Formation of the Galaxy

1967 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 257-264
Author(s):  
D Lynden-Bell

From observations it is deduced that the disk and halo were formed about the same time and that most of the previously gaseous Galaxy became stars then. Dimensional analysis indicates that the flattening of a galaxy is related to its energy,E, angular momentum,H, and mass,M, by the dimensionless number - 2EH2/G5M5. Emphasis is placed on the binding energy, -E, and the energy loss mechanisms of the proto-galaxy, with the aim of explaining Fish's relation -E∝M3/2.Free-bound and free-free emission of hydrogen leads to rapid cooling of proto-galaxies, and dynamical collapse ensues, in which gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy of collapse. As the system becomes flat, this energy is dissipated in violent shocks, behind which zones some 10 to 20 pc thick reach temperatures of 106·5°K and emit strongly in the X-ray region and the ultraviolet. If surrounded by more than a fraction of a gram per cm2, the X-rays will be trapped within the system and eventually converted into Balmer lines, which escape, and Lyman α, which is trapped. About half the total energy of collapse may be left in Lyman α, and it is possible that the system may bounce on this light energy.The readily observed surface brightnesses of galaxies are related to surface densities by the relationship: magnitude 20 per (sec of arc)2= 1·5 gram cm-2, for an assumed mass-to-light ratio of 10.

1987 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 67-78
Author(s):  
Ramesh Narayan

The radio pulsars in the Galaxy are found predominantly in the disk, with a scale height of several hundred parsecs. After allowing for pulsar velocities, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that single pulsars form from massive stellar progenitors. The number of active single pulsars in the Galaxy is ∼ 1.5 × 105, and their birthrate is 1 per ∼ 60 yrs. There is some evidence that many single pulsars, particularly those with high magnetic fields, are born spinning slowly, with initial periods ∼ 0.5–1s. This could imply an origin through binary “recycling” followed by orbit disruption, or might suggest that the pre-supernova stellar core efficiently loses angular momentum to the envelope through magnetic coupling. The birthrate of binary radio pulsars, particularly of the millisecond variety, seems to be much larger than previous estimates, and might suggest that these systems do not originate in low mass X-ray binary systems.


1973 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 235-249
Author(s):  
S. Hayakawa

The column densities of interstellar hydrogen to X-ray sources derived from their spectra are compared with those obtained from 21 cm radio observations. Referring to several observed results on Cyg X-2, Cygnus Loop etc., the interpretation of the low energy cut-off of the spectrum in terms of the interstellar absorption is subject to ambiguities due to a modification of the emission spectrum by Compton scattering in the sources and the contribution of emission lines.The result of soft X-ray sky surveys indicates that the diffuse component of soft X-rays consists of the extragalactic and the galactic components. The former has a hard component with a power law spectrum and a soft component which may be represented by an exponential spectrum. The galactic component is so soft that its spectrum may also be explained by thermal bremsstrahlung of temperature of about 0.1 keV. Its generation rate may account for the heating and ionization of interstellar matter. It is suggested that galactic diffuse soft X-rays are produced by active stars of a rather high number density.


1970 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 406-407
Author(s):  
M. J. Rees

Below 1 keV, analyses of X-ray background data are complicated by galactic absorption effects, which cause the received intensity to vary with galactic latitude. Bowyer et al. (1968) observed that the diffuse background did not fall off as rapidly as was expected towards the galactic plane. One plausible interpretation of their data would be to suppose that a significant flux of soft X-rays emanates from the disc itself. I wish to discuss what could be inferred about the latter component from improved observations of its latitude-dependence, and by indirect methods.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S272) ◽  
pp. 208-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Petit ◽  
Gregg A. Wade ◽  
Evelyne Alecian ◽  
Laurent Drissen ◽  
Thierry Montmerle ◽  
...  

AbstractIn some massive stars, magnetic fields are thought to confine the outflowing radiatively-driven wind. Although theoretical models and MHD simulations are able to illustrate the dynamics of such a magnetized wind, the impact of this wind-field interaction on the observable properties of a magnetic star - X-ray emission, photometric and spectral variability - is still unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between magnetism, stellar winds and X-ray emission of OB stars, by providing empirical observations and confronting theory. In conjunction with the COUP survey of the Orion Nebula Cluster, we carried out spectropolarimatric ESPaDOnS observations to determine the magnetic properties of massive OB stars of this cluster.


2019 ◽  
Vol 626 ◽  
pp. A48 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Ramos-Ceja ◽  
F. Pacaud ◽  
T. H. Reiprich ◽  
K. Migkas ◽  
L. Lovisari ◽  
...  

Presently, the largest sample of galaxy clusters selected in X-rays comes from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS). Although there have been many interesting clusters discovered with the RASS data, the broad point spread function of the ROSAT satellite limits the attainable amount of spatial information for the detected objects. This leads to the discovery of new cluster features when a re-observation is performed with higher-resolution X-ray satellites. Here we present the results from XMM-Newton observations of three clusters: RXC J2306.6−1319, ZwCl 1665, and RXC J0034.6−0208, for which the observations reveal a double or triple system of extended components. These clusters belong to the extremely expanded HIghest X-ray FLUx Galaxy Cluster Sample (eeHIFLUGCS), which is a flux-limited cluster sample (fX, 500 ≥ 5 × 10−12 erg s−1 cm−2 in the 0.1−2.4 keV energy band). For each structure in each cluster, we determine the redshift with the X-ray spectrum and find that the components are not part of the same cluster. This is confirmed by an optical spectroscopic analysis of the galaxy members. Therefore, the total number of clusters is actually seven, rather than three. We derive global cluster properties of each extended component. We compare the measured properties to lower-redshift group samples, and find a good agreement. Our flux measurements reveal that only one component of the ZwCl 1665 cluster has a flux above the eeHIFLUGCS limit, while the other clusters will no longer be part of the sample. These examples demonstrate that cluster–cluster projections can bias X-ray cluster catalogues and that with high-resolution X-ray follow-up this bias can be corrected.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 756-761
Author(s):  
Yoko Takeo ◽  
Hiroto Motoyama ◽  
Yasunori Senba ◽  
Hikaru Kishimoto ◽  
Haruhiko Ohashi ◽  
...  

Probing the spatial coherence of X-rays has become increasingly important when designing advanced optical systems for beamlines at synchrotron radiation sources and free-electron lasers. Double-slit experiments at various slit widths are a typical method of quantitatively measuring the spatial coherence over a wide wavelength range including the X-ray region. However, this method cannot be used for the analysis of spatial coherence when the two evaluation points are separated by a large distance of the order of millimetres owing to the extremely narrow spacing between the interference fringes. A Fresnel-mirror-based optical system can produce interference patterns by crossing two beams from two small mirrors separated in the transverse direction to the X-ray beam. The fringe spacing can be controlled via the incidence angles on the mirrors. In this study, a Fresnel-mirror-based optical system was constructed at the soft X-ray beamline (BL25SU) of SPring-8. The relationship between the coherence and size of the virtual source was quantitatively measured at 300 eV in both the vertical and horizontal directions using the beam. The results obtained indicate that this is a valuable method for the optimization of optical systems along beamlines.


1983 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 675-680
Author(s):  
Webster Cash

AbstractFour regions of the galaxy, the Cygnus Superbubble, the ƞ Carina complex, the Orion/Eridanus complex, and the Gum Nebula, are discussed as examples of collective effects in the interstellar medium. All four regions share certain features, indicating a common structure. We discuss the selection effects which determine the observable x-ray properties of the superbubbles and demonstrate that only a very few more in our galaxy can be detected in x-rays. X-ray observation of extragalactic superbubbles is shown to be possible but requires the capabilities of a large, high quality, AXAF class observatory.


2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S259) ◽  
pp. 449-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Petit ◽  
G. A. Wade ◽  
L. Drissen ◽  
T. Montmerle ◽  
E. Alecian

AbstractIn massive stars, magnetic fields are thought to confine the outflowing radiatively-driven wind, resulting in X-ray emission that is harder, more variable and more efficient than that produced by instability-generated shocks in non-magnetic winds. Although magnetic confinement of stellar winds has been shown to strongly modify the mass-loss and X-ray characteristics of massive OB stars, we lack a detailed understanding of the complex processes responsible. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between magnetism, stellar winds and X-ray emission of OB stars. In conjunction with a Chandra survey of the Orion Nebula Cluster, we carried out spectropolarimatric ESPaDOnS observations to determine the magnetic properties of massive OB stars of this cluster.


X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (X.p.s.) measures the kinetic energy of electrons photoejected from a solid surface by soft X-rays. The kinetic energy of the photoelectrons can be related to the binding energy that these electrons had originally in the solid. X.p.s. is a rather new technique for studying cements. It has been used recently in the surface analysis of C 3 S, C 2 S, C 3 A and blast-furnace slag grains during their hydration. Changes in chemical composition have been found as soon as the surface comes into contact with water, shown by a change in the shape, position an intensity of characteristic peaks like Ca 2p , Si 2p , O l8 and a reduction of characteristic ratios Ca/Si or Al/Si. A tentative interpretation of X.p.s. kinetic curves as a function of hydration time is presented.


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