HESS J1943+213 is a very high energy (VHE; >100 GeV) γ-ray source in the direction of the Galactic plane. Studies exploring the classification of the source are converging toward its identification ...as an extreme synchrotron BL Lac object. Here we present 38 hr of VERITAS observations of HESS J1943+213 taken over 2 yr. The source is detected with a significance of ∼20 standard deviations, showing a remarkably stable flux and spectrum in VHE γ-rays. Multifrequency Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of the source confirm the extended, jet-like structure previously found in the 1.6 GHz band with the European VLBI Network and detect this component in the 4.6 and 7.3 GHz bands. The radio spectral indices of the core and the jet and the level of polarization derived from the VLBA observations are in a range typical for blazars. Data from VERITAS, Fermi-LAT, Swift-XRT, the FLWO 48″ telescope, and archival infrared and hard X-ray observations are used to construct and model the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the source with a synchrotron self-Compton model. The well-measured γ-ray peak of the SED with VERITAS and Fermi-LAT provides constraining upper limits on the source redshift. Possible contribution of secondary γ-rays from ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray-initiated electromagnetic cascades to the γ-ray emission is explored, finding that only a segment of the VHE spectrum can be accommodated with this process. A variability search is performed across X-ray and γ-ray bands. No statistically significant flux or spectral variability is detected.
ABSTRACT We present a detailed spectral analysis of XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations of the accreting transient black hole GRS 1739−278 during a very faint low hard state at ∼0.02% of the Eddington ...luminosity (for a distance of 8.5 kpc and a mass of 10 ). The broadband X-ray spectrum between 0.5 and 60 keV can be well-described by a power-law continuum with an exponential cutoff. The continuum is unusually hard for such a low luminosity, with a photon index of Γ = 1.39 0.04. We find evidence for an additional reflection component from an optically thick accretion disk at the 98% likelihood level. The reflection fraction is low, with . In combination with measurements of the spin and inclination parameters made with NuSTAR during a brighter hard state by Miller et al., we seek to constrain the accretion disk geometry. Depending on the assumed emissivity profile of the accretion disk, we find a truncation radius of 15-35 (5-12 ) at the 90% confidence limit. These values depend strongly on the assumptions and we discuss possible systematic uncertainties.
Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) are equipped with sensitive photomultiplier tube (PMT) cameras. Exposure to high levels of background illumination degrades the efficiency of and ...potentially destroys these photo-detectors over time, so IACTs cannot be operated in the same configuration in the presence of bright moonlight as under dark skies. Since September 2012, observations have been carried out with the VERITAS IACTs under bright moonlight (defined as about three times the night-sky-background (NSB) of a dark extragalactic field, typically occurring when Moon illumination > 35%) in two observing modes, firstly by reducing the voltage applied to the PMTs and, secondly, with the addition of ultra-violet (UV) bandpass filters to the cameras. This has allowed observations at up to about 30 times previous NSB levels (around 80% Moon illumination), resulting in 30% more observing time between the two modes over the course of a year. These additional observations have already allowed for the detection of a flare from the 1ES 1727 + 502 and for an observing program targeting a measurement of the cosmic-ray positron fraction. We provide details of these new observing modes and their performance relative to the standard VERITAS observations.
X-rays from Green Pea analogues Brorby, M.; Kaaret, P.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
09/2017, Letnik:
470, Številka:
1
Journal Article
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Abstract
X-ray observations of two metal-deficient luminous compact galaxies (LCG; SHOC 486 and SDSS J084220.94+115000.2) with properties similar to the so-called Green Pea galaxies were obtained ...using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Green Pea galaxies are relatively small, compact (a few kpc across) galaxies that get their green colour from strong O iii λ5007 Å emission, an indicator of intense, recent star formation. These two galaxies were predicted to have the highest observed count rates, using the X-ray luminosity–star formation rate (LX–SFR) relation for X-ray binaries, from a statistically complete sample drawn from optical criteria. We determine the X-ray luminosity relative to SFR and metallicity for these two galaxies. Neither exhibits any evidence of active galactic nuclei, and we suspect that the X-ray emission originates from unresolved populations of high-mass X-ray binaries. We discuss the LX–SFR–metallicity plane for star-forming galaxies and show that the two LCGs are consistent with the prediction of this relation. This is the first detection of Green Pea analogues in X-rays.
The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) represents an important step forward in the study of extreme astrophysical processes in the universe. It combines the power of ...the atmospheric Cherenkov imaging technique using a large optical reflector with the power of stereoscopic observatories using arrays of separated telescopes looking at the same shower. The seven identical telescopes in VERITAS, each of aperture 10 m, will be deployed in a filled hexagonal pattern of side 80 m; each telescope will have a camera consisting of 499 pixels with a field of view of 3.5°. VERITAS will substantially increase the catalog of very high energy (
E>100 GeV) γ-ray sources and greatly improve measurements of established sources.
We report on observations of very high energy {gamma} rays from the shell-type supernova remnant (SNR) Cassiopeia A with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System stereoscopic array ...of four imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes in Arizona. The total exposure time for these observations is 22 hr, accumulated between September and November of 2007. The {gamma}-ray source associated with the SNR Cassiopeia A was detected above 200 GeV with a statistical significance of 8.3{sigma}. The estimated integral flux for this {gamma}-ray source is about 3% of the Crab-Nebula flux. The photon spectrum is compatible with a power law dN/dE {proportional_to} E {sup -{Gamma}} with an index {Gamma} = 2.61 {+-} 0.24{sub stat} {+-} 0.2{sub sys}. The data are consistent with a point-like source. We provide a detailed description of the analysis results and discuss physical mechanisms that may be responsible for the observed {gamma}-ray emission.
We present the results of deep radio observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) of the globular cluster NGC 6388. We show that there is no radio source detected (with an rms noise ...level of 27 μJy) at the cluster centre of gravity or at the locations of any of the Chandra X-ray sources in the cluster. Based on the fundamental plane of accreting black holes which is a relationship between X-ray luminosity, radio luminosity and black hole mass, we place an upper limit of ∼1500 M on the mass of the putative intermediate-mass black hole located at the centre of NGC 6388. We discuss the uncertainties of this upper limit and the previously suggested black hole mass of based on surface density profile analysis.
In this paper, we report on radio (Very Large Array and Austrialian Telescope Compact Array) and X-ray (RXTE, Chandra and Swift) observations of the outburst decay of the transient black hole ...candidate H 1743-322 in early 2008. We find that the X-ray light curve followed an exponential decay, levelling off towards its quiescent level. The exponential decay time-scale is ≈4 days and the quiescent flux corresponds to a luminosity of erg s−1. This together with the relation between quiescent X-ray luminosity and orbital period reported in the literature suggests that H 1743-322 has an orbital period longer than ≈10 h. Both the radio and X-ray light curve show evidence for flares. The radio–X-ray correlation can be well described by a power-law with index ≈0.18. This is much lower than the index of ≈0.6–0.7 found for the decay of several black hole transients before. The radio spectral index measured during one of the radio flares while the source is in the low–hard state is −0.5 ± 0.15, which indicates that the radio emission is optically thin. This is unlike what has been found before in black hole sources in the low–hard state. We attribute the radio flares and the low index for the radio–X-ray correlation to the presence of shocks downstream the jet flow, triggered by ejection events earlier in the outburst. We find no evidence for a change in X-ray power-law spectral index during the decay, although the relatively high extinction of NH≈ 2.3 × 1022 cm−2 limits the detected number of soft photons and thus the accuracy of the spectral fits.
We present the results of 16 Swift-triggered Gamma-ray burst (GRB) follow-up observations taken with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) telescope array from 2007 ...January to 2009 June. The median energy threshold and response time of these observations were 260 GeV and 320 s, respectively. Observations had an average duration of 90 minutes. Each burst is analyzed independently in two modes: over the whole duration of the observations and again over a shorter timescale determined by the maximum VERITAS sensitivity to a burst with a t --1.5 time profile. This temporal model is characteristic of GRB afterglows with high-energy, long-lived emission that have been detected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi satellite. No significant very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission was detected and upper limits above the VERITAS threshold energy are calculated. The VERITAS upper limits are corrected for gamma-ray extinction by the extragalactic background light and interpreted in the context of the keV emission detected by Swift. For some bursts the VHE emission must have less power than the keV emission, placing constraints on inverse Compton models of VHE emission.
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