Cygnus X-3 with ISO: investigating the wind

We have observed the energetic binary Cygnus X-3 in both quiescent and flaring states between 4 and 16 μm using the ISO satellite. We find that the quiescent source shows the thermal free–free spectrum typical of a hot, fast stellar wind, such as from a massive helium star. The quiescent mass-loss rate arising from a spherically symmetric, non-accelerating wind is found to be in the range (0.4–2.9)×10⁻⁴ M_⊙ yr⁻¹, consistent with other infrared and radio observations, but considerably larger than the 10⁻⁵ M_⊙ yr⁻¹ deduced from both the orbital change and the X-ray column density. There is rapid, large-amplitude flaring at 4.5 and 11.5 μm at the same time as enhanced radio and X-ray activity, with the infrared spectrum apparently becoming flatter in the flaring state. We believe that non-thermal processes are operating, perhaps along with enhanced thermal emission.     

The additional radiation of Cyg X-1 at primary minimum

New UBV-photoelectric observations of the well-known massive X-ray binary system Cyg X-1/V 1357 Cyg are obtained near the primary minimum. The detailed analysis of these observations confirms the existence of additional blue radiation which appears as a narrow peak with an amplitude of 0.01–0.02 mag near phase 0.00 on the light curve (the superior conjunction of the relativistic component), firstly detected by Lyuty (1985). This emission does not appear at every orbital cycle. The appearance of this narrow peak of additional blue radiation on the light curve of Cyg X-1 can be explained as the radiation of relativistic electrons in the disturbed magnetic field of the optical star in frames of the model proposed by Ikhsanov and Fabrika (1990).     

TBP－（X－5）反相色谱分离m－NPF分光光度法测定铀

本文研究了以磷酸三丁酯为固定相，大孔聚乙烯苯（Ｘ－５型）为担体的浸渍树脂、垂直型反相色谱柱，对铀分离富集的基本性能，以及铀（Ⅳ）－间硝基苯基萤光酮（ｍ－ＮＰＦ）一氨三乙酸（ＮＴＡ）－吐温－８０显色体系的反应条件，提出了ＴＢＰ（Ｘ－５）分离，ｍ－ＮＰＦ－ＮＴＡ－吐温－８０光度法测定铀，经标准样品验证，结果满意。     

拜城县黑英山霞石正长岩矿物学特征研究

霞石正长岩是重要的炼铝资源和陶瓷、玻璃原料。文中利用扫描电镜、X衍射、红外线、电子探针等,综合分析方法对黑英山霞石正长岩的矿物学特征作了详细研究。着重描述了岩石的矿物组合、矿物生成及变化特征。对主要矿物进行了化学成分及X衍射分析,测得霞石成分:SiO_243.66％,Al_2O_330.97％,K_2O4.23％,Na_2O18.46％(Na_2O高于其它地区的霞石)。根据霞石单矿物实测成分计算出其晶体化学分子式为:(K_(0.525)Na_(3.528)Ca_(0.012))_(4.065)[Cr_(0.010)Al-(3.559)Mg_(0.009)Fe_(0.054)Mn_(0.012)Ti_(0.008)Si_(4.258)O_(16)];测得霞石的主要X衍射d值为:0.302～0.303,0.386～0.389,0.1388～0.1391(nm)。测得微斜长石的成分:SiO_264.82％,Al_2O_319.68％,K_2O11.77％,Na_2O2.30％,求得其三斜度△=0.83～1.00,属低微斜长石。通过霞石正长岩中钾长石与霞石矿物中对K原子分配值计算和作图,解得矿物生成温度为400～500℃。测得岩石中的钠长石主要为低钠长石,属后期交代矿物。     

低质量X射线双星的毫秒级准周期信号——最近的进展

最近对低质量X射线双星中的千赫兹准周期振动的研究表明 ,是辐射压力 ,而不是盘和磁球的相互作用以及处于盘内边界的广义相对论效应在短时标的盘切断机制上起作用。本文给出了一些研究结果及讨论。     

The search for hot spots associated with the Cygnus X-3 relativistic jet

We report and shortly discuss here the observational work carried out in order to test the possibility that two previously detected radio sources, in the vicinity of the well known microquasar Cygnus X-3, could be hot spot tracers of interaction between its relativistic jet and the interstellar medium (ISM). The motivation behind this search is in part justified considering recent theoretical models of high energy γ-ray emission which strongly rely on the interaction sites of galactic relativistic jets with nearby ISM clouds. The results presented in this paper include an improved radio exploration of the several arc-minute field around Cygnus X-3 using the Very Large Array (VLA), as well as deep near infrared (NIR) imaging with the Calar Alto 3.5 m telescope. We anticipate here that our observations do not appear to support the initial hot spot hypothesis. Instead, the resulting images suggest that the two radio sources, originally believed to be hot spot candidates, are most likely background or foreground objects.     

New INTEGRAL sources and TeV emission

INTEGRAL is operational since more than three years and producing high quality data that allows to detect fainter new hard X-ray sources. The new sources, identified until now, are mostly active galactic nuclei and absorbed or transient high mass X-ray binaries. TeV emission could be expected from the new high mass X-ray binaries accreting dense clumps of stellar wind. INTEGRAL sources with TeV counterparts are discussed. Based on observations with INTEGRAL, an ESA project with instruments and science data centre funded by ESA member states (especially the PI countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain), Czech Republic and Poland, and with the participation of Russia and the USA.     

An ultraluminous X-ray microquasar in NGC 5408?

We studied the radio source associated with the ultraluminous X-ray source in NGC 5408  ( L _X≈ 10⁴⁰ erg s⁻¹)  . The radio spectrum is steep (index  ≈−1  ), consistent with optically thin synchrotron emission, not with flat-spectrum core emission. Its flux density (≈0.28 mJy at 4.8 GHz, at a distance of 4.8 Mpc) was the same in the March 2000 and December 2004 observations, suggesting steady emission rather than a transient outburst. However, it is orders of magnitude higher than expected from steady jets in stellar-mass microquasar. Based on its radio flux and spectral index, we suggest that the radio source is either an unusually bright supernova remnant, or, more likely, a radio lobe powered by a jet from the black hole (BH). Moreover, there is speculative evidence that the source is marginally resolved with a radius ∼30 pc. A faint H  ii region of similar size appears to coincide with the radio and X-ray sources, but its ionization mechanism remains unclear. Using a self-similar solution for the expansion of a jet-powered electron–positron plasma bubble, in the minimum-energy approximation, we show that the observed flux and (speculative) size are consistent with an average jet power  ≈ 7 × 10³⁸ erg s⁻¹∼ 0.1 L _X∼ 0.1 L _Edd  , an age ≈10⁵ yr, a current velocity of expansion ≈80 km s⁻¹. We briefly discuss the importance of this source as a key to understand the balance between luminosity and jet power in accreting BHs.