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At least 1,657 records · Page 92
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

A CHANDRA OBSERVATION OF THE ECLIPSING WOLF-RAYET BINARY CQ Cep

The short-period (1.64 d) near-contact eclipsing WN6+O9 binary system CQ Cep provides an ideal laboratory for testing the predictions of X-ray colliding wind shock theory at close separation where the winds may not have reached terminal speeds before colliding. We present results of a Chandra X-ray observation of CQ Cep spanning ∼1 day during which a simultaneous Chandra optical light curve was acquired. Our primary objective was to compare the observed X-ray properties with colliding wind shock theory, which predicts that the hottest shock plasma (T ≳ 20 MK) will form on or near the line-of-centers between the stars. The X-ray spectrum is strikingly similar to apparently single WN6 stars such as WR 134 and spectral lines reveal plasma over a broad range of temperatures T ∼ 4-40 MK. A deep optical eclipse was seen as the O star passed in front of the Wolf-Rayet star and we determine an orbital period P {sub orb} = 1.6412400 d. Somewhat surprisingly, no significant X-ray variability was detected. This implies that the hottest X-ray plasma is not confined to the region between the stars, at odds with the colliding wind picture and suggesting that other X-ray production mechanisms may be at work. Hydrodynamic simulations that account for such effects as radiative cooling and orbital motion will be needed to determine if the new Chandra results can be reconciled with the colliding wind picture.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

SIMULTANEOUS MULTIWAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS OF MAGNETIC ACTIVITY IN ULTRACOOL DWARFS. IV. THE ACTIVE, YOUNG BINARY NLTT 33370 AB (= 2MASS J13142039+1320011)

We present multi-epoch simultaneous radio, optical, Hα, UV, and X-ray observations of the active, young, low-mass binary NLTT 33370 AB (blended spectral type M7e). This system is remarkable for its extreme levels of magnetic activity: it is the most radio-luminous ultracool dwarf (UCD) known, and here we show that it is also one of the most X-ray luminous UCDs known. We detect the system in all bands and find a complex phenomenology of both flaring and periodic variability. Analysis of the optical light curve reveals the simultaneous presence of two periodicities, 3.7859 ± 0.0001 and 3.7130 ± 0.0002 hr. While these differ by only ∼2%, studies of differential rotation in the UCD regime suggest that it cannot be responsible for the two signals. The system's radio emission consists of at least three components: rapid 100% polarized flares, bright emission modulating periodically in phase with the optical emission, and an additional periodic component that appears only in the 2013 observational campaign. We interpret the last of these as a gyrosynchrotron feature associated with large-scale magnetic fields and a cool, equatorial plasma torus. However, the persistent rapid flares at all rotational phases imply that small-scale magnetic loops are also present and reconnect nearly continuously. We present a spectral energy distribution of the blended system spanning more than 9 orders of magnitude in wavelength. The significant magnetism present in NLTT 33370 AB will affect its fundamental parameters, with the components' radii and temperatures potentially altered by ∼+20% and ∼–10%, respectively. Finally, we suggest spatially resolved observations that could clarify many aspects of this system's nature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

NO TIME FOR DEAD TIME: TIMING ANALYSIS OF BRIGHT BLACK HOLE BINARIES WITH NuSTAR

Timing of high-count-rate sources with the NuSTAR Small Explorer Mission requires specialized analysis techniques. NuSTAR was primarily designed for spectroscopic observations of sources with relatively low count rates rather than for timing analysis of bright objects. The instrumental dead time per event is relatively long (∼2.5 msec) and varies event-to-event by a few percent. The most obvious effect is a distortion of the white noise level in the power density spectrum (PDS) that cannot be easily modeled with standard techniques due to the variable nature of the dead time. In this paper, we show that it is possible to exploit the presence of two completely independent focal planes and use the cospectrum, the real part of the cross PDS, to obtain a good proxy of the white-noise-subtracted PDS. Thereafter, one can use a Monte Carlo approach to estimate the remaining effects of dead time, namely, a frequency-dependent modulation of the variance and a frequency-independent drop of the sensitivity to variability. In this way, most of the standard timing analysis can be performed, albeit with a sacrifice in signal-to-noise ratio relative to what would be achieved using more standard techniques. We apply this technique to NuSTAR observations of the black hole binaries GX 339–4, Cyg X-1, and GRS 1915+105.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

ARE SPECTRAL AND TIMING CORRELATIONS SIMILAR IN DIFFERENT SPECTRAL STATES IN BLACK HOLE X-RAY BINARIES?

We study the outbursts of the black hole X-ray binaries MAXI J1659-152, SWIFT J1753.5-0127, and GX 339-4 with the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT). The bandpass of the XRT has access to emission from both components of the accretion flow: the accretion disk and the corona/hot flow. This allows a correlated spectral and variability study, with variability from both components of the accretion flow. We present for the first time a combined study of the evolution of spectral parameters (disk temperature and radius) and timing parameters (frequency and strength) of all power spectral components in different spectral states. Comparison of the correlations in different spectral states shows that the frequency and strength of the power spectral components exhibit dependencies on the disk temperature that are different in the (low-)hard and the hard-intermediate states (HIMSs); most of these correlations that are clearly observed in the HIMS (in MAXI J1659-152 and GX 339-4) are not seen in the (low-)hard state (in GX 339-4 and SWIFT J1753.5-0127). Also, the responses of the individual frequency components to changes in the disk temperature are markedly different from one component to the next. Hence, the spectral-timing evolution cannot be explained by a single correlation that spans both these spectral states. We discuss our findings in the context of the existing models proposed to explain the origin of variability.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

ECHELLE spectroscopy of γ-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856

We observed the Fermi-discovered γ-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 at 20 epochs over 50 days using the CHIRON spectrograph, obtaining spectra at R∼25,000 covering λλ4090−8908 Å. The average spectrum confirms an O6 V((f)) spectral type and extinction E(B−V)=1.35±0.04. Variable absorption line equivalent widths suggest substantial contamination by wind line features. This variability and limited signal-to-noise ratio hindered accurate continuum definition and prevented measurement of a high quality radial velocity curve. Nevertheless, the best data indicate a radial velocity amplitude ⩽40 km s{sup −1} for the He ii lines and substantially lower for H i. We argue that this indicates a most likely compact object mass <2.2 M{sub ⊙}. While black hole solutions are not excluded, a neutron star source of the γ-ray emission seems preferred.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

X-RAY OUTBURSTS OF LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARY TRANSIENTS OBSERVED IN THE RXTE ERA

We have performed a statistical study of the properties of 110 bright X-ray outbursts in 36 low-mass X-ray binary transients (LMXBTs) seen with the All-Sky Monitor (2–12 keV) on board the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in 1996–2011. We have measured a number of outburst properties, including peak X-ray luminosity, rate of change of luminosity on a daily timescale, e-folding rise and decay timescales, outburst duration, and total radiated energy. We found that the average properties, such as peak X-ray luminosity, rise and decay timescales, outburst duration, and total radiated energy of black hole LMXBTs, are at least two times larger than those of neutron star LMXBTs, implying that the measurements of these properties may provide preliminary clues to the nature of the compact object of a newly discovered LMXBT. We also found that the outburst peak X-ray luminosity is correlated with the rate of change of X-ray luminosity in both the rise and decay phases, which is consistent with our previous studies. Positive correlations between total radiated energy and peak X-ray luminosity, and between total radiated energy and the e-folding rise or decay timescale, are also found in the outbursts. These correlations suggest that the mass stored in the disk before an outburst is the primary initial condition that sets up the outburst properties seen later. We also found that the outbursts of two transient stellar-mass ultraluminous X-ray sources in M31 also roughly follow the correlations, which indicate that the same outburst mechanism works for the brighter outbursts of these two sources in M31 that reached the Eddington luminosity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

LONG-TERM EVOLUTION OF DOUBLE WHITE DWARF BINARIES ACCRETING THROUGH DIRECT IMPACT

We calculate the long-term evolution of angular momentum in double white dwarf binaries undergoing direct impact accretion over a broad range of parameter space. We allow the rotation rate of both components to vary and account for the exchange of angular momentum between the spins of the white dwarfs and the orbit, while conserving the total angular momentum. We include gravitational, tidal, and mass transfer effects in the orbital evolution, and allow the Roche radius of the donor star to vary with both the stellar mass and the rotation rate. We examine the long-term stability of these systems, focusing in particular on those systems that may be progenitors of AM CVn or SNe Ia. We find that our analysis yields an increase in the predicted number of stable systems compared to that in previous studies. Additionally, we find that by properly accounting for the effects of asynchronism between the donor and the orbit on the Roche-lobe size, we eliminate oscillations in the orbital parameters, which were found in previous studies. Removing these oscillations can reduce the peak mass transfer rate in some systems, keeping them from entering an unstable mass transfer phase.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

BROADBAND X-RAY PROPERTIES OF THE GAMMA-RAY BINARY 1FGL J1018.6–5856

We report on NuSTAR, XMM-Newton, and Swift observations of the gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6–5856. We measure the orbital period to be 16.544 ± 0.008 days using Swift data spanning 1900 days. The orbital period is different from the 2011 gamma-ray measurement which was used in the previous X-ray study of An et al. using ∼400 days of Swift data, but is consistent with a new gamma-ray solution reported in 2014. The light curve folded on the new period is qualitatively similar to that reported previously, having a spike at phase 0 and broad sinusoidal modulation. The X-ray flux enhancement at phase 0 occurs more regularly in time than was previously suggested. A spiky structure at this phase seems to be a persistent feature, although there is some variability. Furthermore, we find that the source flux clearly correlates with the spectral hardness throughout all orbital phases, and that the broadband X-ray spectra measured with NuSTAR, XMM-Newton, and Swift are well fit with an unbroken power-law model. This spectrum suggests that the system may not be accretion-powered.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

CORONAE AND WINDS FROM IRRADIATED DISKS IN X-RAY BINARIES

X-ray and UV line emission in X-ray binaries (XRBs) can be accounted for by a hot corona. Such a corona forms through irradiation of the outer disk by radiation produced in the inner accretion flow. The same irradiation can produce a strong outflow from the disk at sufficiently large radii. Outflowing gas has been recently detected in several XRBs via blueshifted absorption lines. However, the causal connection between winds produced by irradiation and the blueshifted absorption lines is problematic, particularly in the case of GRO J1655–40. Observations of this source imply wind densities about two orders of magnitude higher than theoretically predicted. This discrepancy does not mean that these “thermal disk winds” cannot explain blueshifted absorption in other systems, nor that they are unimportant as a sink of matter. Motivated by the inevitability of thermal disk winds and wealth of data taken with current observatories such as Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Suzaku, as well as the future AstroH mission, we decided to investigate the requirements to produce very dense winds. Using physical arguments, hydrodynamical simulations, and absorption-line calculations, we found that modification of the heating and cooling rates by a factor of a few results in an increase of the wind density of up to an order of magnitude and the wind velocity by a factor of about two. Therefore, the mass-loss rate from the disk can be one, if not even two, orders of magnitude higher than the accretion rate onto the central object. Such a high mass-loss rate is expected to destabilize the disk and perhaps provides a mechanism for state change.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The mass–radius relation of young stars. I. USCO 5, an M4.5 eclipsing binary in upper Scorpius observed by K2

We present the discovery that UScoCTIO 5, a known spectroscopic binary in the Upper Scorpius star-forming region (P = 34 days, M{sub tot}sin(i)=0.64 M{sub ⊙}), is an eclipsing system with both primary and secondary eclipses apparent in K2 light curves obtained during Campaign 2. We have simultaneously fit the eclipse profiles from the K2 light curves and the existing RV data to demonstrate that UScoCTIO 5 consists of a pair of nearly identical M4.5 stars with M{sub A}=0.329±0.002 M{sub ⊙}, R{sub A}=0.834±0.006 R{sub ⊙}, M{sub B}=0.317±0.002 M{sub ⊙}, and R{sub B}=0.810±0.006 R{sub ⊙}. The radii are broadly consistent with pre-main-sequence ages predicted by stellar evolutionary models, but none agree to within the uncertainties. All models predict systematically incorrect masses at the 25%–50% level for the HR diagram position of these mid-M dwarfs, suggesting significant modifications to mass-dependent outcomes of star and planet formation. The form of the discrepancy for most model sets is not that they predict luminosities that are too low, but rather that they predict temperatures that are too high, suggesting that the models do not fully encompass the physics of energy transport (via convection and/or missing opacities) and/or a miscalibration of the SpT–T{sub eff} scale. The simplest modification to the models (changing T{sub eff} to match observations) would yield an older age for this system, in line with the recently proposed older age of Upper Scorpius (τ ∼ 11 Myr).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

POLARIZATION MODULATION FROM LENSE–THIRRING PRECESSION IN X-RAY BINARIES

It has long been recognized that quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the X-ray light curves of accreting black hole and neutron star binaries have the potential to be powerful diagnostics of strong field gravity. However, this potential cannot be fulfilled without a working theoretical model, which has remained elusive. Perhaps, the most promising model associates the QPO with Lense–Thirring precession of the inner accretion flow, with the changes in viewing angle and Doppler boosting modulating the flux over the course of a precession cycle. Here, we consider the polarization signature of a precessing inner accretion flow. We use simple assumptions about the Comptonization process generating the emitted spectrum and take all relativistic effects into account, parallel transporting polarization vectors toward the observer along null geodesics in the Kerr metric. We find that both the degree of linear polarization and the polarization angle should be modulated on the QPO frequency. We calculate the predicted absolute rms variability amplitude of the polarization degree and angle for a specific model geometry. We find that it should be possible to detect these modulations for a reasonable fraction of parameter space with a future X-ray polarimeter such as NASA’s Polarization Spectroscopic Telescope Array (the satellite incarnation of the balloon experiment X-Calibur)

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE DISSIMILAR CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE PLANET-HOSTING STARS OF THE XO-2 BINARY SYSTEM

Using high-quality spectra of the twin stars in the XO-2 binary system, we have detected significant differences in the chemical composition of their photospheres. The differences correlate strongly with the elements’ dust condensation temperature. In XO-2N, volatiles are enhanced by about 0.015 dex and refractories are overabundant by up to 0.090 dex. On average, our error bar in relative abundance is 0.012 dex. We present an early metal-depletion scenario in which the formation of the gas giant planets known to exist around these stars are responsible for a 0.015 dex offset in the abundances of all elements while 20 M{sub ⨁} of non-detected rocky objects that formed around XO-2S explain the additional refractory-element difference. An alternative explanation involves the late accretion of at least 20 M{sub ⨁} of planet-like material by XO-2N, allegedly as a result of the migration of the hot Jupiter detected around that star. Dust cleansing by a nearby hot star as well as age or Galactic birthplace effects can be ruled out as valid explanations for this phenomenon.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Producing magnetar magnetic fields in the merger of binary neutron stars

The merger of binary neutron stars (BNSs) can lead to large amplifications of the magnetic field due to the development of turbulence and instabilities in the fluid, such as the Kelvin–Helmholtz shear instability, which drive small-scale dynamo activity. In order to properly resolve such instabilities and obtain the correct magnetic field amplification, one would need to employ resolutions that are currently unfeasible in global general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of BNS mergers. Here, we present a subgrid model that allows global simulations to take into account the small-scale amplification of the magnetic field which is caused by the development of turbulence during BNS mergers. Assuming dynamo saturation, we show that magnetar-level fields (∼10{sup 16} G) can be easily reached, and should therefore be expected from the merger of magnetized BNSs. The total magnetic energy can reach values up to ∼10{sup 51} erg and the post-merger remnant can therefore emit strong electromagnetic signals and possibly produce short gamma-ray bursts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

ACCRETION DISK DYNAMO AS THE TRIGGER FOR X-RAY BINARY STATE TRANSITIONS

Magnetohydrodynamic accretion disk simulations suggest that much of the energy liberated by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) can be channeled into large-scale toroidal magnetic fields through dynamo action. Under certain conditions, this field can dominate over gas and radiation pressure in providing vertical support against gravity, even close to the midplane. Using a simple model for the creation of this field, its buoyant rise, and its coupling to the gas, we show how disks could be driven into this magnetically dominated state and deduce the resulting vertical pressure and density profiles. Applying an established criterion for MRI to operate in the presence of a toroidal field, we show that magnetically supported disks can have two distinct MRI-active regions, separated by a “dead zone” where local MRI is suppressed, but where magnetic energy continues to flow upward from the dynamo region below. We suggest that the relative strengths of the MRI zones, and the local poloidal flux, determine the spectral states of X-ray binaries. Specifically, “intermediate” and “hard” accretion states occur when MRI is triggered in the hot, upper zone of the corona, while disks in “soft” states do not develop the upper MRI zone. We discuss the conditions under which various transitions should take place and speculate on the relationship of dynamo activity to the various types of quasi-periodic oscillations that sometimes appear in the hard spectral components. The model also explains why luminous accretion disks in the “soft” state show no signs of the thermal/viscous instability predicted by standard α-models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

RADIO ASTROMETRY OF THE CLOSE ACTIVE BINARY HR 5110

The close active binary HR 5110 was observed at six epochs over 26 days using a global very long baseline interferometry array at 15.4 GHz. We used phase referencing to determine the position of the radio centroid at each epoch with an uncertainty significantly smaller than the component separation. After correcting for proper motion and parallax, we find that the centroid locations of all six epochs have barycenter separations consistent with an emission source located on the KIV secondary, and not in an interaction region between the stars or on the F primary. We used a homogeneous power-law gyrosynchrotron emission model to reproduce the observed flux densities and fractional circular polarization. The resulting ranges of mean magnetic field strength and relativistic electron densities are of the order of 10 G and 10{sup 5} cm{sup −3}, respectively, in the source region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

ON THE GEOMETRIC NATURE OF LOW-FREQUENCY QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS IN NEUTRON-STAR LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

We report on a detailed analysis of the so-called ∼1 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the eclipsing and dipping neutron-star low-mass X-ray binary EXO 0748–676. This type of QPO has previously been shown to have a geometric origin. Our study focuses on the evolution of the QPO as the source moves through the color–color diagram in which it traces out an atoll-source-like track. The QPO frequency increases from ∼0.4 Hz in the hard state to ∼25 Hz as the source approaches the soft state. Combining power spectra based on QPO frequency reveals additional features that strongly resemble those seen in non-dipping/eclipsing atoll sources. We show that the low-frequency QPOs in atoll sources and the ∼1 Hz QPO in EXO 0748–676 follow similar relations with respect to the noise components in their power spectra. We conclude that the frequencies of both types of QPOs are likely set by (the same) precession of a misaligned inner accretion disk. For high-inclination systems like EXO 0748–676 this results in modulations of the neutron-star emission due to obscuration or scattering, while for lower-inclination systems the modulations likely arise from relativistic Doppler-boosting and light-bending effects.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

SUPER STRONG MAGNETIC FIELDS OF NEUTRON STARS IN BE X-RAY BINARIES ESTIMATED WITH NEW TORQUE AND MAGNETOSPHERE MODELS

We re-estimate the surface magnetic fields of neutron stars (NSs) in Be X-ray binaries (BeXBs) with different models of torque, improved beyond Klus et al. In particular, a new torque model is applied to three models of magnetosphere radius. Unlike the previous models, the new torque model does not lead to divergent results for any fastness parameter. The inferred surface magnetic fields of these NSs for the two compressed magnetosphere models are much higher than that for the uncompressed magnetosphere model. The new torque model using the compressed magnetosphere radius leads to unique solutions near spin equilibrium in all cases, unlike other models that usually give two branches of solutions. Although our conclusions are still affected by the simplistic assumptions about the magnetosphere radius calculations, we show several groups of possible surface magnetic field values with our new models when the interaction between the magnetosphere and the infalling accretion plasma is considered. The estimated surface magnetic fields for NSs BeXBs in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Milk Way are between the quantum critical field and the maximum “virial” value by the spin equilibrium condition.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

TRACING THE REVERBERATION LAG IN THE HARD STATE OF BLACK HOLE X-RAY BINARIES

We report results obtained from a systematic analysis of X-ray lags in a sample of black hole X-ray binaries, with the aim of assessing the presence of reverberation lags and studying their evolution during outburst. We used XMM-Newton and simultaneous Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations to obtain broadband energy coverage of both the disk and the hard X-ray Comptonization components. In most cases the detection of reverberation lags is hampered by low levels of variability-power signal-to-noise ratio (typically when the source is in a soft state) and/or short exposure times. The most detailed study was possible for GX 339-4 in the hard state, which allowed us to characterize the evolution of X-ray lags as a function of luminosity in a single source. Over all the sampled frequencies (∼0.05–9 Hz), we observe the hard lags intrinsic to the power-law component, already well known from previous RXTE studies. The XMM-Newton soft X-ray response allows us to detail the disk variability. At low frequencies (long timescales) the disk component always leads the power-law component. On the other hand, a soft reverberation lag (ascribable to thermal reprocessing) is always detected at high frequencies (short timescales). The intrinsic amplitude of the reverberation lag decreases as the source luminosity and the disk fraction increase. This suggests that the distance between the X-ray source and the region of the optically thick disk where reprocessing occurs gradually decreases as GX 339-4 rises in luminosity through the hard state, possibly as a consequence of reduced disk truncation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗