Supermassive binary black holes among cosmic gamma-ray sources

Supermassive binary black holes (SBBHs) are a natural outcome of galaxy mergers. Here we show that low-frequency (f≤10⁻⁶ Hz) quasi-periodic variability observed from cosmic blazar sources can provide substantial inductive support for the presence of close (d≲0.1 pc) SBBHs at their centers. It is argued on physical grounds that such close binary systems are likely to give rise to different (although not independent) periodicities in the radio, optical and X-ray/TeV regime, and, hence that detection of appropriate period ratios significantly corroborates the SBBH interpretation. This is illustrated for a binary model where optical longterm periodicity is related to accretion disk interactions, radio periodicity to Newtonian jet precession, and periodicities in the high energy bands to the orbital motion of the jet. We use the observed periodicities to constrain the properties for a sample of SBBH candidates including OJ 287 and AO 0235+16, and discuss the results within the context of jet activity and binary evolution.     

Photometric variability of four coronally active stars

We present photometric observations of four stars that are optical counterparts of soft X-ray/EUV sources, namely 1ES 0829+15.9, 1ES0920-13.6, 2RE J1 10159+223509 and 1ES 1737+61.2. We have discovered periodic variability in two of the stars, viz., MCC 527 (1ES 0829+15.9; Period = 0 ^d .828 ± 0.0047) and HD 81032 (1ES 0920-13.6; Period = ∼ 57.02 ± 0.560 days). HD 95559 (2RE J1 10159+223509) is found to show a period of 3 ^d . HD 160934 (1ES1737+61.2) also shows photometric variability but needs to be monitored further for finding its period. These stars most likely belong to the class of chromospherically active stars.     

Multiperiodic irradiance changes caused by r-modes and g-modes

More than 20 real periodicities ranging from 20 days to 2 years modulate the solar irradiance data accumulated since November 1978 by Nimbus 7. Many are quite strong during the first three years (solar maximum) and weak after that. There is a high correspondence between periods in irradiance and 28 periods predicted from the rotation and beating of global solar oscillations (r-modes and g-modes). Angular states = 1, 2, and 3 are detected as well as some unresolved r-mode power at higher . The prominence of beat periods implies a nonlinear system whose effective nonlinear power was measured to be about 2. This analysis constitutes a detection of r-modes in the Sun and determines from them a mean sidereal rotation rate for the convective envelope of 459 ± 4 nHz which converts to a period of 25.2 days (27.l^d, synodic).     

Measurement of the orbital period of the X-ray burster GS 1826-238 based on observations of its optical brightness variations

The variability of the optical and X-ray fluxes from the binary GS 1826-238 is investigated. An epoch-folding analysis of the optical data obtained with the RTT-150 telescope in 2003–2004 has revealed periodic brightness variations in the source with a period P _orb = 2.24940 ± 0.00015 h with a high statistical significance. When estimating the detection significance of the periodic signal, we have specially taken into account the presence of a powerful aperiodic component (“red noise”) in the source’s brightness variability. The source’s power density spectra in the frequency range ∼10⁻⁵–0.01 Hz have been obtained. We have detected a statistically significant break in the power density spectrum of GS 1826-238 at a frequency ν _br ≈ (8.48 ± 0.14) × 10⁻⁵ Hz in both optical and X-ray energy bands. We have estimated the orbital period of the binary GS 1826-238 using the correlation between the break frequency in the power density spectrum and the orbital period of binaries, P _orb ∝ 1/ν _br, found by Gilfanov and Arefiev (2005): P _orb = 3.7 ± 0.8 h and P _orb = 11.3 ± 5.9 h when using Sco X-1 and 1H 16267-273, respectively, as reference sources. It seems to us that the method for estimating the orbital periods of low-mass X-ray binaries using the correlation P _orb ∝ 1/ν _br may turn out to be very promising, especially for persistent low-luminosity X-ray binaries.     

X-RAY and Radio Monitoring of GX 339-4 and CYG X-1

Previous work by Motch et al. [1985, Space Sci. Rev. 40, 219] suggested that in the low/hard state of GX, the soft X-ray power-law extrapolated backward in energy agrees with the IR flux level. Corbel and Fender [2002, ApJ 573, L35–L39] later showed that the typical hard state radio power-law extrapolated forward in energy meets the backward extrapolated X-ray power-law at an IR spectral break, which was explicitly observed twice in GX. This has been cited as further evidence that jet synchrotron radiation might make a significant contribution to the observed X-rays in the hard state. We explore this hypothesis with a series of simultaneous radio/X-ray hard state observations of GX. We fit these spectra with a simple, but remarkably successful, doubly broken power-law model that indeed requires a spectral break in the IR. For most of these observations, the break position as a function of X-ray flux agrees with the jet model predictions. We then examine the radio flux/X-ray flux correlation in CYG through the use of 15 GHz radio data, obtained with the Ryle radio telescope, and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer data, from the All Sky Monitor and pointed observations. We find evidence of ‘parallel tracks’ in the radio/X-ray correlation which are associated with ‘failed transitions’ to, or the beginning of a transition to, the soft state. We also find that for CYG the radio flux is more fundamentally correlated with the hard, rather than the soft, X-ray flux.     

黑洞候选体MAXI J1535-571爆发期间的时变现象

利用“慧眼”(Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope, Insight-HXMT)卫星在2017年9月对黑洞候选体MAXI J1535-571的观测数据,研究了该源在爆发期内的时变现象.当源处于不同的爆发谱态时,功率密度谱的谱型存在明显差异.在硬中间态,有明显的限带噪声(band-limited noise)成分和QPO (Quasi-Periodic Oscillation)成分.分析结果表明:低频限带噪声的特征频率随能量的变化呈现正相关,即软能段光子的特征频率小于硬能段光子的特征频率. 0.1–0.5 Hz频率区间的限带噪声RMS (Root Mean Square)谱在硬中间态和软中间态均出现峰值,且在高能端存在差异,可能是主导噪声RMS的能谱成分占比不同.当谱态由硬中间态过渡到软中间态时, C型QPO的RMS谱保持相似趋势,但限带噪声RMS谱存在谱态依赖现象,暗示着噪声和QPO有不同的起源机制.     

Short periodicities in solar activity

Several indices of solar activity are subjected to a high pass filter and power spectral analysis to verify the existance of shorter periodicities in solar activity. Though all these indices show the presence of short periodicities, above 95% confidence level, the common indices like sunspot number, fail to show these periodicities when a stringest statistical test is applied based on a percentage of the ²/v distribution that is appropriately higher than the 95% point (Mitchell et al., 1966). The basic parameters given by Kopecký (1967), however, reveal the presence of 5.6- and 3.5-yr periodicities even when this stringent statistical test is applied.     

The outburst of the X-ray nova GRS 1739-278 in September 2016

During the scanning observations of the Galactic center region in late August–September 2016 we detected a new (third) outburst of the historical X-ray nova GRS 1739-278, a presumed black hole in a low-mass X-ray binary. This was reported in the Astronomer’s Telegrams (Mereminskiy et al. 2016). In this paper we present the results of INTEGRAL and Swift observations of the outburst development. According to these observations, the flux from the source in the hard X-ray band (20–60 keV) rose from ~11 (September 3) to ~30 mCrab (September 14), was at the attained level for ~8 days, and then returned to ~15 mCrab. The spectrum of the source taken at its peak brightness in the energy range 0.5–150 keV could be fitted by a single power law with a photon index of 1.86 ± 0.07 distorted only by photoabsorption corresponding to the hydrogen column density log₁₀ (N _H) = 22.37 under the assumption of a solar abundance. This means that the source at this time was in the low/hard state. Infrared observations with the RTT-150 telescope near the X-ray brightness peak of the source revealed no emission down to \(22_ \cdot ^m 0\) (in the r’ band) and \(20_ \cdot ^m 9\) (in the i’ band). At the time of writing the paper we do not yet know whether this outburst ended or only its initial stage was observed. If it ended, then based on the light curve and spectra, we can state that it was a “failed” outburst, i.e., the amount of accreted matter in this episode was insufficient to reach the high or very high state with a soft blackbody component in the spectrum characteristic of developed outbursts.     

Evidence for thin-target X-ray emission in a small solar flare on 26 February 1972

We compare solar X-ray observations from the UCSD experiment aboard OSO-7 with high resolution energetic electron observations from the UCAL experiment on IMP-6 for a small solar flare on 26 February 1972. A proportional counter and NaI scintillator covered the X-ray energy range 5–300 keV, while a semiconductor detector telescope covered electrons from 18 to 400 keV. A series of four non-thermal X-ray spikes were observed from 1805 to 1814 UT with average spectrum dJ/d (hv) (hv)^–4.0 over the 14–64 keV range. The energetic electrons were observed at 1 AU beginning 1840 UT with a spectrum dJ/dE E ^–3.1. If the electrons which produce the X-ray emission and those observed at 1 AU are assumed to originate in a common source, then these observations are consistent with thin target X-ray production at the Sun and inconsistent with thick target production. Under a model consistent with the observed soft X-ray emission, we obtain quantitative estimates of the total energy, total number, escape efficiency, and energy lost in collisions for the energetic electrons.     

Analysis of the optical emission of the young precataclysmic variables HS 1857+5144 and ABELL 65

We analyze the physical state and the properties of the close binary systems HS 1857+5144 and Abell 65. We took the spectra of both systems over a wide range of orbital phases with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SAO RAS) and obtained their multicolor light curves with the RTT150 and Zeiss-1000 telescopes of the SAO RAS. We demonstrate that both Abell 65 and HS 1857+5144 are young precataclysmic variables (PV) with orbital periods of P _orb = 1. ^d 003729 and P _orb = 0. ^d 26633331, respectively. The observed brightness and spectral variations during the orbital period are due to the radiation of the cold component, which absorbs the short-wave radiation of the hot component and reemits it in the visual part of the spectrum. A joint analysis of the brightness and radial velocity curves allowed us to find the possible and optimum sets of their fundamental parameters. We found the luminosity excesses of the secondary components of HS 1857+5144 and Abell 65 with respect to the corresponding Main Sequence stars to be typical for such objects. The excess luminosities of the secondary components of all young PVs are indicative of their faster relaxation rate towards the quiescent state compared to the rates estimated in earlier studies.     

On the temporal variation of the solar continuous brightness fluctuations

From a sequence of white-light photographs of solar granulation at the centre of the disk, obtained by Spectro-Stratoscope on May 17, 1975, two-dimensional spatial power spectra of photospheric intensity fluctuations were deduced. These show periodicities of 1000 s, 250–450 s (5-min oscillation), and shorter ones in the range 30–120 s. The reality of the shorter periods, however, seems to be questionable.The weighted mean wavenumber of the spatial power spectra and rms of the intensity fluctuation (I _rms) are also computed, showing the same periodicities as the power.Mitteilungen aus dem Kiepenheuer-Institut Nr. 188.On leave of absence from the Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran.     

North and south major flare periodicities during solar cycle 20

The periodicities of monthly values of major flare numbers and comprehensive major flare index (CFI) have been studied for the 20^th solar cycle. It has been proved that the periodicity 152 days exists also in the southern (S) solar hemisphere. This periodicity has been previously defined in the earlier cycles to be a northern (N) periodicity, but it has migrated to the southern hemisphere (S) during the cycles 19, 20, 21. For the whole solar disk data, it has been found that the periodicity at 78.43^d is much remarkable than its first harmonic at 156.86^d. We have also detected very strong periodicity at 548.96^d in N-hemisphere while a strong one has been found near 100^d in both solar hemispheres. The detected periodicities at 80±2^d and 101-⁺1^d seems to have a global origin . The 87.1^d periodicity is present and it is suggested that it is related to 88^d periodicity attributed to the tidal influence of the planet Mercury on sunspots. Both hemispheres present their periodicities independently.     

A Phenomenological Study of the Cosmic Ray Variations over the Past 9400 Years, and Their Implications Regarding Solar Activity and the Solar Dynamo

Two 9400-year long ¹⁰Be data records from the Arctic and Antarctic and a ¹⁴C record of equal length were used to investigate the periodicities in the cosmic radiation incident on Earth throughout the past 9400 years. Fifteen significant periodicities between 40 and 2320 years are observed in the ¹⁰Be and ¹⁴C records, there being close agreement between the periodicities in each record. We found that the periodic variations in the galactic cosmic radiation are the primary cause for periods <?250 years, with minor contributions of terrestrial origin possible >?250 years. The spectral line for the Gleissberg (87-year) periodicity is narrow, indicating a stability of ≈?0.5 %. The 9400-year record contains 26 Grand Minima (GM) similar to the Maunder Minimum, most of which occurred as sequences of 2?–?7 GM with intervals of 800?–?1200 years in between, in which there were no GM. The intervals between the GM sequences are characterised by high values of the modulation function. Periodicities <?150 years are observed in both the GM intervals and the intervals in between. The longer-period variations such as the de Vries (208-year) cycle have high amplitudes during the GM sequences and are undetectable in between. There are three harmonically related pairs of periodicities (65 and 130 years), (75 and 150 years), and (104 and 208 years). The long periodicities at 350, 510, and 708 years closely approximate 4, 6, and 8 times the Gleissberg period (87 years). The well-established properties of cosmic-ray modulation theory and the known dependence of the heliospheric magnetic field on the solar magnetic fields lead us to speculate that the periodicities evident in the paleo-cosmic-ray record are also present in the solar magnetic fields and in the solar dynamo. The stable, narrow natures of the Gleissberg and other periodicities suggest that there is a strong “frequency control” in the solar dynamo, in strong contrast to the variable nature (8?–?15 years) of the Schwabe (11-year) solar cycle.     

X-Ray Spectral Study of AGN Sources Content in Some Deep Extragalactic XMM-Newton Fields

We undertake a spectral study of a sample of bright X-ray sources taken from six XMM-Newton fields at high galactic latitudes, where AGN are the most populous class. These six fields were chosen such that the observation had an exposure time more than 60 ksec, had data from the EPIC-pn detector in the full-Frame mode and lying at high galactic latitude |b|>25^∘. The analysis started by fitting the spectra of all sources with an absorbed power-law model, and then we fitted all the spectra with an absorbed power-law with a low energy black-body component model.The sources for which we added a black body gave an F-test probability of 0.01 or less (i.e. at 99% confidence level), were recognized as sources that display soft excess. We perform a comparative analysis of soft excess spectral parameters with respect to the underlying power-law one for sources that satisfy this criterion. Those sources, that do not show evidence for a soft excess, based on the F-test probability at a 99% confidence level, were also fitted with the absorbed power-law with a low energy black-body component model with the black-body temperature fixed at 0.1 and 0.2 keV. We establish upper limits on the soft excess flux for those sources at these two temperatures. Finally we have made use of Aladdin interactive sky atlas and matching with NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) to identify the X-ray sources in our sample. For those sources which are identified in the NED catalogue, we make a comparative study of the soft excess phenomenon for different types of systems.     

Chemical composition and iron oxidation state of amorphous matrix silicates in the carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094

Nanoscale amorphous silicates are a major component in primitive carbonaceous chondrite matrices and anhydrous interplanetary dust particles. Owing to their metastability and sensitive response to reactions with water, this material is of particular interest in understanding nebular and parent body processes in the early solar system. Here we investigated the amorphous silicate matrix (ASM) in the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094 regarding its texture, chemical composition, and Fe oxidation state. We applied transmission electron microscopy techniques on six, focused ion beam technique-prepared, electron-transparent lamellae of Acfer 094 to determine the textures of this material. Furthermore, we used energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and electron energy loss spectroscopy to quantify the Fe content and the Fe oxidation state of the ASM. Textural investigations reveal differences in sulfide content, porosity, and distribution of the ASM among the samples, as well as evidence for rare recrystallization of phyllosilicate fibers. The chemical composition reveals mobilization of Fe. Furthermore, the determined Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios of the ASM in the six samples display a homogeneously high oxidation state (0.66–0.73). This high and homogeneous Fe oxidation state in the ASM of Acfer 094 disagrees with its formation as a primary phase in a reduced solar gas and must have been induced in a later stage process. Most likely, this process was aqueous alteration on the Acfer 094 parent body, which led to hydration and oxidation of the ASM, which is supported by textural and chemical evidence of aqueous alteration.     

Study of the variability of the Delta Scuti stars

Photoelectric observations of the suspected Delta-Scuti star HR 5492 are given. The present data do not show any light variation greater than 0.01 mag. In spite of the very small light variations, the data analysis shows the presence of two periodicities, which are statistically significant. While the longest period (1. _. ^d 296) cannot be justified with the present data, the shorter one (0. _. ^d 044) is in excellent agreement with the hypothesis of an F4V star that is radially pulsating in the fundamental mode, even if this star is well outside the cold border of the instability strip.     

Energy spectrum and time variations of hard X-rays from Cyg X-1

Experimental results on the intensity, energy spectrum and time variations in hard X-ray emission from Cyg X-1 based on a balloon observation made on 1971, April 6 from Hyderabad (India) are described. The average energy spectrum of Cyg X-1 in the 22–154 keV interval on 1971 April 6 is best represented by a power law dN/dE=(5.41±1.53)E ^{–(1.92±0.10)} photons cm^–2s^–1 keV^–1 which is in very good agreement with the spectrum of Cyg X-1 derived from an earlier observation made by us on 1969 April 16 in the 25–151 keV band and given by dN/dE=(3.54±2.44)E ^{–(1.89±0.22)} photons cm^–2s^–1 keV^–1. A thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum fails to give a good fit over the entire energy range for both the observations. Comparison with the observations of other investigators shows that almost all balloon experiments consistently give a spectrum of E ^–2, while below 20 keV the spectrum varies fromE ^–1.7 toE ^–5. There is some indication of a break in the Cyg X-1 spectrum around 20 keV. Spectral analysis of data in different time intervals for the 1971 April 6 flight demonstrates that while the source intensity varies over time scales of a few minutes, there is no appreciable variation in the spectral slope. Analysis of various hard X-ray observations for long term variations shows that over a period of about a week the intensity of Cyg X-1 varies upto a factor of four. The binary model proposed by Dolan is examined and the difficulties in explaining the observed features of Cyg X-1 by this model are pointed out.     

Characteristics of soft solar X-ray bursts

The burst component of the solar X-ray flux in the soft wavelength range 2 < < 12 Å observed from Explorer 33 and Explorer 35 from July 1966 to September 1968 was analyzed. In this period 4028 burst peaks were identified.The differential distributions of the temporal and intensity parameters of the bursts revealed no separation into more than one class of bursts. The most frequently observed value for rise time was 4 min and for decay time was 12 min. The distribution of the ratio of rise to decay time can be represented by an exponential with exponent -2.31 from a ratio of 0.3 to 2.7; the maximum in this distribution occurred at a ratio of 0.3. The values of the total observed flux, divided by the background flux at burst maximum, can be represented by a power law with exponent -2.62 for ratios between 1.5 and 32. The distribution of peak burst fluxes can be represented by a power law with exponent - 1.75 over the range 1–100 milli-erg (cm² sec)^–1. The flux time integral values are given by a power law with exponent -1.44 over the range 1–50 erg cm^–2.The distribution of peak burst flux as a function of H importance revealed a general tendency for larger peak X-ray fluxes to occur with both larger H flare areas and with brighter H flares. There is no significant dependence of X-ray burst occurrence on heliographic longitude; the emission thus lacks directivity.The theory of free-free emission by a thermal electron distribution was applied to a composite quantitative discussion of hard X-ray fluxes (data from Arnoldy et al., 1968; Kane and Winckler, 1969; and Hudson et al., 1969) and soft X-ray fluxes during solar X-ray bursts. Using bursts yielding measured X-ray intensities in three different energy intervals, covering a total range of 1–50 keV, temperatures and emission measures were derived. The emission measure was found to vary from event to event. The peak time of hard X-ray events was found to occur an average of 3 min before the peak time of the corresponding soft X-ray bursts. Thus a changing emission measure during the event is also required. A free-free emission process with temperatures of 12–39 × 10⁶K and with an emission measure in the range 3.6 × 10⁴⁷ to 2.1 × 10⁵⁰ cm^–3 which varies both from event to event and within an individual event is required by the data examined.Now at Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.     

Thermal and non-thermal soft X-ray bursts

X-ray bursts observed for energies lower than 25 keV are usually interpreted as being produced by a thermal plasma with several million degrees of temperature.A small number of events recorded at Arcetri by real time telemetry of SOLRAD 9 satellite agrees with a thermal interpretation and gives temperatures ranging between 10 × 10⁶ and 30 × 10⁶K and emission measures, N _e ² dV, between 10⁴⁷ and 10⁴⁸ cm^–3.An impulsive event recorded on January 7, 1969 shows an anomalous behaviour. In this case the emission has been attributed to bremsstrahlung radiation from electrons with a power law energy distribution dN = KE ^- dE. The values of the spectral index and of the emission measure are given.A tentative interpretation of the event is suggested and the way to produce non-relativistic electrons with a power law energy distribution is investigated.     

Observations of intensity oscillations in a prominence-like cool loop system as observed by SDO/AIA: evidence of multiple harmonics of fast magnetoacoustic waves

Using SDO/AIA 304 Å channel, we study the evolution of weak intensity oscillations in a prominence like cool loop system observed at North-West limb on 7 March 2011. We use the standard wavelet tool to produce statistically significant power spectra of AIA 304 Å normalized fluxes derived respectively near the apex and footpoint of the fluxtube. We find periodicities of ≈667 s and ≈305 s respectively near apex and above footpoint with significance level >98 %. Observed statistically significant periodicities in the tube of projected length ≈170 Mm and width ≈10 Mm, are interpreted as most likely signature of evolution of various harmonics of tubular fast magnetoacoustic waves. Sausage modes are unlikely though they are compressive as they need bulky and highly denser loop system for their evolution for sustaining such large periods. We interpret the observed periodicities as multiple harmonics (fundamental and first) of fast magnetoacoustic kink waves that can generate some weak density perturbations (thus intensity oscillations) in the tube and can be observed pertaining to periodic variation in plasma column depth as tube is oblique in projection with respect to line-of-sight. The period ratio P ₁/P ₂=2.18 is observed in the fluxtube, which is the signature of the magnetic field divergence of the cool loop system. We estimate tube expansion factor as 1.27 which is typical of EUV bipolar loops in the solar atmosphere. We estimate the lower bound average magnetic fields ranging from ≈9 to 90 Gauss depending upon typical densities as 10⁹–10¹¹ cm^?3 in the observed prominence-like cool loop system. We also observe the first signature of lowering fundamental mode period by a factor 0.85 due to cooling of this loop system.