arXiv subjects

Elena Gallo

Publications and source records attributed to Elena Gallo.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

A Distinctive Disk-Jet Coupling in the Lowest-Mass Seyfert, NGC 4395

Simultaneous observations of X-rays and radio luminosities have been well studied in accreting stellar-mass black holes. These observations are performed in order to understand how mass accretion rates and jetted outflows are linked in these individual systems. Such contemporaneous studies in supermassive black holes (SMBH) are harder to perform, as viscous times scale linearly with mass. However, as NGC 4395 is the lowest known mass Seyfert galaxy, we have used it to examine the simultaneous X-ray (Swift) and radio (VLA) correlation in a SMBH in a reasonably timed observing campaign. We find that the intrinsic X-ray variability is stronger than the radio variability, and that the fluxes are only weakly or tentatively coupled, similar to prior results obtained in NGC 4051. If the corona and the base of the jet are one and the same, this may suggest that the corona in radio-quiet AGN filters disk variations, only transferring the strongest and/or most sustained variations into the jet. Further, when both NGC 4395 and NGC 4051 are placed on the stellar-mass L_X-L_R plane, they appear to reside on the steeper L_X-L_R track. This suggests that SMBHs also follow two distinct tracks just as stellar-mass black holes do, and supports the idea that the same physical disk-jet mechanisms are at play across the mass scale.

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arXiv2013

The X-ray Spectral Evolution of Galactic Black Hole X-ray Binaries Toward Quiescence

Most transient black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs) spend the bulk of their time in a quiescent state, where they accrete matter from their companion star at highly sub-Eddington luminosities (we define quiescence here as a normalized Eddington ratio l_x = L_{0.5-10 keV}}/L_{Edd} < 1e-5). Here, we present Chandra X-ray imaging spectroscopy for three BHXB systems (H 1743-322, MAXI J1659-152, and XTE J1752-223) as they fade into quiescence following an outburst. Multiple X-ray observations were taken within one month of each other, allowing us to track each individual system's X-ray spectral evolution during its decay. We compare these three systems to other BHXB systems. We confirm that quiescent BHXBs have softer X-ray spectra than low-hard state BHXBs, and that quiescent BHXB spectral properties show no dependence on the binary system's orbital parameters. However, the observed anti-correlation between X-ray photon index and l_x in the low-hard state does not continue once a BHXB enters quiescence. Instead, the photon index plateaus to an average value of 2.08+/-0.07 by the time l_x reaches approximately 1e-5. l_x~1e-5 is thus an observationally-motivated upper limit for the beginning of the quiescent spectral state. Our results are discussed in the context of different accretion flow models, and across the black hole mass scale.

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arXiv2012

On the detectability of star-planet interaction

Magnetic (or tidal) interactions between "hot Jupiters" and their host stars can potentially enhance chromospheric and coronal activity. An ideal testbed for investigating this effect is provided by the extreme WASP-18 system, which features a massive (~10 times Jupiter) close-in (~1 day period) transiting planet orbiting a young F6 star. Optical and X-ray observations of WASP-18 were conducted in November 2011. The high-resolution echelle spectrograph MIKE was used on the 6.5m Magellan Clay telescope to obtain 13 spectra spanning planetary orbital phases of 0.7-1.4, while the X-ray Telescope on Swift provided contemporaneous monitoring with a stacked exposure of ~50 ks. The cores of the Ca II H and K lines do not show significant variability over multiple orbits spanning ~8 d, in contrast to the expectation of phase-dependent chromospheric activity enhancements for efficient star-planet interaction. The star is also X-ray faint, with log Lx < 27.6 erg/s (0.3-2 keV), indicating that coronal activity is likewise low. The lack of detectable star-planet interaction in this extreme system requires that any such effect must here be transient, if indeed present. We demonstrate that searches for Ca II H and K variability can potentially mistake a stellar hotspot, if observed over a short segment of the rotation period, for planet-induced activity. Taken together, these results suggest that the utility of star-planet interaction as a robust method of estimating exoplanet magnetic field strengths may be limited.

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arXiv2012

Assessing luminosity correlations via cluster analysis: Evidence for dual tracks in the radio/X-ray domain of black hole X-ray binaries

[abridged] The radio:X-ray correlation for hard and quiescent state black hole X-ray binaries is critically investigated in this paper. New observations of known sources, along with newly discovered ones, have resulted in an increasingly large number of outliers lying well outside the scatter about the quoted best-fit relation. Here, we employ and compare state of the art data clustering techniques in order to identify and characterize different data groupings within the radio:X-ray luminosity plane for 18 hard and quiescent state black hole X-ray binaries with nearly simultaneous multi-wavelength coverage. Linear regression is then carried out on the clustered data to infer the parameters of a relationship of the form {ell}_{r}=alpha+beta {ell}_x through a Bayesian approach (where {ell} denotes log lum). We conclude that the two cluster model, with independent linear fits, is a significant improvement over fitting all points as a single cluster. While the upper track slope (0.63\pm0.03) is consistent, within the errors, with the fitted slope for the 2003 relation (0.7\pm0.1), the lower track slope (0.98\pm0.08) is not consistent with the upper track, nor it is with the widely adopted value of ~1.4 for the neutron stars. The two luminosity tracks do not reflect systematic differences in black hole spins as estimated either from reflection, or continuum fitting method. These results are insensitive to the selection of sub-samples, accuracy in the distances, and to the treatment of upper limits. Besides introducing a further level of complexity in understanding the interplay between synchrotron and Comptonised emission from black hole X-ray binaries, the existence of two tracks in the radio:X-ray domain underscores that a high level of caution must be exercised when employing black hole luminosity relations for the purpose of estimating a third parameter, such as distance or mass.

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arXiv2012

AMUSE-Field I: Nuclear X-ray Properties of Local Field and Group Spheroids across the Stellar Mass Scale

We present the first results from AMUSE-Field, a Chandra survey designed to characterize the occurrence and intensity of low-level accretion onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the center of local early-type field galaxies. This is accomplished by means of a Large Program targeting a distance-limited (<30 Mpc) sample of 103 early types spanning a wide range in stellar masses. We acquired new ACIS-S observations for 61 objects down to a limiting (0.3-10 keV) luminosity of 2.5x10^38 erg/s, and we include an additional 42 objects with archival (typically deeper) coverage. A nuclear X-ray source is detected in 52 out of the 103 galaxies. After accounting for potential contamination from low-mass X-ray binaries, we estimate that the fraction of accreting SMBHs within the sample is 45+/-7 percent, which sets a firm lower limit on the occupation fraction within the field. The measured nuclear X-ray luminosities are invariably highly sub-Eddington, with -8<log(L_X/L_Edd)<-4. As also found in a companion survey targeting Virgo early types, the active fraction increases with increasing host galaxy stellar mass, reflective of "Eddington incompleteness" within the lower-mass objects. For the Field sample, the average nuclear X-ray luminosity scales with the host stellar mass as M_star^(0.71+/-0.10), with an intrinsic scatter of 0.73+/-0.09 dex. A majority of the AMUSE-Field galaxies (78%) inhabits groups, enabling us to investigate the influence of group richness upon nuclear activity. We see no evidence for a positive correlation between nuclear X-ray luminosity, normalized to host properties, and galaxy density. Rather, while the scatter is substantial, it appears that the Eddington-scaled X-ray luminosity of group members may be slightly lower than for isolated galaxies, and that this trend continues to cluster early-types.

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arXiv2012

The role of environment in low-level active galactic nucleus activity: no evidence for cluster enhancement

We use the AMUSE-Virgo and AMUSE-Field surveys for nuclear X-ray emission in early-type galaxies to conduct a controlled comparison of low-level supermassive black hole activity within cluster and field spheroids. While both the Virgo and the Field samples feature highly sub-Eddington X-ray luminosities (log L_x/L_Edd between -8 and -4), we find that after accounting for the influence of host galaxy stellar mass, the field early-type galaxies tend toward marginally greater (0.38+/-0.14 dex) nuclear X-ray luminosities, at a given black hole mass, than their cluster counterparts. This trend is qualitatively consistent with the field black holes having access to a greater reservoir of fuel, plausibly in the form of cold gas located near the nucleus. We are able to rule out at high confidence the alternative of enhanced X-ray activity within clusters. Presuming nuclear X-ray emission correlates with the total energy and momentum output of these weakly accreting black holes, this indicates that low-level active galactic nucleus feedback is not generally stronger within typical cluster galaxies than in the field. These results confirm that for most cluster early-type galaxies (i.e., excluding brightest cluster galaxies) direct environmental effects, such as gas stripping, are more relevant in quenching star formation.

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arXiv2011

AMUSE-VIRGO. III: mid-infrared photometry of early-type galaxies and limits on obscured nuclear emission

We complete our census of low-level nuclear activity in Virgo Cluster early-type galaxies by searching for obscured emission using Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared (MIR) imaging at 24mu. Of a total sample of 95 early-type galaxies, 53 objects are detected, including 16 showing kiloparsec-scale dust in optical images. One dimensional and two dimensional surface photometry of the 37 detections without extended dust features reveals that the MIR light is more centrally concentrated than the optical light as traced by Hubble Space Telescope F850LP-band images. No such modeling was performed for the sources with dust detected in the optical images. We explore several possible sources of the MIR excess emission, including obscured nuclear emission. We find that radial metallicity gradients in the stellar population appear to be a natural and most likely explanation for the observed behavior in a majority of the sources. Alternatively, if the concentrated MIR emission were due to nuclear activity, it would imply a MIR-to-X luminosity ratio ~5-10 for the low luminosity AGN detected in X-rays by our survey. This ratio is an order of magnitude larger than that of typical low-luminosity AGN and would imply an unusual spectral energy distribution. We conclude that the black holes found by our survey in quiescent early-type galaxies in Virgo have low bolometric Eddington ratios arising from low accretion rates and/or highly radiatively inefficient accretion.

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arXiv2010

No evidence for black hole spin powering of jets in X-ray binaries

In this paper we take the reported measurements of black hole spin for black hole X-ray binaries, and compare them against measurements of jet power and speed across all accretion states in these systems. We find no evidence for any correlation between the properties of the jets and the reported spin measurements. These constraints are strongest in the hard X-ray state, which is associated with a continuous powerful jet. We are led to conclude that one or more of the following is correct: (i) the calculated jet power and speed measurements are wrong, (ii) the reported spin measurements are wrong, (iii) there is no strong dependence of the jet properties on black hole spin. In addition to this lack of observational evidence for a relation between black hole spin and jet properties in stellar mass black holes, we highlight the fact that there appear to be at least three different ways in which the jet power and/or radiative efficiency from a black hole X-ray binary may vary, two of which are certainly independent of spin because they occur in the same source on relatively short timescales, and the third which does not correlate with any reported measurements of black hole spin. We briefly discuss how these findings may impact upon interpretations of populations of active galactic nuclei in the context of black hole spin and merger history.

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arXiv2010

AMUSE-Virgo II. Down-sizing in black hole accretion

(Abridged) We complete the census of nuclear X-ray activity in 100 early type Virgo galaxies observed by the Chandra X-ray Telescope as part of the AMUSE-Virgo survey, down to a (3sigma) limiting luminosity of 3.7E+38 erg/s over 0.5-7 keV. The stellar mass distribution of the targeted sample, which is mostly composed of formally `inactive' galaxies, peaks below 1E+10 M_Sun, a regime where the very existence of nuclear super-massive black holes (SMBHs) is debated. Out of 100 objects, 32 show a nuclear X-ray source, including 6 hybrid nuclei which also host a massive nuclear cluster as visible from archival HST images. After carefully accounting for contamination from nuclear low-mass X-ray binaries based on the shape and normalization of their X-ray luminosity function, we conclude that between 24-34% of the galaxies in our sample host a X-ray active SMBH (at the 95% C.L.). This sets a firm lower limit to the black hole occupation fraction in nearby bulges within a cluster environment. At face value, the active fraction -down to our luminosity limit- is found to increase with host stellar mass. However, taking into account selection effects, we find that the average Eddington-scaled X-ray luminosity scales with black hole mass as M_BH^(-0.62^{+0.13}_{-0.12}), with an intrinsic scatter of 0.46^({+0.08}_{-0.06}) dex. This finding can be interpreted as observational evidence for `down-sizing' of black hole accretion in local early types, that is, low mass black holes shine relatively closer to their Eddington limit than higher mass objects. As a consequence, the fraction of active galaxies, defined as those above a fixed X-ray Eddington ratio, decreases with increasing black hole mass.

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arXiv2008

Resource Letter BH-2: Black Holes

This resource letter is designed to guide students, educators, and researchers through (some of) the literature on black holes. Both the physics and astrophysics of black holes are discussed. Breadth has been emphasized over depth, and review articles over primary sources. We include resources ranging from non-technical discussions appropriate for broad audiences to technical reviews of current research. Topics addressed include classification of stationary solutions, perturbations and stability of black holes, numerical simulations, collisions, the production of gravity waves, black hole thermodynamics and Hawking radiation, quantum treatments of black holes, black holes in both higher and lower dimensions, and connections to nuclear and condensed matter physics. On the astronomical end, we also cover the physics of gas accretion onto black holes, relativistic jets, gravitationally red-shifted emission lines, evidence for stellar-mass black holes in binary systems and super-massive black holes at the centers of galaxies, the quest for intermediate mass black holes, the assembly and merging history of super-massive black holes through cosmic time, and their affects on the evolution of galaxies.

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arXiv2008

Chandra detection of XTE J1650-500 in quiescence and the minimum luminosity of black hole X-ray binaries

The Galactic black hole X-ray binary XTE J1650-500 entered a quiescent regime following the decline from the 2001-2002 outburst that led to its discovery. Here we report on the first detection of its quiescent counterpart in a 36 ks observation taken in 2007 July with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The inferred 0.5-10 keV unabsorbed flux is in the range 2.5-5.0x1e-15 erg/s/cm^2. Notwithstanding large distance uncertainties, the measured luminosity is comparable to that of the faintest detected black hole X-ray binaries, all having orbital periods close to the expected bifurcation period between j- and n-driven low-mass X-ray binaries. This suggests that a few 1e30 erg/s might be a limiting luminosity value for quiescent black holes.

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arXiv2008

Multi-wavelength observations of jets at high and low X-ray luminosities

I shall briefly review the observational properties of radio-emitting jets from Galactic X-ray binaries in relation with other wavebands: infrared, optical and X-ray. Special attention is paid to recent results obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope on quiescent black holes as well as ultra-compact neutron star X-ray binaries

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arXiv2008

AMUSE-Virgo I. Super-massive black holes in low-mass spheroids

We present the first results from the AGN Multiwavelength Survey of Early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster (AMUSE-Virgo). This large program targets 100 early-type galaxies with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer on board the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Multi-band Imaging Photometer on board the Spitzer Space Telescope, with the aim of providing an unbiased census of low-level super-massive black hole (SMBH) activity in the local universe. Here we report on the Chandra observations of the first 16 targets, and combine them with results from archival data of another, typically more massive, 16 targets. Point-like X-ray emission from a position coincident with the optical nucleus is detected in 50% of the galaxies (down to our completeness limit of ~4E+38 erg/sec). Two of the X-ray nuclei are hosted by galaxies (VCC1178=N4464 and VCC1297=N4486B) with absolute B magnitudes fainter than -18, where nuclear star clusters are known to become increasingly common. After carefully accounting for possible contamination from low mass X-ray binaries, we argue that the detected nuclear X-ray sources are most likely powered by low-level accretion on to a SMBH, with a <11% chance contamination in VCC1178, where a star cluster is barely resolvable in archival Hubble Space Telescope images. Based on black hole mass estimates from the global properties of the host galaxies, all the detected nuclei are highly sub-Eddington, with luminosities in the range -8.4<log(L_0.3-10keV/L_Edd)<-5.9. The incidence of nuclear X-ray activity increases with the stellar mass M_star of the host galaxy: only between 3-44% of the galaxies with M_star<1E+10 M_Sun harbor an X-ray active SMBH. The fraction rises to between 49-87% in galaxies with stellar mass above 1E+10 M_Sun (at the 95% confidence level).

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arXiv2007

Galactic X-ray binary jets

With their relatively fast variability time-scales, Galactic X-ray binaries provide an excellent laboratory to explore the physics of accretion and related phenomena, most notably outflows, over different regimes. After comparing the phenomenology of jets in black hole X-ray binary systems to that of neutron stars, here I discuss the role of the jet at very low Eddington ratios, and present preliminary results obtained by fitting the broadband spectral energy distribution of a quiescent black hole binary with a `maximally jet-dominated' model.

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arXiv2007

Jets from the faintest black holes

The question whether quiescent black hole X-ray binaries are capable of powering relativistic outflows is addressed by means of simultaneous radio/X-ray observations of a nearby system steadily emitting X-rays below 1e-8 times the Eddington luminosity. The robust detection of a radio counterpart suggests that a synchrotron emitting outflow is being powered by this system, even though its degree of collimation remains unknown, and hard to investigate. With the inclusion of the A0620-00 data, the non linear radio/X-ray correlation for hard state black hole X-ray binaries appears to hold down to very low quiescent luminosities. However, an increasing number of outliers is being found at higher luminosities, questioning the universality of such correlation, or at least its normalization.

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arXiv2006

Radio emission and jets from Galactic microquasars

Thanks to aggressive campaigns of multi-wavelength observations of X-ray binaries in outbursts over the last decade or so, we have now reached a reasonable understanding of their radio phenomenology in response to changes in the global X-ray properties. Here I shall subjectively review the latest progresses made in assessing the interplay between inflow and outflow from an observational point of view, as well as point out a number of open issues that still need to be addressed both theoretically and observationally.

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arXiv2006

Jet-powered optical nebulae from X-ray binaries

Accreting black holes and neutron stars release an unknown fraction of the infalling particles and energy in the form of collimated jets. The jets themselves are radiatively inefficient, but their power can be constrained by observing their interaction with the surrounding environment. Here we present observations of X-ray binary jet-ISM interactions which produce optical line emission, using the ESO/MPI 2.2m and Isaac Newton Telescopes. We constrain the time-averaged power of the Cyg X-1 jet-powered nebula, and present a number of new candidate nebulae discovered. Comparisons are made to the large scale lobes of extragalactic AGN. We also speculate that some emission line emitters close to X-ray binaries in M31 are likely to be microquasar jet-powered nebulae.

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arXiv2006

RXTE observations of the first transient Z source XTE J1701-462: shedding new light on mass accretion in luminous neutron star LMXBs

(Abridged) We report on ten weeks of RXTE observations of the X-ray transient XTE J1701-462. Comparisons with other sources suggest it had all the characteristics of the neutron star Z sources (the brightest persistent neutron star LMXBs). These include Z tracks in X-ray color diagrams and typical variability components detected in the power spectra. XTE J1701-462 is the first transient Z source and provides unique insights into mass accretion rate (Mdot) and luminosity dependencies in neutron star LMXBs. As its overall luminosity decreased, we observed a switch between two types of Z-source behavior, with most of the branches of the Z-track changing their shape and/or orientation. We interpret this switch as an extreme case of the longterm changes seen in the persistent Z sources and suggest that these result from changes in Mdot. We also suggest that the Cyg-like Z sources (Cyg X-2, GX 5-1, and GX 340+0) might be more luminous (> 50%) than the Sco-like Z sources (Sco X-1, GX 17+2, and GX 349+2). Adopting a possible explanation for the behavior of kHz QPOs, which involves a prompt as well as a filtered response to changes in Mdot, we propose that changes in Mdot can explain both movement along the Z track and changes in the shape of the Z track. We discuss some consequences of this and consider the possibility that the branches of the Z will evolve into the branches observed in the X-ray color diagrams of the less luminous atoll sources, but not in a way that was previously suggested.

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