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F. Haardt

Publications and source records attributed to F. Haardt.

86 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

A Long Observation of NGC 5548 by BeppoSAX: the High Energy Cut-off, Intrinsic Spectral Variability and a Truly Warm Absorber

NGC 5548 was observed by BeppoSAX in a single long (8 day) observation from 0.2 to 200 keV. We find (1) the spectral variation of the source is produced by a change of the intrinsic power law slope; (2) a high energy cut-off at $E_c= 115^{+39}_{-27}$ keV with a hint of change of $E_c$ with flux; (3) OVII and OVIII absorption K edges, and a possible blended OVII-OVIII K$α,β$ emission feature at $0.54^{+0.07}_{-0.06}$ keV, inconsistent with a purely photoionized gas in equilibrium. We propose that the temperature of the absorbing and emitting gas is $\sim 10^6$ K so that both collisional ionization and photoionization contribute.

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GRB 990510: linearly polarized radiation from a fireball

Models for gamma-ray burst afterglows envisage an hyper-relativistic fireball that is decelerated in the ambient medium around the explosion site. This interaction produces a shock wave which amplifies the magnetic field and accelerates electrons to relativistic energies, setting the conditions for an efficient production of synchrotron photons. If produced in a region of large-scale ordered magnetic field, synchrotron radiation can be highly polarized. The optical transient associated with GRB 990510 was observed ~18.5 hr after the event and linear polarization in the R band was measured at a level of 1.7 +/- 0.2 %. This is the first detection of linear polarization in the optical afterglow of a gamma-ray burst. We exclude that this polarization is due to dust in the interstellar material, either in our Galaxy or in the host galaxy of the gamma-ray burst. These results provide important new evidence in favor of the synchrotron origin of the afterglow emission, and constrains the geometry of the fireball and/or magnetic field lines.

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BeppoSAX observations of the black hole candidates LMC X-1 and LMC X-3

We describe BeppoSAX observations of the black hole candidates LMC X--1 and LMC X--3 performed in Oct. 1997. Both sources can be modelled by a multicolor accretion disk spectrum, with temperature $\sim 1$ keV. However, there is some evidence that a thin emitting component coexists with the thick disk at these temperatures. In the direction of LMC X--1, we detected a significant emission above 10 keV, which we suspect originates from the nearby source PSR 0540-69. For LMC X--1, we estimate an absorbing column density of $\simeq 6\times 10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$, which is almost ten times larger than that found for LMC X--3. In both sources, we find no indication of emission or absorption features whatsoever.

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Reprocessing and Variable Cold Absorption in the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C390.3

A BeppoSAX observation of the BLRG 3C390.3 is reported. For the first time, both the 6.4 keV iron line and a strong reflection hump, produced by the illumination of the primary X-ray emission on cold matter, are detected in this source. The 0.1-100 keV continuum is modeled by an absorbed power law (Γ~ 1.8) reflected at high energies by material with a fairly large covering factor (Ω/2π~1). The iron line is intrinsically narrow ($σ=73(+207,-73) eV) and has an equivalent width of ~140$ eV. We discuss the results in the context of current models for AGNs and suggest that the primary X-ray power law continuum is probably produced by a hot inner flow, while the reprocessed radiation comes from an outer cold thin disk, and/or from a thick torus at even larger radii. Further observations with BeppoSAX could distinguish between the latter two cases. Beamed radiation associated to the radio jet is unlikely to contribute significantly to the X-ray emission. Finally, an historical study of the column density NH, also reported here, shows that the absorption along the line of sight changes in time. The NH time variability, which is not correlated with that of the primary continuum, seems to imply variations of the geometry of the absorber rather than variations in the ionization state of the gas.

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BeppoSAX Observations of Bright Seyfert 2 Galaxies: Measuring the Intrinsic Continuum Emission

We report broad band (0.1-200 keV) X-ray observations, made by BeppoSAX, of a sample of bright Seyfert 2 galaxies: NGC7172, NGC2110, NGC4507, Mkn 3 and NGC7674. These spectra provide a better understanding of the effects of X-ray reprocessing by cold material in the source and allow to put tighter constraints on the various spectral parameters involved. In particular, the data are used to determine, with less ambiguities than in the past, the shape of the intrinsic continuum emission by means of the high energy data. Within the small sample both Compton thin and Compton thick sources are found according to the expectations of the unified theory.

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Redshift determination in the X-ray band of gamma-ray bursts

If gamma-ray bursts originate in dense stellar forming regions, the interstellar material can imprint detectable absorption features on the observed X-ray spectrum. Such features can be detected by existing and planned X-ray satellites, as long as the X-ray afterglow is observed after a few minutes from the burst. If the column density of the interstellar material exceeds ~10^{23} cm^{-2} there exists the possibility to detect the K_alpha fluorescent iron line, which should be visible for more than one year, long after the X-ray afterglow continuum has faded away. Detection of these X-ray features will make possible the determination of the redshift of gamma-ray bursts even when their optical afterglow is severely dimmed by extinction.

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Scientific Report on Low Energy Absorption Features Detected by BeppoSAX LECS in Bright Blazar Targets

The apparency of low energy absorption features in Blazar LECS spectra has been reported during the early phase of the BeppoSAX mission (e.g. by Grandi et al. 1997 for 3C~273 SVP data; Giommi et al. 1997 for PKS 2155--304 SVP data), with data reduction and analysis tools released prior to July 1997. We set up a robust method to investigate the reliability of absorption features detections in LECS data of bright blazars. The analysis shows that similar features are common to all datasets (with possibly the exception of 3C~273 SVP data). This suggests that most of the features observed from 0.2 to 1 keV are possibly due to miscalibration of the instrument response. The reported problems have been overcome with the latest release of calibrations (September 1997).

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BeppoSAX observations of the exotic black hole candidate GX 339-4

GX 339-4 has been observed by BeppoSAX twice in spring 1997 as part of a longer monitoring program. The source was close to the highest levels (50 mCrab) of the extended low state (as measured by the XTE ASM during the last 2 years). Its spectrum was quite hard, similar to the Exosat 1984 off state, but 40 times stronger. The source is detected up to more than 120 keV, enabling the possibility to study its high energy spectrum

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Thermalization by synchrotron absorption in compact sources: electron and photon distributions

The high energy continuum in Seyfert galaxies and galactic black hole candidates is likely to be produced by a thermal plasma. There are difficulties in understanding what can keep the plasma thermal, especially during fast variations of the emitted flux. Particle-particle collisions are too inefficient in hot and rarefied plasmas, and a faster process is called for. We show that cyclo-synchrotron absorption can be such a process: mildly relativistic electrons thermalize in a few synchrotron cooling times by emitting and absorbing cyclo-synchrotron photons. The resulting equilibrium function is a Maxwellian at low energies, with a high energy tail when Compton cooling is important. Assuming that electrons emit completely self absorbed synchrotron radiation and at the same time Compton scatter their own cyclo-synchrotron radiation and ambient UV photons, we calculate the time dependent behavior of the electron distribution function, and the final radiation spectra. In some cases, the 2-10 keV spectra are found to be dominated by thermal synchrotron self-Compton process rather than by thermal Comptonization of UV disk radiation.

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High Energy Break and Reflection Features in the Seyfert Galaxy MCG+8-11-11

We present the results from ASCA and OSSE simultaneous observations of the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy MCG+8-11-11 performed in August-September 1995. The ASCA observations indicate a modest flux increase (20%) in 3 days, possibly correlated to a softening of the 0.6-9 keV spectrum. The spectrum is well described by a hard power law (Gamma=1.64) absorbed by a column density slightly larger than the Galactic value, with an iron line at 6.4 keV of EW=400 eV. The simultaneous OSSE data are characterized by a much softer power law with photon index Gamma=3.0, strongly suggesting the presence of a spectral break in the hard X/soft gamma-ray band. A joint fit to OSSE and ASCA data clearly shows an exponential cut-off at about 300 keV, and strong reflection component. MCG+8-11-11 features a spectral break in the underlying continuum unambiguously. This, together with the inferred low compactness of this source, favours thermal or quasi-thermal electron Comptonization in a structured Corona as the leading process of high energy radiation production.

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Hard X--ray detection of NGC 1068 with BeppoSAX

We report on the first detection above ~10 keV of the archetypal Compton-thick Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068. This detection, obtained with the PDS instrument onboard BeppoSAX in the 20-100 keV range, confirms the hardness of the X--ray spectrum above a few keV (as indicated by ASCA observations and supports models envisaging a mixture of both neutral and ionized reflections of an otherwise invisible nuclear continuum, the neutral reflection component being the dominant one in hard X-rays.

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Coronal X-Ray Emission of HD35850: the ASCA view

We present the analysis of the X-ray data of the young active star HD35850 obtained with ASCA and ROSAT. Our main goal was to see if there is a difference in the elemental abundances of active stars between young and more evolved objects. A two temperature plasma with subsolar abundances, of the order of Z = 0.15 - 0.3, is required to fit the SIS spectra. Similar results are obtained from a ROSAT PSPC observation. Metal abundances of 0.2 - 0.4 the solar value are required to fit both the ASCA and ROSAT data together. From a simultaneous SIS0+SIS1 spectral fit, with 2T plasma models and abundances free to vary in non-solar proportions, we find that, besides N, O and Ne for which we find very low values, all other elements have values relative to solar abundances around 0.2-0.3. These subsolar abundances are in line with those typically observed in more evolved, active stars like RS CVn and Algol-type binaries. The two temperature values required to fit the ASCA SIS spectra are about 0.5 and 1.0 keV. These temperatures, especially the higher one, are lower with respect to the values found for the RS CVn and Algol binaries or for the young star AB Dor, but higher than other single G/K stars. All our data show that this single, late F-type star is actually a very active source, indirectly confirming that this fast rotating star is probably a young object. In the simultaneous fit of the ASCA+ROSAT data, a third temperature is required. However this is not just an addition of a softer component, but is more a redistribution of the dominant temperatures. Indeed, the range spanned by the three temperatures, from 5 to 15 million degrees, is not very large.

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ASCA observations of the galactic bulge hard x-ray source GRS 1758--258

GRS 1758-258 is one of the few persistent hard X-ray emitters (E>100 keV) in the Galaxy. Using the ASCA satellite, we have obtained the first detailed data on GRS 1758-258 in the 1-10 keV range, where previous observations were affected by confusion problems caused by the nearby strong source GX5-1. The spectrum is well described by a power law with photon index 1.7 without strong Fe emission lines. A prominent soft excess, as observed with ROSAT when the hard X-ray flux was in a lower intensity state, was not detected. However, the presence of a soft spectral component, accounting for at most 5% of the 0.1-300 keV flux, cannot be excluded. The accurate measurement of interstellar absorption (N_H=(1.5+-0.1) x 10^22 cm -2) corresponds to an optical extinction which definitely excludes the presence of a massive companion.

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