arXiv subjects

Koji Mukai

Publications and source records attributed to Koji Mukai.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Swift J2218.4+1925: a new hard X-ray selected Polar observed with XMM-Newton

Swift J2218.4+1925, a hard X-ray source detected by Swift BAT, has been proposed as a candidate magnetic cataclysmic variable of the polar type from optical spectroscopy. Using XMM-Newton we perform detailed timing and spectral analysis with simultaneous X-ray ($0.3-10$ keV) and optical B band data. We complement the spectral study with archival hard X-ray (14-70 keV) spectra collected by Swift BAT as well as with optical, near and mid-infrared photometry from $SDSS$, $2MASS$ and $WISE$ archive, respectively. A strong periodic X-ray signal at 2.16 h, consistent with the recently determined spectroscopic orbital period, adds Swift J2218.4+1925 to the small group of hard X-ray polars and locates it at the low edge of the orbital period gap. The X-ray pulse profile shows the typical bright and faint phases seen in polars ($\sim 70%$ and $\sim 30%$ of the orbit, respectively). A pronounced dip centred on the bright phase is also detected. It is stronger at lower energies and is mainly produced by photoelectric absorption. A binary inclination $i \sim 40^o - 50^o$ and a magnetic colatitude $β\sim 55^o - 64^o$ are estimated. The source appears to accrete over a large area $\sim 24^o$ wide. A multi-temperature optically thin emission with complex absorption well describes the broad-band ($0.3-70$ keV) spectrum, with no signs of a soft X-ray blackbody component. The spectral shape varies with the source rotation reaching plasma temperatures up to 55 keV, hardening at the dip and being softer during the faint phase ($\sim7$ keV). We find the first indication of an absorption edge due to a warm absorber in a polar. Indication of overabundance of neon is found in the RGS spectra. The UV to mid-IR spectral energy distribution reveals an excess in the near and mid-IR, likely due to low cyclotron harmonics. We estimate a WD mass of 0.97 M$_{\odot}$ and a distance of 230-250 pc.

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arXiv2014

Probing the Mysteries of the X-Ray Binary 4U 1210-64 with ASM, PCA, MAXI, BAT and Suzaku

4U 1210-64 has been postulated to be a High-Mass X-ray Binary powered by the Be mechanism. X-ray observations with Suzaku, the ISS Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer Proportional Counter Array (PCA) and All Sky Monitor (ASM) provide detailed temporal and spectral information on this poorly understood source. Long term ASM and MAXI observations show distinct high and low states and the presence of a 6.7101 +/- 0.0005 day modulation, interpreted as the orbital period. Folded light curves reveal a sharp dip, interpreted as an eclipse. To determine the nature of the mass donor, the predicted eclipse half-angle was calculated as a function of inclination angle for several stellar spectral types. The eclipse half-angle is not consistent with a mass donor of spectral type B5 V; however, stars with spectral types B0 V or B0-5 III are possible. The best-fit spectral model consists of a power law with index gamma = 1.85 (+0.04,-0.05) and a high-energy cutoff at 5.5 +/- 0.2 keV modified by an absorber that fully covers the source as well as partially covering absorption. Emission lines from S XVI K alpha, Fe K alpha, Fe XXV K alpha and Fe XXVI K alpha were observed in the Suzaku spectra. Out-of-eclipse, Fe K alpha line flux was strongly correlated with unabsorbed continuum flux, indicating that the Fe I emission is the result of fluorescence of cold dense material near the compact object. The Fe I feature is not detected during eclipse, further supporting an origin close to the compact object.

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arXiv2014

Recurrent Novae - A Review

In recent years, recurrent nova eruptions are often observed very intensely in wide range of wavelengths from radio to optical to X-rays. Here I present selected highlights from recent multi-wavelength observations. The enigma of T Pyx is at the heart of this paper. While our current understanding of CV and symbiotic star evolution can explain why certain subset of recurrent novae have high accretion rate, that of T Pyx must be greatly elevated compared to the evolutionary mean. At the same time, we have extensive data to be able to estimate how the nova envelope was ejected in T Pyx, and it turns to be a rather complex tale. One suspects that envelope ejection in recurrent and classical novae in general is more complicated than the textbook descriptions. At the end of the review, I will speculate that these two may be connected.

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arXiv2014

Constraints on the space density of intermediate polars from the Swift-BAT survey

We construct a complete, hard X-ray flux-limited sample of intermediate polars (IPs) from the Swift-BAT 70-month survey, by imposing selection cuts in flux and Galactic latitude ($F_X > 2.5 \times 10^{-11}\,\mathrm{erg\,cm^{-2}s^{-1}}$ at 14--195~keV, and $|b|>5^\circ$). We then use it to estimate the space density ($ρ$) of IPs. Assuming that this sample of 15 long-period systems is representative of the intrinsic IP population, the space density of long-period IPs is $1^{+1}_{-0.5} \times 10^{-7}\,\mathrm{pc^{-3}}$. The Swift-BAT data also allow us to place upper limits on the size of a hypothetical population of faint IPs that is not included in the flux-limited sample. While most IPs detected by BAT have 14--195~keV luminosities of $\sim 10^{33} {\rm erg s^{-1}}$, there is evidence of a fainter population at $L_X \sim 10^{31} {\rm erg s^{-1}}$. We find that a population of IPs with this luminosity may have a space density as large as $5\times 10^{-6}\,\mathrm{pc^{-3}}$. Furthermore, these low-luminosity IPs, despite appearing rare in observed samples, are probably at least as intrinsically common as the brighter systems that are better represented in the known IP sample.

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arXiv2014

The 2011 Outburst of Recurrent Nova T Pyx: X-ray Observations Expose the White Dwarf Mass and Ejection Dynamics

The recurrent nova T Pyx underwent its sixth historical outburst in 2011, and became the subject of an intensive multi-wavelength observational campaign. We analyze data from the Swift and Suzaku satellites to produce a detailed X-ray light curve augmented by epochs of spectral information. X-ray observations yield mostly non-detections in the first four months of outburst, but both a super-soft and hard X-ray component rise rapidly after Day 115. The super-soft X-ray component, attributable to the photosphere of the nuclear-burning white dwarf, is relatively cool (~45 eV) and implies that the white dwarf in T Pyx is significantly below the Chandrasekhar mass (~1 M_sun). The late turn-on time of the super-soft component yields a large nova ejecta mass (>~10^-5 M_sun), consistent with estimates at other wavelengths. The hard X-ray component is well fit by a ~1 keV thermal plasma, and is attributed to shocks internal to the 2011 nova ejecta. The presence of a strong oxygen line in this thermal plasma on Day 194 requires a significantly super-solar abundance of oxygen and implies that the ejecta are polluted by white dwarf material. The X-ray light curve can be explained by a dual-phase ejection, with a significant delay between the first and second ejection phases, and the second ejection finally released two months after outburst. A delayed ejection is consistent with optical and radio observations of T Pyx, but the physical mechanism producing such a delay remains a mystery.

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arXiv2014

The 2011 Outburst of Recurrent Nova T Pyx: Radio Observations Reveal the Ejecta Mass and Hint at Complex Mass Loss

Despite being the prototype of its class, T Pyx is arguably the most unusual and poorly understood recurrent nova. Here, we use radio observations from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array to trace the evolution of the ejecta over the course of the 2011 outburst of T Pyx. The radio emission is broadly consistent with thermal emission from the nova ejecta. However, the radio flux began rising surprisingly late in the outburst, indicating that the bulk of the radio-emitting material was either very cold, or expanding very slowly, for the first ~50 days of the outburst. Considering a plausible range of volume filling factors and geometries for the ejecta, we find that the high peak flux densities of the radio emission require a massive ejection of 1-30 x 10^{-5} solar masses. This ejecta mass is much higher than the values normally associated with recurrent novae, and is more consistent with a nova on a white dwarf well below the Chandrasekhar limit.

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arXiv2013

On the nature of CP Pup

We present new X-ray and optical spectra of the old nova CP Pup (nova Pup 1942) obtained with Chandra and the CTIO 4m telescope. The X-ray spectrum reveals a multi-temperature optically thin plasma reaching a maximum temperature of 36$^{+19}_{-16}$ keV absorbed by local complex neutral material. The time resolved optical spectroscopy confirms the presence of the $\sim$1.47 hr period, with cycle-to-cycle amplitude changes, as well as of an additional long term modulation which is suggestive either of a longer period or of non-Keplerian velocities in the emission line regions. These new observational facts add further support to CP Pup as a magnetic cataclysmic variable (mCV). We compare the mCV and the non-mCV scenarios and while we cannot conclude whether CP Pup is a long period system, all observational evidences point at an intermediate polar (IP) type CV.

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arXiv2013

Shocks and Ejecta Mass: Radio Observations of Nova V1723 Aql

The radio light curves of novae rise and fall over the course of months to years, allowing for detailed observations of the evolution of the nova shell. However, the main parameter determined by radio models of nova explosions - the mass of the ejecta - often seems to exceed theoretical expectations by an order of magnitude. With the recent technological improvements on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), new observations can test the assumptions upon which ejecta mass estimates are based. Early observations of the classical nova V1723 Aql showed an unexpectedly rapid rise in radio flux density and a distinct bump in the radio light curve on the rise to radio maximum, which is inconsistent with the simple model of spherical ejecta expelled in a single discrete event. This initial bump appears to indicate the presence of shocked material in the outer region of the ejected shell, with the emission from the shocks fading over time. We explore possible origins for this emission and its relation to the mass loss history of the nova. The evolution of the radio spectrum also reveals the density profile, the mass of the ejected shell, and other properties of the ejecta. These observations comprise one of the most complete, longterm set of multi-wavelength radio observations for any classical nova to date.

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arXiv2013

The multiple periods and the magnetic nature of CP Pup

Fast cadence time resolved spectra taken at the CTIO-4m telescope with the RC-spectrograph during 2 consecutive nights revealed a long term modulation of the binary radial velocity. Chandra hard X-ray spectra taken with the HETGS instrument showed features typically observed in magnetic white dwarfs (WD). Here, we present the new data and suggest that CP Pup is possibly a long orbital period intermediate polar.

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arXiv2013

Radio studies of novae: a current status report and highlights of new results

Novae, which are the sudden visual brightening triggered by runaway thermonuclear burning on the surface of an accreting white dwarf, are fairly common and bright events. Despite their astronomical significance as nearby laboratories for the study of nuclear burning and accretion phenomena, many aspects of these common stellar explosions are observationally not well-constrained and remain poorly understood. Radio observations, modeling and interpretation can potentially play a crucial role in addressing some of these puzzling issues. In this review on radio studies of novae, we focus on the possibility of testing and improving the nova models with radio observations, and present a current status report on the progress in both the observational front and theoretical developments. We specifically address the issues of accurate estimation of ejecta mass, multi-phase and complex ejection phenomena, and the effect of a dense environment around novae. With highlights of new observational results, we illustrate how radio observations can shed light on some of these long-standing puzzles.

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arXiv2012

The Radio Light Curve of the Gamma-Ray Nova in V407 Cyg: Thermal Emission from the Ionized Symbiotic Envelope, Devoured from Within by the Nova Blast

We present multi-frequency radio observations of the 2010 nova event in the symbiotic binary V407 Cygni, obtained with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and spanning 1-45 GHz and 17-770 days following discovery. This nova---the first ever detected in gamma rays---shows a radio light curve dominated by the wind of the Mira giant companion, rather than the nova ejecta themselves. The radio luminosity grew as the wind became increasingly ionized by the nova outburst, and faded as the wind was violently heated from within by the nova shock. This study marks the first time that this physical mechanism has been shown to dominate the radio light curve of an astrophysical transient. We do not observe a thermal signature from the nova ejecta or synchrotron emission from the shock, due to the fact that these components were hidden behind the absorbing screen of the Mira wind. We estimate a mass loss rate for the Mira wind of Mdot_w ~ 10^-6 M_sun/yr. We also present the only radio detection of V407 Cyg before the 2010 nova, gleaned from unpublished 1993 archival VLA data, which shows that the radio luminosity of the Mira wind varies by a factor of >~20 even in quiescence. Although V407 Cyg likely hosts a massive accreting white dwarf, making it a candidate progenitor system for a Type Ia supernova, the dense and radially continuous circumbinary material surrounding V407 Cyg is inconsistent with observational constraints on the environments of most Type Ia supernovae.

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arXiv2012

X-ray Emission from an Asymmetric Blast Wave and a Massive White Dwarf in the Gamma-ray Emitting Nova V407 Cyg

Classical nova events in symbiotic stars, although rare, offer a unique opportunity to probe the interaction between ejecta and a dense environment in stellar explosions. In this work, we use X-ray data obtained with Swift and Suzaku during the recent classical nova outburst in V407 Cyg to explore such an interaction. We find evidence of both equilibrium and non-equilibrium ionization plasmas at the time of peak X-ray brightness, indicating a strong asymmetry in the density of the emitting region. Comparing a simple model to the data, we find that the X-ray evolution is broadly consistent with nova ejecta driving a forward shock into the dense wind of the Mira companion. We detect a highly absorbed soft X-ray component in the spectrum during the first 50 days of the outburst that is consistent with supersoft emission from the nuclear burning white dwarf. The high temperature and short turn off time of this emission component, in addition to the observed breaks in the optical and UV lightcurves, indicate that the white dwarf in the binary is extremely massive. Finally, we explore the connections between the X-ray and GeV gamma-ray evolution, and propose that the gamma ray turn-off is due to the stalling of the forward shock as the ejecta reach the red giant surface.

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arXiv2012

The X-ray Evolution of the Symbiotic Star V407 Cygni during its 2010 Outburst

We present a summary of Swift and Suzaku X-ray observations of the 2010 nova outburst of the symbiotic star, V407 Cyg. The Suzaku spectrum obtained on day 30 indicates the presence of the supersoft component from the white dwarf surface, as well as optically thin component from the shock between the nova ejecta and the Mira wind. The Swift observations then allow us to track the evolution of both components from day 4 to day 150. Most notable is the sudden brightening of the optically thin component around day 20. We identify this as the time when the blast wave reached the immediate vicinity of the photosphere of the Mira. We have developed a simple model of the blast wave-wind interaction that can reproduce the gross features of the X-ray evolution of V407 Cyg, and explore a parameter space of ejected mass, binary separation and Mira mass loss rate. If the model is correct, the binary separation is likely to be larger then previously suggested and the mass loss rate of the Mira is likely to be relatively low.

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arXiv2011

The White Dwarf Mass and the Accretion Rate of Recurrent Novae: an X-ray Perspective

We present recent results of quiescent X-ray observations of recurrent novae (RNe) and related objects. Several RNe are luminous hard X-ray sources in quiescence, consistent with accretion onto a near Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf. Detection of similar hard X-ray emissions in old novae and other cataclysmic variables may lead to identification of additional RN candidates. On the other hand, other RNe are found to be comparatively hard X-ray faint. We present several scenarios that may explain this dichotomy, which should be explored further.

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arXiv2011

The Fall and the Rise of X-rays from Dwarf Novae in Outburst: RXTE Observations of VW Hydri and WW Ceti

In a dwarf nova, the accretion disk around the white dwarf is a source of ultraviolet, optical, and infrared photons, but is never hot enough to emit X-rays. Observed X-rays instead originate from the boundary layer between the disk and the white dwarf. As the disk switches between quiescence and outburst states, the 2-10 keV X-ray flux is usually seen to be anti-correlated with the optical brightness. Here we present RXTE monitoring observations of two dwarf novae, VW Hyi and WW Cet, confirming the optical/X-ray anti-correlation in these two systems. However, we do not detect any episodes of increased hard X-ray flux on the rise (out of two possible chances for WW Cet) or the decline (two for WW Cet and one for VW Hyi) from outburst, attributes that are clearly established in SS Cyg. The addition of these data to the existing literature establishes the fact that the behavior of SS Cyg is the exception, rather than the archetype as is often assumed. We speculate on the origin of the diversity of behaviors exhibited by dwarf novae, focusing on the role played by the white dwarf mass.

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arXiv2011

EVLA Nova Project Observations of the Classical Nova V1723 Aquilae

We present radio light curves and spectra of the classical nova V1723 Aql obtained with the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA). This is the first paper to showcase results from the EVLA Nova Project, which comprises a team of observers and theorists utilizing the greatly enhanced sensitivity and frequency coverage of EVLA radio observations, along with observations at other wavelengths, to reach a deeper understanding of the energetics, morphology, and temporal characteristics of nova explosions. Our observations of V1723 Aql span 1-37 GHz in frequency, and we report on data from 14-175 days following the time of the nova explosion. The broad frequency coverage and frequent monitoring show that the radio behavior of V1723 Aql does not follow the classic Hubble-flow model of homologous spherically expanding thermal ejecta. The spectra are always at least partially optically thin, and the flux rises on faster timescales than can be reproduced with linear expansion. Therefore, any description of the underlying physical processes must go beyond this simple picture. The unusual spectral properties and light curve evolution might be explained by multiple emitting regions or shocked material. Indeed, X-ray observations from Swift reveal that shocks are likely present.

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arXiv2011

Near-Infrared and X-Ray Observations of XSS J12270-4859

XSS J12270-4859 (J12270) is an enigmatic source of unknown nature. Previous studies revealed that the source has unusual X-ray temporal characteristics, including repetitive short-term flares followed by spectral hardening, non-periodic dips, and dichotomy in activity; i.e. intervals filled with flares and those without. Together with a power-law X-ray spectrum, it is suggested to be a low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB). In order to better understand the object, we present the results of our near-infrared (NIR) photometry and linear polarimetry observations as well as X-ray spectroscopy observations, which overlap with each other partially in time, taken respectively with the InfraRed Survey Facility (IRSF) and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). We detected several simultaneous NIR and X-ray flares for the first time. No significant NIR polarization was obtained. We assembled data taken with IRSF, RXTE, Suzaku, Swift, and other missions in the literature and compared the flare profile and the spectral energy distribution (SED) with some representative high-energy sources. Based on some similarities of the repetitive NIR and X-ray flaring characteristics and the broad SED, we argue that J12270 is reminiscent of microquasars with a synchrotron jet, which is at a very low luminosity state of ~1e-4 Eddington luminosity for a stellar mass black hole or neutron star at a reference distance of 1 kpc.

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arXiv2011

X-ray and UV emission from the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi in quiescence: Signatures of accretion and shocked gas

RS Ophiuchi is a recurrent nova system that experiences outbursts every ~20 years, implying accretion at a high rate onto a massive white dwarf. However, previous X-ray observations of the system in quiescence have detected only faint emission that is difficult to reconcile with the high accretion rate predicted by nova theory for such frequent outbursts. Here, we use new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations obtained 537 and 744 days after the 2006 outburst to constrain both the accretion rate onto the white dwarf and the properties of the nova ejecta at these times. We detect low level UV variability with the XMM-Newton Optical Monitor on day 744 that is consistent with accretion disk flickering, and use this to place a lower limit on the accretion rate. The X-ray spectra in both observations are well described by a two component thermal plasma model. The first component originates in the nova shell, which can emit X-rays for up to a decade after the outburst. The other component likely arises in the accretion disk boundary layer, and can be equally well fit by a single temperature plasma or a cooling flow model. Although the flux of the single temperature model implies an accretion rate that is 40 times lower than theoretical predictions for RS Oph, the best fit cooling flow model implies Mdot < 1.2x10^-8 M_sol/yr 537 days after the outburst, which is within a factor of 2 of the theoretical accretion rate required to power an outburst every 20 years. Furthermore, we place an upper limit on the accretion rate through an optically thick region of the boundary layer of 2.0x10^-8 M_sol/yr. Thus, the X-ray emission in quiescence is consistent with the accretion rate expectations of nova theory. Finally, we discuss the possible origins of the low temperature associated with the accretion component, which is a factor of 10 lower than in T CrB, an otherwise similar recurrent nova.

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