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Kalvir S. Dhuga

Publications and source records attributed to Kalvir S. Dhuga.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

X-ray to Mid-IR Spectral Energy Distributions: A Catalog of X-ray Selected AGNs in the XMM-COSMOS Survey

We present a component-resolved analysis of the IR--X-ray connection in a sample of 104 spectroscopically confirmed Type~1 AGN. By combining \xmm, \swift/UVOT, and new high--angular resolution \jwst/NIRCam imaging for a subset of the sources, we constructed detailed SEDs in which the IR emission was explicitly decomposed into accretion-disk, torus, and polar-dust components. This approach enables us to isolate the intrinsic AGN-IR luminosities with minimal host-galaxy contamination, providing a clean assessment of the physical relationship between the accretion flow, circumnuclear dust, and the X-ray corona. By incorporating JWST/NIRCam observations into our SED decomposition, we significantly reduce host-galaxy contamination and isolate the nuclear infrared emission with greater fidelity, particularly at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. This improvement is most apparent at 1 $μ\mathrm{m}$, where sources with JWST coverage exhibit a markedly steeper relation between $ν$L$_ν$ (2 keV) and the NIR luminosity than those without JWST data. This behavior is naturally explained by starlight dilution, whereby host-galaxy emission dominates lower-resolution measurements.

astro-ph.HE

The Disk-Corona Model and Mass Estimates of the Ultraluminous X-ray Source Holmberg IX X-1

The origin of the variable X-ray emission in the $(0.3-30)\,$keV energy range of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) remains unclear, making it difficult to constrain the mass of the central compact object. X-ray luminosities of bright ULXs can be explained with sub-critical accretion ($L<L_{\rm Edd}$) on to an intermediate-mass BH, with the alternative being super-critical accretion on to a stellar-mass BH. Broadband X-ray emission in the former scenario can be explained using the canonical disk plus Comptonizing corona model, whereas in the latter scenario radiation pressure driven massive winds lead to complex spectra that are inclination angle dependent. Here we fit the broadband (optical/UV to X-ray) spectrum of the persistently bright ULX Holmberg IX X-1 with the disk-corona plus irradiated outer disk model in an effort to constrain the BH mass. We use a one-zone time-dependent numerical code to exactly solve for the steady-state properties of the optically thick coronal photon-electron-positron plasma. Our modelling suggests that Holmberg IX X-1 hosts a stellar mass BH, with mass $4\lesssim(\hat M_{\rm BH}\equivαM_{\rm BH}/M_\odot)\lesssim10$ where $1/6\leqα<1$ for a spinning (Kerr) BH, undergoing super-critical accretion ($L_{\rm Bol}/L_{\rm Edd}\sim20α$). In our model, the X-ray spectrum below $10\,$keV is explained with an absorbed multi-colour disk spectrum having inner disk temperature $k_BT_{\rm in}\sim(2.2-2.9)\,$keV. An additional cooler thermal spectral component, as found in many works and not included in our modeling, is required. The hard excess above $10\,$keV, as seen by NuSTAR, arises in a photon-rich optically-thick Comptonizing spherical corona with optical depth $τ_T\sim3.5$ and particle temperature $k_BT_e\sim14\,$keV.

astro-ph.HE

The Correlation of Spectral Lag Evolution with Prompt Optical Emission in GRB 080319B

We report on observations of correlated behavior between the prompt gamma-ray and optical emission from GRB 080319B, which confirm that (i) they occurred within the same astrophysical source region and (ii) their respective radiation mechanisms were dynamically coupled. Our results, based upon a new CCF methodology for determining the time-resolved spectral lag, are summarized as follows. First, the evolution in the arrival offset of prompt gamma-ray photon counts between Swift-BAT 15-25 keV and 50-100 keV energy bands (intrinsic gamma-ray spectral lag) appears to be anti-correlated with the arrival offset between prompt 15-350 keV gamma-rays and the optical emission observed by TORTORA (extrinsic optical/gamma-ray spectral lag), thus effectively partitioning the burst into two main episodes at ~T+28+/-2 sec. Second, the rise and decline of prompt optical emission at ~T+10+/-1 sec and ~T+50+/-1 sec, respectively, both coincide with discontinuities in the hard to soft evolution of the photon index for a power law fit to 15-150 keV Swift-BAT data at ~T+8+/-2 sec and ~T+48+/-1 sec. These spectral energy changes also coincide with intervals whose time-resolved spectral lag values are consistent with zero, at ~T+12+/-2 sec and ~T+50+/-2 sec. These results, which are robust across heuristic permutations of Swift-BAT energy channels and varying temporal bin resolution, have also been corroborated via independent analysis of Konus-Wind data. This potential discovery may provide the first observational evidence for an implicit connection between spectral lags and GRB emission mechanisms in the context of canonical fireball phenomenology. Future work includes exploring a subset of bursts with prompt optical emission to probe the unique or ubiquitous nature of this result.

astro-ph.HE

A Correlation of Spectral Lag Evolution with Prompt Optical Emission in GRBs?

We report on observations of correlated behavior between the prompt gamma-ray and optical emission from GRB 080319B, which (i) strongly suggest that they occurred within the same astrophysical source region and (ii) indicate that their respective radiation mechanisms were most likely dynamically coupled. Our preliminary results, based upon a new cross-correlation function (CCF) methodology for determining the time-resolved spectral lag, are summarized as follows. First, the evolution in the arrival offset of prompt gamma-ray photon counts between Swift-BAT 15-25 keV and 50-100 keV energy bands (intrinsic gamma-ray spectral lag) appears to be anti-correlated with the arrival offset between prompt 15-350 keV gamma-rays and the optical emission observed by TORTORA (extrinsic optical/gamma-ray spectral lag), thus effectively partitioning the burst into two main episodes at ~T+28+/-2 sec. Second, prompt optical emission is nested within intervals of (a) trivial intrinsic gamma-ray spectral lag (~T+12+-2 and ~T+50+/-2 sec) with (b) discontinuities in the hard to soft evolution of the photon index for a power law fit to 15-150 keV Swift-BAT data (~T+8+/-2 and ~T+48+/-1 sec), both of which coincide with the rise (~T+10+/-1 sec) and decline (~T+50+/-1 sec) of prompt optical emission. This potential discovery, robust across heuristic permutations of BAT energy channels and varying temporal bin resolution, provides the first observational evidence for an implicit connection between spectral lag and the dynamics of shocks in the context of canonical fireball phenomenology.

astro-ph