A large radio nebula around P Cygni

We present a large set of radio observations of the luminous blue variable P Cygni. These include two 6-cm images obtained with MERLIN which spatially resolve the 6-cm photosphere, monitoring observations obtained at Jodrell Bank every few days over a period of two months, and VLA observations obtained every month for seven years. This combination of data shows that the circumstellar environment of P Cyg is highly inhomogeneous, that there is a radio nebula extending to almost an arcminute from the star at 2 and 6 cm, and that the radio emission is variable on a time-scale no longer than one month, and probably as short as a few days. This short-time-scale variability is difficult to explain. We present a model for the radio emission with which we demonstrate that the star has probably been losing mass at a significant rate for at least a few thousand years, and that it has undergone at least two major outbursts of increased mass loss during the past two millenia.     

Radio and X-ray observations of an exceptional radio flare in the extreme z= 4.72 blazar GB B1428+4217

We report on the extreme behaviour of the high-redshift blazar GB B1428+4217 at   z = 4.72  . A continued programme of radio measurements has revealed an exceptional flare in the light curve, with the 15.2-GHz flux density rising by a factor of ∼3 from ∼140 to ∼430  mJy in a rest-frame time-scale of only ∼4 months – much larger than any previous flares observed in this source. In addition to new measurements of the 1.4–43  GHz radio spectrum, we also present the analysis and results of a target-of-opportunity X-ray observation using XMM–Newton , made close to the peak in radio flux. Although the X-ray data do not show a flare in the high-energy light curve, we are able to confirm the X-ray spectral variability hinted at in previous observations. GB B1428+4217 is one of several high-redshift radio-loud quasars that display a low-energy break in the X-ray spectrum, probably due to the presence of excess absorption in the source. X-ray spectral analysis of the latest XMM–Newton data is shown to be consistent with the warm-absorption scenario which we have hypothesized previously. Warm absorption is also consistent with the observed X-ray spectral variability of the source, in which the spectral changes can be successfully accounted-for with a fixed column density of material in which the ionization state is correlated with hardness of the underlying power-law emission.     

Episodic absorption in the outflow of the old nova V603 Aquilae

We report on the time-dependent behaviour of ultraviolet spectral lines in Hubble Space Telescope Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph data of the classical nova V603 Aql. In particular, episodic blueshifted absorption (extending to ∼−2500 km s⁻¹) is present, with a variability time-scale down to ∼1 min. The data provide a rare opportunity to study the rapid evolution of absorption structures that may be associated with accretion-disc winds in cataclysmic variables. At least three absorption events are recorded (at blueward velocities only) over ∼5 h, each lasting ∼10–15 min. The derived velocity, acceleration and optical depth properties provide an empirical picture of stochastically variable structures in the outflow, with no evidence for short-term (less than ∼1 h) cyclic or modulated behaviour in the overall absorption properties. In contrast, the emission components of the ultraviolet resonance lines are very stable in velocity and strength in this low-inclination system. On at least two occasions there is an intriguing short-term 'flare' in the ultraviolet continuum flux (of up to ∼40 per cent). Though there is no clear one-to-one relation in these data between the continuum fluctuations and the occurrence of the absorption events, the time-scales for the two variable phenomena are essentially the same. The irregular absorption episodes in the ultraviolet data of V603 Aql presently defy a clear physical interpretation. Their overall characteristics are discussed in the context of instabilities in radiation-pressure-driven disc winds.     

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.     

A high-frequency radio continuum study of massive young stellar objects

We present high-resolution observations made with the Very Large Array (VLA) in its A configuration at frequencies between 5 and 43 GHz of a sample of five massive young stellar objects (YSOs): Lk Hα101, NGC 2024-IRS2, S106-IR, W75N and S140-IRS1. The resolution varied from 0.04 arcsec (at 43 GHz) to 0.5 arcsec (at 5 GHz), corresponding to a linear resolution as high as 17 au for our nearest source. A MERLIN observation of S106-IR at 23 GHz with 0.03-arcsec resolution is also presented. S106-IR and S140-IRS1 are elongated at 43 GHz perpendicular to their large-scale bipolar outflows. This confirms the equatorial wind picture for these sources seen previously in MERLIN 5-GHz observations. The other sources are marginally resolved at 43 GHz. The spectral indices we derive for the sources in our sample range from +0.2 to +0.8, generally consistent with ionized stellar winds. We have modelled our sources as uniform, isothermal spherical winds, with Lk Hα101 and NGC 2024-IRS2 yielding the best fits. However, in all cases our fits give wind temperatures of only 2000–5000 K, much less than the effective temperatures of main-sequence stars of the same luminosity, a result which is likely due to the clumpy nature of the winds.     

ROSAT All-Sky Survey X-ray and EUV observations of YY Gem and AU Mic

Simultaneous X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) ( ROSAT XRT and WFC All-Sky Survey) observations of the highly active dMe flare stars YY Gem and AU Mic show that the two stars displayed an unusual type of flaring behaviour. We detect several X-ray and EUV flares superimposed on an enhanced and smoothly varying quiescent background. The two large impulsive-type X-ray flares on YY Gem reach peak X-ray luminosities of     and we estimate that they had similar integrated luminosities (∼6–8×10³³ erg). AU Mic also produced several X-ray and EUV flares, with one very impulsive flare producing a 10-fold increase in XRT count rate. This flare was even larger than the YY Gem flares (peak L _X of     and integrated L _X of    
The     ratio for both stars is at the 'saturation' limit found in rapidly rotating dwarfs and the most active RS CVn stars. We suggest that the gradually varying components are the result of a period of continuous, unresolved flaring activity. Alternatively, they may be the result of the emergence and subsequent decay of a new magnetic active region on the stellar surface of these stars.     

Short‐period line profile variations in the Be star μ Centauri

We present new intensive photometric observations of the Be star μ Cen for several seasons which support a period close to 1 d. We also present high‐resolution spectroscopic data consisting of 302 spectra in 1999 and 864 spectra in 2000, all obtained within a two‐week observing run in each season. We use stacked grey-scale plots of spectra, from which the mean line profile has been removed, to examine the profile variations. We find that most nights show one residual absorption feature, moving from blue to red, visible in all helium and metal lines and also clearly visible in H α and other lines formed in the circumstellar environment. We therefore conclude that this feature is of circumstellar origin. In addition, a residual absorption feature moving from red to blue is sometimes seen at irregular intervals. We find that the residual absorption feature frequently strays outside the projected rotational velocity limit and that on occasions it remains well within this limit. The radial velocity data reproduce only two of the six frequencies previously found in the star. We point out that this by no means implies that the star is a multiperiodic, non-radial pulsator. Photometric data obtained over several seasons indicate a period very close to 1 d and not the 0.5-d period found from the radial velocities. We describe an outburst which occurred during the run and which resulted in increased H α emission two nights later. It is clear that outbursts in Be stars are localized events and that the gas released by outbursts is probably responsible for localized increased absorption, resulting in periodic light and line profile variations.     

A study of X-ray flares – I. Active late-type dwarfs

We present temporal and spectral characteristics of X-ray flares observed from six late-type G–K active dwarfs (V368 Cep, XI Boo, IM Vir, V471 Tau, CC Eri and EP Eri) using data from observations with the XMM–Newton observatory. All the stars were found to be flaring frequently and altogether a total of 17 flares were detected above the 'quiescent' state X-ray emission which varied from 0.5 to  8.3 × 10²⁹ erg s⁻¹  . The largest flare was observed in a low-activity dwarf XI Boo with a decay time of 10 ks and ratio of peak flare luminosity to 'quiescent' state luminosity of 2. We have studied the spectral changes during the flares by using colour–colour diagram and by detailed spectral analysis during the temporal evolution of the flares. The exponential decay of the X-ray light curves, and time evolution of the plasma temperature and emission measure are similar to those observed in compact solar flares. We have derived the semiloop lengths of flares based on the hydrodynamic flare model. The size of the flaring loops is found to be less than the stellar radius. The hydrodynamic flare decay analysis indicates the presence of sustained heating during the decay of most flares.     

Spectral evolution of magnetic flares and time lags in accreting black hole sources

We present a model for the short time-scale spectral variability of accreting black holes. It describes the time-averaged spectra well, and also temporal characteristics such as the power-density spectrum, time/phase lags, and coherence function of Cygnus X-1. We assume that X/ γ -rays are produced in compact magnetic flares at radii ≲100 GM c ² from the central black hole. The tendency for magnetic loops to inflate and detach from the underlying accretion disc causes the spectrum of a flare to evolve from soft to hard because of the decrease of the feedback from the cold disc, so causing time delays between hard and soft photons. We identify the observed time lags with the evolution time-scales of the flares, which are of the order of the Keplerian time-scale. We model the overall temporal variability using a pulse avalanche model in which each flare has a certain probability of triggering a neighbouring flare, thus occasionally producing long avalanches. The duration of the avalanches determines the Fourier frequencies at which most of the power emerges.     

Multiperiodic variations in the last 104-yr light curve of the symbiotic star BF Cyg

We analyse a light curve (LC) of the symbiotic star BF Cyg, covering 114 yr of its photometric history. The star had a major outburst around the year 1894. Since then the mean optical brightness of the system is in steady decline, reaching only in the last few years its pre-outburst value. Superposed on this general decline are some six less intense outbursts of 1–2 mag and duration of 2000–5000 d. We find a cycle of 6376 d, or possibly twice this period, in the occurrence of these outbursts. We suggest that the origin of the system outbursts is in some magnetic cycle in the outer layers of the giant star of the system, akin to the less intense 8000-d magnetic cycle of our Sun. We further find, that in addition to its well-known binary period of 757.3 d, BF Cyg possesses also another photometric period of 798.8 d. This could be the rotation period of the giant star of the system. If it is, the beat period of these two periodicities, 14 580 d, is the rotation period of a tidal wave on the surface of the giant. A fourth period of 4436 d, the beat period of the 14 580-d and the 6376-d cycles is possibly also present in the LC. We predict that BF Cyg will be at the peak of its next outburst around the month of May in the year 2007. The newly discovered 798.8-d period explains the disappearance of the orbital modulation at some epochs in the LC. The 757.3-d oscillations will be damped again around the year 2013.     

Extensive serendipitous X-ray coverage of a flare star with ROSAT

We report the serendipitous discovery of a flare star observed with the ROSAT X-ray observatory. From optical spectra, which show strong and variable emission lines of the hydrogen Balmer series and neutral helium, we classify this object as a M3.0Ve star, and estimate a distance of 52 pc from published photometry. Owing to the close proximity of the star (13.6 arcmin) to the calibration source and RS CVn binary AR Lacertae, long-term X-ray coverage is available in the ROSAT archive (∼50 h spanning 6.5 yr). Two large flare events occurred early in the mission (1990 June–July), and the end of a third flare was detected in 1996 June. One flare, observed with the Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC), had a peak luminosity L _X=1.1×10³⁰ erg s⁻¹, an e-folding rise time of 2.2 h and a decay time of 7 h. This decay time is one of the longest detected on a dMe star, providing evidence for the possibility of additional heating during the decay phase. A large High Resolution Imager (HRI) flare (peak L _X=2.9×10³⁰ erg s⁻¹) is also studied. The 'background' X-ray emission is also variable – evidence for low-level flaring or microflaring. We find that 59 per cent of the HRI counts and 68 per cent of the PSPC counts are caused by flares. At least 41 per cent of the HRI exposure time and 47 per cent of the PSPC are affected by detectable flare enhancement.     

Contamination and exclusion in the σ Orionis young group

We present radial velocities for 38 low-mass candidate members of the σ Orionis young group. We have measured their radial velocities by cross-correlation of high-resolution  ( R ≈ 6000) AF2/Wide  Field Fibre Optical Spectrograph (WYFFOS) spectra of the gravity-sensitive Na  i doublet at 8183, 8195 Å. The total sample contained 117 objects, of which 54 have sufficient signal-to-noise ratio to detect Na  i at an equivalent width of 3 Å; however, we only detect Na  i in 38 of these. This implies that very low-mass members of this young group display weaker Na  i absorption than similarly aged objects in the Upper Scorpius OB association. We develop a technique to assess membership using radial velocities with a range of uncertainties that does not bias the selection when large uncertainties are present. The resulting membership probabilities are used to assess the issue of exclusion in photometric selections, and we find that very few members are likely to be excluded by such techniques. We also assess the level of contamination in the expected pre-main-sequence region of colour–magnitude space brighter than   I = 17  . We find that contamination by non-members in the expected pre-main-sequence region of the colour–magnitude diagram is small. We conclude that although radial velocity alone is insufficient to confirm membership, high signal-to-noise ratio observations of the Na  i doublet provide the opportunity to use the strength of Na  i absorption in concert with radial velocities to asses membership down to the lowest masses, where lithium absorption no longer distinguishes youth.     

Periodicities in the high-mass X-ray binary system RX J0146.9+6121/LS I+61°235

The high-mass X-ray binary RX J0146.9+6121, with optical counterpart LS I+61°235 (V831 Cas), is an intriguing system on the outskirts of the open cluster NGC 663. It contains the slowest Be type X-ray pulsar known with a pulse period of around 1400 s and, primarily from the study of variation in the emission line profile of Hα, it is known to have a Be decretion disc with a one-armed density wave period of approximately 1240 d. Here we present the results of an extensive photometric campaign, supplemented with optical spectroscopy, aimed at measuring short time-scale periodicities. We find three significant periodicities in the photometric data at, in order of statistical significance, 0.34, 0.67 and 0.10 d. We give arguments to support the interpretation that the 0.34 and 0.10 d periods could be due to stellar oscillations of the B-type primary star and that the 0.67 d period is the spin period of the Be star with a spin axis inclination of  23⁺¹⁰₋₈  degrees. We measured a systemic velocity of  −37.0 ± 4.3 km s⁻¹  confirming that LS I+61°235 has a high probability of membership in the young cluster NGC 663 from which the system's age can be estimated as 20–25 Myr. From archival RXTE All Sky Monitor (ASM) data we further find 'super' X-ray outbursts roughly every 450 d. If these super outbursts are caused by the alignment of the compact star with the one-armed decretion disc enhancement, then the orbital period is approximately 330 d.     

Initial low/hard state, multiple jet ejections and X-ray/radio correlations during the outburst of XTE J1859+226

We have studied the 1999 soft X-ray transient outburst of XTE J1859+226 at radio and X-ray wavelengths. The event was characterized by strong variability in the disc, corona and jet – in particular, a number of radio flares (ejections) took place and seemed well-correlated with hard X-ray events. Apparently unusual for the canonical 'soft' X-ray transient, there was an initial period of low/hard state behaviour during the rise from quiescence but prior to the peak of the main outburst – we show that not only could this initial low/hard state be a ubiquitous feature of soft X-ray transient outbursts, but also it could be extremely important in our study of outburst mechanisms.     

The broad-band noise characteristics of selected anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma-ray repeaters

We present the broad-band noise structure of selected anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) in the 2–60 keV energy band. We have analysed Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Proportional Counter Array archival light curves for four AXPs and one SGR. We detect that the persistent emission of these sources shows band-limited noise at low frequencies in the range 0.005–0.05 Hz varying from 2.5 to 70 per cent integrated rms in times of prolonged quiescence and following outbursts. We discovered band-limited red noise in 1E 2259+586 only for ∼2 yr after its major 2002 outburst. The system shows no broad-band noise otherwise. Although this rise in noise in 1E 2259+586 occurred following an outburst which included a rotational glitch, the other glitching AXPs showed no obvious change in broad-band noise, thus it does not seem that this noise is correlated with glitches. The only source that showed significant variation in broad-band noise was 1E   1048.1−5937  , where the noise gradually rose for 1.95 yr at a rate of ∼3.6 per cent per year. For this source the increases in broad-band noise was not correlated with the large increases in persistent and pulsed flux, or its two short SGR-like bursts. This rise in noise did commence after a long burst, however, given the sparsity of this event, and the possibility that similar bursts went unnoticed the trigger for the rise is noise in 1E   1048.1−5937  is not as clear as for 1E 2259+586. The other three sources indicate a persistent band-limited noise at low levels in comparison.     

Short-period line profile and light variations in the Be star λ Eridani

We present three seasons of photometric observations and one season of intensive high-dispersion spectroscopic observations of the Be star λ Eridani. We show that only one period,   P =0.70173 d  , is present in the photometry, although there are large light amplitude variations from season to season. We confirm a suspicion that light outbursts repeat at intervals of about 475 d. A total of 348 echelle spectra of the star were obtained over a 2-week observing run. We show that the periodic variations are present in the emission wings of the helium lines, in the emission wings of the H α line and in the absorption cores of H β and H γ . Together with the fact that the periodic variations appear outside the projected rotational velocity limit, this indicates that they are associated with circumstellar material immediately above the photosphere and supports the idea of corotating gas clouds. We present evidence in support of a true rotational period of  2 P =1.40346 d  and suggest that the mass loss in Be stars is caused by centrifugal magnetic acceleration.     

The mass and radius of the M dwarf companion to GD 448

We present spectroscopy and photometry of GD 448, a detached white dwarf – M dwarf binary with a period of 2.47 h. We find that the Na  I  8200-Å feature is composed of narrow emission lines, owing to irradiation of the M dwarf by the white dwarf, within broad absorption lines that are essentially unaffected by heating. Combined with an improved spectroscopic orbit and gravitational redshift measurement from spectra of the Hα line, we are able to derive masses for the white dwarf and M dwarf directly (0.41 ± 0.01 and 0.096 ± 0.004 M_⊙, respectively). We use a simple model of the Ca II emission lines to establish the radius of the M dwarf assuming the emission from its surface to be proportional to the incident flux per unit area from the white dwarf. The radius derived is 0.125 ± 0.020 R_⊙. The M dwarf appears to be a normal main-sequence star in terms of its mass and radius, and is less than half the size of its Roche lobe. The thermal time-scale of the M dwarf is much longer than the cooling age of the white dwarf, so we conclude that the M dwarf was unaffected by the common-envelope phase. The anomalous width of the Hα emission from the M dwarf remains to be explained, but the strength of the line may be due to X-ray heating of the M dwarf owing to accretion on to the white dwarf from the M dwarf wind.     

Short time-scale variability in the Faint Sky Variability Survey

We present the V -band variability analysis of the point sources in the Faint Sky Variability Survey on time-scales from 24 min to tens of days. We find that about one per cent of the point sources down to   V = 24  are variables. We discuss the variability-detection probabilities for each field depending on field sampling, amplitude and time-scale of the variability. The combination of colour and variability information allows us to explore the fraction of variable sources for different spectral types. We find that about 50 per cent of the variables show variability time-scales shorter than 6 h. The total number of variables is dominated by main-sequence sources. The distribution of variables with spectral type is fairly constant along the main sequence, with 1 per cent of the sources being variable, except at the blue end of the main sequence, between spectral types F0 and F5, where the fraction of variable sources increases to about 2 per cent. For bluer sources, above the main sequence, this percentage increases to about 3.5. We find that the combination of the sampling and the number of observations allows us to determine the variability time-scales and amplitudes for a maximum of 40 per cent of the variables found. About a third of the total number of short time-scale variables found in the survey were not detected in either B or/and I band. These show a similar variability time-scale distribution to that found for the variables detected in all three bands.     

Multiple flaring activity in the supergiant fast X-ray transient IGR J08408−4503 observed with Swift

IGR  J08408−4503  is a supergiant fast X–ray transient discovered in 2006 with a confirmed association with a O8.5Ib(f) supergiant star, HD 74194. We report on the analysis of two outbursts caught by Swift /Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on 2006 October 4 and 2008 July 5, and followed up at softer energies with Swift /X-ray Telescope (XRT). The 2008 XRT light curve shows a multiple-peaked structure with an initial bright flare that reached a flux of  ∼10⁻⁹ erg cm⁻² s⁻¹  (2–10 keV), followed by two equally bright flares within 75 ks. The spectral characteristics of the flares differ dramatically, with most of the difference, as derived via time-resolved spectroscopy, being due to absorbing column variations. We observe a gradual decrease in the N _H, derived with a fit using absorbed power-law model, as time passes. We interpret these N _H variations as due to an ionization effect produced by the first flare, resulting in a significant decrease in the measured column density towards the source. The durations of the flares as well as the times of the outbursts suggest that the orbital period is ∼35 d, if the flaring activity is interpreted within the framework of the Sidoli et al. model with the outbursts triggered by the neutron star passage inside an equatorial wind inclined with respect to the orbital plane.     

Swift observations of GW Lib: a unique insight into a rare outburst

The second known outburst of the WZ Sge type dwarf nova GW Lib was observed in 2007 April. We have obtained unique multiwavelength data of this outburst which lasted ∼26 days. The American Association of Variable Star Observers ( AAVSO ) recorded the outburst in the optical, which was also monitored by Wide Angle Search for Planets , with a peak V magnitude of ∼8. The outburst was followed in the ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths by the Swift ultraviolet/optical and X-ray telescopes. The X-ray flux at optical maximum was found to be three orders of magnitude above the pre-outburst quiescent level, whereas X-rays are normally suppressed during dwarf nova outbursts. A distinct supersoft X-ray component was also detected at optical maximum, which probably arises from an optically thick boundary layer. Follow-up Swift observations taken 1 and 2 years after the outburst show that the post-outburst quiescent X-ray flux remains an order of magnitude higher than the pre-outburst flux. The long interoutburst time-scale of GW Lib with no observed normal outbursts support the idea that the inner disc in GW Lib is evacuated or the disc viscosity is very low.