scholarly journals Colliding winds in and around the stellar group IRS 13E at the galactic centre

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (2) ◽  
pp. 2481-2496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q Daniel Wang ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Christopher M P Russell ◽  
Jorge Cuadra
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Ambient Medium ◽  
Velocity Spread ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Stellar Group ◽  
Cool Gas ◽  
Sgr A ◽  
Colliding Winds ◽  
Projected Distance

ABSTRACT IRS 13E is an enigmatic compact group of massive stars located in projection only 3.6 arcsec away from Sgr A*. This group has been suggested to be bounded by an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). We present a multiwavelength study of the group and its interplay with the environment. Based on Chandra observations, we find the X-ray spectrum of IRS 13E can be well characterized by an optically thin thermal plasma. The emission peaks between two strongly mass-losing Wolf–Rayet stars of the group. These properties can be reasonably well reproduced by simulated colliding winds of these two stars. However, this scenario underpredicts the X-ray intensity in outer regions. The residual emission likely results from the ram-pressure confinement of the IRS 13E group wind by the ambient medium and is apparently associated with a shell-like warm gas structure seen in Pa α and in ALMA observations. These latter observations also show strongly peaked thermal emission with unusually large velocity spread between the two stars. These results indicate that the group is colliding with the bar of the dense cool gas mini-spiral around Sgr A*. The extended X-ray morphology of IRS 13E and its association with the bar further suggest that the group is physically much farther away than the projected distance from Sgr A*. The presence of an IMBH, while favourable to keep the stars bound together, is not necessary to explain the observed stellar and gas properties of IRS 13E.

scholarly journals Modelling the thermal X-ray emission around the Galactic centre from colliding Wolf-Rayet winds

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S329) ◽  
pp. 443-443
Author(s):  
Christopher M. P. Russell ◽  
Q. Daniel Wang ◽  
Jorge Cuadra
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Spectral Shape ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
Hydrodynamic Simulations ◽  
Dominant Source ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Supermassive Black Hole ◽  
Sgr A

AbstractWe compute the thermal X-ray emission from hydrodynamic simulations of the 30 Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars orbiting within a parsec of Sgr A*, with the aim of interpreting the Chandra X-ray observations of this region. The model well reproduces the spectral shape of the observations, indicating that the shocked WR winds are the dominant source of this thermal emission. The model X-ray flux is tied to the strength of the Sgr A* outflow, which clears out hot gas from the vicinity of Sgr A*. A moderate outflow best fits the present-day observations, even though this supermassive black hole (SMBH) outflow ended ~100 yr ago.

scholarly journals Modelling the thermal X-ray emission around the Galactic centre from colliding Wolf-Rayet winds

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (S322) ◽  
pp. 39-42
Author(s):  
Christopher M. P. Russell ◽  
Q. Daniel Wang ◽  
Jorge Cuadra
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Medium ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
Temperature Structure ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Large Reservoir ◽  
Hydrodynamic Simulations ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Sgr A

AbstractThe Galactic centre is a hotbed of astrophysical activity, with the injection of wind material from ~30 massive Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars orbiting within 12″ of the super-massive black hole (SMBH) playing an important role. Hydrodynamic simulations of such colliding and accreting winds produce a complex density and temperature structure of cold wind material shocking with the ambient medium, creating a large reservoir of hot, X-ray-emitting gas. This work aims to confront the 3Ms of Chandra X-ray Visionary Program (XVP) observations of this diffuse emission by computing the X-ray emission from these hydrodynamic simulations of the colliding WR winds, amid exploring a variety of SMBH feedback mechanisms. The major success of the model is that it reproduces the spectral shape from the 2″–5″ ring around the SMBH, where most of the stellar wind material that is ultimately captured by Sgr A* is shock-heated and thermalised. This naturally explains that the hot gas comes from colliding WR winds, and that the wind speeds of these stars are in general well constrained. The flux level of these spectra, as well as 12″×12″ images of 4–9 keV, show the X-ray flux is tied to the SMBH feedback strength; stronger feedback clears out more hot gas, thereby decreasing the thermal X-ray emission. The model in which Sgr A* produced an intermediate-strength outflow during the last few centuries best matches the observations to within about 10%, showing SMBH feedback is required to interpret the X-ray emission in this region.

scholarly journals Non-equilibrium chemistry and destruction of CO by X-ray flares

2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (1) ◽  
pp. 1094-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Mackey ◽  
Stefanie Walch ◽  
Daniel Seifried ◽  
Simon C O Glover ◽  
Richard Wünsch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Uv Emission ◽  
Sgr A ◽  
X Ray Binaries ◽  
Fractal Cloud

ABSTRACT Sources of X-rays such as active galactic nuclei and X-ray binaries are often variable by orders of magnitude in luminosity over time-scales of years. During and after these flares the surrounding gas is out of chemical and thermal equilibrium. We introduce a new implementation of X-ray radiative transfer coupled to a time-dependent chemical network for use in 3D magnetohydrodynamical simulations. A static fractal molecular cloud is irradiated with X-rays of different intensity, and the chemical and thermal evolution of the cloud are studied. For a simulated $10^5\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ fractal cloud, an X-ray flux <0.01 erg cm−2 s−1 allows the cloud to remain molecular, whereas most of the CO and H2 are destroyed for a flux of ≥1 erg cm−2 s−1. The effects of an X-ray flare, which suddenly increases the X-ray flux by 105×, are then studied. A cloud exposed to a bright flare has 99 per cent of its CO destroyed in 10–20 yr, whereas it takes >103 yr for 99 per cent of the H2 to be destroyed. CO is primarily destroyed by locally generated far-UV emission from collisions between non-thermal electrons and H2; He+ only becomes an important destruction agent when the CO abundance is already very small. After the flare is over, CO re-forms and approaches its equilibrium abundance after 103–105 yr. This implies that molecular clouds close to Sgr A⋆ in the Galactic Centre may still be out of chemical equilibrium, and we predict the existence of clouds near flaring X-ray sources in which CO has been mostly destroyed but H is fully molecular.

scholarly journals Constraining the accretion flow density profile near Sgr A* using the L′-band emission of the S2 star

2020 ◽  
Vol 644 ◽  
pp. A105
Author(s):  
S. Elaheh Hosseini ◽  
Michal Zajaček ◽  
Andreas Eckart ◽  
Nadeen B. Sabha ◽  
Lucas Labadie
Keyword(s):  
Flux Density ◽  
Density Profile ◽  
Ambient Medium ◽  
Bow Shock ◽  
Flow Density ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
Large Telescope ◽  
Accretion Flows ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Sgr A

Context. The density of the ambient medium around a supermassive black hole (SMBH) and the way it varies with distance plays an important role in our understanding of the inflow-outflow mechanisms in the Galactic centre (GC). This dependence is often fitted by spherical power-law profiles based on observations in the X-ray, infrared (IR), submillimetre (submm), and radio domains. Aims. Nevertheless, the density profile is poorly constrained at the intermediate scales of 1000 Schwarzschild radii (Rs). Here we independently constrain the spherical density profile using the stellar bow shock of the star S2 which orbits the SMBH at the GC with the pericentre distance of 14.4 mas (∼1500 Rs). Methods. Assuming an elliptical orbit, we apply celestial mechanics and the theory of bow shocks that are at ram pressure equilibrium. We analyse the measured IR flux density and magnitudes of S2 in the L′-band (3.8 micron) obtained over seven epochs in the years between 2004–2018. We put an upper limit on the emission from S2’s associated putative bow shock and constrain the density profile of the ambient medium. Results. We detect no significant change in S2 flux density until the recent periapse in May 2018. The intrinsic flux variability of S2 is at the level of 2–3%. Based on the dust-extinction model, the upper limit on the number density at the S2 periapse is ∼1.87  ×  109 cm−3, which yields a density slope of at most 3.20. Using the synchrotron bow-shock emission, we obtain the ambient density of ≲1.01  ×  105 cm−3 and a slope of ≲1.47. These values are consistent with a wide variety of media from hot accretion flows to potentially colder and denser media comparable in properties to broad-line-region clouds. However, a standard thin disc can be excluded at the distance of S2’s pericentre. Conclusions. With the current photometry sensitivity of 0.01 mag, we are not able to make stringent constraints on the density of the ambient medium in the GC using S2-star observations. We can distinguish between hot accretion flows and thin, cold discs, where the latter can be excluded at the scale of the S2 periapse. Future observations of stars in the S cluster using instruments such as Mid-IR Extremely Large Telescope Imager and Spectrograph at Extremely Large Telescope with the photometric sensitivity of as much as 10−3 mag will allow the GC medium to be probed at intermediate scales at densities as low as ∼700 cm−3 in case of non-thermal bow-shock emission. The new instrumentation, in combination with discoveries of stars with smaller pericentre distances, will help to independently constrain the density profile around Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*).

scholarly journals X-Ray Observations of the Galactic Centre

1989 ◽  
Vol 136 ◽  
pp. 567-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. K. Skinner
Keyword(s):  
Energy Range ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Diffuse Emission ◽  
Variable Source ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Centre Region ◽  
Sgr A

Observations of the galactic centre region in the photon energy range 2–500 keV are reviewed. Point sources, transients, bursts and a patch of apparently diffuse emission ~1° in extent have all been observed. The relatively detailed information obtained with the Einstein observatory just above the bottom edge of the x-ray window is starting to be supplemented by observations at higher photon energies. Although there is known to be a strong, variable, source of high energy x-rays somewhere in the region there is little reason to associate it with Sgr A West, which is detectable, but relatively weak, in the energy range below 30 keV where detailed measurements have been possible.

scholarly journals Long-term soft and hard X-ray investigation of the colliding wind WN+O binary WR 25

2019 ◽  
Vol 487 (2) ◽  
pp. 2624-2638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharti Arora ◽  
J C Pandey ◽  
M De Becker
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Plasma Temperature ◽  
Background Level ◽  
Archival Data ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Post Shock ◽  
Colliding Winds

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.

scholarly journals Simulating the pericentre passage of the Galactic centre star S2

2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. L8 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Schartmann ◽  
A. Burkert ◽  
A. Ballone
Keyword(s):  
Power Law ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Adaptive Mesh Refinement ◽  
Mass Loss Rate ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Accretion Flow ◽  
Sgr A

Context. Our knowledge of the density distribution of the accretion flow around Sgr A* – the massive black hole (BH) at our Galactic centre (GC) – relies on two measurements only: one at a distance of a few Schwarzschild radii (Rs) and one at roughly 105 Rs, which are usually bridged by a power law, which is backed by magnetohydrodynamical simulations. The so-called S2 star reached its closest approach to the massive BH at around 1500 Rs in May 2018. It has been proposed that the interaction of its stellar wind with the high-density accretion flow at this distance from Sgr A* will lead to a detectable, month-long X-ray flare. Aims. Our goal is to verify whether or not the S2 star wind can be used as a diagnostic tool to infer the properties of the accretion flow towards Sgr A* at its pericentre (an unprobed distance regime), putting important constraints on BH accretion flow models. Methods. We run a series of three-dimensional adaptive mesh refinement simulations with the help of the RAMSES code which include the realistic treatment of the interaction of S2’s stellar wind with the accretion flow along its orbit and – apart from hydrodynamical and thermodynamical effects – include the tidal interaction with the massive BH. These are post-processed to derive the X-ray emission in the observable 2–10 keV window. Results. No significant excess of X-ray emission from Sgr A* is found for typical accretion flow models. A measurable excess is produced for a significantly increased density of the accretion flow. This can, however, be ruled out for standard power-law accretion flow models as in this case the thermal X-ray emission without the S2 wind interaction would already exceed the observed quiescent luminosity. Only a significant change of the wind parameters (increased mass loss rate and decreased wind velocity) might lead to an (marginally) observable X-ray flaring event. Conclusion. Even the detection of an (month-long) X-ray flare during the pericentre passage of the S2 star would not allow for strict constraints to be put on the accretion flow around Sgr A* due to the degeneracy caused by the dependence on multiple parameters (of the accretion flow model as well as the stellar wind).

scholarly journals Scale-invariance of black hole accretion: modelling emission from a black hole X-ray binary with relativistic accretion flow simulations

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (4) ◽  
pp. 5353-5358
Author(s):  
M Mościbrodzka
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
Scale Invariant ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Accretion Flow ◽  
Black Hole Accretion ◽  
Sgr A ◽  
Hole Accretion

ABSTRACT We model the non-thermal emission spectrum of the extremely sub-Eddington X-ray binary system A0620-00. It is believed that this non-thermal emission is produced by radiatively inefficient ‘quiescent’ accretion on to a stellar-mass black hole present in the system. We post-process general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) simulations with multiwavelength, fully polarized, relativistic radiative transfer calculations to predict broad-band spectra and emission polarization levels for a range of electron models and accretion rates. We find that a model with strong coupling of electrons and ions in the accretion disc and accretion rate of only $\dot{M}=3\times 10^{-13} \, \rm [M_\odot \, yr^{-1}]$ is able to recover the observed X-ray spectral slope, as well as the excess of linear polarization detected in the source in the near-infrared (NIR)/optical bands. Our models constrain the spectral properties of a putative relativistic jet produced in this system. In addition, we show that the magnetized winds from our hot accretion flow carry away a small fraction of the orbital angular momentum of the binary, which is unable to explain the observed rapid orbital decay of the system. GRMHD simulations similar to the present ones are often used to explain emission from sub-Eddington supermassive black holes in Sgr A* or M87; the present simulations allow us to test whether some aspects of quiescent black hole accretion are scale-invariant.

scholarly journals Search for non-thermal X-ray emission in the colliding wind binary Cygnus OB2 #8A

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. A109 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Mossoux ◽  
J. M. Pittard ◽  
G. Rauw ◽  
Y. Nazé
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Inverse Compton Scattering ◽  
Thermal Radio Emission ◽  
Shock Region ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
First Time ◽  
Colliding Winds

Aims. Cyg OB2 #8A is a massive O-type binary displaying strong non-thermal radio emission. Owing to the compactness of this binary, emission of non-thermal X-ray photons via inverse Compton scattering is expected. Methods. We first revised the orbital solution for Cyg OB2 #8A using new optical spectra. We then reduced and analysed X-ray spectra obtained with XMM-Newton, Swift, INTEGRAL, and NuSTAR. Results. The analysis of the XMM-Newton and Swift data allows us to better characterise the X-ray emission from the stellar winds and colliding winds region at energies below 10 keV. We confirm the variation of the broad-band light curve of Cyg OB2 #8A along the orbit with, for the first time, the observation of the maximum emission around phase 0.8. The minimum ratio of the X-ray to bolometric flux of Cyg OB2 #8A remains well above the level expected for single O-type stars, indicating that the colliding wind region is not disrupted during the periastron passage. The analysis of the full set of publicly available INTEGRAL observations allows us to refine the upper limit on the non-thermal X-ray flux of the Cyg OB2 region between 20 and 200 keV. Two NuSTAR observations (phases 0.028 and 0.085) allow us to study the Cyg OB2 #8A spectrum up to 30 keV. These data do not provide evidence of the presence of non-thermal X-rays, but bring more stringent constraints on the flux of a putative non-thermal component. Finally, we computed, thanks to a new dedicated model, the anisotropic inverse Compton emission generated in the wind shock region. The theoretical non-thermal emission appears to be compatible with observational limits and the kinetic luminosity computed from these models is in good agreement with the unabsorbed flux observed below 10 keV.

scholarly journals NuSTAR and Parkes observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar binary XSS J12270–4859 in the rotation-powered state

2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 5607-5619 ◽  
Author(s):  
D de Martino ◽  
A Papitto ◽  
M Burgay ◽  
A Possenti ◽  
F Coti Zelati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Optical Data ◽  
Millisecond Pulsar ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Radio Monitoring ◽  
Spectral Break ◽  
Photon Index ◽  
Orbital Modulation ◽  
Energy Dependent ◽  
Colliding Winds

ABSTRACT We report on the first NuSTAR observation of the transitional millisecond pulsar binary XSS J12270–4859 during its current rotation-powered state, complemented with a 2.5 yr-long radio monitoring at Parkes telescope and archival XMM–Newton and Swift X-ray and optical data. The radio pulsar is mainly detected at 1.4 GHz displaying eclipses over $\sim 40{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the 6.91 h orbital cycle. We derive a new updated radio ephemeris to study the 3–79 keV light curve that displays a significant orbital modulation with fractional amplitude of $28\pm 3{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, a structured maximum centred at the inferior conjunction of the pulsar and no cycle-to-cycle or low–high-flaring mode variabilities. The average X-ray spectrum, extending up to ∼70 keV without a spectral break, is well described by a simple power law with photon index Γ = 1.17 ± 0.08 giving a 3–79 keV luminosity of $\rm 7.6_{-0.8}^{+3.8} \times 10^{32}\, erg\, s^{-1}$ for a distance of 1.37$_{-0.15}^{+0.69}$ kpc. Energy resolved orbital light curves reveal that the modulation is not energy dependent from 3 to 25 keV and is undetected with an upper limit of ${\sim} 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ above 25 keV. Comparison with previous X-ray XMM–Newton observations in common energy ranges confirms that the modulation amplitudes vary on time-scales of a few months, indicative of a non-stationary contribution of the intrabinary shock (IBS) formed by the colliding winds of the pulsar and the companion. A more detailed inspection of energy resolved modulations than previously reported gives hints of a mild softening at superior conjunction of the pulsar below 3 keV, likely due to the contribution of the thermal emission from the neutron star. The IBS emission, if extending into the MeV range, would be energetically capable alone to irradiate the donor star.

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