arXiv subjects

L. Bouchet

Publications and source records attributed to L. Bouchet.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

The INTEGRAL/SPI response and the Crab observations

The Crab region was observed several times by INTEGRAL for calibration purposes. This paper aims at underlining the systematic interactions between (i) observations of this reference source, (ii) in-flight calibration of the instrumental response and (iii) the development and validation of the analysis tools of the SPI spectrometer. It first describes the way the response is produced and how studies of the Crab spectrum lead to improvements and corrections in the initial response. Then, we present the tools which were developed to extract spectra from the SPI observation data and finally a Crab spectrum obtained with one of these methods, to show the agreement with previous experiments. We conclude with the work still ahead to understand residual uncertainties in the response.

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arXiv2004

SPI Measurements of the Diffuse Galactic Hard X-ray Continuum

INTEGRAL Spectrometer SPI data from the first year of the Galactic Centre Deep Exposure has been analysed for the diffuse continuum from the Galactic ridge. A new catalogue of sources from the INTEGRAL Imager IBIS has been used to account for their contribution to the celestial signal. Apparently diffuse emission is detected at a level ~10% of the total source flux. A comparison of the spectrum of diffuse emission with that from an analysis of IBIS data alone shows that they are consistent. The question of the contribution of unresolved sources to this ridge emission is still open.

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arXiv2004

The sky behind our galaxy as seen by IBIS on INTEGRAL

During the Core Programme, INTEGRAL has surveyed a large portion of the sky (around 9000 square degrees); although INTEGRAL is not optimized for extra-galactic studies its observations have nevertheless given us the opportunity to explore the sky behind our Galaxy, something which is impossible in some wavebands due to the presence of strong absorption. Preliminary results from this exploration are presented and compared with the pre-launch expectations. In particular, we detail all extragalactic detections obtained so far: 10 active galaxies and one cluster of galaxies. Of these sources, many have previously been studied at energies above 10-20 keV while a few are new hard X-ray discoveries. Since the number of detections is smaller than estimated on the basis of the IBIS/ISGRI sensitivity, it is likely that some of the new ISGRI sources found in this survey are extragalactic objects; a few of these are likely to be AGN and are described in detail.

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arXiv2003

SPI/INTEGRAL in-flight performance

The SPI instrument has been launched on-board the INTEGRAL observatory on October 17, 2002. SPI is a spectrometer devoted to the sky observation in the 20 keV-8 MeV energy range using 19 germanium detectors. The performance of the cryogenic system is nominal and allows to cool the 19 kg of germanium down to 85 K with a comfortable margin. The energy resolution of the whole camera is 2.5 keV at 1.1 MeV. This resolution degrades with time due to particle irradiation in space. We show that the annealing process allows the recovery of the initial performance. The anticoincidence shield works as expected, with a low threshold at 75 keV, reducing the GeD background by a factor of 20. The digital front-end electronics system allows the perfect alignement in time of all the signals as well as the optimisation of the dead time (12%). We demonstrate that SPI is able to map regions as complex as the galactic plane. The obtained spectrum of the Crab nebula validates the present version of our response matrix. The 3 $σ$ sensitivity of the instrument at 1 MeV is 8 10$^{-7}$ph$\cdot$cm$^{-2}\cdot$s$^{-1}\cdot$keV$^{-1}$ for the continuum and 3 10$^{-5}$ph$\cdot$cm$^{-2}\cdot$s$^{-1}$ for narrow lines.

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arXiv2003

Calibration of the Spectrometer aboard the INTEGRAL satellite

SPI, the Spectrometer on board the ESA INTEGRAL satellite, to be launched in October 2002, will study the gamma-ray sky in the 20 keV to 8 MeV energy band with a spectral resolution of 2 keV for photons of 1 MeV, thanks to its 19 germanium detectors spanning an active area of 500 cm2. A coded mask imaging technique provides a 2 deg angular resolution. The 16 deg field of view is defined by an active BGO veto shield, furthermore used for background rejection. In April 2001 the flight model of SPI underwent a one-month calibration campaign at CEA in Bruyères le Châtel using low intensity radioactive sources and the CEA accelerator for homogeneity measurements and high intensity radioactive sources for imaging performance measurements. After integration of all scientific payloads (the spectrometer SPI, the imager IBIS and the monitors JEM-X and OMC) on the INTEGRAL satellite, a cross-calibration campaign has been performed at the ESA center in Noordwijk. A set of sources has been placed in the field of view of the different instruments in order to compare their performances and determine their mutual influence. Some of those sources had already been used in Bruyères during the SPI standalone test. For the lowest energy band calibration an X-ray generator has been used. We report on the scientific goals of this calibration activity, and present the measurements performed as well as some preliminary results.

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arXiv2003

SPI/INTEGRAL observation of the Cygnus region

We present the analysis of the first observations of the Cygnus region by the SPI spectrometer onboard the Integral Gamma Ray Observatory, encompassing ${\sim}$ 600 ks of data. Three sources namely Cyg X-1, Cyg X-3 and EXO 2030+375 were clearly detected. Our data illustrate the temporal variability of Cyg X-1 in the energy range from 20 keV to 300 keV. The spectral analysis shows a remarkable stability of the Cyg X-1 spectra when averaged over one day timescale. The other goal of these observations is SPI inflight calibration and performance verification. The latest objective has been achieved as demonstrated by the results presented in this paper.

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arXiv2003

INTEGRAL/SPI ground calibration

Three calibration campaigns of the spectrometer SPI have been performed before launch in order to determine the instrument characteristics, such as the effective detection area, the spectral resolution and the angular resolution. Absolute determination of the effective area has been obtained from simulations and measurements. At 1 MeV, the effective area is 65 cm^2 for a point source on the optical axis, the spectral resolution ~2.3 keV. The angular resolution is better than 2.5 deg and the source separation capability about 1 deg. Some temperature dependant parameters will require permanent in-flight calibration.

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arXiv2003

INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton observations of the weak GRB 030227

We present INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton observations of the prompt gamma-ray emission and the X-ray afterglow of GRB030227, the first GRB for which the quick localization obtained with the INTEGRAL Burst Alert System (IBAS) has led to the discovery of X-ray and optical afterglows. GRB030227 had a duration of about 20 s and a peak flux of 1.1 photons cm^-2 s^-1 in the 20-200 keV energy range. The time averaged spectrum can be fit by a single power law with photon index about 2 and we find some evidence for a hard to soft spectral evolution. The X-ray afterglow has been detected starting only 8 hours after the prompt emission, with a 0.2-10 keV flux decreasing as t^-1 from 1.3x10e-12 to 5x10e-13 erg cm^-2 s^-1. The afterglow spectrum is well described by a power law with photon index 1.94+/-0.05 modified by a redshifted neutral absorber with column density of several 10e22 cm^-2. A possible emission line at 1.67 keV could be due to Fe for a redshift z=3, consistent with the value inferred from the absorption.

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arXiv2001

SIGMA Observations of the Bursting Pulsar GRO J1744-28

We present the results of the GRANAT/SIGMA hard X-/soft gamma-ray long-term monitoring of the Galactic Center (GC) region concerning the source GRO J1744-28, discovered on 1995 Dec. 2 by CGRO/BATSE. SIGMA observed the region containing the source in 14 opportunities between 1990 and 1997. In two of these observing sessions, corresponding to March 1996 and March 1997, GRO J1744-28 was detected with a confidence level greater than 5(sigma) in the 35-75 keV energy band without detection in the 75-150 keV energy band. For the other sessions, upper limits of the flux are indicated. The particular imaging capabilities of the SIGMA telescope allow us to identify, specifically, the source position in the very crowded GC region, giving us a mean flux of (73.1 +/- 5.5)E-11 and (44.7 +/- 6.4)E-11 ergs cm^-2 s^-1 in the 35-75 keV energy band, for the March 1996 and March 1997 observing sessions, respectively. Combining the March 1997 SIGMA and BATSE observations, we found evidence pointing to the type-II nature of the source bursts for this period. For the same observing campaigns, spectra were obtained in the 35 to 150 keV energy band. The best fit corresponds to an optically thin thermal Bremsstrahlung with F(50 keV)=(3.6 +/- 0.6)E-4 phot cm^-2 s^-1 keV^-1 and kT(Bremss)=28 +/- 7 keV, for the first campaign, and F(50 keV)=(2.3 +/- 0.7)E-4 phot cm^-2 s^-1 keV^-1 and kT(Bremss)=18 (+12/-7) keV, for the second. This kind of soft spectrum is typical of binary sources containing a neutron star as the compact object, in contrast to the harder spectra typical of systems containing a black hole candidate

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arXiv1999

Long-Term Variability of the Hard X-ray Source GRS 1758-258: GRANAT/SIGMA Observations

The results of GRANAT/SIGMA hard X-ray observations of GRS 1758-258 in 1990-1998 are presented. The source lies at ~5\arcdeg from the Galactic Center and was within the SIGMA field of view during the GRANAT surveys of this region. The total exposure time of the Galactic Center was 11x10^6 s. The regular SIGMA observations revealed strong variability of the source: the 40-150 keV flux varied at least by a factor of 8 on a time scale of a year, between less than 13 mCrab and ~100-110 mCrab. The average flux was ~60 mCrab in 1990-1998. The source's spectrum is well fitted by a power law with a photon index α~1.86 in the energy range 40 to 150 keV and becomes steeper at energies above ~100 keV. The radio and hard X-ray properties of GRS 1758-258 are similar to those of another Galactic Center source, 1E1740.7-2942. GRS 1758-258 and 1E1740.7-2942 are the two brightest hard X-ray sources in the Galactic Center region. Both sources have radio jets, similar X-ray luminosities (~10^37 erg/s), and spectra, and exhibit variations in the hard X-ray flux on long times scales by a factor of ~10 or more . In contrast to most of the known black hole candidates, which are X-ray transients, GRS 1758-258 and 1E1740.7-2942 were detected by SIGMA during most of the observations in 1990-1998. Assuming that this behavior of the sources implies the suppression of accretion-disk instability in the region of partial hydrogen ionization through X-ray heating, we impose constraints on the mass of the optical companion and on the orbital period of the binary system.

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arXiv1999

Deep SIGMA observations of the central square degree of the Galaxy

The Center of the Milky Way emits radiation through all the electromagnetic spectrum due to the presence of several astrophysical phenomena. Various scientifical questions remain unsolved in the picture that emerge from observations, the main one being the presence and activity of a supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center. Also in the X-ray band a strong diffuse emission is detected up to 22 keV, it has been suggested that its origin is linked to past high energy activity of the Galactic Center. The French SIGMA soft gamma ray telescope on board the Russian Granat satellite observed the Galacti Center (GC) for abour 9 X 10^6 seconds from 1990 to the end of 1997. Its unique imaging capabilities coupled with the unprecedented exposure already allowed us to set preliminary constraints on the persistent high energy emission from Sgr A*. Here we present a new analysis of the complete set of observations of this region taking into account the possible presence of diffuse emission in the low energy channels. This allows us both to test current advection models of high energy emission from Sgr A* and to investigate on past high energy activity.

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arXiv1998

SIGMA and XTE observations of the soft X-ray transient XTEJ1755-324

We present observations of the X-ray transient XTEJ1755-324 performed during summer 1997 with the XTE satellite and with the SIGMA hard X-ray telescope onboard the GRANAT observatory. The source was first detected in soft X-rays with XTE on July 25 1997 with a rather soft X-ray spectrum and its outburst was monitored in soft X-rays up to November 1997. On September 16 it was first detected in hard X-rays by the French soft gamma ray telescope SIGMA during a Galactic Center observation. The flux was stronger on September 16 and 17 reaching a level of about 110 mCrab in the 40-80 keV energy band. On the same days the photon index of the spectrum was determined to be alpha =-2.3 +/- 0.9 (1 sigma error) while the 40-150 keV luminosity was about 8 x 10^{36} erg/s for a distance of 8.5 kpc. SIGMA and XTE results on this source indicate that this source had an ultrasoft-like state during its main outburst and a harder secondary outburst in September. These characteristics make the source similar to X-Nova Muscae 1991, a well known black hole candidate.

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arXiv1997

Properties Of The Hard X-ray Radiation From The Black Hole Candidates: Cygnus X-1 And 1E1740.7-2942

The entire dataset of the GRANAT/SIGMA observations of Cyg X-1 and 1E1740.7-2942 in 1990-1994 was analyzed in order to search for correlations between primary observational characteristics of the hard X-ray (40-200 keV) emission - hard X-ray luminosity, hardness of the spectrum (quantified in terms of the best-fit thermal bremsstrahlung temperature kT) and the RMS of short-term flux variations. Although no strict point-to-point correlations were detected certain general tendencies are evident. It was found that for Cyg X-1 the spectral hardness is in general positively correlated with relative amplitude of short-term variability. The correlation of similar kind was found for X-ray transient GRO J0422+32 (X-ray Nova Persei 1992). For both sources an approximate correlation between kT and L_X was found. At low hard X-ray luminosity - below 10E37 erg/sec - kT increases with L_X. At higher luminosity the spectral hardness depends weaker or does not depend at all on the hard X-ray luminosity. The low luminosity end of these approximate correlations (low kT and low RMS) corresponds to extended episodes of very low hard X-ray flux occurred during SIGMA observations.

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arXiv1997

Properties Of The Hard X-ray Emission From The Black Hole Candidates: Cygnus X-1 And 1E1740.7-2942

The entire dataset of the GRANAT/SIGMA observations of Cyg X-1 and 1E1740.7-2942 in 1990-1994 was analyzed in order to search for correlations between primary observational characteristics of the hard X-ray (40-200 keV) emission - hard X-ray luminosity, hardness of the spectrum (quantified in terms of the best-fit thermal bremsstrahlung temperature kT) and the RMS of short-term flux variations. Although no strict point-to-point correlations were detected certain general tendencies are evident. It was found that for Cyg X-1 the spectral hardness is in general positively correlated with relative amplitude of short-term variability. The correlation of similar kind was found for X-ray transient GRO J0422+32 (X-ray Nova Persei 1992) and recently for GX339-4. For both sources approximate correlation between kT and L_X was found. At low hard X-ray luminosity - below 10E37 erg/sec - the kT increases with increase of L_X. At higher luminosity the spectral hardness depends weaker or does not depend at all on the hard X-ray luminosity. The low luminosity end of these approximate correlations (low kT and low RMS) corresponds to extended episodes of very low hard X-ray flux occurred for both sources during SIGMA observations.

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