferometer, Ryle Telescope, and
RATAN-600). Preliminary analyses of the observations are presented.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. newarcrc.sty included. To appear in 2nd Workshop
of Relativistic Jets from Galactic Sources, R.N. Ogley and S.J. Bell Burnell
eds, NewAR 42, in pres
The Cross-Spectra of Cir X-1: Evolution of Time Lags
Earlier work showed that the track in the X-ray hardness-intensity diagram of
Cir X-1 corresponds to a Z track in its color-color diagram. In this paper, we
study the cross spectrum of Cir X-1 in different regions of the
hardness-intensity diagram with /PCA data. Comparing the light curves of
Cir X-1 for the energy band 1.8-5.1 keV to those for 5.1-13.1 keV, we find that
Cir X-1 exhibits a hard time lag on the horizontal branch, and a soft time lag
on both the normal and the flaring branch. This indicates that Cir X-1 is
similar to GX 5-1 and Cyg X-2 on the horizontal branch, but is different from
them on the normal branch. We briefly discuss the mechanism of the time lags in
the context of Comptonization models.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Discovery of a magnetar associated with the Soft Repeater SGR 1900+14
The soft-gamma repeater SGR 1900+14 became active again on June 1998 after a long period of quiescence; it remained at a low state of activity until August 1998, when it emitted a series of extraordinarily intense outbursts. We have observed the source with RXTE twice, during the onset of each active episode. We confirm the pulsations at the 5.16 s period reported earlier (Hurley et al. 1998b, Hurley et al. 1998 e) from SGR 1900+14. Here we report the detection of a secular spindown of the pulse period at an average rate of 1.1*10^{-10} s/s. In view of the strong similarities between SGRs, we attribute the spindown of SGR 1900+14 to magnetic dipole radiation, possibly accelerated by a quiescent flux, as in the case of SGR 1806-20 (Kouveliotou et al. 1998a). This allows an estimate of the pulsar dipolar magnetic field, which is 2-8*10^{14} G. Our results confirm that SGRs are magnetars
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Photometric observations of the radio bright B[e]/X-ray binary CI Cam
We present multiwavelength (optical, IR, radio) observations of CI Cam, the optical counterpart to the transient X-ray source XTE J0421+560. Pre-outburst quiescent observations reveal the presence of a dusty envelope around the system. Pronounced short term variability is observed at all wavebands from U-K, but no indication of prior flaring of a similar magnitude to the 1998 April outburst is found in these data.
Data obtained during the 1998 April X-ray flare reveal pronounced optical-radio flaring. The optical flux was observed to quickly return to quiescent levels, while the radio flare was of much longer duration. The optical component is likely to result from a combination of free-free/free-bound emission, emission line and thermal dust emission, caused by re-radiation of the X-ray flux, while the behaviour of the multiwavelength radio data is consistent with emission from expanding ejecta emitting via the synchrotron mechanism.
Post-outburst (1998 August-1999 March) U-M broadband photometric observations reveal that while the optical (UBV) flux remains at pre-outburst quiescent levels, near IR (JHKLM) fluxes exceed the pre-outburst fluxes by ~0.5 magnitudes. Modelling the pre- and post-outburst spectral energy distribution of CI Cam reveals that the structure and/or composition of the dusty component of the circumstellar envelope appears to have changed. Due to a lack of information on the precise chemical composition of the dust within the system several explanations for this behaviour are possible, such as the production of new dust at the inner edge of the envelope, or modification of the composition of the dust due to X-ray irradiation
On the nature of XTE J0421+560/CI Cam
We present the results of the analysis of RXTE, BATSE and optical/infrared
data of the 1998 outburst of the X-ray transient system XTE J0421+560 (CI Cam).
The X-ray outburst shows a very fast decay (initial e-folding time ~0.5 days,
slowing down to ~2.3 days). The X-ray spectrum in the 2-25 keV band is complex,
softening considerably during decay and with strongly variable intrinsic
absorption. A strong iron emission line is observed. No fast time variability
is detected (<0.5 % rms in the 1-4096 Hz band at the outburst peak). The
analysis of the optical/IR data suggests that the secondary is a B[e] star
surrounded by cool dust and places the system at a distance of >~ 2 kpc. At
this distance the peak 2-25 keV luminosity is ~4 x 10^37 erg/s. We compare the
properties of this peculiar system with those of the Be/NS LMC transient A
0538-66 and suggest that CI Cam is of similar nature. The presence of strong
radio emission during outburst indicates that the compact object is likely to
be a black hole or a weakly magnetized neutron star.Comment: Accepted for publication on The Astrophysical Journal, July 199
A Jovian-mass Planet in Microlensing Event OGLE-2005-BLG-071
We report the discovery of a several-Jupiter mass planetary companion to the
primary lens star in microlensing event OGLE-2005-BLG-071. Precise (<1%)
photometry at the peak of the event yields an extremely high signal-to-noise
ratio detection of a deviation from the light curve expected from an isolated
lens. The planetary character of this deviation is easily and unambiguously
discernible from the gross features of the light curve. Detailed modeling
yields a tightly-constrained planet-star mass ratio of q=m_p/M=0.0071+/-0.0003.
This is the second robust detection of a planet with microlensing,
demonstrating that the technique itself is viable and that planets are not rare
in the systems probed by microlensing, which typically lie several kpc toward
the Galactic center.Comment: 4 pages. Minor changes. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Binary microlensing event OGLE-2009-BLG-020 gives a verifiable mass, distance and orbit predictions
We present the first example of binary microlensing for which the parameter
measurements can be verified (or contradicted) by future Doppler observations.
This test is made possible by a confluence of two relatively unusual
circumstances. First, the binary lens is bright enough (I=15.6) to permit
Doppler measurements. Second, we measure not only the usual 7 binary-lens
parameters, but also the 'microlens parallax' (which yields the binary mass)
and two components of the instantaneous orbital velocity. Thus we measure,
effectively, 6 'Kepler+1' parameters (two instantaneous positions, two
instantaneous velocities, the binary total mass, and the mass ratio). Since
Doppler observations of the brighter binary component determine 5 Kepler
parameters (period, velocity amplitude, eccentricity, phase, and position of
periapsis), while the same spectroscopy yields the mass of the primary, the
combined Doppler + microlensing observations would be overconstrained by 6 + (5
+ 1) - (7 + 1) = 4 degrees of freedom. This makes possible an extremely strong
test of the microlensing solution. We also introduce a uniform microlensing
notation for single and binary lenses, we define conventions, summarize all
known microlensing degeneracies and extend a set of parameters to describe full
Keplerian motion of the binary lenses.Comment: 51 pages, 8 figures, 2 appendices. Submitted to ApJ. Fortran codes
for Appendix B are attached to this astro-ph submission and are also
available at http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~jskowron/OGLE-2009-BLG-020
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