184 research outputs found
Commission des Communautes Europeennes: Groupe du Porte-Parole. Rendez-vous de midi et Reunion de la Commission - 7.12.1988 (C.D. Ehlermann) = Commission of European Communities: Spokesman Group. Appointment at noon and Meeting of the Commission - 7.12.1988 (C.D. Ehlermann). Press Spokesman Service Note to National Offices Bio No. (88) 390, 7 December 1988
Fomalhaut b is a directly imaged object in the debris disk of the star
Fomalhaut. It has been hypothesized to be a planet, however there are issues
with the observed colours of the object that do not fit planetary models. An
alternative hypothesis is that the object is a neutron star in the near fore-
or background of Fomalhaut's disk. We test if Fomalhaut b could be a neutron
star using X-ray observations with Chandra's HRC-I instrument in the energy
range of 0.08-10 keV. We do not detect X-ray emission from either Fomalhaut b
or the star Fomalhaut itself. Our nondetection corresponds to an upper limit on
the X-ray flux of Fomalhaut b of F_X < 1.3e-14 erg/cm/s^2 in the energy range
0.08-10 keV. For the A-type central star Fomalhaut, we derive an X-ray upper
limit of L_X < 2e25 erg/s in the energy range 0.08-10 keV. Fomalhaut b's X-ray
non-detection constrains the parameter space for a possible neutron star
significantly, implying surface temperatures lower than 91000 K and distances
closer than 13.3 pc to the solar system. In addition we find that reflected
starlight from the central star fits the available optical detections of
Fomalhaut b; a smaller planet with a large ring system might explain such a
scenario.Comment: 7 page
Multi-wavelength analysis of the Galactic supernova remnant MSH 11-61A
Due to its centrally bright X-ray morphology and limb brightened radio
profile, MSH 11-61A (G290.1-0.8) is classified as a mixed morphology supernova
remnant (SNR). H\textsc{i} and CO observations determined that the SNR is
interacting with molecular clouds found toward the north and southwest regions
of the remnant. In this paper we report on the detection of -ray
emission coincident with MSH 11-61A, using 70 months of data from the Large
Area Telescope on board the \textit{Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope}. To
investigate the origin of this emission, we perform broadband modelling of its
non-thermal emission considering both leptonic and hadronic cases and
concluding that the -ray emission is most likely hadronic in nature.
Additionally we present our analysis of a 111 ks archival \textit{Suzaku}
observation of this remnant. Our investigation shows that the X-ray emission
from MSH 11-61A arises from shock-heated ejecta with the bulk of the X-ray
emission arising from a recombining plasma, while the emission towards the east
arises from an ionising plasma.Comment: 12 Pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Evidence of Particle Acceleration in the Superbubble 30 Doradus C with NuSTAR
We present evidence of diffuse, non-thermal X-ray emission from the
superbubble 30 Doradus C (30 Dor C) using hard X-ray images and spectra from
NuSTAR observations. For this analysis, we utilize data from a 200 ks targeted
observation of 30 Dor C as well as 2.8 Ms of serendipitous off-axis
observations from the monitoring of nearby SN 1987A. The complete shell of 30
Dor C is detected up to 20 keV, and the young supernova remnant MCSNR
J0536-6913 in the southeast of 30 Dor C is not detected above 8 keV.
Additionally, six point sources identified in previous Chandra and XMM-Newton
investigations have hard X-ray emission coincident with their locations. Joint
spectral fits to the NuSTAR and XMM-Newton spectra across the 30 Dor C shell
confirm the non-thermal nature of the diffuse emission. Given the best-fit
rolloff frequencies of the X-ray spectra, we find maximum electron energies of
70-110 TeV (assuming a B-field strength of 4G), suggesting 30 Dor C is
accelerating particles. Particles are either accelerated via diffusive shock
acceleration at locations where the shocks have not stalled behind the
H shell, or cosmic-rays are accelerated through repeated acceleration
of low-energy particles via turbulence and magnetohydrodynamic waves in the
bubble's interior.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, ApJ, in pres
A Dependence of the Tidal Disruption Event Rate on Global Stellar Surface Mass Density and Stellar Velocity Dispersion
© 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. The rate of tidal disruption events (TDEs), R TDE , is predicted to depend on stellar conditions near the super-massive black hole (SMBH), which are on difficult-to-measure sub-parsec scales. We test whether R TDE depends on kpcscale global galaxy properties, which are observable. We concentrate on stellar surface mass density, ∑ M∗ , and velocity dispersion, σ v , which correlate with the stellar density and velocity dispersion of the stars around the SMBH. We consider 35 TDE candidates, with and without known X-ray emission. The hosts range from starforming to quiescent to quiescent with strong Balmer absorption lines. The last (often with post-starburst spectra) are overrepresented in our sample by a factor of 35 +21 -17 or 18 +8 -7 , depending on the strength of the Hδ absorption line. For a subsample of hosts with homogeneous measurements, ∑ M∗ = 10 9 -10 10 M ⊙ /kpc 2 , higher on average than for a volume-weighted control sample of Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies with similar redshifts and stellar masses. This is because (1) most of the TDE hosts here are quiescent galaxies, which tend to have higher ∑ M∗ than the star-forming galaxies that dominate the control, and (2) the star-forming hosts have higher average ∑ M∗ than the star-forming control. There is also a weak suggestion that TDE hosts have lower σ v than for the quiescent control. Assuming that R TDE ∝ ∑ M∗ α × σ v β , and applying a statistical model to the TDE hosts and control sample, we estimate α = 0.9 ; 0.2 and β = -1.0 0.6. This is broadly consistent with RTDE being tied to the dynamical relaxation of stars surrounding the SMBH
An XMM-Newton Study of the Mixed-morphology Supernova Remnant G346.6-0.2
published_or_final_versio
The broad-line type Ic SN 2020bvc: signatures of an off-axis gamma-ray burst afterglow
Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are almost unequivocally associated
with very energetic, broad-lined supernovae (SNe) of Type Ic-BL. While the
gamma-ray emission is emitted in narrow jets, the SN emits radiation
isotropically. Therefore, some SN Ic-BL not associated with GRBs have been
hypothesized to arise from events with inner engines such as off-axis GRBs or
choked jets. Here we present observations of the nearby ( Mpc) SN
2020bvc (ASAS-SN 20bs) which support this scenario. \textit{Swift} UVOT
observations reveal an early decline (up to two days after explosion) while
optical spectra classify it as a SN Ic-BL with very high expansion velocities
( 70,000 km/s), similar to that found for the jet-cocoon emission in
SN 2017iuk associated with GRB 171205A. Moreover, \textit{Swift} X-Ray
Telescope and \textit{CXO} X-ray Observatory detected X-ray emission only three
days after the SN and decaying onwards, which can be ascribed to an afterglow
component. Cocoon and X-ray emission are both signatures of jet-powered GRBs.
In the case of SN 2020bvc, we find that the jet is off axis (by 23
degrees), as also indicated by the lack of early ( day) X-ray
emission which explains why no coincident GRB was detected promptly or in
archival data. These observations suggest that SN 2020bvc is the first orphan
GRB detected through its associated SN emission.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in A&
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