Context.During the first year in operation, INTEGRAL, the European Space Agency's γ-ray observatory, has detected more than 28 new bright sources in the galactic plane which emit the bulk of their ...emission above 10 keV. Aims.To understand the nature of those sources we have obtained follow-up observations in the X-ray band with XMM-Newton. Methods.We derive accurate X-ray positions, propose infrared counterparts and study the source high energy long and short term variability and spectra. Results.70% of the sources are strongly absorbed ($N_{\rm H}\geq10^{23}$ atom cm-2). More than half of these absorbed sources show pulsations with periods ranging from 139 to 1300 s, i.e., they are slow X-ray pulsars. The candidate infrared counterparts are not as strongly absorbed demonstrating that part of the absorbing matter is local to the sources. Conclusions.Many of these new sources are supergiant high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB) in which the stellar wind of the companion star is accreted onto the compact object. The large local absorption in these new sources can be understood if the compact objects are buried deep in their stellar winds. These new objects represent half of the population of supergiant HMXB.
ABSTRACT
PBC J2333.9−2343 is a peculiar active nucleus with two giant radio lobes and a weak blazar-like nucleus at their centre. In this work we show new optical, ultraviolet (UV), and X-ray data ...taken from the San Pedro Mártir telescope, the New Technology Telescope, NTT/EFOSC2, and the Swift/XRT satellite. The source is highly variable at all frequencies, in particular the strongest variations are found in the broad Hα component with a flux increase of 61±4 per cent between 2009 and 2016, following the X-ray flux increase of 62±6 per cent between 2010 and 2016. We also detected a broad Hβ component in 2016, making the optical classification change from type 1.9 to type 1.8 in 1 yr. We have also detected a broad component of the oiiiλ5007 line, which is blue-shifted and of high velocity, suggesting an origin from a highly disturbed medium, possibly an outflow. The line flux variability and broad widths are indicative of a jet that is, at least in part, responsible for the ionization of the broad line region (BLR) and narrow line region (NLR).
Objectives
Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) is a rare autosomal dominant congenital malformation syndrome characterized by high penetrance and great phenotypic heterogeneity. Neurological ...manifestations are thought to occur in about one third of cases, but systematic studies are not available. We performed deep neurological phenotyping of 10 patients in one ODDD pedigree.
Methods
Retrospective case series. We analyzed in depth the neurological phenotype of a three-generation family segregating the heterozygous c.416 T > C, p.(Ile139Thr) in
GJA1
. Clinical and neuroradiological features were retrospectively evaluated. Brain MRI and visual evoked potentials were performed in 8 and 6 cases, respectively.
Results
Central nervous system manifestations occurred in 5 patients, the most common being isolated ataxia either in isolation or combined with spasticity. Furthermore, sphincteric disturbances (neurogenic bladder and fecal incontinence) were recognized as the first manifestation in most of the patients. Subclinical electrophysiological alteration of the optic pathway occurred in all the examined patients. Neuroimaging was significant for supratentorial hypomyelination pattern and hyperintense superior cerebellar peduncle in all examined patients.
Conclusion
The neurological involvement in ODDD carriers is often missed but peculiar clinical and radiological patterns can be recognized. Deep neurological phenotyping is needed to help untangle ODDD syndrome complexity and find genotype–phenotype correlations.
We present the nature of 50 hard X-ray emitting objects unveiled through an optical spectroscopy campaign performed at seven telescopes in the northern and southern hemispheres. These objects were ...detected with the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) instrument onboard the Swift satellite and listed as of unidentified nature in the 54-month Palermo BAT catalogue. In detail, 45 sources in our sample are identified as active galactic nuclei of which, 27 are classified as type 1 (with broad and narrow emission lines) and 18 are classified as type 2 (with only narrow emission lines). Among the broad-line emission objects, one is a type 1 high-redshift quasi-stellar object, and among the narrow-line emission objects, one is a starburst galaxy, one is a X-ray bright optically normal galaxy, and one is a low ionization nuclear emission line region. We report 30 new redshift measurements, 13 confirmations and 2 more accurate redshift values. The remaining five objects are galactic sources: three are Cataclismic Variables, one is a X-ray Binary probably with a low mass secondary star, and one is an active star.
Context. Fermi J1544–0639/ASASSN-17gs/AT2017egv was identified as a gamma-ray/optical transient on May 15, 2017. Subsequent multiwavelength observations suggest that this source may belong to the new ...class of radio-weak BL Lacs. Aims. We studied the X-ray spectral properties and short-term variability of Fermi J1544–0639 to constrain the X-ray continuum emission mechanism of this peculiar source. Methods. We present the analysis of an XMM-Newton observation, 56 ks in length, performed on February 21, 2018. Results. The source exhibits strong X-ray variability, both in flux and spectral shape, on timescales of ∼10 ks, with a harder-when-brighter behaviour typical of BL Lacs. The X-ray spectrum is nicely described by a variable broken power law, with a break energy of around 2.7 keV consistent with radiative cooling due to Comptonization of broad-line region photons. We find evidence for a “soft excess”, nicely described by a blackbody with a temperature of ∼0.2 keV, consistent with being produced by bulk Comptonization along the jet.
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.
Context. The giant radio galaxy PBC J2333.9-2343 shows different characteristics at different wavebands that are difficult to explain within the actual generic schemes of unification of active ...galactic nuclei (AGN). It is therefore a good candidate host for different phases of nuclear activity. Aims. We aim at disentangling the nature of this AGN by using simultaneous multiwavelength data. Methods. We obtained data in 2015 from the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), the San Pedro Mártir telescope, and the XMM-Newton observatories. This allows the study of the nuclear parts of the galaxy through its morphology and spectra and the analysis of the spectral energy distribution (SED). We also reanalysed previously-presented optical data from the San Pedro Mártir telescope from 2009 to provide a homogeneous comparison. Results. At X-ray frequencies the source is unabsorbed. The optical spectra are of a type 1.9 AGN, both in 2009 and 2015, although showing a broader component in 2015. The VLBA radio images show an inverted spectrum with a self-absorbed, optically thick compact core (αc = 0.40, where Sν ∝ ν+ α) and a steep-spectrum, optically thin jet (αj,8−15 = −0.5). The SED resembles that of typical blazars and is best represented by an external Compton (EC) model with a viewing angle of approximately 3–6°. The apparent size of the large-scale structure of PBC J2333.9-2343 must correspond to an intrinsic deprojected value of approximately 7 Mpc for θv < 10°, and to >13 Mpc for θv < 5°, a value much larger than the biggest giant radio galaxy known, which is 4.5 Mpc. Conclusions. The above arguments suggest that PBC J2333.9-2343 has undergone a new episode of nuclear activity and that the direction of the new jet has changed in the plane of the sky and is now pointing towards us. This changes this source from a radio galaxy to a blazar, a very exceptional case of restarting activity.
The material point method (MPM) enables large‐deformation simulations of complex material behaviors with natural multi‐material coupling. However, MPM struggles to accurately capture fields related ...to material discontinuities, for example, traction‐free surfaces, making MPM fracture simulation challenging. Many MPMs seek to alleviate this challenge, but comparing these approaches has been elusive. This work presents a benchmarking process for evaluating and comparing discontinuous MPM approaches. The benchmarks focus field quantities near a circular hole in a plate and a planar crack with comparisons to accurate finite element solutions.
One common approach to generate lightweight materials with high specific strength and stiffness is the incorporation of stiff hollow microparticles (also known as bubbles or microballoons) into a ...polymeric matrix. The mechanical properties of these composites, also known as syntactic foams, greatly depend on those of the hollow microparticles. It is critical to precisely control the properties of these bubbles to fabricate lightweight materials that are suitable for specific applications. In this paper, we present a method to tailor the mechanical properties and response of highly monodisperse nanoparticle-shelled bubbles using thermal treatment. We characterize the mechanical properties of individual as-assembled bubbles as well as those of thermally treated ones using nanoindentation and quantitative in situ compression tests. As-assembled bubbles display inelastic response, whereas thermally treated bubbles behave elastically. We also show that the stiffness and strength of bubbles are enhanced significantly, as much as 12 and 14 times that of the as-assembled bubbles, respectively, via thermal treatment. We complement the experimental results with finite element analysis (FEA) to understand the effect of shell thickness nonuniformity as well as the inelasticity on the mechanical response and fracture behavior of these bubbles. We demonstrate that the failure mechanism of bubbles incorporated into a polymer composite depends on the structure of the bubbles.
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