Galaxy clusters grow by gas accretion, mostly from mergers of substructures, which release powerful shock waves into cosmic plasmas and convert a fraction of kinetic energy into thermal energy, ...amplification of magnetic fields and into the acceleration of energetic particles. The modeling of the radio signature of cosmic shocks, combined with the lack of detected
γ
-rays from cosmic ray (CR) protons, poses challenges to our understanding of how cosmic rays get accelerated and stored in the intracluster medium. Here we review the injection of CRs by cosmic shocks of different strengths, combining the detailed “microscopic” view of collisionless processes governing the creation of non-thermal distributions of electrons and protons in cluster shocks (based on analytic theory and particle-in-cell simulations), with the “macroscopic” view of the large-scale distribution of cosmic rays, suggested by modern cosmological simulations. Time dependent non-linear kinetic models of particle acceleration by multiple internal shocks with large scale compressible motions of plasma with soft CR spectra containing a noticeable energy density in the super-thermal protons of energies below a few GeV which is difficult to constrain by Fermi observations are discussed. We consider the effect of plasma composition on CR injection and super-thermal particle population in the hot intracluster matter which can be constrained by fine high resolution X-ray spectroscopy of Fe ions.
It has been known for decades that the observed number of baryons in the local Universe falls about 30-40 per cent short
of the total number of baryons predicted
by Big Bang nucleosynthesis, as ...inferred
from density fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background and seen during the first 2-3 billion years of the Universe in the so-called 'Lyman α forest'
(a dense series of intervening H I Lyman α absorption lines in the optical spectra of background quasars). A theoretical solution to this paradox locates the missing baryons in the hot and tenuous filamentary gas between galaxies, known as the warm-hot intergalactic medium. However, it is difficult to detect them there because the largest by far constituent of this gas-hydrogen-is mostly ionized and therefore almost invisible in far-ultraviolet spectra with typical signal-to-noise ratios
. Indeed, despite large observational efforts, only a few marginal claims of detection have been made so far
. Here we report observations of two absorbers of highly ionized oxygen (O VII) in the high-signal-to-noise-ratio X-ray spectrum of a quasar at a redshift higher than 0.4. These absorbers show no variability over a two-year timescale and have no associated cold absorption, making the assumption that they originate from the quasar's intrinsic outflow or the host galaxy's interstellar medium implausible. The O VII systems lie in regions characterized by large (four times larger than average
) galaxy overdensities and their number (down to the sensitivity threshold of our data) agrees well with numerical simulation predictions for the long-sought warm-hot intergalactic medium. We conclude that the missing baryons have been found.
Abstract
Fitting plasma models to high-quality spectra is a crucial tool for deriving diagnostics about the physical conditions in various astrophysical sources. Despite decades of model development, ...this prescription often provides an unsatisfying description of observational data. We explore some of the origins of the failure of fits of photoionized plasma models to high-resolution X-ray spectra. In particular, we test whether systematic uncertainties in underlying atomic data can account for data model discrepancies, and whether including model uncertainties during spectral fitting can provide statistically acceptable fits and reasonable parameter estimates. We fit Chandra/HETG spectra of NGC 3783 with the photoionized absorber model
warmabs
. We use the remaining data model discrepancies to estimate the systematic uncertainties of bound–bound radiative rates for individual transitions quantitatively. We then include these uncertainties into
warmabs
to return a total model uncertainty. We find residual data model discrepancies which are due to systematic errors that cannot be accounted for solely by a modification of the optical depth of strong absorption lines. Furthermore, statistical uncertainties still dominate the fit statistics. The relevance of model uncertainties in spectral fitting will vary on a case-by-case basis. However, they are likely to have a minor effect on most of the currently existing data sets. We conclude that while the quality of atomic data does have an effect on fitting photoionization models, and so demands further improvement, uncertainties in radiative rates cannot be held solely responsible for statistically unacceptable fits. Other sources of systematic uncertainties are likely to be of comparable importance and require further investigation.
Due to observational challenges, our knowledge of low-level accretion flows around neutron stars is limited. We present NuSTAR, Swift and Chandra observations of the low-mass X-ray binary IGR ...J17062-6143, which has been persistently accreting at ...0.1 per cent of the Eddington limit since 2006. Our simultaneous NuSTAR/Swift observations show that the 0.5-79 keV spectrum can be described by a combination of a power law with a photon index of ... 2, a blackbody with a temperature of kT sub( bb) ... 0.5 keV (presumably arising from the neutron star surface) and disc reflection. Modelling the reflection spectrum suggests that the inner accretion disc was located at R sub( in) ... 100 GM/c super( 2) (...225 km) from the neutron star. The apparent truncation may be due to evaporation of the inner disc into a radiatively-inefficient accretion flow, or due to the pressure of the neutron star magnetic field. Our Chandra gratings data reveal possible narrow emission lines near 1 keV that can be modelled as reflection or collisionally ionized gas, and possible low-energy absorption features that could point to the presence of an outflow. We consider a scenario in which this neutron star has been able to sustain its low accretion rate through magnetic inhibition of the accretion flow, which gives some constraints on its magnetic field strength and spin period. In this configuration, IGR J17062-6143 could exhibit a strong radio jet as well as a (propeller-driven) wind-like outflow. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)
The fundamental properties of neutron stars provide a direct test of the equation of state of cold nuclear matter, a relationship between pressure and density that is determined by the physics of the ...strong interactions between the particles that constitute the star. The most straightforward method of determining these properties is by measuring the gravitational redshift of spectral lines produced in the neutron star photosphere. The equation of state implies a mass-radius relation, while a measurement of the gravitational redshift at the surface of a neutron star provides a direct constraint on the mass-to-radius ratio. Here we report the discovery of significant absorption lines in the spectra of 28 bursts of the low-mass X-ray binary EXO0748-676. We identify the most significant features with the Fe xxvi and xxv n = 2-3 and O viii n = 1-2 transitions, all with a redshift of z = 0.35, identical within small uncertainties for the respective transitions. For an astrophysically plausible range of masses (M 1.3-2.0 solar masses; refs 2-5), this value is completely consistent with models of neutron stars composed of normal nuclear matter, while it excludes some models in which the neutron stars are made of more exotic matter.
Atoll sources are accreting neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binaries. We present a spectral analysis of four persistent atoll sources (GX 3+1, 4U 1702−429, 4U 0614+091, and 4U 1746−371) observed for ...∼20 ks each with NuSTAR to determine the extent of the inner accretion disk. These sources range from an apparent luminosity of 0.006-0.11 of the Eddington limit (assuming the empirical limit of 3.8 × 1038 erg s−1). Broad Fe emission features shaped by Doppler and relativistic effects close to the NS were firmly detected in three of these sources. The position of the disk appears to be close to the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) in each case. For GX 3+1, we determine (90% confidence level) and an inclination of 27°-31°. For 4U 1702−429, we find a and inclination of 53°-64°. For 4U 0614+091, the disk has a position of and inclination of 50°-62°. If the disk does not extend to the innermost stable circular orbit, we can place conservative limits on the magnetic field strength in these systems in the event that the disk is truncated at the Alfvén radius. This provides the limit at the poles of B ≤ 6.7 × 108 G, 3.3 × 108 G, and 14.5 × 108 G for GX 3+1, 4U 1702−429, and 4U 0614+091, respectively. For 4U 1746−371, we argue that the most plausible explanation for the lack of reflection features is a combination of source geometry and strong Comptonization. We place these sources among the larger sample of NSs that have been observed with NuSTAR.
We present model fits to the X-ray line spectrum of the well-known high-mass X-ray binary Cyg X-3. The primary observational data set is a spectrum taken with the Chandra X-ray Observatory High ...Energy Transmission Grating in 2006, though we compare it to all the other observations of this source taken so far by this instrument. We show that the density must be ≥1012 cm−3 in the region responsible for most of the emission. We discuss the influence of the dust scattering halo on the broadband spectrum, and we argue that dust scattering and extinction is not the most likely origin for the narrow feature seen near the Si K edge. We identify the features of a wind in the profiles of the strong resonance lines and show that the wind is more apparent in the lines from the lighter elements. We argue that this wind is most likely associated with the companion star. We show that the intensities of most lines can be fitted, crudely, by a single-component photoionized model. However, the iron K lines do not fit with this model. We show that the iron K line variability as a function of orbital phase is different from the lower-energy lines, which indicates that the lines arise in physically distinct regions. We discuss the interpretation of these results in the context of what is known about the system and similar systems.
Abstract In this study, we investigate interstellar absorption lines along the line of sight toward the galactic low-mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-2. We combine absorption line data obtained from ...high-resolution X-ray spectra collected with the Chandra and XMM-Newton satellites, along with far-UV absorption lines observed by the Hubble Space Telescope’s (HST) Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) instrument. Our primary objective is to understand the abundance and depletion of oxygen, iron, sulfur, and carbon. To achieve this, we have developed an analysis pipeline that simultaneously fits both the UV and X-ray data sets. This novel approach takes into account the line-spread function of HST/COS, enhancing the precision of our results. We examine the absorption lines of Fe ii , S ii , C ii , and C i present in the far-UV spectrum of Cygnus X-2, revealing the presence of at least two distinct absorbers characterized by different velocities. Additionally, we employ Cloudy simulations to compare our findings concerning the ionic ratios for the studied elements. We find that gaseous iron and sulfur exist in their singly ionized forms, Fe ii and S ii , respectively, while the abundances of C ii and C i do not agree with the Cloudy simulations of the neutral ISM. Finally, we explore discrepancies in the X-ray atomic data of iron and discuss their impact on the overall abundance and depletion of iron.
The dust scattering halo of Cygnus X-3 Corrales, L. R; Paerels, F
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
10/2015, Letnik:
453, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Dust grains scatter X-ray light through small angles, producing a diffuse halo image around bright X-ray point sources situated behind a large amount of interstellar material. We present analytic ...solutions to the integral for the dust scattering intensity, which allow for a Bayesian analysis of the scattering halo around Cygnus X-3. Fitting the optically thin 4–6 keV halo surface brightness profile yields the dust grain size and spatial distribution. We assume a power-law distribution of grain sizes (n ∝ a
−p
) and fit for p, the grain radius cut-off a
max, and dust mass column. We find that a p ≈ 3.5 dust grain size distribution with a
max ≈ 0.2 μm fits the halo profile relatively well, whether the dust is distributed uniformly along the line of sight or in clumps. We find that a model consisting of two dust screens, representative of foreground spiral arms, requires the foreground Perseus arm to contain 80 per cent of the total dust mass. The remaining 20 per cent of the dust, which may be associated with the outer spiral arm of the Milky Way, is located within 1 kpc of Cyg X-3. Regardless of which model was used, we found
$\tau _{\rm sca} \sim 2 \ E_{\rm keV}^{-2}$
. We examine the energy resolved haloes of Cyg X-3 from 1 to 6 keV and find that there is a sharp drop in scattering halo intensity when E < 2–3 keV, which cannot be explained with multiple scattering effects. We hypothesize that this may be caused by large dust grains or material with unique dielectric properties, causing the scattering cross-section to depart from the Rayleigh–Gans approximation that is used most often in X-ray scattering studies. The foreground Cyg OB2 association, which contains several evolved stars with large extinction values, is a likely culprit for grains of unique size or composition.
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