A search for radio emission from Galactic supersoft X-ray sources

We have made a deep search for radio emission from all the northern hemisphere supersoft X-ray sources using the Very Large Array (VLA) and multi-element radio-linked interferometer network (MERLIN) telescopes, at 5 and 8.4 GHz. Three previously undetected sources, T Pyx, V1974 Cygni and RX J0019.8+2156, were imaged in quiescence using the VLA in order to search for any persistent emission. No radio emission was detected in any of the VLA fields down to a typical 1 σ rms noise of 20 μJy beam⁻¹, however, 17 new point sources were detected in the fields with 5-GHz fluxes between 100 and 1500 μJy, giving an average 100-μJy source density of ∼200 deg⁻², comparable to what was found in the MERLIN Hubble Deep Field survey. The persistent source AG Draconis was observed by MERLIN to provide a confirmation of previous VLA observations and to investigate the source at a higher resolution. The core is resolved at the milliarcsec scale into two components that have a combined flux of ∼1 mJy. It is possible that we are detecting nebulosity, which is becoming resolved out by the higher MERLIN resolution. We have investigated possible causes of radio emission from a wind environment, both directly from the secondary star, and also consequently, of the high X-ray luminosity from the white dwarf. There is an order of magnitude discrepancy between observed and modelled values that can be explained by the uncertainty in fundamental quantities within these systems.     

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.     

Infrared emission from X-ray sources

The infrared emission from some X-ray sources is attributed to proton—cyclotron masering process operating near the polar regions of an accreting neutron star in a binary system.     

Radio emission from X-ray sources

The radio emission from some point X-ray sources is suggested to be due to plasma oscillations in the region where the inflowing stream through the inner Lagrange point impinges on the accreting disk around a neutron star in a binary system.     

Radio search for pulsed emission from X-ray pulsars

An experiment has been performed at 325 MHz, with a 10 m tracking dish, for the search of pulsed radio emission associated with X-ray pulsars. No evidence of radio pulses has been found in the four sources investigated, although the radio pulsar PSR 0329+54, used as a testing object, has been detected successfully.     

Correlation between X-ray luminosity and the deviations from the main-sequence colour-diagram for stellar X-ray sources

Published photometry in Sgri is used to derive the period-luminosity relation for Mira variables in yellow and in blue light. The observed dispersion about the adopted relation is comparable to that of RR Lyrae-stars around their mean luminosity. This suggests that the Mira star period-luminosity relation has a relatively small dispersion and is, therefore, a powerful tool for astronomical distance determination. The calibration of the Mira period-luminosity relation indicates that Glass and Feast may have overestimated the absorption in the direction of Sgri and NGC 6522.     

Transient soft X-ray sources

A rocket observation of cosmic soft X-rays suggests the existence of transient, recurrent soft X-ray sources which are found variable during the flight time of the rocket. Some of the soft X-ray sources thus far reported are considered to be of this time. These sources are listed in Table I, and their positions are shown in Figure 2.Paper presented at the COSPAR Symposium on Fast Transients in X- and Gamma-Rays, held at Varna, Bulgaria, 29–31 May, 1975.     

A search for soft X-ray radiation from pulsars with the Astronomical Netherlands Satellite

We present the results of a search for X-ray emission in the energy range 0.2–0.28 keV and 1–7 keV from a number of radio pulsars, including Crab, Vela and the binary pulsar PSR 1913+16, using the soft X-ray experiment aboard ANS. Except for the Crab no pulsed flux has been found. From the Vela pulsar we have detected continuous flux in agreement with earlier observations. Upper limits are given.Paper presented at the COSPAR Symposium on Fast Transients in X-and Gamma-Rays, held at Varna, Bulgaria, 29–31 May, 1975.     

A search for massive young stellar objects with 98 CH_3OH maser sources

Using the 13.7m telescope of the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO),a survey of the J = 1 - 0 lines of CO and its isotopes was carried out on 98 methanol maser sources in January 2008.Eighty-five sources have infrared counterparts within one arcmin.In the survey,except for 43 sources showing complex or multiple-peak profiles,almost all the 13CO line profiles of the other 55 sources have large line widths of 4.5km s-1 on average and are usually asymmetric.Fifty corresponding Infrared Astronomical Satellite (I...     

A suborbital payload for soft X-ray spectroscopy of extended sources

We present a suborbital rocket payload capable of performing soft X-ray spectroscopy on extended sources. The payload can reach resolutions of ??100 (??/ ????) over sources as large as 3.25° in diameter in the 17?C107 Å bandpass. This permits analysis of the overall energy balance of nearby supernova remnants and the detailed nature of the diffuse soft X-ray background. The main components of the instrument are: wire grid collimators, off-plane grating arrays and gaseous electron multiplier detectors. This payload is adaptable to longer duration orbital rockets given its comparatively simple pointing and telemetry requirements and an abundance of potential science targets.     

An investigation of Fe xvi emission lines in solar and stellar extreme-ultraviolet and soft X-ray spectra

New fully relativistic calculations of radiative rates and electron impact excitation cross-sections for Fe  xvi are used to determine theoretical emission-line ratios applicable to the 251–361 and 32–77 Å portions of the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray spectral regions, respectively. A comparison of the EUV results with observations from the Solar Extreme-Ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) reveals excellent agreement between theory and experiment. However, for emission lines in the 32–49 Å portion of the soft X-ray spectral region, there are large discrepancies between theory and measurement for both a solar flare spectrum obtained with the X-Ray Spectrometer/Spectrograph Telescope (XSST) and for observations of Capella from the Low-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (LETGS) on the Chandra X-ray Observatory . These are probably due to blending in the solar flare and Capella data from both first-order lines and from shorter wavelength transitions detected in second and third order. By contrast, there is very good agreement between our theoretical results and the XSST and LETGS observations in the 50–77 Å wavelength range, contrary to previous results. In particular, there is no evidence that the Fe  xvi emission from the XSST flare arises from plasma at a much higher temperature than that expected for Fe  xvi in ionization equilibrium, as suggested by earlier work.     

Radio emission from stellar flares

An overview is given of the observations of stellar radio flares, defined as radio emission which is both variable in time and created by explosive releases of magnetic energy. The main sources of such flares are late-type Main-Sequence stars, classic close binaries, X-ray binaries, and pre-Main-Sequence stars.We summarize the interpretations of these observations in terms of the various incoherent and coherent emission mechanisms. The possible importance of a coherent emission process in electrostatic double layers is pointed out.We briefly indicate the diagnostic importance of radio emission for the flare process in classic and compact stars. In particular we discuss the possible production of radio flares from interactions between an accretion disk and the magnetic field of the central object.     

Atmospheric emission from hydrogen-shell-burning white dwarfs as supersoft X-ray sources

The radiation spectra of supersoft X-ray sources based on a model for hydrogen burning on the white dwarf surface are investigated by solving hydrostatic equilibrium, radiative equilibrium, statistical equilibrium and radiative transfer self-consistently for various sets of mass, radius and luminosity. It is found that the radiation spectrum shows many bound–free emission/absorption features and greatly deviates from the blackbody spectrum at the effective temperature. By the effect of incoherent Compton scattering, the bound–free emission/absorption features do not appear in strong emission/absorption edges, as predicted by coherent models without Compton scattering, but appear as weak humps and relatively shallow absorption edges. The difference between the incoherent model and the coherent model is prominent for L 0.5 L _Edd. A calculated spectrum is fitted to the ASCA observations of RX J0925.7−4758. It is found that the entire spectrum of RX J0925.7−4758 cannot be reproduced by model atmospheres with any parameter sets. This suggests that the observed spectrum consists of two or more components. In this case, the atmospheric component is explained by the emission from a white dwarf near the Chandrasekhar limit (∼1.4 M_⊙) with L ∼0.2 L _Edd at a distance of 16–20 kpc.     

A search for prompt radio emission from GRBs

The Cambridge Low Frequency Synthesis Telescope (CLFST) is being used to search for prompt radio emission from GRBs at 151 MHz. For this search a special observing mode has recently been developed; the antennas of the CLFST are split into seven groups which are spaced about 30° apart. When triggered by the real-time signals from the BACODINE system the antennas are slewed to the GRB position, with data being sampled at 1.5 or 3-s intervals. The antennas slew at about 10° per minute, so that an appreciable fraction of the sky can be accessed on timescales of a few minutes - any prompt radio emission from a GRB might be delayed by this timescale due to propagation effects.     

A search for infrared stellar objects in Vela

In a search for infrared excess objects near the galactic plane, a star field of 28.5 square degrees in Vela has been measured on UK Schmidt plates R4272 and 14183 with the Cosmos machine at Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. The magnitude limit is around 20 in R and around 19 in I. 131 infrared excess objects with colour index R-I > 2.5 are discovered in the field, and 3 red stellar objects have been identified as the optical counterparts of IRAS point sources.