scholarly journals Spectra and fast multi-wavelength variability of compact jets powered by internal shocks

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (S313) ◽  
pp. 159-163
Author(s):  
Julien Malzac ◽  
Samia Drappeau

AbstractThe emission of steady compact jets observed in the hard spectral state of X-ray binaries is likely to be powered by internal shocks caused by fluctuations of the outflow velocity. The dynamics of the internal shocks and the resulting spectral energy distribution (SED) of the jet is very sensitive to the shape of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the fluctuations of the jet Lorentz factor. It turns out that Lorentz factor fluctuations injected at the base of the jet with a flicker noise power spectrum (i.e. P(f) ∝1/f) naturally produce the canonical flat SED observed from radio to IR band in X-ray binary systems in the hard state. This model also predicts a strong, wavelength dependent, variability that resembles the observed one. In particular, strong sub-second variability is predicted in the infrared and optical bands. The assumed fluctuations of the jet Lorentz factor are likely to be triggered by the variability of the accretion flow which is best traced by the X-ray emission. In the case of GX339-4 for which high quality and simultaneous multi-wavelength data are available, we performed simulations assuming that the fluctuation of the jet Lorentz factor have the same PSD as the observed X-ray PSD. The synthetic SED calculated under this assumption provides a remarkable match to the observed radio to IR SED. In this case the model also produces strong mid-infrared spectral variability that is comparable to that reported in this source.

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S290) ◽  
pp. 66-69
Author(s):  
Julien Malzac

AbstractThe emission of steady compact jets observed in the hard spectral state of X-ray binaries is likely to be powered by internal shocks caused by fluctuations of the outflow velocity. The dynamics of the internal shocks and the resulting spectral energy distribution (SED) of the jet is very sensitive to the shape of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the fluctuations of the jet Lorentz factor. I use Monte-Carlo simulations to investigate this dependence. It turns out that Lorentz factor fluctuations injected at the base of the jet with a flicker noise power spectrum (i.e. P(f) ∝ 1/f) naturally produce the canonical flat SED observed from radio to IR band in X-ray binary systems in the hard state. This model also predicts a strong, wavelength dependent, variability that resembles the observed one. In particular, strong sub-second variability is predicted in the infrared and optical bands.


2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 5271-5279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Higginbottom ◽  
Christian Knigge ◽  
Stuart A Sim ◽  
Knox S Long ◽  
James H Matthews ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT X-ray signatures of outflowing gas have been detected in several accreting black hole binaries, always in the soft state. A key question raised by these observations is whether these winds might also exist in the hard state. Here, we carry out the first full-frequency radiation hydrodynamic simulations of luminous (${L = 0.5 \, L_{\mathrm{\mathrm{ Edd}}}}$) black hole X-ray binary systems in both the hard and the soft state, with realistic spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Our simulations are designed to describe X-ray transients near the peak of their outburst, just before and after the hard-to-soft state transition. At these luminosities, it is essential to include radiation driving, and we include not only electron scattering, but also photoelectric and line interactions. We find powerful outflows with ${\dot{M}_{\mathrm{ wind}} \simeq 2 \, \dot{M}_{\mathrm{ acc}}}$ are driven by thermal and radiation pressure in both hard and soft states. The hard-state wind is significantly faster and carries approximately 20 times as much kinetic energy as the soft-state wind. However, in the hard state the wind is more ionized, and so weaker X-ray absorption lines are seen over a narrower range of viewing angles. Nevertheless, for inclinations ≳80°, blueshifted wind-formed Fe xxv and Fe xxvi features should be observable even in the hard state. Given that the data required to detect these lines currently exist for only a single system in a luminous hard state – the peculiar GRS 1915+105 – we urge the acquisition of new observations to test this prediction. The new generation of X-ray spectrometers should be able to resolve the velocity structure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. A2
Author(s):  
Sylvain Chaty ◽  
Francis Fortin ◽  
Alicia López-Oramas

Aims. We aim to analyse our study of the X-ray transient Swift J1745−26, using observations obtained from its outburst in September 2012, up to its decay towards quiescence in March 2013. Methods. We obtained optical and infrared observations, through override programme at ESO/VLT with FORS2 and ISAAC instruments, and added archival optical (VLT/VIRCAM), radio and X-ray (Swift) observations, to build the light curve and the broad-band spectral energy distribution (SED) of Swift J1745−26. Results. We show that, during its outburst and also during its decay towards quiescence, Swift J1745−26 SED can be adjusted, from infrared up to X-rays, by the sum of both a viscous irradiated multi-colour black body emitted by an accretion disc, and a synchrotron power law at high energy. In the radio domain, the SED arises from synchrotron emission from the jet. While our SED fitting confirms that the source remained in the low/hard state during its outburst, we determine an X-ray spectral break at frequency 3.1 ≤ νbreak ≤ 3.4 × 1014 Hz, and a radio spectral break at 1012 Hz ≤ νbreak ≤ 1013 Hz. We also show that the system is compatible with an absorption AV of ∼7.69 mag, lies within a distance interval of D ∼ [2.6 − 4.8] kpc with an upper limit of orbital period Porb = 11.3 h, and that the companion star is a late spectral type in the range K0–M0 V, confirming that the system is a low-mass X-ray binary. We finally plot the position of Swift J1745−26 on an optical-infrared – X-ray luminosity diagram: its localisation on this diagram is consistent with the source staying in the low-hard state during outburst and decay phases. Conclusions. By using new observations obtained at ESO/VLT with FORS2 and ISAAC, and adding archival optical (VLT/VIRCAM), radio and X-ray (Swift) observations, we built the light curve and the broad-band SED of Swift J1745−26, and we plotted its position on an optical-infrared – X-ray luminosity diagram. By fitting the SED, we characterized the emission of the source from infrared, via optical, up to X-ray domain, we determined the position of both the radio and X-ray spectral breaks, we confirmed that it remained in the low-hard state during outburst and decay phases, and we derived its absorption, distance interval, orbital period upper limit, and the late-type nature of companion star, confirming Swift J1745−26 is a low-mass X-ray binary.


2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A55 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Flaccomio ◽  
G. Micela ◽  
S. Sciortino ◽  
A. M. Cody ◽  
M. G. Guarcello ◽  
...  

Context. Flaring is an ubiquitous manifestation of magnetic activity in low mass stars including, of course, the Sun. Although flares, both from the Sun and from other stars, are most prominently observed in the soft X-ray band, most of the radiated energy is released at optical/UV wavelengths. In spite of decades of investigation, the physics of flares, even solar ones, is not fully understood. Even less is known about magnetic flaring in pre-main sequence (PMS) stars, at least in part because of the lack of suitable multi-wavelength data. This is unfortunate since the energetic radiation from stellar flares, which is routinely observed to be orders of magnitude greater than in solar flares, might have a significant impact on the evolution of circumstellar, planet-forming disks. Aims. We aim at improving our understanding of flares from PMS stars. Our immediate objectives are constraining the relation between flare emission at X-ray, optical, and mid-infrared (mIR) bands, inferring properties of the optically emitting region, and looking for signatures of the interaction between flares and the circumstellar environment, i.e. disks and envelopes. This information might then serve as input for detailed models of the interaction between stellar atmospheres, circumstellar disks and proto-planets. Methods. Observations of a large sample of PMS stars in the NGC 2264 star forming region were obtained in December 2011, simultaneously with three space-borne telescopes, Chandra (X-rays), CoRoT (optical), and Spitzer (mIR), as part of the “Coordinated Synoptic Investigation of NGC 2264” (CSI-NGC 2264). Shorter Chandra and CoRoT observations were also obtained in March 2008. We analyzed the lightcurves obtained during the Chandra observations (∼300 ks and ∼60 ks in 2011 and 2008, respectively), to detect X-ray flares with an optical and/or mIR counterpart. From the three datasets we then estimated basic flare properties, such as emitted energies and peak luminosities. These were then compared to constrain the spectral energy distribution of the flaring emission and the physical conditions of the emitting regions. The properties of flares from stars with and without circumstellar disks were also compared to establish any difference that might be attributed to the presence of disks. Results. Seventy-eight X-ray flares (from 65 stars) with an optical and/or mIR counterpart were detected. The optical emission of flares (both emitted energy and peak flux) is found to correlate well with, and to be significantly larger than, the X-ray emission. The slopes of the correlations suggest that the difference becomes smaller for the most powerful flares. The mIR flare emission seems to be strongly affected by the presence of a circumstellar disk: flares from stars with disks have a stronger mIR emission with respect to stars without disks. This might be attributed to either a cooler temperature of the region emitting both the optical and mIR flux or, perhaps more likely, to the reprocessing of the optical (and X-ray) flare emission by the inner circumstellar disk, providing evidence for flare-induced disk heating.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (S313) ◽  
pp. 91-92
Author(s):  
T. Pursimo ◽  
R. Ojha ◽  
E. Ferrara ◽  
F. Acero ◽  
H. Johnston ◽  
...  

AbstractThe majority of Fermi-LAT detected (2FGL) sources are AGN, mostly blazars. However, the second largest category in the 2FGL are unassociated sources (~30% or 575 sources), whose multi-wavelength counterpart is either inconclusive or absent. Follow-up observations and archival data at X-ray, optical, and radio frequencies suggest that many unassociated 2FGL sources are strong candidates to be AGN. Typical observed characteristics of 2FGL detected AGN include variability at all frequencies and a spectral energy distribution (SED) with two “bumps”; a low-frequency synchrotron peak in the radio to optical/X-ray region and a high-frequency peak, possibly due to synchrotron self-Compton or Inverse Compton processes, that extends up to TeV energies. We present optical follow-up observations of a sample of Fermi unassociated sources with one or more potential X-ray counterparts detected within the LAT error circle.


2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 571-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Bassi ◽  
J Malzac ◽  
M Del Santo ◽  
E Jourdain ◽  
J-P Roques ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The black hole transient GRS 1716−249 was monitored from the radio to the γ-ray band during its 2016–2017 outburst. This paper focuses on the spectral energy distribution (SED) obtained in 2017 February–March, when GRS 1716−249 was in a bright hard spectral state. The soft γ-ray data collected with the INTEGRAL/SPI telescope show the presence of a spectral component that is in excess of the thermal Comptonization emission. This component is usually interpreted as inverse Compton emission from a tiny fraction of non-thermal electrons in the X-ray corona. We find that hybrid thermal/non-thermal Comptonization models provide a good fit to the X-/γ-ray spectrum of GRS 1716−249. The best-fitting parameters are typical of the bright hard state spectra observed in other black hole X-ray binaries. Moreover, the magnetized hybrid Comptonization model belm provides an upper limit on the intensity of the coronal magnetic field of about 106 G. Alternatively, this soft γ-ray emission could originate from synchrotron emission in the radio jet. In order to test this hypothesis, we fit the SED with the irradiated disc plus Comptonization model combined with the jet internal shock emission model ishem. We found that a jet with an electron distribution of p ≃ 2.1 can reproduce the soft γ-ray emission of GRS 1716−249. However, if we introduce the expected cooling break around 10 keV, the jet model can no longer explain the observed soft γ-ray emission, unless the index of the electron energy distribution is significantly harder (p < 2).


1998 ◽  
Vol 164 ◽  
pp. 69-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.C. Unwin ◽  
A.E. Wehrle ◽  
W. Xu ◽  
A.C. Zook ◽  
A.P. Marscher

AbstractThe blazar 3C 279 is one of the strongest extragalactic sources of γ-rays, and is also one of the best studied superluminal radio sources. Definitive testing of models of the broad-band spectral energy distribution, especially in the X-ray and γ-ray regions requires knowledge of the evolution of the spectrum with time. Within the context of the relativistic jet model, multi-wavelength monitoring of the parsec-scale radio jet is also required. We present here the first steps toward such a test, using extensive VLBI monitoring over a 13 year interval at 22 GHz, and γ-ray observations between 1991 and 1996.


2003 ◽  
Vol 590 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna K. Kuraszkiewicz ◽  
Belinda J. Wilkes ◽  
Eric ◽  
J. Hooper ◽  
Kim K. McLeod ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (3) ◽  
pp. 2553-2561
Author(s):  
Felicia Krauß ◽  
Emily Calamari ◽  
Azadeh Keivani ◽  
Alexis Coleiro ◽  
Phil A Evans ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT High-energy neutrinos are a promising tool for identifying astrophysical sources of high and ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). Prospects of detecting neutrinos at high energies (≳TeV) from blazars have been boosted after the recent association of IceCube-170922A and TXS 0506+056. We investigate the high-energy neutrino, IceCube-190331A, a high-energy starting event (HESE) with a high likelihood of being astrophysical in origin. We initiated a Swift/XRT and UVOT tiling mosaic of the neutrino localization and followed up with ATCA radio observations, compiling a multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) for the most likely source of origin. NuSTAR observations of the neutrino location and a nearby X-ray source were also performed. We find two promising counterpart in the 90 per cent confidence localization region and identify the brightest as the most likely counterpart. However, no Fermi/LAT γ-ray source and no prompt Swift/BAT source is consistent with the neutrino event. At this point, it is unclear whether any of the counterparts produced IceCube-190331A. We note that the Helix Nebula is also consistent with the position of the neutrino event and we calculate that associated particle acceleration processes cannot produce the required energies to generate a high-energy HESE neutrino.


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