X-ray binaries

Summary The various types and classes of X-ray binary are reviewed high-lighting recent results. The high mass X-ray binaries (HMXRBs) can be used to probe the nature of the mass loss from the OB star in these systems. Absorption measurements through one orbital cycle of the supergiant system X1700-37 are well modelled by a radiation driven wind and also require a gas stream trailing behind the X-ray source. In Cen X-3 the gas stream is accreted by the X-ray source via an accretion disk. Changes in the gas stream can cause the disk to thicken and the disk to obscure the X-ray source. How close the supergiant is to corotation seems to be as much a critical factor in these systems as how close it is to filling its Roche lobe. In the Be star X-ray binaries a strong correlation between the neutron stars rotation period and its orbital period has been explained as due to the neutron star being immersed in a dense, slow moving equatorial wind from the Be star. For the X-ray pulsars in the transient Be X-ray binaries a centrifugal barrier to accretion is important in determining the X-ray lightcurve and the spin evolution. The X-ray orbital modulations from the low mass X-ray binaries, LMXRBs, include eclipses by the companion and/or periodic dipping behaviour from structure at the edge of the disk. The corresponding optical modulations show a smooth sinusoidal like component and in some cases a sharp eclipse by the companion. The orbital period of the LMXRB XB1916-05 is 1% longer in the optical compared to that given by the X-ray dip period. The optical period has been interpreted as the orbital period, but this seems inconsistent with the well established view of the origin of the X-ray modulations in LMXRB. A new model is presented that assumes the X-ray dip period is the true orbital period. The 5.2 h eclipsing LMXRB XB2129+47 recently entered a low state and optical observations unexpectedly reveal an F star which is too big to fit into the binary. This is probably the first direct evidence that an X-ray binary is part of a hierarchical triple. Finally the class of X-ray binaries containing black hole candidates is reviewed focusing on the value of using X-ray signatures to identify new candidates.     

反常X射线脉冲星的研究进展

反常X射线脉冲星（Anomalous X-ra Pulsars，简称AXP）是一类特殊的X射线源。与X射线脉冲星（通常处于大质量X射线双星系统中）相比，它们具有以下特征：X射线谱较软、光度低页稳定（≈10^27－10^29J.s^-1）、自转周期集中在10s左右稳定增长、迄今没有找到它们的光学、红外、射电的对应体、有一些可能戌超新星遗迹成协等。由观测到的自转周期变化可以确定它们的自转能损不足以提供有X射线辐射。解释AXP能源机制的理论模型目前主要有两大类：在吸积模型中，AXP被认为具有正常磁场强度（≈10^8T）的中子量，物质吸积提供X射线辐射原能源，并造成中子星的自转变化；另一种观点认为AXP是具有超强磁场（≈10^10-10^11T）的中子量（即磁星），其辐射能源来自它们巨大的磁或残余的热能，观测到的自转周期及其变化被归因子中子星的磁偶极辐射和物质抛射。两种模型各有优缺点，但目前看来观测事实对磁星模型较为有利。为了进一步明确AXP的性质，提供解释它们能源机制的线索，在介绍AXP的基本观测特征和理论解释的基础上，还将AXP与射电脉冲星、特强磁场射电脉冲量、射电宁静脉冲星侯选体及软γ射线复现源分别进行了比较。     

X-ray spectral evolution of low-mass X-ray binary GX 349+2

We present the results of a systematic investigation of spectral evolution in the Z source GX 349+2, using data obtained during 1998 with the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) on-board the RXTE satellite. The source traced a extended normal branch (NB) and flaring branch (FB) in the colour–colour diagram (CD) and the hardness-intensity diagram (HID) during these observations. The spectra at different positions of the Z-track were best fitted by a model consisting of a disc blackbody and a Comptonized spectrum. A broad (Gaussian) iron line at ∼6.7 keV is also required to improve the fit. The spectral parameters showed a systematic and significant variation with the position along the Z-track. The evolution in spectral parameters is discussed in view of the increasing mass accretion rate scenario, proposed to explain the motion of Z sources in the CD and the HID.     

Very Early Optical Afterglows for Geometric Models of X-ray Flashes and X-ray Rich GRBs

If X-ray flashes (XRFs) and X-ray rich Gamma-ray Bursts (XRRGs) have the same origin as the Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) but are viewed off-center from structured jets,their early afterglows may differ from those of GRBs,and when the ultra-relativistic outflow inter-acts with the surrounding medium,there are two shocks formed,a forward shock (FS),and a reverse shock (RS). We calculate numerically the early afterglow powered by uniform jets,Gaussian jets and power-law jets in the forward-reverse shock scenario. A set of differen-tial equations govern the dynamical evolution. The synchrotron self-Compton effect has been taken into account in the calculation. In the uniform jets,the very early afterglows of XRRGs and XRFs are significantly lower than the GRBs and the observed peak times of RS emission are later in the interstellar medium environment. The RS components in XRRGs and XRFs are difficult to detect,but in the stellar wind environment,the reduction of the very early flux and the delay of the RS peak time are not so remarkable. In nonuniform jets (Gaussian and power-law jets),where there are emission materials on the line of sight,the very early light curve resembles equivalent isotropic ejecta in general although the RS flux decay index shows notable deviations if the RS is relativistic (in stellar wind).     

X-ray spectroscopy of stars

Non-degenerate stars of essentially all spectral classes are soft X-ray sources. Their X-ray spectra have been important in constraining physical processes that heat plasma in stellar environments to temperatures exceeding one million degrees. Low-mass stars on the cooler part of the main sequence and their pre-main sequence predecessors define the dominant stellar population in the galaxy by number. Their X-ray spectra are reminiscent, in the broadest sense, of X-ray spectra from the solar corona. The Sun itself as a typical example of a main-sequence cool star has been a pivotal testbed for physical models to be applied to cool stars. X-ray emission from cool stars is indeed ascribed to magnetically trapped hot gas analogous to the solar coronal plasma, although plasma parameters such as temperature, density, and element abundances vary widely. Coronal structure, its thermal stratification and geometric extent can also be interpreted based on various spectral diagnostics. New features have been identified in pre-main sequence stars; some of these may be related to accretion shocks on the stellar surface, fluorescence on circumstellar disks due to X-ray irradiation, or shock heating in stellar outflows. Massive, hot stars clearly dominate the interaction with the galactic interstellar medium: they are the main sources of ionizing radiation, mechanical energy and chemical enrichment in galaxies. High-energy emission permits to probe some of the most important processes at work in these stars, and put constraints on their most peculiar feature: the stellar wind. Medium and high- resolution spectroscopy have shed new light on these objects as well. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of cool and hot stars through the study of X-ray spectra, in particular high-resolution spectra now available from XMM-Newton and Chandra. We address issues related to coronal structure, flares, the composition of coronal plasma, X-ray production in accretion streams and outflows, X-rays from single OB-type stars, massive binaries, magnetic hot objects and evolved WR stars.     

X-ray spectroscopy of stellar coronae

Summary From the early discovery in 1948 of X-rays from the Solar corona, X-ray spectroscopy has proven to be an invaluable tool in studying hot astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. Because the emission line spectra and continua from optically thin plasmas are fairly well known, high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy has its most obvious application in the measurement of optically thin sources such as the coronae of stars. In particular X-ray observations with theEINSTEIN observatory have demonstrated that soft X-ray emitting coronae are a common feature among stars on the cool side of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, with the probable exception of single very cool giant and supergiant stars and A-type dwarfs. Observations with the spectrometers aboardEINSTEIN andEXOSAT have shown that data of even modest spectral resolution (/ = 10–100) permit the identification of coronal material at different temperatures whose existence may relate to a range of possible magnetic loop structures in the hot outer atmospheres of these stars. The higher spectral resolution of the next generation of spectrometers aboard NASA'sAXAF and ESA'sXMM will allow to fully resolve the coronal temperature structure and to enable velocity diagnostics and the determination of coronal densities, from which the loop geometry (i.e. surface filling factors and loop lengths) can be derived. In this paper various diagnostic techniques are reviewed and the spectral results fromEINSTEIN andEXOSAT are discussed. A number of spectral simulations forAXAF andXMM, especially high-resolution iron K-shell, L-shell, and2s-2p spectra in the wavelength regions around 1.9 Å, 10 Å, and 100 Å, respectively, are shown to demonstrate the capabilities for temperature, density, and velocity diagnostics. Finally, iron K-shell spectra are simulated for various types of detectors such as microcalorimeter, Nb-junction, and CCD.     

Evolution of X-ray cavities

A wide range of recent observations have shown that active galactic nuclei (AGN) driven cavities may provide the energy source that balances the cooling observed in the centres of 'cool-core' galaxy clusters. One tool for better understanding the physics of these cavities is their observed morphological evolution, which is dependent on such poorly understood properties as the turbulent density field and the impact of magnetic fields. Here, we combine numerical simulations that include subgrid turbulence and software that produces synthetic X-ray observations to examine the evolution of X-ray cavities in the absence of magnetic fields. Our results reveal an anisotropic size evolution of the cavities that is dramatically different from simplified, analytical predictions. These differences highlight some of the key issues that must be accurately quantified when studying AGN-driven cavities, and help to explain why the inferred pV energy in these regions appears to be correlated with their distance from the cluster centre. Interpreting that X-ray observations will require detailed modelling of effects, including mass entrainment, distortion by drag forces and projection. Current limitations do not allow a discrimination between purely hydrodynamic and magnetically dominated models for X-ray cavities.     

Simultaneous radio and X-ray observations of Galactic Centre low-mass X-ray binaries

We have performed simultaneous X-ray and radio observations of 13 Galactic Centre low-mass X-ray binaries in 1998 April using the Wide Field Cameras on board BeppoSAX and the Australia Telescope Compact Array, the latter simultaneously at 4.8 and 8.64 GHz. We detect two Z sources, GX 17+2 and GX 5−1, and the unusual 'hybrid' source GX 13+1. Upper limits, which are significantly deeper than previous non-detections, are placed on the radio emission from two more Z sources and seven atoll sources. Hardness–intensity diagrams constructed from the Wide Field Camera data reveal GX 17+2 and GX 5−1 to have been on the lower part of the horizontal branch and/or the upper part of the normal branch at the time of the observations, and the two non-detected Z sources, GX 340+0 and GX 349+2, to have been on the lower part of the normal branch. This is consistent with the previous empirically determined relation between radio and X-ray emission from Z sources, in which radio emission is strongest on the horizontal branch and weakest on the flaring branch. For the first time we have information on the X-ray state of atoll sources, which are clearly radio-quiet relative to the Z sources, during periods of observed radio upper limits. We place limits on the linear polarization from the three detected sources, and use accurate radio astrometry of GX 17+2 to confirm that it is probably not associated with the optical star NP Ser. Additionally we place strong upper limits on the radio emission from the X-ray binary 2S 0921−630, disagreeing with suggestions that it is a Z-source viewed edge-on.     

X-ray Emissions of Fermi Blazarstwo

The X-ray emissions of blazars are located at the end of synchrotron radiation and the beginning of inverse Compton radiation. Therefore, the origin of the X-ray emissions is rather complex. The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of blazars from radio to X-ray bands can be fitted approximatively by a parabolic function. If we consider approximately the fitting curves as the physical spectra of blazars to analyze the X-ray emissions of Fermi blazars, the results show that: (1) The X-ray emissions of blazars contain two components, i.e. the synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton radiation, which can be simply separated by these fitting curves; (2) the higher the synchrotron peak frequency of the source, the greater the synchrotron radiation component, and the less the inverse Compton radiation component; (3) at 1 keV of the X-ray waveband, the synchrotron radiation component accounts for 17%, 27%, and 73% of the total X-ray emission, for FSRQs (Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars), LBLs (Low synchrotron peak frequency BL Lac objects), and HBLs (High synchrotron peak frequency BL Lac objects), respectively; (4) there is a strong positive correlation between the synchrotron peak frequency and the synchrotron radiation flux density at 1 keV, while no correlation exists between the synchrotron peak frequency and the inverse Compton radiation flux density; (5) the radiation mechanism of LBLs may be similar to that of FSRQs in the X-ray waveband.     

X-ray emission from stellar coronae

Summary Stars of nearly all spectral types and luminosity classes are surrounded by tenuous high-temperature (T10⁶-10⁷K) coronae, which emit most of their radiation in the soft X-ray part of the spectrum. This paper reviews our present observational knowledge and theoretical understanding of stellar coronae, as has emerged from the extensive observations carried out with theEinstein and EXOSAT Observatories. We argue that different physical mechanisms are likely to be responsible for coronal emission in different parts of the HR diagram and we discuss the principal scenarios that have been proposed to account for the data. We show that in spite of the enormous progress made during the past decade, our understanding of stellar coronal emission remains incomplete and largely phenomenological. We outline major unsolved problems to be addressed by future space missions.     

Timing properties of the X-ray pulsar EXO 2030+375 during an X-ray outburst

We present Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ( RXTE ) observations of the Be/X-ray transient EXO 2030+375 during an outburst after a period of quiescence between 1993 August and 1996 April. When active, EXO 2030+375 is normally detected at each periastron passage of the neutron star. Our observations correspond to the third periastron passage after the source 'turned on' again. All outbursts after the quiescent period, including the one reported here, have been occurring at a much earlier binary phase than in the past. We discuss the possible mechanisms that may explain this shift in the onset of the outburst. Pulsations in the X-ray radiation are detected throughout the entire run. The neutron star spun up during the outburst at a rate of −1.16×10⁻⁸ s s⁻¹, but no variations in the shape of the pulse profile as a function of intensity were seen. A correlation between the hardness ratio and the intensity is observed at low energies (6–12/2–6 keV). By comparing the magnetospheric and corotation radii we argue that the neutron star spins at a rate close to the equilibrium period. Finally, we perform pulse-phase spectroscopy and comment on changes seen as a function of spin phase.     

Be／X射线双星的多波段观测

简要地回顾了Ｂｅ／Ｘ射线双星２０多年来在红外、可见光、紫外和Ｘ射线波段所取得的观测结果，着重介绍了多波段联合观测对探讨双星间的相互作用如中子星的吸积方式和Ｘ射线产生的原因等方面的意义，对这些观测结果的分析研究，将是人们了解Ｂｅ／Ｘ射线双星的轨道参数和双星的物理参数、建立理论模型的基础。     

X-ray absorption in Seyfert 2 galaxies

We have studied the correlation among X-ray absorption, optical reddening and nuclear dust morphology in Seyfert 2 galaxies. Two main conclusions emerge: (i) the Balmer decrement and the amount of X-ray absorption are anticorrelated over a wide range of column density,     – the correlation no longer applies to Compton-thick objects     , although they span a comparable range in Balmer decrement; (ii) Compton-thin Seyfert 2s seem to prefer nuclear environments, which are rich in dust on scales of hundreds of parsecs. On the other hand, Compton-thick Seyferts indifferently exhibit 'dust-poor' and 'dust-rich' environments. These results support an extension of the Seyfert unification scenario (as recently proposed by Matt ), where Compton-thick Seyfert 2s are observed through compact 'torii', whereas Compton-thin ones are obscured by dust on much larger scales.     

The X-ray variability of high-redshift QSOs

We present an analysis of X-ray variability in a sample of 156 radio-quiet quasars taken from the ROSAT archive, covering a redshift range  0.12)  in the sense that QSOs of the same X-ray luminosity are more variable at  z>2  . We discuss possible explanations for this effect. The simplest explanation may be that high-redshift QSOs are accreting at a larger fraction of the Eddington limit than local AGNs.