Context. Stars and their winds can contribute to the non-thermal emission in extragalactic jets. Because of the complexity of jet-star interactions, the properties of the resulting emission are ...closely linked to those of the emitting flows. Aims. We simulate the interaction between a stellar wind and a relativistic extragalactic jet and use the hydrodynamic results to compute the non-thermal emission under different conditions. Methods. We performed relativistic axisymmetric hydrodynamical simulations of a relativistic jet interacting with a supersonic, non-relativistic stellar wind. We computed the corresponding streamlines out of the simulation results and calculated the injection, evolution, and emission of non-thermal particles accelerated in the jet shock, focusing on electrons or e±-pairs. Several cases were explored, considering different jet-star interaction locations, magnetic fields, and observer lines of sight. The jet luminosity and star properties were fixed, but the results are easily scalable when these parameters are changed. Results. Individual jet-star interactions produce synchrotron and inverse Compton emission that peaks from X-rays to MeV energies (depending on the magnetic field), and at ~100–1000 GeV (depending on the stellar type), respectively. The radiation spectrum is hard in the scenarios explored here as a result of non-radiative cooling dominance, as low-energy electrons are efficiently advected even under relatively high magnetic fields. Interactions of jets with cold stars lead to an even harder inverse Compton spectrum because of the Klein-Nishina effect in the cross section. Doppler boosting has a strong effect on the observer luminosity. Conclusions. The emission levels for individual interactions found here are in the line of previous, more approximate, estimates, strengthening the hypothesis that collective jet-star interactions could significantly contribute at high energies under efficient particle acceleration.
MWC 656 is the first known Be/black hole (BH) binary system. Be/BH binaries are important in the context of binary system evolution and sources of detectable gravitational waves because they are ...possible precursors of coalescing neutron star/BH binaries. X-ray observations conducted in 2013 revealed that MWC 656 is a quiescent high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB), opening the possibility to explore X-ray/radio correlations and the accretion/ejection coupling down to low luminosities for BH HMXBs. Here we report on a deep joint Chandra/VLA observation of MWC 656 (and contemporaneous optical data) conducted in 2015 July that has allowed us to unambiguously identify the X-ray counterpart of the source. The X-ray spectrum can be fitted with a power law with Γ ∼ 2, providing a flux of 4 × 10−15 erg cm−2 s−1 in the 0.5-8 keV energy range and a luminosity of LX 3 × 1030 erg s−1 at a 2.6 kpc distance. For a 5 M BH this translates into 5 × 10−9 LEdd. These results imply that MWC 656 is about 7 times fainter in X-rays than it was two years before and reaches the faintest X-ray luminosities ever detected in stellar-mass BHs. The radio data provide a detection with a peak flux density of 3.5 1.1 Jy beam−1. The obtained X-ray/radio luminosities for this quiescent BH HMXB are fully compatible with those of the X-ray/radio correlations derived from quiescent BH low-mass X-ray binaries. These results show that the accretion/ejection coupling in stellar-mass BHs is independent of the nature of the donor star.
The gamma-ray binary LS I +61 303 is composed of a Be star and a compact companion orbiting in an eccentric orbit. Variable flux modulated with the orbital period of ~26.5 d has been detected from ...radio to very high-energy gamma rays. In addition, the system presents a superorbital variability of the phase and amplitude of the radio outbursts with a period of ~4.6 yr. We present optical photometric observations of LS I +61 303 spanning ~1.5 yr and contemporaneous Hα equivalent width (EWHα) data. The optical photometry shows, for the first time, that the known orbital modulation suffers a positive orbital phase shift and an increase in flux for data obtained 1-yr apart. This behavior is similar to that already known at radio wavelengths, indicating that the optical flux follows the superorbital variability as well. The orbital modulation of the EWHα presents the already known superorbital flux variability but shows, also for the first time, a positive orbital phase shift. In addition, the optical photometry exhibits a lag of ~0.1–0.2 in orbital phase with respect to the EWHα measurements at similar superorbital phases, and presents a lag of ~0.1 and ~0.3 orbital phases with respect noncontemperaneous radio and X-ray outbursts, respectively. The phase shifts detected in the orbital modulation of thermal indicators, such as the optical flux and the EWHα, are in line with the observed behavior for nonthermal indicators, such as X-ray or radio emission. This shows that there is a strong coupling between the thermal and nonthermal emission processes in the gamma-ray binary LS I +61 303. The orbital phase lag between the optical flux and the EWHα is naturally explained considering different emitting regions in the circumstellar disk, whereas the secular evolution might be caused by the presence of a moving one-armed spiral density wave in the disk.
Context. The stellar winds of the massive stars in high-mass microquasars are thought to be inhomogeneous. The interaction of these inhomogeneities, or clumps, with the jets of these objects may be a ...major factor in gamma-ray production. Aims. Our goal is to characterize a typical scenario of clump-jet interaction, and calculate the contribution of these interactions to the gamma-ray emission from these systems. Methods. We use axisymmetric, relativistic hydrodynamical simulations to model the emitting flow in a typical clump-jet interaction. Using the simulation results we perform a numerical calculation of the high-energy emission from one of these interactions. The radiative calculations are performed for relativistic electrons locally accelerated at the jet shock, and the synchrotron and inverse Compton radiation spectra are computed for different stages of the shocked clump evolution. We also explore different parameter values, such as viewing angle and magnetic field strength. The results derived from one clump-jet interaction are generalized phenomenologically to multiple interactions under different wind models, estimating the clump-jet interaction rates, and the resulting luminosities in the GeV range. Results. If particles are efficiently accelerated in clump-jet interactions, the apparent gamma-ray luminosity through inverse Compton scattering with the stellar photons can be significant even for rather strong magnetic fields and thus efficient synchrotron cooling. Moreover, despite the standing nature or slow motion of the jet shocks for most of the interaction stage, Doppler boosting in the postshock flow is relevant even for mildly relativistic jets. Conclusions. For clump-to-average wind density contrasts greater than or equal to ten, clump-jet interactions could be bright enough to match the observed GeV luminosity in Cyg X-1 and Cyg X-3 when a jet is present in these sources, with required non-thermal-to-total available power fractions greater than 0.01 and 0.1, respectively.
Context. Binary systems containing a massive star and a non-accreting pulsar present strong interaction between the stellar and the pulsar winds. The properties of this interaction, which largely ...determine the non-thermal radiation in these systems, strongly depend on the structure of the stellar wind, which can be clumpy or strongly anisotropic, as in Be stars. Aims. We study numerically the influence of inhomogeneities in the stellar wind on the structure of the two-wind interaction region. Methods. We carried out for the first time axisymmetric, relativistic hydrodynamical simulations, with Lorentz factors of ~6 and accounting for the impact of instabilities, to study the impact in the two-wind interaction structure of an over-dense region of the stellar wind. We also followed the evolution of this over-dense region or clump as it faces the impact of the pulsar wind. Results. For typical system parameters, and adopting a stellar wind inhomogeneity with a density contrast χ ≳ 10, clumps with radii of a few percent of the binary size can significantly perturb the two-wind interaction region, pushing the two-wind interface to ≲40% of the initial distance to the pulsar. After it is shocked, the inhomogeneity quickly expands and is disrupted when it reaches the smallest distance to the pulsar. It eventually fragments, being advected away from the binary system. The whole interaction region is quite unstable, and the shocked pulsar wind can strongly change under small perturbations. Conclusions. We confirm the sensitive nature of the two-wind interaction structure to perturbations, in particular when the stellar wind is inhomogeneous. For realistic over-dense regions of the stellar wind, the interaction region may shrink by a factor of a few, with the shocked flow presenting a complex spatial and temporal pattern. This can lead to strong variations in the non-thermal radiation.
Context. Binaries hosting a massive star and a non-accreting pulsar are powerful non-thermal emitters owing to the interaction of the pulsar and the stellar wind. The winds of massive stars are ...thought to be inhomogeneous, which could have an impact on the non-thermal emission. Aims. We study numerically the impact of the presence of inhomogeneities or clumps in the stellar wind on the high-energy non-thermal radiation of high-mass binaries hosting a non-accreting pulsar. Methods. We compute the trajectories and physical properties of the streamlines in the shocked pulsar wind without clumps, with a small clump, and with a large clump. This information is used to characterize the injection and the steady state distribution of non-thermal particles accelerated at shocks formed in the pulsar wind. The synchrotron and inverse Compton emission from these non-thermal particles is calculated, accounting also for the effect of gamma-ray absorption through pair creation. A specific study is done for PSR B1259-63/LS2883. Results. When stellar wind clumps perturb the two-wind interaction region, the associated non-thermal radiation in the X-ray band, of synchrotron origin, and in the GeV–TeV band, of inverse Compton origin, is affected by several equally important effects: (i) strong changes in the plasma velocity direction that result in Doppler boosting factor variations; (ii) strengthening of the magnetic field that mainly enhances the synchrotron radiation; (iii) strengthening of the pulsar wind kinetic energy dissipation at the shock, potentially available for particle acceleration; and (iv) changes in the rate of adiabatic losses that affect the lower energy part of the non-thermal particle population. The radiation above 100 GeV detected, presumably, during the post-periastron crossing of the Be star disc in PSR B1259-63/LS2883, can be roughly reproduced assuming that the crossing of the disc is modelled as the encounter with a large inhomogeneity. Conclusions. Because of the likely diverse nature of clumps in the stellar wind, and hydrodynamical instabilities, the non-thermal radiation of high-mass binaries with a non-accreting pulsar is expected to be boosted somewhat chaotically, and to present different superimposed variability patterns. Some of the observed variability in gamma rays from PSR B1259-63/LS2883 is qualitatively reproduced by our calculations.
OPTICAL PHOTOMETRIC MONITORING OF LS I +61 303 PAREDES-FORTUNY, X; RIBÓ, M; FORS, O ...
International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference Series,
2014, Letnik:
28
Journal Article, Conference Proceeding
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Three gamma-ray binaries, namely PSR B1259–63, HESS J0632+057 and LS I +61 303, contain compact objects orbiting around massive Be stars. Around periastron passage the compact objects should produce ...significant changes in the structure of the Be disks due to gravitational forces and eventually by ram pressure from the putative pulsar wind. Indeed, variability in the Hα emission line has been detected in all these systems, and optical periodic variability has been detected in one of them. However, there is lack of a systematic monitoring with accurate photometry, which could be used to constrain the shape of the disk during the periastron passage. This information is important to build accurate physical models to explain the broadband spectral energy distribution of these sources. Here we present an ongoing program to monitor the optical photometry of gamma-ray binaries and show preliminary results for the case of LS I +61 303.
MWC 656 is the first known Be/black hole (BH) binary system. Be/BH binaries are important in the context of binary system evolution and sources of detectable gravitational waves because they are ...possible precursors of coalescing neutron star/BH binaries. X-ray observations conducted in 2013 revealed that MWC 656 is a quiescent high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB), opening the possibility to explore X-ray/radio correlations and the accretion/ejection coupling down to low luminosities for BH HMXBs. Here we report on a deep joint Chandra/VLA observation of MWC 656 (and contemporaneous optical data) conducted in 2015 July that has allowed us to unambiguously identify the X-ray counterpart of the source. The X-ray spectrum can be fitted with a power law with \(\Gamma\sim2\), providing a flux of \(\simeq4\times10^{-15}\) erg cm\(^{-2}\) s\(^{-1}\) in the 0.5-8 keV energy range and a luminosity of \(L_{\rm X}\simeq3\times10^{30}\) erg s\(^{-1}\) at a 2.6 kpc distance. For a 5 M\(_\odot\) BH this translates into \(\simeq5\times10^{-9}\) \(L_{\rm Edd}\). These results imply that MWC 656 is about 7 times fainter in X-rays than it was two years before and reaches the faintest X-ray luminosities ever detected in stellar-mass BHs. The radio data provide a detection with a peak flux density of \(3.5\pm1.1\) \(\mu\)Jy beam\(^{-1}\). The obtained X-ray/radio luminosities for this quiescent BH HMXB are fully compatible with those of the X-ray/radio correlations derived from quiescent BH low-mass X-ray binaries. These results show that the accretion/ejection coupling in stellar-mass BHs is independent of the nature of the donor star.
The gamma-ray binary LS I +61 303 is composed of a Be star and a compact companion orbiting in an eccentric orbit. Variable flux modulated with the orbital period of ~26.5 d has been detected from ...radio to very high-energy gamma rays. In addition, the system presents a superorbital variability of the phase and amplitude of the radio outburst with a period of ~4.6 yr. We present optical photometric observations of LS I +61 303 spanning ~1.5 yr and contemporaneous Halpha equivalent width (EW Halpha) data. The optical photometry shows, for the first time, that the known orbital modulation suffers a positive orbital phase shift and an increase in flux for data obtained 1-yr apart. This behavior is similar to that already known at radio wavelengths, indicating that the optical flux follows the superorbital variability as well. The orbital modulation of the EW Halpha presents the already known superorbital flux variability but shows, also for the first time, a positive orbital phase shift. In addition, the optical photometry exhibits a lag of ~0.1-0.2 in orbital phase with respect to the EW Halpha measurements at similar superorbital phases, and presents a lag of ~0.1 and ~0.3 orbital phases with respect noncontemperaneous radio and X-ray outbursts, respectively. The phase shifts detected in the orbital modulation of thermal indicators, such as the optical flux and the EW Halpha, are in line with the observed behavior for nonthermal indicators, such as X-ray or radio emission. This shows that there is a strong coupling between the thermal and nonthermal emission processes in the gamma-ray binary LS I +61 303. The orbital phase lag between the optical flux and the EW Halpha is naturally explained considering different emitting regions in the circumstellar disk, whereas the secular evolution might be caused by the presence of a moving one-armed spiral density wave in the disk.
The stellar winds of the massive stars in high-mass microquasars are thought to be inhomogeneous. The interaction of these inhomogeneities, or clumps, with the jets of these objects may be a major ...factor in gamma-ray production. Our goal is to characterize a typical scenario of clump-jet interaction, and calculate the contribution of these interactions to the gamma-ray emission from these systems. We use axisymmetric, RHD simulations to model the emitting flow in a typical clump-jet interaction. Using the simulation results we perform a numerical calculation of the high-energy emission from one of these interactions. The radiative calculations are done for relativistic electrons locally accelerated at the jet shock, and the synchrotron and IC radiation spectra are computed for different stages of the shocked clump evolution. We also explore different parameter values, such as viewing angle and magnetic field strength. We generalize phenomenologically the results derived from one clump-jet interaction to multiple interactions under different wind models, estimating the clump-jet interaction rates, and the resulting luminosities in the GeV range. If particles are efficiently accelerated in clump-jet interactions, the apparent gamma-ray luminosity through IC scattering with the stellar photons can be significant even for rather strong magnetic fields and thus efficient synchrotron cooling. Moreover, despite the standing nature or slow motion of the jet shocks for most of the interaction stage, Doppler boosting in the postshock flow is relevant even for mildly relativistic jets. For clump-to-average wind density contrasts \(\gtrsim 10\), clump-jet interactions could be bright enough to match the observed GeV luminosity in Cyg~X-1 and Cyg~X-3 when a jet is present in these sources, with required non-thermal-to-total available power fractions \(\sim 0.01\) and \(0.1\), respectively.
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