arXiv subjects

Alexander Lutovinov

Publications and source records attributed to Alexander Lutovinov.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

A wide-field X-ray search for the Geminga pulsar halo with SRG/ART-XC

Searches for the putative large-scale X-ray halo around the Geminga pulsar have been extensively performed using various narrow field-of-view X-ray telescopes. In this paper, we present wide-field scanning observation of Geminga with SRG/ART-XC. Our X-ray analysis provides, for the first time, direct imaging of a $3.5^\circ \times 3.5^\circ$ region in the $4-12$ keV energy band, comparable in extent to the expected Geminga emission. The ART-XC observation provides a highly uniform sky coverage without strong vignetting effects. The synchrotron X-ray halo flux was predicted using a physical model based on particle injection, diffusion, and cooling over the pulsar's lifetime, as well as the spectral and spatial properties of the synchrotron X-ray and inverse-Compton gamma-ray emissions. The model is tuned to reproduce existing multiwavelength data from X-ray upper limits and GeV to TeV gamma-ray observations. After accounting for the high particle background and its uncertainties, no significant emission is found in the assumed source region, and X-ray flux upper limits are derived. These limits are less constraining by up to a factor of three with respect to existing results obtained with narrow field-of-view telescopes and longer exposure times. Nonetheless, we place direct and independent constraints on Geminga's ambient magnetic field strength, which are compatible with other studies. Our methodology, including simulation for longer observation times, is applied for the first time to the wide field-of-view search for pulsar halos. Using extensive simulations, we also show that a 68% probability of detecting the Geminga pulsar halo can be achieved with a 20-day SRG/ART-XC exposure for a 3 $μG$ magnetic field.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

X-ray emission of the Nuclear Stellar Disk as seen by SRG/ART-XC

The Nuclear Stellar Disk (NSD), together with the Nuclear Stellar Cluster and the supermassive black hole Sgr A*, forms the central region of the Milky Way. Galactic X-ray background emission is known to be associated with the old stellar population, predominantly produced by accreting white dwarfs. In this work we characterize the X-ray emission of the Galactic Center (GC) region using wide-field observations with the ART-XC telescope on board the SRG observatory in the 4-12 keV energy band. Our analysis demonstrates that the X-ray emission of the GC at a spatial scale of a few hundred parsecs is dominated by the regularly shaped NSD aligned in the Galactic plane, and characterized by latitudinal and longitudinal scale heights of approximately 20 pc and approximately 100 pc, respectively. The measured flux, 6.8 (+0.1, -0.3) x 10^-10 erg/s/cm^2 in the 4-12 keV band, corresponds to a luminosity of 5.9 (+0.1, -0.3) x 10^36 erg/s, assuming the GC distance of 8.178 kpc. The average mass-normalized X-ray emissivity of the NSD, 5.6 (+0.5, -0.7) x 10^27 erg/s/M_sun, exceeds the corresponding value of the Galactic ridge by a factor of 3.3 (+0.4, -0.5), confirming other studies. We also perform a deprojection of the observed NSD surface brightness distribution in order to construct a three-dimensional X-ray luminosity density model, which can be directly compared to the existing 3D stellar mass models. Finally, we conclude that the spatial distribution of the X-ray emission from the NSD is consistent with the most recent stellar mass density distribution model within 30%, which suggests that this emission is dominated by unresolved point X-ray sources rather than by diffuse X-ray emission.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

SRGAJ230631.0+155633: an extremely X-ray luminous, heavily obscured, radio-loud quasar at z=0.44 discovered by SRG/ART-XC

We report on a detailed study of a luminous, heavily obscured ($N_{\rm H} \sim 2 \times 10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$), radio-loud quasar SRGAJ230631.0+155633, discovered in the 4--12 keV energy band by the Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC telescope aboard the SRG observatory during the first two years of its all-sky X-ray survey in 2020--2021. The object is located at $z=0.4389$ and is a type 2 AGN according to optical spectroscopy (SDSS, confirmed by DESI). We combine radio-to-X-ray data, including near-simultaneous ART-XC and Swift/XRT observations conducted in June 2023. During these follow-up observations, the source was found in a significantly fainter but still very luminous state ($L_{\rm X}=1.0^{+0.8}_{-0.3} \times 10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$, absorption corrected, 2--10 keV) compared to its discovery during the all-sky survey ($L_{\rm X}=6^{+6}_{-3}\times10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$), which indicates significant intrinsic variability on a rest-frame time scale of $\sim 1$ year. The radio data show a complex morphology with a core and two extended radio lobes, indicating a giant FRII radio galaxy. From multi-wavelength photometry and the black hole-bulge relation we infer a bolometric luminosity of $\sim 6\times10^{46}$ erg s$^{-1}$ and a black hole mass of $\sim1.4\times10^{9}\,M_\odot$, implying accretion at $\sim30$\% of the Eddington limit. SRGAJ230631.0+155633 proves to be one of the most luminous obscured quasars out to $z=0.5$. As such, it can serve as a valuable testbed for in-depth exploration of the physics of such objects, which were much more abundant in the younger Universe.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Spectral and temporal analysis of the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transient IGR J16195-4945 with SRG/ART-XC

We present the results of the analysis of the SRG/ART-XC observation of the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transient IGR J16195-4545 performed on March 3, 2021. Six bright flares are present in the light curve, with no significant change in hardness occuring during these flares. The spectrum is described with an absorbed power law model with a high energy exponential cutoff showing heavy absorption, with $N_H=(12\pm2)\times 10^{22}\text{ cm}^{-2}$ and $Γ=0.56\pm 0.15$, $E_{cut}=13\pm 2$ keV. Adopting the Bayesian block decomposition of the light curve, we measured the properties of the observed flares (duration, rise time, waiting time, released energy and pre-flare luminosity), which are consistent with the quasi-spherical subsonic accretion model. The stellar wind velocity of the supergiant is estimated to be $v_{w} \approx 500$ km s$^{-1}$. Additionally, the system was found to have an unusual near-IR variability.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

SRGA J181414.6-225604: A new Galactic symbiotic X-ray binary outburst triggered by an intense mass loss episode of a heavily obscured Mira variable

We present the discovery and multi-wavelength characterization of SRGA J181414.6-225604, a Galactic hard X-ray transient discovered during the ongoing SRG/ART-XC sky survey. Using data from the Palomar Gattini-IR survey, we identify a spatially and temporally coincident variable infrared (IR) source, IRAS 18111-2257, and classify it as a very late-type (M7-M8), long period ($1502 \pm 24$ days) and luminous ($M_K\approx -9.9 \pm 0.2$) O-rich Mira donor star located at a distance of $\approx 14.6^{+2.9}_{-2.3}$ kpc. Combining multi-color photometric data over the last $\approx 25$ years, we show that the IR counterpart underwent a recent (starting $\approx 800$ days before the X-ray flare) enhanced mass loss (reaching $\approx 2.1 \times 10^{-5}$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$) episode resulting in an expanding dust shell obscuring the underlying star. Multi-epoch follow-up from Swift, NICER and NuSTAR reveal a $\approx 200$ day long X-ray outburst reaching a peak luminosity of $L_X \approx 2.5 \times 10^{36}$ erg s$^{-1}$, characterized by a heavily absorbed ($N_{\rm H} \approx 6\times 10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$) X-ray spectrum consistent with an optically thick Comptonized plasma. The X-ray spectral and timing behavior suggest the presence of clumpy wind accretion together with a dense ionized nebula overabundant in silicate material surrounding the compact object. Together, we show that SRGA J181414.6-225604 is a new symbiotic X-ray binary in outburst, triggered by an intense dust formation episode of a highly evolved donor. Our results offer the first direct confirmation for the speculated connection between enhanced late-stage donor mass loss and active lifetimes of the symbiotic X-ray binaries.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

INTEGRAL/IBIS 17-yr hard X-ray all-sky survey

The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), launched in 2002, continues its successful work in observing the sky at energies E>20 keV. The legacy of the mission already includes a large number of discovered or previously poorly studied hard X-ray sources. The growing INTEGRAL archive allows one to conduct an all-sky survey including a number of deep extragalactic fields and the deepest ever hard X-ray survey of the Galaxy. Taking advantage of the data gathered over 17 years with the IBIS coded-mask telescope of INTEGRAL, we conducted survey of hard X-ray sources, providing flux information from 17 to 290 keV. The catalog includes 929 objects, 890 of which exceed a detection threshold of 4.5 sigma and the rest are detected at 4.0-4.5 sigma and belong to known cataloged hard X-ray sources. Among the identified sources of known or suspected nature, 376 are associated with the Galaxy and Magellanic clouds, including 145 low-mass and 115 high-mass X-ray binaries, 79 cataclysmic variables, and 37 of other types; and 440 are extragalactic, including 429 active galactic nuclei (AGNs), 2 ultra-luminous sources, one supernova (AT2018cow) and 8 galaxy clusters. 113 sources remain unclassified. 46 objects are detected in the hard X-ray band for the first time. The LogN-LogS distribution of 356 non-blazar AGNs is measured down to a flux of 2E-12 erg/s/cm2 and can be described by a power law with a slope of 1.44 +/- 0.09 and normalization 8E-3/deg2 at 1E-11 erg/s/cm2. The LogN-LogS distribution of unclassified sources indicates that the majority of them are of extragalactic origin.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Sgr B2 hard X-ray emission with INTEGRAL after 2009: still detectable?

Molecular cloud Sgr B2 is a natural Compton mirror in the Central Molecular Zone. An observed fading of the Sgr B2 X-ray emission in continuum and Fe K$α$ 6.4 keV line indicates, as believed, a past X-ray flare activity of the supermassive black hole Sgr A$^{\star}$. The Sgr B2 was investigated by the INTEGRAL observatory at hard X-rays in 2003-2009, showing a clear decay of its hard X-ray emission. In this work, we present a long-term time evolution of the Sgr B2 hard X-ray continuum after 2009, associated with the hard X-ray source IGR J17475-2822 as observed by INTEGRAL. The 30-80 keV sky maps, obtained in 2009-2019, demonstrate a significant excess spatially consistent with IGR J17475-2822. The observed 2003-2019 light curve of IGR J17475-2822 is characterized by a linear decrease by a factor of $\sim2$ until 2011, after which it reaches a constant level of $\sim1$ mCrab. The source spectrum above 17 keV is consistent with a power-law model with $Γ=1.4$ and a high-energy cut-off at $\sim43$ keV. The Sgr B2 residual emission after $\sim2011$ shows a good correspondence with models of the X-ray emission due to the irradiation of the molecular gas by hard X-rays and low-energy cosmic ray ions. We discuss the possible origin of the residual Sgr B2 emission after 2011 within these models, including theoretically predicted multiply-scattered emission.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Identification of SRGt 062340.2-265715 as a bright, strongly variable, novalike cataclysmic variable

We report the identification and follow-up of the transient SRG 062340.2-265715 detected with both instruments on board the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission. Optical spectroscopy of the G=12.5 counterpart firmly classifies the object as a novalike cataclysmic variable (CV) at a distance of 495 pc. A highly significant TESS period of 3.941 hours, tentatively identified with the orbital period of the binary, could not be found when the object was reobserved with TESS two years later. The newer high-cadence TESS data revealed quasi-periodic oscillations around 25 min, while ground-based photometry indicated periodic variability at 32 min. Located in very sparsely populated regions of color-magnitude diagrams involving X-ray and optical magnitudes and colors, the new object could be an X-ray underluminous magnetic CV, an intermediate polar, or an overluminous nonmagnetic CV. The lack of uniquely identified spin and orbital periods prevents a final classification. The site of X-ray production in the system, L(X, bol) = 4.8 x 10^{32} erg/s, remains to be understood given its high variability on long and short timescales.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

15 years of Galactic surveys and hard X-ray Background measurements

The INTEGRAL hard X-ray surveys have proven to be of fundamental importance. INTEGRAL has mapped the Galactic plane with its large field of view and excellent sensitivity. Such hard X-ray snapshots of the whole Milky Way on a time scale of a year are beyond the capabilities of past and current narrow-FOV grazing incidence X-ray telescopes. By expanding the INTEGRAL X-ray survey into shorter timescales, a productive search for transient X-ray emitters was made possible. In more than fifteen years of operation, the INTEGRAL observatory has given us a sharper view of the hard X-ray sky, and provided the triggers for many follow-up campaigns from radio frequencies to gamma-rays. In addition to conducting a census of hard X-ray sources across the entire sky, INTEGRAL has carried out, through Earth occultation maneuvers, unique observations of the large-scale cosmic X-ray background, which will without question be included in the annals of X-ray astronomy as one of the mission's most salient contribution to our understanding of the hard X-ray sky.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Towards a BRICS Optical Transient Network (BRICS-OTN)

This paper is based on a proposal submitted for a BRICS astronomy flagship program, which was presented at the 2019 meeting of the BRICS Astronomy Working Group, held in Rio de Janeiro from 29 September to 2 October 2019. The future prospects for the detection and study of transient phenomena in the Universe heralds a new era in time domain astronomy. The case is presented for a dedicated BRICS-wide flagship program to develop a network of ground-based optical telescopes for an all-sky survey to detect short lived optical transients and to allow follow-up of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger transient objects. This will leverage existing and planned new facilities within the BRICS countries and will also draw on the opportunities presented by other multi-wavelength space- and ground-based facilities that exist within the BRICS group. The proposed optical network would initially perform followup observations on new transients using existing telescopes. This would later expand to include a new global network of $\sim$70 wide-field 1-m telescopes which will cover the entire sky, simultaneously, with a cadence of less than a few hours. This realization would represent a ground-breaking and unique global capability, presenting many scientific opportunities and associated spin-off benefits to all BRICS countries.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2020

INTEGRAL view on Cataclysmic Variables and Symbiotic Binaries

Accreting white dwarfs (WDs) constitute a significant fraction of the hard X-ray sources detected by the INTEGRAL observatory. Most of them are magnetic Cataclysmic Variables (CVs) of the intermediate polar (IP) and polar types, but the contribution of the Nova-likes systems and the systems with optically thin boundary layers, Dwarf Novae (DNs) and Symbiotic Binaries (or Symbiotic Stars, SySs) in quiescence is also not negligible. Here we present a short review of the results obtained from the observations of cataclysmic variables and symbiotic binaries by INTEGRAL. The highlight results include the significant increase of the known IP population, determination of the WD mass for a significant fraction of IPs, the establishment of the luminosity function of magnetic CVs, and uncovering origin of the Galactic ridge X-ray emission which appears to largely be associated with hard emission from magnetic CVs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Progressive steepening of the SNR RX J1713.7-3946 X-ray spectrum from XMM-Newton to INTEGRAL

In this work, we present the first detailed analysis of the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 in the hard X-ray energy range with the IBIS coded-mask telescope on board the INTEGRAL observatory. The shell-type morphology of the entire remnant is mapped in hard X-rays for the first time and significantly detected up to 50 keV. The IBIS sky image of RX J1713.7-3946, accumulated over 14 years of operations, demonstrates two extended hard X-ray sources. These sources are spatially consistent with northwest and southwest rims of RX J1713.7-3946 and are also clearly visible at energies below 10 keV with XMM-Newton. This points to a single emission mechanism operating in soft and hard X-rays. The INTEGRAL 17-120 keV spectrum of RX J1713.7-3946 is characterized by a power-law continuum with the photon index of $Γ\approx3$, that is significantly softer than $Γ\approx2$ determined by XMM-Newton in the 1-10 keV energy range, suggesting a progressive steepening of the spectrum with the energy.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Investigating the origin of the faint non-thermal emission of the Arches cluster using the 2015-2016 NuSTAR and XMM-Newton X-ray observations

Recent NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observations of the molecular cloud around the Arches stellar cluster demonstrate a dramatic change both in morphology and intensity of its non-thermal X-ray emission, similar to that observed in many molecular clouds of the Central Molecular Zone at the Galactic Center. These variations trace the propagation of illuminating fronts, presumably induced by past flaring activities of Sgr A$^{\star}$. In this paper we present results of a long NuSTAR observation of the Arches complex in 2016, taken a year after the previous XMM+NuSTAR observations which revealed a strong decline in the cloud emission. The 2016 NuSTAR observation shows that both the non-thermal continuum emission and the Fe K$_α$ 6.4~keV line flux are consistent with the level measured in 2015. No significant variation has been detected in both spectral shape and Fe K$_α$ equivalent width EW$_{\rm 6.4\ keV}$, which may be interpreted as the intensity of the Arches non-thermal emission reaching its stationary level. At the same time, the measured 2016 non-thermal flux is not formally in disagreement with the declining trend observed in 2007-2015. Thus, we cannot assess whether the non-thermal emission has reached a stationary level in 2016, and new observations, separated by a longer time period, are needed to draw stringent conclusions. Detailed spectral analysis of three bright clumps of the Arches molecular cloud performed for the first time showed different EW$_{\rm 6.4\ keV}$ and absorption. This is a strong hint that the X-ray emission from the molecular cloud is a mix of two components with different origins.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Dramatic spectral transition of X-ray pulsar GX 304-1 in low luminous state

We report on the discovery of a dramatic change in the energy spectrum of the X-ray pulsar GX 304-1 appearing at low luminosity. Particularly, we found that the cutoff power-law spectrum typical for accreting pulsars, including GX 304-1 at higher luminosities of $L_{\rm X}\sim 10^{36} - 10^{37}$ erg s$^{-1}$, transformed at lower luminosity of $L_{\rm X}\sim 10^{34}$ erg s$^{-1}$ to a two-component spectrum peaking around 5 and 40 keV. We suggest that the observed transition corresponds to a change of the dominant mechanism responsible for the deceleration of the accretion flow. We argue that the accretion flow energy at low accretion rates is released in the atmosphere of the neutron star, and the low-energy component in the source spectrum corresponds to the thermal emission of the optically thick, heated atmospheric layers. The most plausible explanations for the high-energy component are either the cyclotron emission reprocessed by the magnetic Compton scattering or the thermal radiation of deep atmospheric layers partly Comptonized in the overheated upper layers. Alternative scenarios are also discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

New hard X-ray sources discovered in the ongoing INTEGRAL Galactic Plane survey after 14 years of observations

The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) continues to successfully work in orbit after its launch in 2002. The mission provides the deepest ever survey of hard X-ray sources throughout the Galaxy at energies above 20 keV. We report on a catalogue of new hard X-ray source candidates based on the latest sky maps comprising 14 years of data acquired with the IBIS telescope onboard INTEGRAL in the Galactic Plane (|b|<17.5 deg). The current catalogue includes in total 72 hard X-ray sources detected at S/N>4.7 sigma and not known to previous INTEGRAL surveys. Among them, 31 objects have also been detected in the on-going all-sky survey by the BAT telescope of the Swift observatory. For 26 sources on the list, we suggest possible identifications: 21 active galactic nuclei, two cataclysmic variables, two isolated pulsars or pulsar wind nebulae, and one supernova remnant; 46 sources from the catalogue remain unclassified.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Peculiarities of the Accretion Flow in the System HL CMa

The properties of the aperiodic brightness variability for the dwarf nova HL CMa are considered. The variability of the system HL CMa is shown to be suppressed at frequencies above $7\times10^{-3}$Hz. Different variability suppression mechanisms related to the radiation reprocessing time, partial disk evaporation, and characteristic variability formation time are proposed. It has been found that the variability suppression frequency does not change when the system passes from the quiescent state to the outburst one, suggesting that the accretion flow geometry is invariable. It is concluded from the optical and X-ray luminosities of the system that the boundary layer on the white dwarf surface is optically thick in both quiescent and outburst states. The latter implies that the optically thick part of the accretion flow (disk) reaches the white dwarf surface. The accretion rate in the system, the flow geometry and temperature have been estimated from the variability power spectra and spectral characteristics in a wide energy range, from the optical to X-ray.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Cutoff in the hard X-ray spectra of the ultraluminous X-ray sources HoIX X-1 and M82 X-1

Using data from the XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL observatories, we have detected a cutoff at energies above 10 keV in the X-ray spectra of the ultraluminous X-ray sources HoIX X-1 and M82 X-1. The spectra obtained can be described by a model of Comptonization of radiation in a gas cloud of moderate temperature (kT~2-3 keV) and high optical depth (tau~15-25). Such conditions can be fulfilled during supercritical accretion of matter onto a stellar-mass black hole accompanied by a strong gas outflow. The results of this work confirm the existence of a spectral state specific to ultraluminous X-ray sources, which is unlike any of the known spectral states in normal X-ray binaries.

astro-ph.HE↗