arXiv subjects

Julia C. Lee

Publications and source records attributed to Julia C. Lee.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

High-Resolution X-Ray Spectroscopy of Interstellar Iron Toward Cygnus X-1 and GX 339-4

We present a high-resolution spectral study of Fe L-shell extinction by the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) in the direction of the X-ray binaries Cygnus X-1 and GX 339-4, using the XMM-Newton reflection grating spectrometer. The majority of interstellar Fe is suspected to condense into dust grains in the diffuse ISM, but the compounds formed from this process are unknown. Here, we use the laboratory cross sections from Kortright & Kim (2000) and Lee et al. (2009) to model the absorption and scattering profiles of metallic Fe, and the crystalline compounds fayalite (Fe$_2$SiO$_4$), ferrous sulfate (FeSO$_4$), hematite ($α$-Fe$_2$O$_3$), and lepidocrocite ($γ$-FeOOH), which have oxidation states ranging from Fe$^{0}$ to Fe$^{3+}$. We find that the observed Fe L-shell features are systematically offset in energy from the laboratory measurements. An examination of over two dozen published measurements of Fe L-shell absorption finds a 1-2 eV scatter in energy positions of the L-shell features. Motivated by this, we fit for the best energy-scale shift simultaneously with the fine structure of the Fe L-shell extinction cross sections. Hematite and lepidocrocite provide the best fits ($\approx +1.1$ eV shift), followed by fayalite ($\approx +1.8$ eV shift). However, fayalite is disfavored, based on the implied abundances and knowledge of ISM silicates gained by infrared astronomical observations and meteoritic studies. We conclude that iron oxides in the Fe$^{3+}$ oxidation state are good candidates for Fe-bearing dust. To verify this, new absolute photoabsorption measurements are needed on an energy scale accurate to better than 0.2 eV.

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arXiv2018

The Ultra-Fast Outflow of the Quasar PG 1211+143 as Viewed by Time-Averaged Chandra Grating Spectroscopy

We present a detailed X-ray spectral study of the quasar PG 1211+143 based on Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) observations collected in a multi-wavelength campaign with UV data using the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (HST-COS) and radio bands using the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We constructed a multi-wavelength ionizing spectral energy distribution using these observations and archival infrared data to create XSTAR photoionization models specific to the PG 1211+143 flux behavior during the epoch of our observations. Our analysis of the Chandra-HETGS spectra yields complex absorption lines from H-like and He-like ions of Ne, Mg and Si which confirm the presence of an ultra-fast outflow (UFO) with a velocity ~ $-$17,300 km s$^{-1}$ (outflow redshift $z_{\rm out}$ ~ $-$0.0561) in the rest frame of PG 1211+143. This absorber is well described by an ionization parameter $\log ξ$ ~ 2.9 erg s$^{-1}$ cm and column density $\log N_{\rm H}$ ~ 21.5 cm$^{-2}$. This corresponds to a stable region of the absorber's thermal stability curve, and furthermore its implied neutral hydrogen column is broadly consistent with a broad Ly$α$ absorption line at a mean outflow velocity of ~ $-$16,980 km s$^{-1}$ detected by our HST-COS observations. Our findings represent the first simultaneous detection of a UFO in both X-ray and UV observations. Our VLA observations provide evidence for an active jet in PG 1211+143, which may be connected to the X-ray and UV outflows; this possibility can be evaluated using very-long-baseline interferometric (VLBI) observations.

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arXiv2017

Discovery of an Ultraviolet Counterpart to an Ultra-Fast X-ray Outflow in the Quasar PG1211+143

We observed the quasar PG1211+143 using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope in April 2015 as part of a joint campaign with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Jansky Very Large Array. Our ultraviolet spectra cover the wavelength range 912-2100 A. We find a broad absorption feature (~1080 km/s) at an observed wavelength of 1240 A. Interpreting this as HI Ly alpha, in the rest frame of PG1211+143 (z=0.0809), this corresponds to an outflow velocity of -16,980 km/s (outflow redshift z_out ~ -0.0551), matching the moderate ionization X-ray absorption system detected in our Chandra observation and reported previously by Pounds et al. (2016). With a minimum HI column density of log N_HI > 14.5, and no absorption in other UV resonance lines, this Ly alpha absorber is consistent with arising in the same ultra-fast outflow as the X-ray absorbing gas. The Ly alpha feature is weak or absent in archival ultraviolet spectra of PG1211+143, strongly suggesting that this absorption is transient, and intrinsic to PG1211+143. Such a simultaneous detection in two independent wavebands for the first time gives strong confirmation of the reality of an ultra-fast outflow in an active galactic nucleus.

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arXiv2017

MPI_XSTAR: MPI-based Parallelization of the XSTAR Photoionization Program

We describe a program for the parallel implementation of multiple runs of XSTAR, a photoionization code that is used to predict the physical properties of an ionized gas from its emission and/or absorption lines. The parallelization program, called MPI_XSTAR, has been developed and implemented in the C++ language by using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) protocol, a conventional standard of parallel computing. We have benchmarked parallel multiprocessing executions of XSTAR, using MPI_XSTAR, against a serial execution of XSTAR, in terms of the parallelization speedup and the computing resource efficiency. Our experience indicates that the parallel execution runs significantly faster than the serial execution, however, the efficiency in terms of the computing resource usage decreases with increasing the number of processors used in the parallel computing.

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arXiv2016

Chandra X-Ray Spectroscopy of the Focused Wind in the Cygnus X-1 System. II. The Nondip Spectrum in the Low/Hard State - Modulations with Orbital Phase

The accretion onto the black hole in the system HDE 226868/Cygnus X-1 is powered by the strong line driven stellar wind of the O-type donor star. We study the X-ray properties of the stellar wind in the hard state of Cyg X-1 as determined with data from the Chandra High Energy Transmission Gratings. Large density and temperature inhomogeneities are present in the wind, with a fraction of the wind consisting of clumps of matter with higher density and lower temperature embedded in a photoionized gas. Absorption dips observed in the light curve are believed to be caused by these clumps. This work concentrates on the non-dip spectra as a function of orbital phase. The spectra show lines of H-like and He-like ions of S, Si, Na, Mg, Al and highly ionized Fe (Fe xvii-Fe xxiv). We measure velocity shifts, column densities, and thermal broadening of the line series. The excellent quality of these five observations allows us to investigate the orbital phase dependence of these parameters. We show that the absorber is located close to the black hole. Doppler shifted lines point at a complex wind structure in this region, while emission lines seen in some observations are from a denser medium than the absorber. The observed line profiles are phase dependent. Their shapes vary from pure, symmetric absorption at the superior conjunction to P Cygni profiles at the inferior conjunction of the black hole.

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arXiv2014

Optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of the black hole GX 339-4 II. The spectrocopic content in the low/hard and high/soft states

As a complement to our optical and near-infrared study of the continuum properties of GX 339-4 in the two hard and one soft state observations made by the ESO/VLT FORS2 and ISAAC in early 2010, we report here on the results of our spectral line analysis for the same observations. In the soft state, the presence of strong Balmer, Paschen and Brackett emission lines points to the optical and near-infrared spectra stemming from the irradiated chromosphere of the optically thick and geometrically thin accretion disc. Most of these HI features are still detected in emission in both hard states but are veiled by the compact jets continuum. We also confirm the presence of a broad Hbeta absorption feature, prominent in the soft state and shallower in the first hard state, which we argue forms in the deep layers of the optically thick accretion disc. However, this trough is absent in the second hard state, a likely consequence of the formation of a geometrically thick extended envelope that arises above the disc plane and eventually enshrouds the region where the Hbeta absorption feature forms. We detect this envelope through the presence of a broad Pabeta emission line, which is constant during the first hard state but correlates with the underlying continuum during the second hard state, pointing to changing physical properties. We consider that this behaviour may be consistent with the launch of a thermally-driven accretion disc wind during the second hard state.

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arXiv2014

A Link Between X-ray Emission Lines and Radio Jets in 4U 1630-47?

Recently, Diaz Trigo et al. reported an XMM-Newton detection of relativistically Doppler-shifted emission lines associated with steep-spectrum radio emission in the stellar-mass black hole candidate 4U 1630-47 during its 2012 outburst. They interpreted these lines as indicative of a baryonic jet launched by the accretion disk. Here we present a search for the same lines earlier in the same outburst using high-resolution X-ray spectra from the Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer. While our observations (eight months prior to the XMM-Newton campaign) also coincide with detections of steep spectrum radio emission by the Australia Telescope Compact Array, we find no evidence for any relativistic X-ray emission lines. Indeed, despite $\sim5\times$ brighter radio emission, our Chandra spectra allow us to place an upper limit on the flux in the blueshifted Fe XXVI line that is $\gtrsim20\times$ weaker than the line observed by Diaz Trigo et al. We explore several scenarios that could explain our differing results, including variations in the geometry of the jet or a mass-loading process or jet baryon content that evolves with the accretion state of the black hole. We also consider the possibility that the radio emission arises in an interaction between a jet and the nearby ISM, in which case the X-ray emission lines might be unrelated to the radio emission.

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arXiv2013

The Ionized Absorber and Nuclear Environment of IRAS 13349+2438: Multi-wavelength insights from coordinated Chandra HETGS, HST STIS, HET, and Spitzer IRS

We present results from a coordinated IR-to-X-ray spectral campaign of the QSO IRAS 13349+2438. Optical spectra reveal extreme Eigenvector-1 characteristics, but the H-beta line width argues against a NLS1 classification; we refine z=0.10853 based on [O III]. We estimate a BH mass=10^9 Msun using 2 independent methods (H-beta line width & SED fits). Blue-shifted absorption (-950km/s & -75km/s) is seen for the 1st time in STIS UV spectra from Ly-alpha, NV, & CIV. The higher velocity UV lines are coincident with the lower-ionisation (xi~1.6) X-ray warm absorber lines. A dusty multiple ionization absorber blueshifted by 700-900km/s is required to fit the X-ray data. Theoretical models comparing different ionising SEDs reveal that a UV-inclusive (i.e., the accretion disc) ionising continuum strongly impacts conclusions for the thermodynamic stability of the warm absorber. Specific to IRAS13349, an Xray-UV ionising SED favors a continuous distribution of ionisation states in a smooth flow (this paper), versus discrete clouds in pressure equilibrium (work by others where UV is omitted). Direct dust detections are seen in both the IR: PAH emission at (7.7 & 11.3)micron which may also be blended with forsterite, and (10 & 18)micron silicate emission, and X-rays: iron dust with a dust-to-gas ratio > 90%. We develop a geometrical model whereby the QSO nuclear region is viewed through the upper atmosphere of an obscuring torus. This sight line is obscured by dust that blocks a direct view of the UV/optical emission region but is largely transparent in X-rays since the gas is ionised. In our model, 20% of the intrinsic UV/optical continuum is scattered into our sight line by the far wall of an obscuring torus. An additional 2.4% of the direct light, which likely dominates the UV emission, is Thomson-scattered into our line-of-sight by another off-plane component of highly ionized gas.

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arXiv2012

Multi-wavelength Observations of the Radio Magnetar PSR J1622-4950 and Discovery of its Possibly Associated Supernova Remnant

We present multi-wavelength observations of the radio magnetar PSR J1622-4950 and its environment. Observations of PSR J1622-4950 with Chandra (in 2007 and 2009) and XMM (in 2011) show that the X-ray flux of PSR J1622-4950 has decreased by a factor of ~50 over 3.7 years, decaying exponentially with a characteristic time of 360 +/- 11 days. This behavior identifies PSR J1622-4950 as a possible addition to the small class of transient magnetars. The X-ray decay likely indicates that PSR J1622-4950 is recovering from an X-ray outburst that occurred earlier in 2007, before the 2007 Chandra observations. Observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array show strong radio variability, including a possible radio flaring event at least one and a half years after the 2007 X-ray outburst that may be a direct result of this X-ray event. Radio observations with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope reveal that PSR J1622-4950 is 8' southeast of a diffuse radio arc, G333.9+0.0, which appears non-thermal in nature and which could possibly be a previously undiscovered supernova remnant. If G333.9+0.0 is a supernova remnant then the estimates of its size and age, combined with the close proximity and reasonable implied velocity of PSR J1622-4950, suggests that these two objects could be physically associated.

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arXiv2012

Radiation Pressure and Mass Ejection in Rho-like States of GRS 1915+105

We present a unifying scenario to address the physical origin of the diversity of X-ray lightcurves within the rho variability class of the microquasar GRS 1915+105. This 'heartbeat' state is characterized by a bright flare that recurs every ~50-100 seconds, but the profile and duration of the flares varies significantly from observation to observation. Based on a comprehensive, phase-resolved study of heartbeats in the RXTE archive, we demonstrate that very different X-ray lightcurves do not require origins in different accretion processes. Indeed, our detailed comparison of the phase-resolved spectra of a double-peaked oscillation and a single-peaked oscillation shows that different cycles can have basically similar X-ray spectral evolution. We argue that all heartbeat oscillations can be understood as the result of a combination of a thermal-viscous radiation pressure instability, a local Eddington limit in the disk, and a sudden, radiation-pressure-driven evaporation or ejection event in the inner accretion disk. This ejection appears to be a universal, fundamental part of the rho state, and is largely responsible for a hard X-ray pulse seen in the lightcurve of all cycles. We suggest that the detailed shape of oscillations in the mass accretion rate through the disk is responsible for the phenomenological differences between different rho-type lightcurves, and we discuss how future time-dependent simulations of disk instabilities may provide new insights into the role of radiation pressure in the accretion flow.

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arXiv2011

Accretion Disc Wind Variability in the States of the Microquasar GRS 1915+105

Continuing our study of the role and evolution of accretion disc winds in the microquasar GRS 1915+105, we present high-resolution spectral variability analysis of the beta and gamma states with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer. By tracking changes in the absorption lines from the accretion disc wind, we find new evidence that radiation links the inner and outer accretion discs on a range of time-scales. As the central X-ray flux rises during the high-luminosity gamma state, we observe the progressive over-ionization of the wind. In the beta state, we argue that changes in the inner disc leading to the ejection of a transient 'baby jet' also quench the highly-ionized wind from the outer disc. Our analysis reveals how the state, structure, and X-ray luminosity of the inner accretion disc all conspire to drive the formation and variability of highly-ionized accretion disc winds.

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arXiv2011

Using the X-ray Dust Scattering Halo of Cygnus X-1 to determine distance and dust distributions

We present a detailed study of the X-ray dust scattering halo of the black hole candidate \cygx1 based on two \chandra\ HETGS observations. Using 18 different dust models, including one modified by us (dubbed XLNW), we probe the interstellar medium between us and this source. A consistent description of the cloud properties along the line of sight that describes at the same time the halo radial profile, the halo lightcurves, and the column density from source spectroscopy is best achieved with a small subset of these models. Combining the studies of the halo radial profile and the halo lightcurves, we favor a geometric distance to \cygx1 of $d=1.81\pm{0.09}$\,kpc. Our study also shows that there is a dense cloud, which contributes $\sim$50% of the dust grains along the line of sight to \cygx1, located at $\sim1.6$ kpc from us. The remainder of the dust along the line of sight is close to the black hole binary.

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arXiv2011

The Physics of the 'Heartbeat' State of GRS 1915+105

We present the first detailed phase-resolved spectral analysis of a joint Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observation of the rho variability class in the microquasar GRS 1915+105. The rho cycle displays a high-amplitude, double-peaked flare that recurs roughly every 50 s, and is sometimes referred to as the "heartbeat" oscillation. The spectral and timing properties of the oscillation are consistent with the radiation pressure instability and the evolution of a local Eddington limit in the inner disk. We exploit strong variations in the X-ray continuum, iron emission lines, and the accretion disk wind to probe the accretion geometry over nearly six orders of magnitude in distance from the black hole. At small scales (1-10 R_g), we detect a burst of bremsstrahlung emission that appears to occur when a portion of the inner accretion disk evaporates due to radiation pressure. Jet activity, as inferred from the appearance of a short X-ray hard state, seems to be limited to times near minimum luminosity, with a duty cycle of ~10%. On larger scales (1e5-1e6 R_g) we use detailed photoionization arguments to track the relationship between the fast X-ray variability and the accretion disk wind. For the first time, we are able to show that changes in the broadband X-ray spectrum produce changes in the structure and density of the accretion disk wind on timescales as short as 5 seconds. These results clearly establish a causal link between the X-ray oscillations and the disk wind and therefore support the existence of a disk-jet-wind connection. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the mass loss rate in the wind may be sufficient to cause long-term oscillations in the accretion rate, leading to state transitions in GRS 1915+105.

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arXiv2011

A multiwavelength study of Cygnus X-1: the first mid-infrared spectroscopic detection of compact jets

We report on a Spitzer/IRS (mid-infrared), RXTE/PCA+HEXTE (X-ray), and Ryle (radio) simultaneous multiwavelength study of the microquasar Cygnus X-1, which aimed at an investigation of the origin of its mid-infrared emission. Compact jets were present in two out of three observations, and we show that they strongly contribute to the mid-infrared continuum. During the first observation, we detect the spectral break - where the transition from the optically thick to the optically thin regime takes place - at about 2.9e13 Hz. We then show that the jet's optically thin synchrotron emission accounts for the Cygnus X-1's emission beyond 400 keV, although it cannot alone explain its 3-200 keV continuum. A compact jet was also present during the second observation, but we do not detect the break, since it has likely shifted to higher frequencies. In contrast, the compact jet was absent during the last observation, and we show that the 5-30 micron mid-infrared continuum of Cygnus X-1 stems from the blue supergiant companion star HD 226868. Indeed, the emission can then be understood as the combination of the photospheric Raleigh-Jeans tail and the bremsstrahlung from the expanding stellar wind. Moreover, the stellar wind is found to be clumpy, with a filling factor f {\infty}~0.09-0.10. Its bremsstrahlung emission is likely anti-correlated to the soft X-ray emission, suggesting an anti-correlation between the mass-loss and mass-accretion rates. Nevertheless, we do not detect any mid-infared spectroscopic evidence of interaction between the jets and the Cygnus X-1's environment and/or companion star's stellar wind.

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arXiv2011

A Detection of an X-ray Wind and an Ionized Disk in the Chandra HETGS Observation of the Seyfert 2 Galaxy IRAS 18325-5926

We analyze the \textit{Chandra} High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) observation of the Seyfert $2$ AGN IRAS\,18325-5926. We detect a $v=-360^{+41}_{-66}$~km~s$^{-1}$ blueshifted ionized absorber in the X-ray spectrum, with photoionization parameter $\logξ=2.0^{+0.1}_{-0.1}$ and hydrogen column density $N_{\rm H}=1.55^{+0.75}_{-0.38}\times10^{21}$~cm$^{-2}$. The absorber may be a photoionized wind originating in the obscuring torus/global covering around the black hole or outer edge of the accretion disk. The estimated mass outflow rate suggests that the supermassive black hole in IRAS\,18325-5926 may significantly affect the large-scale environment of the host galaxy, unless the solid angle subtended by the outflow or the gas filling factor is small. A second warm absorber may be needed to explain the absorption features in the vicinity of the iron K edge, although insufficient counts in the data beyond $7.0$~keV make it difficult to assess the nature of the second absorber. Most plausible is a high ionization ($\logξ\sim 2.3$ to $2.6$), high column density ($N_{\rm H}\sim10^{23}$~cm$^{-2}$) absorber with $v\sim -3000$ to $0$~km~s$^{-1}$, although these parameters are not well constrained. We also examine the broad Fe K emission line in the spectrum, which is likely due to Fe XXV in a highly ionized accretion disk inclined at $25^\circ$, consistent with the \textit{XMM-Newton} EPIC observations of the emission line. Because we are able to view both the obscuring gas and the accretion disk of IRAS\,18325-5926, the surrounding gas of IRAS\,18325-5926 may be patchy or we are viewing the system at an angle just grazing the obscuring torus.

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arXiv2010

The Physics of Disk Winds, Jets,and X-ray Variability in GRS 1915+105

We present new insights about accretion and ejection physics based on joint RXTE/Chandra HETGS studies of rapid X-ray variability in GRS 1915+105. For the first time, with fast phase-resolved spectroscopy of the rho state, we are able to show that changes in the broadband X-ray spectrum (RXTE) on timescales of seconds are associated with measurable changes in absorption lines (Chandra HETGS) from the accretion disk wind. Additionally, we make a direct detection of material evaporating from the radiation-pressure-dominated inner disk. Our X-ray data thus reveal the black hole as it ejects a portion of the inner accretion flow and then drives a wind from the outer disk, all in a bizarre cycle that lasts fewer than 60 seconds but can repeat for weeks. We find that the accretion disk wind may be sufficiently massive to play an active role in GRS 1915+105, not only in quenching the jet on long timescales, but also in possibly producing or facilitating transitions between classes of X-ray variability.

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arXiv2010

A Thorough Look at the Photoionized Wind and Absorption Dips in the Cygnus X-1 / HDE 226868 X-ray Binary System

We present results from simultaneous observations of the high-mass X-ray binary system Cygnus X-1 / HDE 226868 with Suzaku, Chandra-HETGS, XMM-Newton, RXTE, INTEGRAL, and Swift in 2008 April. Performed shortly after orbital phase 0, when our line of sight to the black hole passes through the densest part of the O-star's wind, these obervations show common transient absorption dips in the soft X-ray band. For the first time, however, we detect a simultaneous scattering trough in the hard X-ray light curves. The more neutral clump is thus only the core of a larger ionized blob, which contains a significant fraction of the total wind mass. The diluted wind outside of these clumps is almost completely photoionized.

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arXiv2009

Suzaku Observations of the Radio Galaxy 3C 33

We present results from a new 100-ks Suzaku observation of the nearby radio galaxy 3C 33, and investigate the nature of absorption, reflection, and jet production in this source. We model the 2-70 keV nuclear continuum with a power law that is absorbed either through one or more layers of pc-scale neutral material, or through a modestly ionized pc-scale obscurer. The expected signatures of reflection from a neutral accretion disk are absent in 3C 33: there is no evidence of a relativistically blurred Fe K$α$ emission line, and no Compton reflection hump above 10 keV. We discuss the implications of this for the nature of jet production in 3C 33.

astro-ph.CO↗