969 research outputs found
On the use of C-stat in testing models for X-ray spectra
It has been shown that for the analysis of X-ray spectra the C-statistic,
contrary to the chi^2-statistic, provides unbiased estimates of the model
parameters and their uncertainty ranges. However, it is often stated that the
C-statistic cannot be used to carry out statistical tests on the goodness of
fit of the model, and therefore several investigations are still based on
chi^2-statistics. Here we show that it is straightforward to calculate the
expected value and variance of the C-statistic so that it can be used in tests.
We provide formulae and simple numerical approximations to evaluate these
expected values and variances. We also give examples indicating that tests
based on only the expected value and variance of the C-statistic are reliable
for spectra even with only ~30 counts. Therefore the C-statistic can be used
for statistical tests such as assessing the goodness of fit of a spectral
model.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Optimal binning of X-ray spectra and response matrix design
A theoretical framework is developed to estimate the optimal binning of X-ray
spectra. We derived expressions for the optimal bin size for model spectra as
well as for observed data using different levels of sophistication. It is shown
that by taking into account both the number of photons in a given spectral
model bin and their average energy over the bin size, the number of model
energy bins and the size of the response matrix can be reduced by a factor of
. The response matrix should then contain the response at the bin
centre as well as its derivative with respect to the incoming photon energy. We
provide practical guidelines for how to construct optimal energy grids as well
as how to structure the response matrix. A few examples are presented to
illustrate the present methods.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
X-ray emission from thin plasmas. Collisional ionization for atoms and ions of H to Zn
Every observation of astrophysical objects involving a spectrum requires
atomic data for the interpretation of line fluxes, line ratios and ionization
state of the emitting plasma. One of the processes which determines it is
collisional ionization. In this study an update of the direct ionization (DI)
and excitation-autoionization (EA) processes is discussed for the H to Zn-like
isoelectronic sequences. In the last years new laboratory measurements and
theoretical calculations of ionization cross sections have become available. We
provide an extension and update of previous published reviews in the
literature. We include the most recent experimental measurements and fit the
cross sections of all individual shells of all ions from H to Zn. These data
are described using an extension of Younger's and Mewe's formula, suitable for
integration over a Maxwellian velocity distribution to derive the subshell
ionization rate coefficients. These ionization rate coefficients are
incorporated in the high-resolution plasma code and spectral fitting tool SPEX
V3.0.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 22 pages, 18 figure
Line absorption of He-like triplet lines by Li-like ions. Caveats of using line ratios of triplets for plasma diagnostics
He-like ions produce distinctive series of triplet lines under various
astrophysical conditions. However, this emission can be affected by line
absorption from Li-like ions in the same medium. We investigate this absorption
of He-like triplets and present the implications for diagnostics of plasmas in
photoionisation equilibrium using the line ratios of the triplets. Our
computations were carried out for the O VI and Fe XXIV absorption of the O VII
and Fe XXV triplet emission lines, respectively. The fluorescent emission by
the Li-like ions and continuum absorption of the He-like ion triplet lines are
also investigated. We determine the absorption of the triplet lines as a
function of Li-like ion column density and velocity dispersion of the emitting
and absorbing medium. We find O VI line absorption can significantly alter the
O VII triplet line ratios in optically-thin plasmas, by primarily absorbing the
intercombination lines, and to a lesser extent, the forbidden line. Because of
intrinsic line absorption by O VI inside a photoionised plasma, the predicted
ratio of forbidden to intercombination line intensity for the O VII triplet
increases from 4 up to an upper limit of 16. This process can explain the
triplet line ratios that are higher than expected and that are seen in some
X-ray observations of photoionised plasmas. For the Fe XXV triplet, line
absorption by Fe XXIV becomes less apparent owing to significant fluorescent
emission by Fe XXIV. Without taking the associated Li-like ion line absorption
into account, the density diagnosis of photoionised plasmas using the observed
line ratios of the He-like ion triplet emission lines can be unreliable,
especially for low-Z ions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 6 pages, 4
figure
Simultaneous X-ray and Ultraviolet spectroscopy of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 5548. III. X-ray time variability
The Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 was observed for a week by Chandra using both
the HETGS and LETGS spectrometers. In this paper we study the time variability
of the continuum radiation. During our observation, the source showed a gradual
increase in flux over four days, followed by a rapid decrease and flattening of
the light curve afterwards. Superimposed upon these relatively slow variations
several short duration bursts or quasi-periodic oscillations occured with a
typical duration of several hours and separation between 0.6-0.9 days. The
bursts show a delay of the hard X-rays with respect to the soft X-rays of a few
hours. We interprete these bursts as due to a rotating, fluctuating hot spot at
approximately 10 gravitational radii; the time delay of the hard X-rays from
the bursts agree with the canonical picture of Inverse Compton scattering of
the soft accretion disk photons on a hot medium that is relatively close to the
central black hole.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Contrasting the UV and X-ray O VI Column Density Inferred for the Outflow in NGC 5548
We compare X-ray and UV spectroscopic observations of NGC 5548. Both data
sets show O VI absorption troughs associated with the AGN outflow from this
galaxy. We find that the robust lower limit on the column density of the O VI
X-ray trough is seven times larger than the column density found in a study of
the O VI UV troughs. This discrepancy suggests that column densities inferred
for UV troughs of Seyfert outflows are often severely underestimated. We
identify the physical limitations of the UV Gaussian modeling as the probable
explanation of the O VI column density discrepancy. Specifically, Gaussian
modeling cannot account for a velocity dependent covering fraction, and it is a
poor representation for absorption associated with a dynamical outflow.
Analysis techniques that use a single covering fraction value for each
absorption component suffer from similar limitations. We conclude by suggesting
ways to improve the UV analysis.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in Ap
Results from a Second RXTE Observation of the Coma Cluster
The RXTE satellite observed the Coma cluster for 177 ksec during November and
December 2000, a second observation motivated by the intriguing results from
the first 87 ksec observation in 1996. Analysis of the new dataset confirms
that thermal emission from isothermal gas does not provide a good fit to the
spectral distribution of the emission from the inner 1 degree radial region.
While the observed spectrum may be fit by emission from gas with a substantial
temperature gradient, it is more likely that the emission includes also a
secondary non-thermal component. If so, non-thermal emission comprises ~8% of
the total 4--20 keV flux. Interpreting this emission as due to Compton
scattering of relativistic electrons (which produce the known extended radio
emission) by the cosmic microwave background radiation, we determine that the
mean, volume-averaged magnetic field in the central region of Coma is B =
0.1-0.3 microgauss.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure; APJ, in pres
High- and low energy nonthermal X-ray emission from the cluster of galaxies A 2199
We report the detection of both soft and hard excess X-ray emission in the
cluster of galaxies A 2199, based upon spatially resolved spectroscopy with
data from the BeppoSAX, EUVE and ROSAT missions. The excess emission is visible
at radii larger than 300 kpc and increases in strength relative to the
isothermal component. The total 0.1-100 keV luminosity of this component is 15
% of the cluster luminosity, but it dominates the cluster luminosity at high
and low energies. We argue that the most plausible interpretation of the excess
emission is an inverse Compton interaction between the cosmic microwave
background and relativistic electrons in the cluster. The observed spatial
distribution of the non-thermal component implies that there is a large halo of
cosmic ray electrons between 0.5-1.5 Mpc surrounding the cluster core. The
prominent existence of this component has cosmological implications, as it is
significantly changing our picture of a clusters's particle acceleration
history, dynamics between the thermal and relativistic media, and total mass
budgets.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal, Letter
ISM composition through X-ray spectroscopy of LMXBs
The diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) is an integral part of the evolution of
the entire Galaxy. Metals are produced by stars and their abundances are the
direct testimony of the history of stellar evolution. However, the interstellar
dust composition is not well known and the total abundances are yet to be
accurately determined. We probe ISM dust composition, total abundances, and
abundance gradients through the study of interstellar absorption features in
the high-resolution X-ray spectra of Galactic low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs).
We use high-quality grating spectra of nine LMXBs taken with XMM-Newton. We
measure the column densities of O, Ne, Mg, and Fe with an empirical model and
estimate the Galactic abundance gradients. The column densities of the neutral
gas species are in agreement with those found in the literature. Solids are a
significant reservoir of metals like oxygen and iron. Respectively, 15-25 % and
65-90 % of the total amount of O I and Fe I is found in dust. The dust amount
and mixture seem to be consistent along all the lines-of-sight (LOS). Our
estimates of abundance gradients and predictions of local interstellar
abundances are in agreement with those measured at longer wavelengths. Our work
shows that X-ray spectroscopy is a very powerful method to probe the ISM. For
instance, on a large scale the ISM appears to be chemically homogeneous showing
similar gas ionization ratios and dust mixtures. The agreement between the
abundances of the ISM and the stellar objects suggests that the local Galaxy is
also chemically homogeneous.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables, accepted to A&
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