Emission lines of Fe xv in spectra obtained with the Solar Extreme-Ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph

Recent R-matrix calculations of electron impact excitation rates in Mg-like Fe  xv are used to derive theoretical emission-line ratios involving transitions in the 243–418 Å  wavelength range. A comparison of these with a data set of solar active region, subflare and off-limb spectra, obtained during rocket flights by the Solar Extreme-Ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS), reveals generally very good agreement between theory and observation, indicating that most of the Fe  xv emission lines may be employed with confidence as electron density diagnostics. In particular, the 312.55-Å  line of Fe  xv is not significantly blended with a Co  xvii transition in active region spectra, as suggested previously, although the latter does make a major contribution in the subflare observations. Most of the Fe  xv transitions which are blended have had the species responsible clearly identified, although there remain a few instances where this has not been possible. We briefly address the long-standing discrepancy between theory and experiment for the intensity ratio of the  3s^2 1S–3s3p ³P₁  intercombination line at 417.25 Å  to the  3s^2 1S–3s3p ¹P  resonance transition at 284.16 Å.     

Fe xiii emission lines in active region spectra obtained with the Solar Extreme-Ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph

Recent fully relativistic calculations of radiative rates and electron impact excitation cross-sections for Fe  xiii are used to generate emission-line ratios involving 3s²3p²–3s3p³ and 3s²3p²–3s²3p3d transitions in the 170–225 and 235–450 Å wavelength ranges covered by the Solar Extreme-Ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS). A comparison of these line ratios with SERTS active region observations from rocket flights in 1989 and 1995 reveals generally very good agreement between theory and experiment. Several new Fe  xiii emission features are identified, at wavelengths of 203.79, 259.94, 288.56 and 290.81 Å. However, major discrepancies between theory and observation remain for several Fe  xiii transitions, as previously found by Landi and others, which cannot be explained by blending. Errors in the adopted atomic data appear to be the most likely explanation, in particular for transitions which have 3s²3p3d ¹D₂ as their upper level. The most useful Fe  xiii electron-density diagnostics in the SERTS spectral regions are assessed, in terms of the line pairs involved being (i) apparently free of atomic physics problems and blends, (ii) close in wavelength to reduce the effects of possible errors in the instrumental intensity calibration, and (iii) very sensitive to changes in N _e over the range  10⁸–10¹¹ cm⁻³  . It is concluded that the ratios which best satisfy these conditions are 200.03/202.04 and 203.17/202.04 for the 170–225 Å wavelength region, and 348.18/320.80, 348.18/368.16, 359.64/348.18 and 359.83/368.16 for 235–450 Å.     

Electron density diagnostic potential of the Si x ion and its application in Procyon

Theoretical electron density sensitive line ratios   R ₁– R ₆  of Si  x soft X-ray emission lines are presented. We found that these line ratios are sensitive to electron density n _e, and the ratio R ₁ is insensitive to electron temperature T _e. For reliable determination of the electron density of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, atomic data, such as electron impact excitation rates, are very important. Our results reveal that the discrepancy of the line ratios from different atomic data calculated with the distorted wave (DW) approximation and the R-matrix method is up to 19 per cent at   n _e= 2 × 10⁸ cm⁻³  . We applied the theoretical intensity ratio R ₁ to the Low Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (LETGS) spectrum of the solar-like star Procyon. By comparing the observed value (1.29) with the theoretical calculation, the derived electron density n _e is  2.6 × 10⁸ cm⁻³  , which is consistent with that derived from  (C  v < 8.3 × 10⁸ cm⁻³)  . When the temperature structure of the Procyon corona is taken into account, the derived electron density increases from   n _e= 2.6 × 10⁸  to  2.8 × 10⁸ cm⁻³  .     

A relativistically smeared spectrum in the neutron star X-ray binary 4U 1705−44: looking at the inner accretion disc with X-ray spectroscopy

Iron emission lines at 6.4–6.97 keV, identified with fluorescent Kα transitions, are among the strongest discrete features in the X-ray band. These are therefore one of the most powerful probes to infer the properties of the plasma in the innermost part of the accretion disc around a compact object. In this paper, we present a recent XMM–Newton observation of the X-ray burster 4U 1705−44, where we clearly detect a relativistically smeared iron line at about 6.7 keV, testifying with high statistical significance that the line profile is distorted by high-velocity motion in the accretion disc. As expected from disc reflection models, we also find a significant absorption edge at about 8.3 keV; this feature appears to be smeared, and is compatible with being produced in the same region where the iron line is produced. From the line profile, we derive the physical parameters of the inner accretion disc with large precision. The line is identified with the Kα transition of highly ionized iron, Fe  xxv , the inner disc radius is   R _in= 14 ± 2  R _g  (where R _g is the Gravitational radius,   GM / c ²  ), the emissivity dependence from the disc radius is   r ^{−2.27±0.08}  , the inclination angle with respect to the line of sight is   i = 39°± 1°  . Finally, the XMM–Newton spectrum shows evidences of other low-energy emission lines, which again appear broad and their profiles are compatible with being produced in the same region where the iron line is produced.     

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.     

RR Pic (1925): a Chandra X-ray view

We present the Chandra ACIS-S3 data of the old classical nova RR Pic (1925). The source has a count rate of 0.067 ± 0.002 count s⁻¹ in the 0.3–5.0 keV energy range. We detect the orbital period of the underlying binary system in the X-ray wavelengths. We also find that the neutral hydrogen column density differs for orbital minimum and orbital maximum spectra with values  0.25^+0.23_−0.18× 10²²  and  0.64^+0.13_−0.14× 10²² cm⁻²  at 3σ confidence level. The X-ray spectrum of RR Pic can be represented by a composite model of bremsstrahlung with a photoelectric absorption, two absorption lines centered around 1.1–1.4 keV and five Gaussian lines centered at emission lines around 0.3–1.1 keV corresponding to various transitions of S, N, O, C, Ne and Fe. The bremsstrahlung temperature derived from the fits ranges from 0.99 to 1.60 keV and the unabsorbed X-ray flux is found to be  2.5^+0.4_−1.2× 10⁻¹³ erg  cm⁻² s⁻¹  in the 0.3–5.0 keV range with a luminosity of 1.1 ± 0.2  10³¹ erg s⁻¹  at 600 pc. We also detect excess emission in the spectrum possibly originating from the reverse shock in the ejecta. A fit with a cooling flow plasma emission model shows enhanced abundances of He, C, N, O and Ne in the X-ray emitting region indicating existence of diffusive mixing.     

ASCA spectroscopy of the hard X-ray emission from the colliding wind interaction in γ2 Velorum

We discuss an ASCA observation of the eccentric WC8+O7.5 III binary γ ² Velorum near apastron. The X-ray spectrum is compared with two previous observations obtained when the system was near periastron. All three spectra display a hard-emission component that undergoes strong variability over the orbital cycle. The properties of the hard X-ray emission of γ ² Vel are constrained by taking into account the contribution from contaminating soft X-ray sources in the vicinity of γ ² Vel. We find that the observed variations are in qualitative agreement with the predictions of colliding wind models. We investigate for the first time the effect of uncertainties in the chemical composition of the X-ray emitting plasma on our understanding of the high-energy properties of the wind interaction region. Our results indicate that these uncertainties significantly affect the derived shock temperature and absorption column, but play a smaller role in determining the intrinsic X-ray luminosity of the colliding wind zone. We further find that the intrinsic luminosity from the hard X-ray component in γ ² Vel does not follow the 1/ D distance relation expected from simple models of adiabatic shocks.     

Magnetic hydrogen atmosphere models and the neutron star RX J1856.5–3754

RX J1856.5−3754 is one of the brightest nearby isolated neutron stars (INSs), and considerable observational resources have been devoted to it. However, current models are unable to satisfactorily explain the data. We show that our latest models of a thin, magnetic, partially ionized hydrogen atmosphere on top of a condensed surface can fit the entire spectrum, from X-rays to optical, of RX J1856.5−3754, within the uncertainties. In our simplest model, the best-fitting parameters are an interstellar column density   N _H≈ 1 × 10²⁰ cm⁻²  and an emitting area with   R ^∞≈ 17 km  (assuming a distance to RX J1856.5−3754 of 140 pc), temperature   T ^∞≈ 4.3 × 10⁵ K  , gravitational redshift   z _g ∼ 0.22  , atmospheric hydrogen column   y _H≈ 1 g cm⁻²  , and magnetic field   B ≈ (3–4) × 10¹² G  ; the values for the temperature and magnetic field indicate an effective average over the surface. We also calculate a more realistic model, which accounts for magnetic field and temperature variations over the NS surface as well as general relativistic effects, to determine pulsations; we find that there exist viewing geometries that produce pulsations near the currently observed limits. The origin of the thin atmospheres required to fit the data is an important question, and we briefly discuss mechanisms for producing these atmospheres. Our model thus represents the most self-consistent picture to date for explaining all the observations of RX J1856.5−3754.     

The electron pressure in the outer atmosphere of ε Eri (K2 V)

Observations of ε Eri (K2 V) have been made with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope . The spectra obtained show a number of emission lines which can be used to determine, or place limits on, the electron density and pressure. Values of the electron pressure are required in order to make quantitative models of the transition region and inner corona from absolute line fluxes, and to constrain semi-empirical models of the chromosphere. Using line flux ratios in Si  iii and O  iv a mean electron pressure of P _e= N _e T _e=4.8×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ K is derived. This value is compatible with the lower and upper limits to P _e found from flux ratios in C  iii , O  v and Fe  xii . Some inconsistencies which may be because of small uncertainties in the atomic data used are discussed.     

Relativistic ionized accretion disc models of MCG–6-30-15

We present BeppoSAX observations of Nova Velorum 1999 (V382 Vel), carried out in a broad X-ray band covering 0.1–300 keV only 15 d after the discovery and again after 6 months. The nova was detected at day 15 with the BeppoSAX instruments which measured a flux F _x≃1.8×10⁻¹¹ erg cm⁻² s⁻¹ in the 0.1–10 keV range and a 2 σ upper limit F _x<6.7×10⁻¹² erg cm⁻² s⁻¹ in the 15–60 keV range. We attribute the emission to shocked nebular ejecta at a plasma temperature kT ≃6 keV . At six months no bright component emerged in the 15–60 keV range, but a bright central supersoft X-ray source appeared. The hot nebular component previously detected had cooled to a plasma temperature kT <1 keV . There was strong intrinsic absorption of the ejecta in the first observation and not in the second, because the column density of neutral hydrogen decreased from N (H)≃1.7×10²³ to N (H)≃10²¹ cm⁻² (close to the interstellar value). The unabsorbed X-ray flux also decreased from F _x=4.3×10⁻¹¹ to F _x≃10⁻¹² erg cm⁻² s⁻¹ .     

PSR J1012+5307: younger than it looks?

Lorimer et al. have recently reported that the spin-down age (∼7 × 10⁹ yr) of the low-mass binary pulsar PSR J1012+5307 is much higher than the cooling age (3 × 10⁸ yr) of its white dwarf companion. The proposed solutions for this discrepancy are outlined and discussed. In particular, the revised cooling age estimate proposed by Alberts et al. agrees with data from other low-mass binary pulsar systems if a transition to the 'classical' cooling regime occurs between ∼0.14 and ∼0.28 M_⊙. If this transition is excluded, PSR J1012+5307 seems to have finished its accretion phase far from the spin-up line.     

The discovery of a low-mass, pre-main-sequence stellar association around γ Velorum

We report the serendipitous discovery of a population of low-mass, pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars in the direction of the Wolf–Rayet/O-star binary system γ ²  Vel and the Vela OB2 association. We argue that γ ²  Vel and the low-mass stars are truly associated and approximately coeval, and that both are at distances between 360 and 490 pc, disagreeing at the 2 σ level with the recent Hipparcos parallax of γ ²  Vel, but consistent with older distance estimates. Our results clearly have implications for the physical parameters of the γ ²  Vel system, but also offer an exciting opportunity to investigate the influence of high-mass stars on the mass function and circumstellar disc lifetimes of their lower mass PMS siblings.     

Multiwavelength study of the transient X-ray binary IGR J01583+6713

We have investigated multiband optical photometric variability and stability of the Hα line profile of the transient X-ray binary IGR J01583+6713. We set an upper limit of 0.05 mag on photometric variations in the V band over a time-scale of three months. The Hα line is found to consist of non-Gaussian profile and quite stable for a duration of two months. We have identified the spectral type of the companion star to be B2 IVe while the distance to the source is estimated to be ∼4.0 kpc. Along with the optical observations, we have also carried out analysis of X-ray data from three short observations of the source, two with the Swift –XRT and one with the RXTE –PCA. We have detected a variation in the absorption column density, from a value of  22.0 × 10²² cm⁻²  immediately after the outburst down to  2.6 × 10²² cm⁻²  four months afterwards. In the quiescent state, the X-ray absorption is consistent with the optical reddening measurement of   E ( B − V ) = 1.46  mag. From one of the Swift observations, during which the X-ray intensity was higher, we have a possible pulse detection with a period of 469.2 s. For a Be X-ray binary, this indicates an orbital period in the range of 216–561 d for this binary system.     

Radio flares and plasmon size in Cygnus X-3

We have observed a number of minor radio flares in Cyg X-3 using the MERLIN array. Photometric observations show the system to be highly active with multiple flares on hourly time-scales over the one month observing programme. Analysis of the power spectrum of the source show no persistent periodicities in these data, and no evidence of the 4.8-h orbital period. An upper limit of 15 mJy can be placed on the amplitude of any sinusoidal variation of source flux at the orbital period. The brightness temperature of a flare is typically T _b≥10⁹–10¹⁰ K , with a number of small flares of 5-min duration having brightness temperatures of T _b≥ few×10¹¹ K . For such a change in flux to occur within a typical 10-min time-scale, the radiation must originate from plasmons with a size ≤1.22 au. This emission is unlikely to originate close to the centre of the system as both the jets and compact object are buried deep within an optically thick stellar wind. Assuming a spherically symmetric wind, plasmons would become visible at distances ∼13 au from the core.     

Compton-thick X-ray absorption in the Seyfert galaxies Tololo 0109383 and ESO 138G1

We present analyses of the ASCA X-ray spectra of two Seyfert galaxies, Tololo 0109383 and ESO 138G1. In both cases, spectral fitting reveals two statistically acceptable continuum models: Compton reflection and partial covering. Both spectra have strong iron K lines, with equivalent widths greater than 1.5 keV. These large equivalent widths are suggestive of heavier obscuration than that directly indicated by the partial-covering models (  210²³ cm^-2),  with the actual column densities being 'Compton-thick' (i.e.   N _H1.510²⁴ cm^-2).  We use the hard X-ray/[O  iii ] flux correlation for Seyferts and data from the literature to provide additional support for this hypothesis. Since Tololo 0109383 is known to have optical type 1 characteristics such as broad Balmer line components and Fe  ii emission, this result marks it as a notable object.     

Extreme ultraviolet transitions of Fe xxi in solar, stellar and laboratory spectra

Recent R -matrix calculations of electron impact excitation rates for transitions among the 2s²2p², 2s2p³ and 2p⁴ levels of Fe  xxi are used to derive theoretical electron density ( N _e) sensitive emission-line ratios involving 2s²2p²–2s2p³ transitions in the ∼98–146Å wavelength range. A comparison of these with observations from the PLT tokamak plasma, for which the electron density has been independently determined, reveals generally very good agreement between theory and experiment, and in some instances removes discrepancies found previously. The observed Fe  xxi ratios for a solar flare, obtained with the OSO–5 satellite, imply electron densities which are consistent, with discrepancies that do not exceed 0.2 dex. In addition, the derived values of N _e are similar to those estimated for the high-temperature regions of other solar flares. The good agreement between theory and observation, in particular for the tokamak spectra, provides experimental support for the accuracy of the present line-ratio calculations, and hence for the atomic data on which they are based.     

VLA and MERLIN observations of RZ Cassiopeiae

We present radio interferometric observations of the Algol-type binary system RZ Cassiopeiae made with the VLA and MERLIN arrays at 6 cm over an incomplete orbital cycle of the system (1.195 d). We detected RZ Cas with both instruments. The images were unresolved in both cases, with angular extents comparable to the synthesized beams. The peak flux density in the VLA image was 1.14 mJy beam⁻¹ and in the MERLIN image it was 0.93 mJy beam⁻¹. The derived brightness temperatures are  4.02 × 10⁸  and  4.35 × 10⁸ K  and the effective electron energies are 0.347 and 0.346 MeV for the MERLIN and VLA data respectively. The radio light curve shows an interesting modulation centred close to the primary eclipse which seems to correlate with ASCA SIS observations of the system. The results can be interpreted as an emitting region on the outer hemisphere of the cool component aligned along the centroid axis of the binary system.     

Solar coronal heating by magnetosonic waves

Solar coronal heating by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves is investigated. ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray emission lines of the corona show non-thermal broadenings. The wave rms velocities inferred from these observations are of the order of 25–60 km s⁻¹ . Assuming that these values are not negligible, we solved MHD equations in a quasi-linear approximation, by retaining the lowest order non-linear term in rms velocity. Plasma density distribution in the solar corona is assumed to be inhomogeneous. This plasma is also assumed to be permeated by dipole-like magnetic loops. Wave propagation is considered along the magnetic field lines. As dissipative processes, only the viscosity and parallel (to the local magnetic field lines) heat conduction are assumed to be important. Two wave modes emerged from the solution of the dispersion relation. The fast mode magneto-acoustic wave, if originated from the coronal base can propagate upwards into the corona and dissipate its mechanical energy as heat. The damping length-scale of the fast mode is of the order of 500 km. The wave energy flux associated with these waves turned out to be of the order of 2.5×10⁵ ergs cm⁻² s⁻¹ which is high enough to replace the energy lost by thermal conduction to the transition region and by optically thin coronal emission. The fast magneto-acoustic waves prove to be a likely candidate to heat the solar corona. The slow mode is absent, in other words cannot propagate in the solar corona.     

Molecular hydrogen emission in Cygnus A

We present J , H and K -band spectroscopy of Cygnus A, spanning 1.0–2.4 μm in the rest-frame and hence several rovibrational H₂, H recombination and [Fe  ii ] emission lines. The lines are spatially extended by up to 6 kpc from the nucleus, but their distinct kinematics indicate that the three groups (H, H₂ and [Fe  ii ]) are not wholly produced in the same gas. The broadest line, [Fe  ii ] λ 1.644, exhibits a non-Gaussian profile with a broad base (FWHM≃1040 km s⁻¹), perhaps because of the interaction with the radio source. Extinctions to the line-emitting regions substantially exceed earlier measurements based on optical H recombination lines.
Hard X-rays from the quasar nucleus are likely to dominate the excitation of the H₂ emission. The results of Maloney, Hollenbach & Tielens are thus used to infer the total mass of gas in H₂ v=1–0 S(1)-emitting clouds as a function of radius, for gas densities of 10³ and 10⁵ cm⁻³, and stopping column densities N _H=10²²–10²⁴ cm⁻². Assuming azimuthal symmetry, at least 2.3×10⁸ M_⊙ of such material is present within 5 kpc of the nucleus, if the line-emitting clouds see an unobscured quasar spectrum. Alternatively, if the bulk of the X-ray absorption to the nucleus inferred by Ueno et al. actually arises in a circumnuclear torus, the implied gas mass rises to ∼10¹⁰ M_⊙. The latter plausibly accounts for 10⁹ yr of mass deposition from the cluster cooling flow, for which within this radius.     

XMM–Newton observations of the black hole X-ray transient XTE J1650–500 in quiescence

We report the result of an XMM–Newton observation of the black hole X-ray transient XTE J1650–500 in quiescence. The source was not detected, and we set upper limits on the 0.5–10 keV luminosity of  0.9–1.0 × 10³¹ erg s⁻¹  (for a newly derived distance of 2.6 kpc). These limits are in line with the quiescent luminosities of black hole X-ray binaries with similar orbital periods (∼7–8 h).