scholarly journals On the vanishing orbital X-ray variability of the eclipsing binary millisecond pulsar 47 Tuc W

2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (1) ◽  
pp. 1139-1150
Author(s):  
P R Hebbar ◽  
C O Heinke ◽  
D Kandel ◽  
R W Romani ◽  
P C C Freire

ABSTRACT Redback millisecond pulsars (MSPs) typically show pronounced orbital variability in their X-ray emission due to our changing view of the intrabinary shock (IBS) between the pulsar wind and stellar wind from the companion. Some redbacks (‘transitional’ MSPs) have shown dramatic changes in their multiwavelength properties, indicating a transition from a radio pulsar state to an accretion-powered state. The redback MSP 47 Tuc W showed clear X-ray orbital variability in the Chandra ACIS-S observations in 2002, which were not detectable in the longer Chandra HRC-S observations in 2005–06, suggesting that it might have undergone a state transition. However, the Chandra observations of 47 Tuc in 2014–15 show similar X-ray orbital variability as in 2002. We explain the different X-ray light curves from these epochs in terms of two components of the X-ray spectrum (soft X-rays from the pulsar versus harder X-rays from the IBS), and different sensitivities of the X-ray instruments observing in each epoch. However, when we use our best-fitting spectra with HRC response files to model the HRC light curve, we expect a more significant and shorter dip than that observed in the 2005–06 Chandra data. This suggests an intrinsic change in the IBS of the system. We use the icarus stellar modelling software, including calculations of heating by an IBS, to model the X-ray, optical, and UV light curves of 47 Tuc W. Our best-fitting parameters point towards a high-inclination system ($i \sim 60 \deg$), which is primarily heated by the pulsar radiation, with an IBS dominated by the companion wind momentum.

2019 ◽  
Vol 621 ◽  
pp. L9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. X. Yap ◽  
K. L. Li ◽  
A. K. H. Kong ◽  
J. Takata ◽  
J. Lee ◽  
...  

We present optical observations of the redback millisecond pulsar PSR J1048+2339, which is a 4.66 ms radio pulsar in a compact binary with an orbital period of six hours. We obtained high-quality light curves of PSR J1048+2339 with the Lulin 1 m Telescope. The system shows two distinct six-hour orbital modulations, in which an ellipsoidal modulation changes into a sinusoidal-like profile in less than 14 days. In addition to the change, the brightness of the companion increased by one magnitude, suggesting that the latter type of modulation is caused by the pulsar wind heating of the companion and that the heating became dominant in the system. While the changes are not unexpected, such a timescale is the shortest among similar systems. We performed modeling analysis to extract the properties of the system. We obtained a derived pulsar mass of 2.1 M⊙ and a companion star mass of 0.4 M⊙ for the system. The irradiation power increased by a factor of 6 during which the pulsar wind heating dominates. We also report on the two archival Chandra X-ray observations and discuss several possibilities that might cause the varying heating on the companion.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S337) ◽  
pp. 43-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mallory S.E. Roberts ◽  
Hind Al Noori ◽  
Rodrigo A. Torres ◽  
Maura A. McLaughlin ◽  
Peter A. Gentile ◽  
...  

AbstractBlack widows and redbacks are binary systems consisting of a millisecond pulsar in a close binary with a companion having matter driven off of its surface by the pulsar wind. X-rays due to an intrabinary shock have been observed from many of these systems, as well as orbital variations in the optical emission from the companion due to heating and tidal distortion. We have been systematically studying these systems in radio, optical and X-rays. Here we will present an overview of X-ray and optical studies of these systems, including new XMM-Newton and NuStar data obtained from several of them, along with new optical photometry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (2) ◽  
pp. 3006-3018
Author(s):  
Bangzheng Sun ◽  
Marina Orio ◽  
Andrej Dobrotka ◽  
Gerardo Juan Manuel Luna ◽  
Sergey Shugarov ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present X-ray observations of novae V2491 Cyg and KT Eri about 9 yr post-outburst of the dwarf nova and post-nova candidate EY Cyg, and of a VY Scl variable. The first three objects were observed with XMM–Newton, KT Eri also with the Chandra ACIS-S camera, V794 Aql with the Chandra ACIS-S camera and High Energy Transmission Gratings. The two recent novae, similar in outburst amplitude and light curve, appear very different at quiescence. Assuming half of the gravitational energy is irradiated in X-rays, V2491 Cyg is accreting at $\dot{m}=1.4\times 10^{-9}{\!-\!}10^{-8}\,{\rm M}_\odot \,{\rm yr}^{-1}$, while for KT Eri, $\dot{m}\lt 2\times 10^{-10}{\rm M}_\odot \,{\rm yr}$. V2491 Cyg shows signatures of a magnetized WD, specifically of an intermediate polar. A periodicity of  39 min, detected in outburst, was still measured and is likely due to WD rotation. EY Cyg is accreting at $\dot{m}\sim 1.8\times 10^{-11}{\rm M}_\odot \,{\rm yr}^{-1}$, one magnitude lower than KT Eri, consistently with its U Gem outburst behaviour and its quiescent UV flux. The X-rays are modulated with the orbital period, despite the system’s low inclination, probably due to the X-ray flux of the secondary. A period of  81 min is also detected, suggesting that it may also be an intermediate polar. V794 Aql had low X-ray luminosity during an optically high state, about the same level as in a recent optically low state. Thus, we find no clear correlation between optical and X-ray luminosity: the accretion rate seems unstable and variable. The very hard X-ray spectrum indicates a massive WD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (1) ◽  
pp. 648-655
Author(s):  
M Chernyakova ◽  
D Malyshev ◽  
S Mc Keague ◽  
B van Soelen ◽  
J P Marais ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT PSR B1259-63 is a gamma-ray binary system hosting a radio pulsar orbiting around an O9.5Ve star, LS 2883, with a period of ∼3.4 yr. The interaction of the pulsar wind with the LS 2883 outflow leads to unpulsed broad-band emission in the radio, X-rays, GeV, and TeV domains. While the radio, X-ray, and TeV light curves show rather similar behaviour, the GeV light curve appears very different with a huge outburst about a month after a periastron. The energy release during this outburst seems to significantly exceed the spin-down luminosity of the pulsar and both the GeV light curve and the energy release vary from one orbit to the next. In this paper, we present for the first time the results of optical observations of the system in 2017, and also reanalyse the available X-ray and GeV data. We present a new model in which the GeV data are explained as a combination of the bremsstrahlung and inverse Compton emission from the unshocked and weakly shocked electrons of the pulsar wind. The X-ray and TeV emission is produced by synchrotron and inverse Compton emission of energetic electrons accelerated on a strong shock arising due to stellar/pulsar winds collision. The brightness of the GeV flare is explained in our model as a beaming effect of the energy released in a cone oriented, during the time of the flare, in the direction of the observer.


2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (3) ◽  
pp. 4057-4068
Author(s):  
Mayukh Pahari ◽  
I M McHardy ◽  
Federico Vincentelli ◽  
Edward Cackett ◽  
Bradley M Peterson ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Using a month-long X-ray light curve from RXTE/PCA and 1.5 month-long UV continuum light curves from IUE spectra in 1220–1970 Å, we performed a detailed time-lag study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 7469. Our cross-correlation analysis confirms previous results showing that the X-rays are delayed relative to the UV continuum at 1315 Å by 3.49 ± 0.22 d, which is possibly caused by either propagating fluctuation or variable Comptonization. However, if variations slower than 5 d are removed from the X-ray light curve, the UV variations then lag behind the X-ray variations by 0.37 ± 0.14 d, consistent with reprocessing of the X-rays by a surrounding accretion disc. A very similar reverberation delay is observed between Swift/XRT X-ray and Swift/UVOT UVW2, U light curves. Continuum light curves extracted from the Swift/GRISM spectra show delays with respect to X-rays consistent with reverberation. Separating the UV continuum variations faster and slower than 5 d, the slow variations at 1825 Å lag those at 1315 Å by 0.29 ± 0.06 d, while the fast variations are coincident (0.04 ± 0.12 d). The UV/optical continuum reverberation lag from IUE, Swift, and other optical telescopes at different wavelengths are consistent with the relationship: τ ∝ λ4/3, predicted for the standard accretion disc theory while the best-fitting X-ray delay from RXTE and Swift/XRT shows a negative X-ray offset of ∼0.38 d from the standard disc delay prediction.


2010 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 647-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Mitsumori ◽  
Akiko Sekine ◽  
Hidehiro Uekusa ◽  
Yuji Ohashi

The structures of reaction intermediates, arylnitrenes and their final products have been successfully analyzed by X-rays using acid–base complex formation. The acid–base complexes of 2-azidobenzoic acid (2a), 3-azidobenzoic acid (3a) and 4-azidobenzoic acid (4a) were made with dibenzylamine (db), N-benzyl-2-phenylethylamine (bp) and dicyclohexylamine (dc). For the complex crystals of (3a) and db (3a-db), and (4a) and db (4a-db) two forms of (I) and (II) were obtained. Eight types of complex crystals, (2a-db), (3a-db-I), (3a-db-II), (3a-dc), (4a-db-I), (4a-db-II), (4a-bp) and (4a-dc), suitable for X-ray analysis were obtained. When the crystals were irradiated with UV light at low temperatures, the reactions proceeded keeping the single-crystal form in the five crystals (2a-db), (3a-db-I), (3a-db-II), (3a-dc) and (4a-bp). Less than 25% of each azidobenzoic acids was transformed into an arylnitrene and dinitrogen. In three crystals the arylnitrenes produced gave new final products; 2,1-benzisoxazolone was observed for (2a-db) and trans-azobenzenes (i.e. dimerized nitrenes) were obtained for (3a-db-II) and (4a-bp). For (3a-db-I) and (3a-dc) the intermediate arylnitrenes were observed but did not transform to new products. All the structural changes were directly observed by X-ray analysis because the incomplete reactions occurred with retention crystallinity. The crystal environment, including the hydrogen bonding between the benzoic acid and the amine, places restrictions on the movement of the arylnitrene and influences the reaction pathway followed for conversion of the arylnitrene to its final product.


10.14311/1312 ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Grinberg ◽  
I. Kreykenbohm ◽  
F. Fürst ◽  
J. Wilms ◽  
K. Pottschmidt ◽  
...  

INTEGRAL is one of the few instruments capable of detecting X-rays above 20 keV. It is therefore in principle well suited for studying X-ray variability in this regime. Because INTEGRAL uses coded mask instruments for imaging, the reconstruction of light curves of X-ray sources is highly non-trivial. We present results from a comparison of two commonly employed algorithms, which primarily measure flux from mask deconvolution (ii_lc_extract) and from calculating the pixel illuminated fraction (ii_light). Both methods agree well for timescales above about 10 s, the highest time resolution for which image reconstruction is possible. For higher time resolution, ii light produces meaningful results, although the overall variance of the lightcurves is not preserved.


1981 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
pp. 255-261
Author(s):  
V. V. Zheleznyakov

In this report we shall discuss the origin of radiation from the neutron star component of X-ray binary systems whose spectra contain cyclotron lines (Her X-1 and 4U0115+63). A relevant model of the polar region of a neutron star is presented in Figure 1. According to this model the observed X-rays (continuum + cyclotron lines) are generated in the dense plasma atmosphere of a star (in its hot spot heated by accreting matter). The problem of heating the neutron star atmosphere due to accretion has been earlier investigated by Zeldovich and Shakura (1969). Cyclotron lines are formed similarly to the Fraunhofer spectrum of ordinary stars and are absorption lines. For objects such as Her X-1 and 4U0115+63 the cyclotron emission and absorption in the extended accreting column with an inhomogeneous magnetic field should be unessential. Otherwise the accreting column will produce an X-ray continuum devoid of any line type features.


2000 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 441-442
Author(s):  
Anisia P.S. Tang ◽  
K.S. Cheng

AbstractThe non-spherical symmetric and exact thermal evolution model is used to calculate the transient thermal response to pulsar glitches. The three ways of energy release originated from glitches, namely the ‘shell’, ‘ring’ and ‘spot’ cases are compared. The ‘ring’ case is always the middle one in terms of the response time, the response duration and the intensity of the response. Taking the relativistic light bending effect and the rotational effect into consideration, the X-ray light curves resulting from the thermal response to the glitches are calculated. Only the ‘spot’ case produces modulative X-rays. Different sets of parameters result in different evolution patterns of light curves. This is thus a good method to determine the equations of state for pulsars.


2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 219-220
Author(s):  
D. A. Leahy

LSI +61°303 outbursts are modeled as a pulsar wind nebula expanding inside the environment provided by the Be companion star's stellar wind and photon flux. A set of equations describing the system is developed and solved numerically for representative sets of parameters. Emission in X-rays through gamma-rays is due to inverse Compton emission from relativistic electrons around the pulsar. The radio emission is due to synchrotron emission of varying optical depth, which yields a varying spectral index. The peak of X-ray emission is near periastron and the peak of the radio emission is near apastron, due to reduced confining pressure on the relativistic electron cloud and its subsequent rapid expansion.


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