Context. The nature of the hard X-ray source XSS J12270-4859 is still unclear. It was claimed to be a possible magnetic cataclysmic variable of the Intermediate Polar type from its optical spectrum ...and a possible 860 s X-ray periodicity in RXTE data. However, recent observations do not support the latter variability, leaving this X-ray source still unclassified. Aims. To investigate its nature we present a broad-band X-ray and gamma ray study of this source based on a recent XMM-Newton observation and archival INTEGRAL and RXTE data. Using the Fermi/LAT 1-year point source catalogue, we tentatively associate XSS J12270-4859 with 1FGL J1227.9-4852, a source of high-energy gamma rays with emission up to 10 GeV. We further complement the study with UV photometry from XMM-Newton and ground-based optical and near-IR photometry. Methods. We have analysed both timing and spectral properties in the gamma rays, X-rays, UV and optical/near-IR bands of XSS J12270-4859. Results. The X-ray emission is highly variable, showing flares and intensity dips. The flares consist of flare-dip pairs. Flares are detected in both X-rays and the UV range, while the subsequent dips are present only in the X-ray band. Further aperiodic dipping behaviour is observed during X-ray quiescence, but not in the UV. The broad-band 0.2–100 keV X-ray/soft gamma ray spectrum is featureless and well described by a power law model with Γ = 1.7. The high-energy spectrum from 100 MeV to 10 GeV is represented by a power law index of 2.45. The luminosity ratio between 0.1–100 GeV and 0.2–100 keV is ~0.8, indicating that the GeV emission is a significant component of the total energy output. Furthermore, the X-ray spectrum does not greatly change during flares, quiescence and the dips seen in quiescence. The X-ray spectrum however hardens during the post-flare dips, where a partial covering absorber is also required to fit the spectrum. Optical photometry acquired at different epochs reveals a period of 4.32 hr that could be ascribed to the binary orbital period. Near-IR, possibly ellipsoidal, variations are detected. Large amplitude variability on shorter (tens mins) timescales is found to be non-periodic. Conclusions. The observed variability at all wavelengths together with the spectral characteristics strongly favour a low-mass atypical low-luminosity X-ray binary and are against a magnetic cataclysmic variable nature. The association with a Fermi/LAT high-energy gamma ray source further strengths this interpretation.
ABSTRACT
In a previous paper, we studied two statistical methods used to analyse the variability of active galactic nuclei (AGNs): the C and F statistics. Applying them to observed differential light ...curves (DLCs) of 39 AGNs, we found that, even though the C criterion cannot be considered as an actual statistical test, it could still be a useful parameter to detect variability, whereas F is a good detector of non-variability. In order to test these results under controlled input conditions, so that the different error sources could be individually evaluated, we generated a series of synthetic DLCs simulating astronomical images with different atmospheric conditions, such as cloud cover, seeing or sky brightness, as well as several types of intrinsic variability of the AGN, all with a specific instrumental configuration. Having obtained light curves for each case, we applied both statistics to them in order to test their reliability. We found that a weight factor should always be used with these indices. The F-test has a tendency to classify noisy non-variable curves as variable (i.e. false positives), although it is reliable and robust to correctly classify non-variable curves. In contrast, although the C index tends to give false negatives, we found that whenever the C index indicates a source to be variable, it effectively is. Finally, light curves with low amplitude variabilities are more likely to be affected by changes in atmospheric conditions.
We present the results of a systematic observational campaign designed to search for microvariability in the optical polarization of BL Lac objects. We observed a sample formed by 8 X-ray-selected ...and 10 radio-selected sources, looking for rapid changes in both the degree of linear polarization and the corresponding polarization angle. The whole campaign was carried out during the last three years, and most of the objects were observed on at least two consecutive nights. The statistical properties of both classes of BL Lac objects are compared, and some general conclusions on the nature of the phenomenon are drawn. In general, radio selected sources seem to display higher duty cycles for polarimetric microvariability and, on average, they have a stronger polarization.
Using 8 telescopes in the northern and southern hemispheres, plus archival data from two on-line sky surveys, we performed a systematic optical spectroscopic study of 39 putative counterparts of ...unidentified or poorly studied INTEGRAL sources in order to determine or at least better assess their nature. This was implemented within the framework of our campaign to reveal the nature of newly-discovered and/or unidentified sources detected by INTEGRAL. Our results show that 29 of these objects are active galactic nuclei (13 of which are of Seyfert 1 type, 15 are Seyfert 2 galaxies and one is possibly a BL Lac object) with redshifts between 0.011 and 0.316, 7 are X- ray binaries (5 with high-mass companions and 2 with low-mass secondaries), one is a magnetic cataclysmic variable, one is a symbiotic star and one is possibly an active star. Thus, the large majority (74%) of the identifications in this sample belongs to the AGN class. When possible, the main physical parameters for these hard X-ray sources were also computed using the multiwavelength information available in the literature. These identifications further underscore the importance of INTEGRAL in studying the hard X-ray spectra of all classes of X-ray emitting objects, and the effectiveness of a strategy of multi-catalogue cross-correlation plus optical spectroscopy to securely pinpoint the actual nature of still unidentified hard X-ray sources.
Context. Based on their overwhelming dominance among associated Fermi γ-ray catalogue sources, it is expected that a large fraction of the unidentified Fermi objects are blazars. Through ...crossmatching between the positions of unidentified γ-ray sources from the First Fermi Catalog of γ-ray sources emitting above 10 GeV (1FHL) and the ROSAT and Swift/XRT catalogues of X-ray objects and between pointed XRT observations, a sample of 36 potential associations was found in previous works with less than 15 arcsec of positional offset. One-third of them have recently been classified; the remainder, though believed to belong to the blazar class, still lack spectroscopic classifications. Aims. We study the optical spectrum of the putative counterparts of these unidentified gamma-ray sources in order to find their redshifts and to determine their nature and main spectral characteristics. Methods. An observational campaign was carried out on the putative counterparts of 13 1FHL sources using medium-resolution optical spectroscopy from the Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna in Loiano, Italy; the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and the Nordic Optical Telescope, both in the Canary Islands, Spain; and the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional San Pedro Mártir in Baja California, Mexico. Results. We were able to classify 14 new objects based on their continuum shapes and spectral features. Conclusions. Twelve new blazars were found, along with one new quasar and one new narrow line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) to be potentially associated with the 1FHL sources of our sample. Redshifts or lower limits were obtained when possible alongside central black hole mass and luminosity estimates for the NLS1 and the quasar.
Blazars, a type of Active Galactic Nuclei, present a particular orientation of their jets close to the line of sight. Their radiation is thus relativistically beamed, giving rise to extreme ...behaviors, specially strong variability on very short timescales (i.e., microvariability). Here we present simultaneous photometric and polarimetric observations of two relatively nearby blazars, 1ES 1959+650 and HB89 2201+044, that were obtained using the Calar Alto Faint Object Spectrograph mounted at the 2.2 m telescope in Calar Alto, Spain. An outstanding characteristic of these two blazars is the presence of well resolved host galaxies. This particular feature allows us to produce a study of their intrinsic polarization, a measurement of the polarization state of the galactic nucleus unaffected by the host galaxy. To carry out this work, we computed photometric fluxes from which we calculated the degree and orientation of the blazars polarization. Then, we analyzed the depolarizing effect introduced by the host galaxy with the main goal to recover the intrinsic polarization of the galactic nucleus, carefully taking into consideration the spurious polarimetric variability introduced by changes in seeing along the observing nights. We find that the two blazars do not present intra-night photo-polarimetric variability, although we do detect a significant inter-night variability. Comparing polarimetric values before and after accounting for the host galaxies, we observe a significant difference in the polarization degree of about 1% in the case of 1ES 1959+650, and 0.3% in the case of HB89 2201+044, thus evidencing the non-negligible impact introduced by the host galaxies. We note that this host galaxy effect depends on the waveband, and varies with changing seeing conditions, so it should be particularly considered when studying frequency-dependent polarization in blazars.
We present multicolour imaging for a sample of 33 dwarf and intermediate-luminosity galaxies in the field of the NGC 5044 Group, complemented with mid-resolution spectroscopy for a subsample of 13 ...objects. With these data, a revised membership and morphological classification is made for the galaxies in the sample. We were able to confirm all but one of the ‘definite members’ included in the spectroscopic subsample, galaxies which were originally classified based on morphological criteria. An important fraction of background galaxies, however, is probably present among ‘likely’ and ‘possible’ members. The presence of a nucleus could be detected in just five out of the nine galaxies originally classified as dE,N, confirming the intrinsic difficulty of photographic-plate morphological classification for this kind of object. Our deep surface photometry provided clear evidence for disc structure in at least three galaxies previously catalogued as dE or dS0. Their transition-type properties are also evident from the colour-magnitude diagram, where they lie near the late-type galaxy locus, suggesting an evolutionary connection between a parent disc-galaxy population and at least some present-day dEs. Six new dSph candidates were also found, most of them at small projected distances from NGC 5044, the central galaxy of the group. The NGC 5044 Group appears clearly defined in redshift space, with a mean heliocentric radial velocity of 〈vr= 2461 ± 84 km s-1 (z= 0.0082), and a moderate dispersion of = 431 km s-1. Our kinematical data show no luminosity segregation for early-type galaxies: both dwarf and bright E/S0 systems show very similar velocity distributions ∼ 290 km s-1). This is in contrast to late-type galaxies, which seem to display a broader distribution ( ∼ 680 km s-1).
We report on the unveiling of the nature of the unidentified X-ray source 3XMM J005450.3–373849 as a Seyfert-2 galaxy located behind the spiral galaxy NGC 300 using Hubble Space Telescope data, new ...spectroscopic Gemini observations and available XMM–Newton and Chandra data. We show that the X-ray source is positionally coincident with an extended optical source, composed of a marginally resolved nucleus/bulge, surrounded by an elliptical disc-like feature and two symmetrical outer rings. The optical spectrum is typical of a Seyfert-2 galaxy redshifted to z = 0.222 ± 0.001, which confirms that the source is not physically related to NGC 300. At this redshift the source would be located at 909 ± 4 Mpc (comoving distance in the standard model). The X-ray spectra of the source are well fitted by an absorbed power-law model. By tying N
H between the six available spectra, we found a variable index Γ running from ∼2 in 2000–2001 to 1.4–1.6 in the 2005–2014 period. Alternatively, by tying Γ, we found variable absorption columns of N
H ∼ 0.34 × 10−22 cm−2 in 2000–2001, and 0.54−0.75 × 10−22 cm−2 in the 2005–2014 period. Although we cannot distinguish between a spectral or absorption origin, from the derived unabsorbed X-ray fluxes, we are able to assure the presence of long-term X-ray variability. Furthermore, the unabsorbed X-ray luminosities of 0.8–2 × 1043 erg s−1 derived in the X-ray band are in agreement with a weakly obscured Seyfert-2 AGN at z ≈ 0.22.
In this third paper of a series we present Johnson-Gunn B, g, V, r, i, z multicolour photometry for 79 objects, including a significant fraction of the faintest galaxies around NGC5044, assessing ...group membership on the basis of apparent morphology (through accurate Sérsic-profile fitting) and low-resolution (R= 500-1000) optical spectroscopy to estimate the redshift for 21 objects. Early- and late-type systems are found to be clearly separate in Sérsic parameter space, with the well-known luminosity versus shape relation being mostly traced by different morphological types spanning different ranges in the shape parameter n. A significantly blue colour is confirmed for Magellanic irregulars (Sm/Ims), while a drift toward bluer integrated colours is also an issue for dwarf ellipticals (dEs). Both features point to moderate but pervasive star-formation activity even among nominally 'quiescent' stellar systems. Together, dEs and Ims provide the bulk of the galaxy luminosity function, around M(g) -18.0 ± 1.5, while the S0 and dwarf spheroidal (dSph) components dominate the bright and faint-end tails of the distribution respectively. This special mix places the NGC5044 Group just 'midway' between the high-density cosmic aggregation scale typical of galaxy clusters and the low-density environment of looser galaxy clumps like our Local Group. The bright mass of the 136 member galaxies with available photometry and morphological classification, as inferred from appropriate M/L model fitting, amounts to a total of 2.3 × 1012M. This is one seventh of the total dynamical mass of the group, according to its X-ray emission. The current star-formation rate within the group turns to be about 23Myr-1, a figure that may however be slightly increased as a result of the evident activity among dwarf ellipticals, as shown by enhanced Hbeta emission in their spectra. Lick narrow-band indices have been computed for 17 galaxies, probing all the relevant atomic and molecular features in the 4300-5800Å wavelength range. Dwarf ellipticals are found to share a subsolar metallicity (-1.0 Fe/H - 0.5), with a clear decoupling between iron and alpha elements, as already established for high-mass systems. Both dEs and dS0s are consistent with a high age, about one Hubble time, although a possible bias towards higher values of age may be induced by the gas emission affecting the Hbeta strength. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Variability amplitudes larger than 1 mag over time-scales of a few tens of minutes have recently been reported in the optical light curves of several blazars. In order to independently verify the ...real occurrence of such extremely violent events, we undertook an observational study of a selected sample of three blazars: PKS 0048−097, PKS 0754+100 and PKS 1510−089. Possible systematic error sources during data acquisition and reduction were carefully evaluated. We indeed found flux variability at intra-night time-scales in all the three sources, although no extremely violent behaviour, as reported by other authors, was detected. We show that an incorrect choice of the stars used for differential photometry will, under fairly normal conditions, lead to spurious variability with large amplitudes on short time-scales. Wrong results of this kind can be avoided with the use of simple error-control techniques.
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