We conduct a search for periodic emission in the very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray band (E > 100 GeV) from a total of 13 pulsars in an archival VERITAS data set with a total exposure of over 450 hr. ...The set of pulsars includes many of the brightest young gamma-ray pulsars visible in the Northern Hemisphere. The data analysis resulted in nondetections of pulsed VHE gamma-rays from each pulsar. Upper limits on a potential VHE gamma-ray flux are derived at the 95% confidence level above three energy thresholds using two methods. These are the first such searches for pulsed VHE emission from each of the pulsars, and the obtained limits constrain a possible flux component manifesting at VHEs as is seen for the Crab pulsar.
The XMM-OM instrument extends the spectral coverage of the XMM-Newton observatory into the ultraviolet and optical range. It provides imaging and time-resolved data on targets simultaneously with ...observations in the EPIC and RGS. It also has the ability to track stars in its field of view, thus providing an improved post-facto aspect solution for the spacecraft. An overview of the XMM-OM and its operation is given, together with current information on the performance of the instrument.
We report on the results of a long-term X-ray monitoring campaign of the galactic binary LS I +61 303 performed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. This data set consists of 1 ks pointings taken ...every other day between 2007 August 28 and 2008 February 2. The observations covered six full cycles of the 26.496 day binary period and constitute the largest continuous X-ray monitoring data set on LS I +61 303 to date with this sensitivity. There is no statistically strong detection of modulation of the flux or the photon index with orbital phase; however, we do find a strong correlation between the flux and photon index, with the spectrum becoming harder at higher fluxes. The data set contains three large flaring episodes, the largest of these reaching a flux level of 7.2+0.1 -0.2 X 10-11 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 3-10 keV band, which is a factor 3 times larger than the flux levels typically seen in the system. Analysis of these flares shows the X-ray emission from LS I +61 303 changing by up to a factor of 6 over timescales of several hundred seconds as well as doubling times as fast as 2 s. This is the fastest variability ever observed from LS I +61 303 at this wavelength and places constraints on the size of the X-ray emitting region.
We present results from deep observations toward the Cygnus region using 300 hr of very high energy (VHE) γ-ray data taken with the VERITAS Cerenkov telescope array and over 7 yr of high-energy γ-ray ...data taken with the Fermi satellite at an energy above 1 GeV. As the brightest region of diffuse γ-ray emission in the northern sky, the Cygnus region provides a promising area to probe the origins of cosmic rays. We report the identification of a potential Fermi-LAT counterpart to VER J2031+415 (TeV J2032+4130) and resolve the extended VHE source VER J2019+368 into two source candidates (VER J2018+367* and VER J2020+368*) and characterize their energy spectra. The Fermi-LAT morphology of 3FGL J2021.0+4031e (the Gamma Cygni supernova remnant) was examined, and a region of enhanced emission coincident with VER J2019+407 was identified and jointly fit with the VERITAS data. By modeling 3FGL J2015.6+3709 as two sources, one located at the location of the pulsar wind nebula CTB 87 and one at the quasar QSO J2015+371, a continuous spectrum from 1 GeV to 10 TeV was extracted for VER J2016+371 (CTB 87). An additional 71 locations coincident with Fermi-LAT sources and other potential objects of interest were tested for VHE γ-ray emission, with no emission detected and upper limits on the differential flux placed at an average of 2.3% of the Crab Nebula flux. We interpret these observations in a multiwavelength context and present the most detailed γ-ray view of the region to date.
Although Galactic cosmic rays (protons and nuclei) are widely believed to be mainly accelerated by the winds and supernovae of massive stars, definitive evidence of this origin remains elusive nearly ...a century after their discovery. The active regions of starburst galaxies have exceptionally high rates of star formation, and their large size—more than 50 times the diameter of similar Galactic regions—uniquely enables reliable calorimetric measurements of their potentially high cosmic-ray density. The cosmic rays produced in the formation, life and death of massive stars in these regions are expected to produce diffuse -ray emission through interactions with interstellar gas and radiation. M82, the prototype small starburst galaxy, is predicted to be the brightest starburst galaxy in terms of -ray emission. Here we report the detection of >700-GeV -rays from M82. From these data we determine a cosmic-ray density of 250 eV cm-3 in the starburst core, which is about 500 times the average Galactic density. This links cosmic-ray acceleration to star formation activity, and suggests that supernovae and massive-star winds are the dominant accelerators.
During an XMM–Newton observation, the eclipsing polar UZ For was found in a peculiar state with an extremely low X-ray luminosity and occasional X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) flaring. For most of the ...observation, UZ For was only barely detected in X-rays and ∼800 times fainter than during a high state previously observed with ROSAT. A transient event, which lasted ∼900 s, was detected simultaneously by the X-ray instruments and, in the UV, by the Optical Monitor. The transient was likely caused by the impact of 1017–1018 g of gas on the main accretion region of the white dwarf. The X-ray spectrum of the transient is consistent with ∼7 keV thermal bremsstrahlung from the shock-heated gas in the accretion column. A soft blackbody component resulting from reprocessing of X-rays in the white dwarf atmosphere is not seen. The increase in the UV flux during the transient was likely caused by cyclotron radiation from the shock-heated gas. Two more flaring events were detected by the Optical Monitor while the X-ray instruments were not operating. We conclude from our analysis that the unusual flaring behaviour during the low state of UZ For was caused by intermittent increases of the mass transfer rate owing to stellar activity on the secondary. In addition to the transient events, the Optical Monitor detected a roughly constant UV flux consistent with 11 000-K blackbody radiation from the photosphere of the white dwarf. We find a small orbital modulation of the UV flux caused by a large, heated pole cap around the main accretion region.
We report the discovery of TeV gamma-ray emission from the Type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) G120.1+1.4, known as Tycho's SNR. Observations performed in the period 2008-2010 with the VERITAS ...ground-based gamma-ray observatory reveal weak emission coming from the direction of the remnant, compatible with a point source located at 00h25m27.s0, + 64?10'50'' (J2000). The TeV photon spectrum measured by VERITAS can be described with a power law dN/dE = C(E/3.42 TeV)-- Delta *G with Delta *G = 1.95 ? 0.51stat ? 0.30sys and C = (1.55 ? 0.43stat ? 0.47sys) X 10--14 cm--2 s--1 TeV--1. The integral flux above 1 TeV corresponds to ~0.9% of the steady Crab Nebula emission above the same energy, making it one of the weakest sources yet detected in TeV gamma rays. We present both leptonic and hadronic models that can describe the data. The lowest magnetic field allowed in these models is ~80 Delta *mG, which may be interpreted as evidence for magnetic field amplification.
X–ray observations of accreting white–dwarf systems Cropper, M.; Ramsay, G.; Hellier, C. ...
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences,
09/2002, Letnik:
360, Številka:
1798
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Accretion in white-dwarf binary systems can occur through discs, accretion columns or a combination of these, depending on the magnetic field of the white dwarf. Recent high-quality X-ray ...observations with the XMM-Newton and Chandra observatories have significantly advanced our understanding of the physics of the accretion process, and place severe tests on our existing models. There have been some surprises, such as the strong dependence of atmospheric heating on accretion rate. However, we believe that we are now confident that we understand in general the physical processes in the accretion region, although some complicating factors, such as absorption, remain. We also discuss new developments in ultra-short-period white-dwarf binary systems.
We present very high energy (VHE) imaging of MGRO J2019+37 obtained with the VERITAS observatory. The bright extended (~2degrees) unidentified Milagro source is located toward the rich star formation ...region Cygnus-X. MGRO J2019+37 is resolved into two VERITAS sources. The faint, point-like source VER J2016+371 overlaps CTB 87, a filled-center remnant (SNR) with no evidence of a supernova remnant shell at the present time. Its spectrum is well fit in the 0.65-10TeV energy range by a power-law model with photon index 2.3 + or - 0.4. VER J2019+378 is a bright extended (~1degrees) source that likely accounts for the bulk of the Milagro emission and is notably coincident with PSR J2021+3651 and the star formation region Sh 2-104. Its spectrum in the range 1-30 TeV is well fit with a power-law model of photon index 1.75 + or - 0.3, among the hardest values measured in the VHE band, comparable to that observed near Vela-X. We explore the unusual spectrum and morphology in the radio and X-ray bands to constrain possible emission mechanisms for this source.
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