Soft gamma rays from low accreting supermassive black holes and connection to energetic neutrinos

The Universe is filled with a diffuse background of MeV gamma-rays and PeV neutrinos, whose origins are unknown. Here, we propose a scenario that can account for both backgrounds simultaneously. Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei have hot accretion flows where thermal electrons naturally emit soft gamma rays via Comptonization of their synchrotron photons. Protons there can be accelerated via turbulence or reconnection, producing high-energy neutrinos via hadronic interactions. We demonstrate that our model can reproduce the gamma-ray and neutrino data. Combined with a contribution by hot coronae in luminous active galactic nuclei, these accretion flows can explain the keV – MeV photon and TeV – PeV neutrino backgrounds. This scenario can account for the MeV background without non-thermal electrons, suggesting a higher transition energy from the thermal to nonthermal Universe than expected. Our model is consistent with X-ray data of nearby objects, and testable by future MeV gamma-ray and high-energy neutrino detectors.

A Study of the Extragalactic UV Radiation in Helix Nebula using GALEX

We have studied the ultraviolet sources using Galaxy Evolution Explorer medium imaging surveys in Helix Nebula and estimated UV fluxes by using aperture photometry in distant and near ultraviolet bands. The aperture photometric method produces reliable, accurate flux measurements and found inconsistent with the merged catalog of Galaxy Evolution Explorer. From the current results, the fluxes are consistent with brighter absolute magnitude up to 24.5 and the measurement error increases gradually to more than 50 % at the fainter magnitude side. Percentage of error in far UV is greater than near UV, due to the fact that brighter galaxies are more visible than the near UV sources. The diffuse UV contributors of zodiacal light, airglow contribution in the nebula were estimated. The total extragalactic UV radiation from the detected sources to the diffuse background in the nebula is of the order of 50 ± 14 photons cm-2sr-1s-1Å-1 in NUV band and 28 ±10 photons cm-2sr-1s-1Å-1 in FUV band. HIGHLIGHTS GALEX observations have the potential to find extragalactic UV sources Helix Nebula is first identified for distinct source detection Aperture photometric method can detect fainter sources up to the magnitude of 27 Extragalactic sources in the Helix nebula contribute to diffuse UV emission in the nebula GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Effect of Mechanical Activation and Gamma-Irradiation on Structural-Phase State of Ti-Al-C Powder Reagents

The influence of mechanical activation and gamma-irradiation on the structural-phase state of Ti-Al-C powder reagents was studied. The following compositions were used for research: 1) 78% Ti + 14% Al + 8% C; 2) 80% Ti + 12% Al + 8% C; 3) 81% Ti + 10% Al + 9% C. Mechanical activation of these compositions leads to an increase in the diffuse background, a decrease in the intensity of diffraction reflections of mixture components and a broadening of peaks, as well as micro-deformations. Depending on the ratio of components, the structural parameters can either increase in comparison with the initial ones, or decrease. The effect of gamma radiation with a dose rate of 1 Gy/s and accumulated dose of 3·104 Gy on the mechanocomposites of the Ti-Al-C system causes unsystematic change in crystal lattices of elements, which can be explained by radiation-stimulated diffusion. Gamma-irradiation also reduces micro-deformations that occur after mechanical activation, while crystallites of the components remain nanoscale.

A new auroral phenomenon, the anti-black aurora

Black auroras are small-scale features embedded in the diffuse background aurora, typically occurring post-substorm after magnetic midnight and with an eastward drift imposed. Black auroras show a significant reduction in optical brightness compared to the surrounding diffuse aurora, and can appear as slow-moving arcs or rapidly-moving patches and arc segments. We report, for the first time, an even more elusive small-scale optical structure that has always been observed occurring paired with $$\sim$$ ∼ 10% of black aurora patches. A patch or arc segment of enhanced luminosity, distinctly brighter than the diffuse background, which we name the anti-black aurora, may appear adjacent to the black aurora. The anti-black aurora is of similar shape and size, and always moves in parallel to the drifting black aurora, although it may suddenly switch sides for no apparent reason. The paired phenomenon always drifts with the same average speed in an easterly direction. From the first dual-wavelength (427.8 nm and 844.6 nm) optical observations of the phenomenon recorded on 12 March 2016 outside Tromsø Norway, we show that the anti-black and black auroras have a higher and lower mean energy, respectively, of the precipitating electrons compared to the diffuse background.

A new auroral phenomenon: The anti-black aurora

<p>Black auroras are small-scale features that show a significant reduction in optical brightness, i.e. reduced flux of particle precipitation, compared to the surrounding diffuse aurora. It typically occurs post-substorm after magnetic midnight. This phenomenon also exhibits lower mean energy than the surrounding brighter aurora it is embedded in. The underlying mechanisms that cause black auroras are not yet fully understood, although several theories have been proposed: a coupled ionospheric-magnetospheric generation mechanism, and a magnetospheric generation mechanism. This shift in particle precipitation energy to a lower mean value is confirmed by using synchronised dual-wavelength optical and EISCAT incoherent scatter radar observations that ran in parallel, and agrees with the magnetospheric generation mechanism theory. Now reported for the first time is an even more elusive small-scale optical structure has been observed occurring paired with ~10% of black aurora patches. A patch or arc segment of enhanced luminosity, distinctly brighter than the diffuse background, which we name the anti-black aurora, may appear adjacent to the black aurora. The anti-black aurora always moves in parallel to the black aurora. The paired phenomenon always drifts with the same average speed in an easterly direction. From the first dual-wavelength observations of anti-black and black aurora pairs, we show that the anti-black and black auroras have a higher and lower mean energy, respectively, of the precipitating electrons compared to the diffuse background.</p>

The effect of diffuse background on the spatially-resolved Schmidt relation in nearby spiral galaxies

Context. The global Schmidt law of star formation provides a power-law relation between the surface densities of star-formation rate (SFR) and gas, and successfully explains plausible scenarios of galaxy formation and evolution. However, star formation being a multi-scale process, requires spatially-resolved analysis for a better understanding of the physics of star formation. Aims. It has been shown that the removal of a diffuse background from SFR tracers, such as Hα, far-ultraviolet (FUV), infrared, leads to an increase in the slope of the sub-galactic Schmidt relation. We reinvestigate the local Schmidt relations in nine nearby spiral galaxies taking into account the effect of inclusion and removal of diffuse background in SFR tracers as well as in the atomic gas. Methods. We used multiwavelength data obtained as part of the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey, Key Insights on Nearby Galaxies: a Far-Infrared Survey with Herschel, The H I Nearby Galaxy Survey, and HERA CO-Line Extragalactic Survey. Making use of a novel split of the overall light distribution as a function of spatial scale, we subtracted the diffuse background in the SFR tracers as well as the atomic gas. Using aperture photometry, we study the Schmidt relations on background subtracted and unsubtracted data at physical scales varying between 0.5–2 kpc. Results. The fraction of diffuse background varies from galaxy to galaxy and accounts to ∼34% in Hα, ∼43% in FUV, ∼37% in 24 μm, and ∼75% in H I on average. We find that the inclusion of diffuse background in SFR tracers leads to a linear molecular gas Schmidt relation and a bimodal total gas Schmidt relation. However, the removal of diffuse background in SFR tracers leads to a super-linear molecular gas Schmidt relation. A further removal of the diffuse background from atomic gas results in a slope ∼1.4 ± 0.1, which agrees with dynamical models of star formation accounting for flaring effects in the outer regions of galaxies.

Tentative evidence of spatially extended GeV emission from SS433/W50

We have analyzed ten years of the Fermi Large Area Telescope data toward the SS433/W50 region. With the latest source catalog and diffuse background models, the γ-ray excess from SS433/W50 is detected with a significance of ~6σ in the photon energy range of 500 MeV–10 GeV. Our analysis indicates that an extended flat disk morphology is preferred over a point-source description, suggesting that the GeV emission region is much larger than that of the TeV emission detected by the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) telescope. The size of the GeV emission is instead consistent with the extent of the radio nebula W50, a supernova remnant being distorted by the jets, so we suggest that the GeV emission may originate from this supernova remnant. The spectral result of the GeV emission is also consistent with a supernova remnant origin. Furthermore, we derive the GeV flux upper limits on the TeV emission region, which put moderate constraints on the leptonic models to explain the multiwavelength data.

Extending the event-weighted pulsation search to very faint gamma-ray sources

Context. Because of the relatively broad angular resolution of current gamma-ray instruments in the MeV–GeV energy range, the photons of a given source are mixed with those coming from nearby sources or diffuse background. This source confusion seriously hampers the search for pulsation from faint sources. Aims. Statistical tests for pulsation can be made significantly more sensitive when the probability that a photon comes from the pulsar is used as a weight. However, computing this probability requires knowledge of the spectral model of all sources in the region of interest, including the pulsar itself. This is not possible for very faint pulsars that are not detected as gamma-ray sources or whose spectrum is not measured precisely enough. Extending the event-weighted pulsation search to such very faint gamma-ray sources would allow improving our knowledge of the gamma-ray pulsar population. Methods. We present two methods that overcome this limitation by scanning the spectral parameter space, while minimizing the number of trials. The first one approximates the source to background ratio yielding a simple estimate of the weight while the second one makes use of the full spatial and spectral information of the region of interest around the pulsar. Results. We tested these new methods on a sample of 144 gamma-ray pulsars already detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope data. Both methods detect pulsation from all pulsars of the sample, including the ones for which no significant phase-averaged gamma-ray emission is detected.