scholarly journals The ROSAT observations of classical novae

1996 ◽  
Vol 158 ◽  
pp. 289-289
Author(s):  
M. Orio ◽  
H. Ögelman ◽  
S. Balman

We observed a number of classical and recurrent novae in the Galaxy and the LMC with the ROSAT X-ray telescope and searched the archival data for other serendipitous observations. Preliminary results show that only 9 out of 37 observed objects were bright enough in X-rays to be detected with ROSAT, either in outburst or at quiescence.Three basic mechanisms can cause X-ray emission from classical or re-current novae. The first is hot hydrogen burning in a thin shell of the remnant envelope left on the white dwarf after the nova explosion. Hydrogen burning post-novae should be blackbody like emitters at nearly Eddington luminosity (as per the ‘supersoft’ X-ray sources). In our sample, only GQ Mus (Nova Mus 1983, see Ögelman et al. 1993; Shanley et al. 1995) and V1974 Cyg 1992 (Krautter et al. 1996) had these characteristics. Remarkably, among 10 LMC novae that had an outburst in the last 47 yr none was detected as a ‘supersoft’ X-ray source. The 3 σ upper limits for the black-body temperatures of the post-nova white dwarfs are mainly in the range 20… 30 eV. A post-nova can also emit X-rays because of shocks occurring in the ejected shell (e.g. O’Brien et al. 1994). Three out of four classical novae that were observed in outburst displayed a hard X-ray component in the ROSAT energy band, which might be due to a shocked shell. Finally, X-ray emission is expected from quiescent nearby novae because of accretion. Only four nearby accreting sources were detected; the ROSAT upper limits for the non-detected quiescent novae are Lx < 1031… 1032 ergs−1, assuming a thermal plasma at kT = a few keV.

2019 ◽  
Vol 487 (2) ◽  
pp. 2624-2638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharti Arora ◽  
J C Pandey ◽  
M De Becker

ABSTRACT We investigated the long-term behaviour in X-rays of the colliding wind binary WR 25, using archival data obtained with Suzaku, Swift, XMM–Newton, and NuSTAR spanning over ∼16 yr. Our analysis reveals phase-locked variations repeating consistently over many consecutive orbits, in agreement with an X-ray emission fully explained by thermal emission from the colliding winds in the 208-d orbit. We report on a significant deviation of the X-ray flux with respect to the 1/D trend (expected for adiabatic shocked winds) close to periastron passage. The absence of a drop in post-shock plasma temperature close to periastron suggests this break in trend cannot be explained in terms of reduced pre-shock velocities in this part of the orbit. Finally, NuSTAR data reveal a lack of hard X-ray emission (above 10.0 keV) above the background level. Upper limits on a putative non-thermal emission strongly suggest that the sensitivity of present hard X-ray observatories is not sufficient to detect non-thermal emission from massive binaries above 10 keV, unless the wind kinetic power is large enough to significantly feed particle acceleration in the wind–wind interaction.


1999 ◽  
Vol 190 ◽  
pp. 239-240
Author(s):  
A. P. Cowley ◽  
P. C. Schmidtke ◽  
J. B. Hutchings ◽  
D. Crampton

The supersoft X-ray sources are a distinct class of X-ray sources identified by ROSAT. They are characterized by very high luminosities (Lbol ~ 1038 ergs s−1) and black body temperatures of kT~ 30–60 eV. These sources are easily detected in the LMC and SMC because of the low column density of absorbing H gas. Thus, the samples found there are complete. They are much more difficult to find in the Galaxy due to soft X-ray absorption in the galactic plane.


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.


Author(s):  
S Carniani ◽  
S Gallerani ◽  
L Vallini ◽  
A Pallottini ◽  
M Tazzari ◽  
...  

Abstract We present Atacama Large Millimiter/submillimiter Array (ALMA) observations of eight highly excited CO (${\rm J_{\rm up}}$ >8) lines and continuum emission in two z ∼ 6 quasars: SDSS J231038.88+185519.7 (hereafter J2310), for which CO(8-7), CO(9-8), and CO(17-16) lines have been observed, and ULAS J131911.29+095951.4 (J1319), observed in the CO(14-13), CO(17-16) and CO(19-18) lines. The continuum emission of both quasars arises from a compact region (<0.9 kpc). By assuming a modified black-body law, we estimate dust masses of Log(Mdust/M⊙) = 8.75 ± 0.07 and Log(Mdust/M⊙) = 8.8 ± 0.2 and dust temperatures of Tdust = 76 ± 3 K and $T_{\rm dust}=66^{+15}_{-10}~{\rm K}$, respectively for J2310 and J1319. Only CO(8-7) and CO(9-8) in J2310 are detected, while 3σ upper limits on luminosities are reported for the other lines of both quasars. The CO line luminosities and upper limits measured in J2310 and J1319 are consistent with those observed in local AGN and starburst galaxies, and other z ∼ 6 quasars, except for SDSS J1148+5251 (J1148), the only quasar at z = 6.4 with a previous CO(17-16) line detection. By computing the CO SLEDs normalised to the CO(6-5) line and FIR luminosities for J2310, J1319, and J1149, we conclude that different gas heating mechanisms (X-ray radiation and/or shocks) may explain the different CO luminosities observed in these z ∼ 6 quasar. Future ${\rm J_{\rm up}}$ >8 CO observations will be crucial to understand the processes responsible for molecular gas excitation in luminous high-z quasars.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (3) ◽  
pp. 3234-3250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego A Farias ◽  
Alejandro Clocchiatti ◽  
Tyrone E Woods ◽  
Armin Rest

ABSTRACT Supersoft X-rays sources (SSSs) have been proposed as potential Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) progenitors. If such objects are indeed persistently X-ray luminous and embedded in sufficiently dense interstellar medium (ISM), they will be surrounded by extended nebular emission. These nebulae should persist even long after an SN Ia explosion, due to the long recombination and cooling times involved. With this in mind, we searched for nebular [O iii] emission around four SSSs and three SNRs in the Large Magellanic Cloud, using the 6.5-m Baade telescope at Las Campanas Observatory and the imacs camera. We confirm that, out of the four SSS candidates, only CAL 83 can be associated with an [O iii] nebula. The [O iii] luminosity for the other objects is constrained to ≲17 per cent of that of CAL 83 at 6.8 pc from the central source. Models computed with the photoionization code cloudy indicate that either the ISM densities in the environments of CAL 87, RX J0550.0-7151, and RX J0513.9-6951 must be significantly lower than surrounding CAL 83 or the average X-ray luminosities of these sources over the last ≲10  000 yr must be significantly lower than presently observed, in order to be consistent with the observed luminosity upper limits. For the three SNRs we consider (all with ages &lt;1000 yr), our [O iii] flux measurements together with the known surrounding ISM densities strongly constrain the ionizing luminosity of their progenitors in the last several thousand years, independent of the progenitor channel.


1968 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. S409-S413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter H. G. Lewin ◽  
George W. Clark ◽  
William B. Smith

A complete X-ray survey of the northern sky has been made in the energy range 20–100 keV. Spectra are given for Cyg X-1 and Tau X-1. Intensity ratios (Cyg X-1/Tau X-1) of 0.84 ± 0.10 and 1.30 ± 0.25 were derived in the 20–70 keV range from data obtained on July 19, 1966 and February 13, 1967, respectively. Observations on Sco X-1 and the Coma cluster show upper limits which are quite different from results reported by other groups.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. A149
Author(s):  
D. Rogantini ◽  
E. Costantini ◽  
S. T. Zeegers ◽  
M. Mehdipour ◽  
I. Psaradaki ◽  
...  

Context. The dense Galactic environment is a large reservoir of interstellar dust. Therefore, this region represents a perfect laboratory to study the properties of cosmic dust grains. X-rays are the most direct way to detect the interaction of light with dust present in these dense environments. Aims. The interaction between the radiation and the interstellar matter imprints specific absorption features on the X-ray spectrum. We study them with the aim of defining the chemical composition, the crystallinity, and structure of the dust grains that populate the inner regions of the Galaxy. Methods. We investigated the magnesium and the silicon K-edges detected in the Chandra /HETG spectra of eight bright X-ray binaries, distributed in the neighbourhood of the Galactic centre. We modelled the two spectral features using accurate extinction cross-sections of silicates, which we measured at the synchrotron facility Soleil, France. Results. Near the Galactic centre, magnesium and silicon show abundances similar to the solar ones and they are highly depleted from the gas phase (δMg > 0.90 and δSi > 0.96). We find that amorphous olivine with a composition of MgFeSiO4 is the most representative compound along all lines of sight according to our fits. The contribution of Mg-rich silicates and quartz is low (less than 10%). On average we observe a percentage of crystalline dust equal to 11%. For the extragalactic source LMC X-1, we find a preference for forsterite, a magnesium-rich olivine. Along this line of sight we also observe an under-abundance of silicon ASi∕ALMC = 0.5 ± 0.2.


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