arXiv subjects

M. Choudhury

Publications and source records attributed to M. Choudhury.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Constraints on the state of the IGM at $z\sim 8-10$ using redshifted 21-cm observations with LOFAR

The power spectra of the redshifted 21-cm signal from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) contain information about the ionization and thermal states of the intergalactic medium (IGM), and depend on the properties of the EoR sources. Recently, Mertens et al 2025 has analysed 10 nights of LOFAR high-band data and estimated upper limits on the 21-cm power spectrum at redshifts 8.3, 9.1 and 10.1. Here we use these upper limit results to constrain the properties of the IGM at those redshifts. We focus on the properties of the ionized and heated regions where the temperature is larger than that of the CMB. We model the 21-cm power spectrum with the code GRIZZLY, and use a Bayesian inference framework to explore the source parameters for uniform priors on their ranges. The framework also provides information about the IGM properties in the form of derived parameters. In a model which includes a radio background in excess of the CMB, the 95 (68) per cent credible intervals of disfavoured models at redshift 9.1 for the chosen priors correspond to IGM states with averaged ionization and heated fraction below 0.46 ($\lesssim 0.05$), an average gas temperature below 44 K (4 K), and a characteristic size of the heated region $\lesssim 14 ~h^{-1} ~\mathrm{Mpc}$ ($\lesssim 3 ~h^{-1} ~\mathrm{Mpc}$). The 68 per cent credible interval suggests an excess radio background which is more than 100 per cent of the CMB at 1.42 GHz, while the 95 per cent credible interval of the radio background efficiency parameter spans the entire prior range. The behaviour of the credible intervals is similar at all redshifts. The models disfavoured by the LOFAR upper limits are extreme ones, as they are mainly driven by rare and large ionized or heated regions.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Square Kilometre Array Science Data Challenge 3a: foreground removal for an EoR experiment

We present and analyse the results of the Science data challenge 3a (SDC3a, https://sdc3.skao.int/challenges/foregrounds), an EoR foreground-removal community-wide exercise organised by the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO). The challenge ran for 8 months, from March to October 2023. Participants were provided with realistic simulations of SKA-Low data between 106 MHz and 196 MHz, including foreground contamination from extragalactic as well as Galactic emission, instrumental and systematic effects. They were asked to deliver cylindrical power spectra of the EoR signal, cleaned from all corruptions, and the corresponding confidence levels. Here we describe the approaches taken by the 17 teams that completed the challenge, and we assess their performance using different metrics. The challenge results provide a positive outlook on the capabilities of current foreground-mitigation approaches to recover the faint EoR signal from SKA-Low observations. The median error committed in the EoR power spectrum recovery is below the true signal for seven teams, although in some cases there are some significant outliers. The smallest residual overall is $4.2_{-4.2}^{+20} \times 10^{-4}\,\rm{K}^2h^{-3}$cMpc$^{3}$ across all considered scales and frequencies. The estimation of confidence levels provided by the teams is overall less accurate, with the true error being typically under-estimated, sometimes very significantly. The most accurate error bars account for $60 \pm 20$\% of the true errors committed. The challenge results provide a means for all teams to understand and improve their performance. This challenge indicates that the comparison between independent pipelines could be a powerful tool to assess residual biases and improve error estimation.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

LAXPC / AstroSat Study of ~ 1 and ~ 2 mHz Quasi-periodic Oscillations in the Be/X-ray Binary 4U 0115+63 During its 2015 Outburst

The Be X-ray Binary 4U 0115+63 was observed by Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) instrument on AstroSat on 2015 October 24 during the peak of a giant Type II outburst. Prominent intensity oscillations at ~ 1 and ~ 2 mHz frequency were detected during the outburst. Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observations made during the same outburst also show mHz quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs). Details of the oscillations and their characteristics deduced from LAXPC/AstroSat and NuSTAR observations are reported in this paper. Analysis of the archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE)/Proportional Counter Array (PCA) data during 2001-11 also show presence of mHz QPOs during some of the outbursts and details of these QPOs are also reported. Possible models to explain the origin of the mHz oscillations are examined. Similar QPOs, albeit at higher frequencies, have been reported from other neutron star and black hole sources and both may have a common origin. Current models to explain the instability in the inner accretion disk causing the intense oscillations are discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Time resolved spectral analysis of the prompt emission of long gamma ray bursts with GeV Emission

We make a detailed time resolved spectroscopy of bright long gamma ray bursts (GRBs) which show significant GeV emissions (GRB 080916C, GRB 090902B, and GRB 090926A). In addition to the standard Band model, we also use a model consisting of a blackbody and a power-law to fit the spectra. We find that for the latter model there are indications for an additional soft component in the spectra. While previous studies have shown that such models are required for GRB 090902B, here we find that a composite spectral model consisting of two black bodies and a power law adequately fit the data of all the three bright GRBs. We investigate the evolution of the spectral parameters and find several generic interesting features for all three GRBs, like a) temperatures of the black bodies are strongly correlated to each other, b) flux in the black body components are strongly correlated to each other, c) the temperatures of the black body trace the profile of the individual pulses of the GRBs, and d) the characteristics of the power law component like the spectral index and the delayed onset bear a close similarity to the emission characteristics in the GeV regions. We discuss the implications of these results to the possibility of identifying the radiation mechanisms during the prompt emission of GRBs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2005

Evolution of X-ray spectra of Cygnus X-3 with radio flares

Cygnus X-3, among the X-ray binaries, is one of the brightest in the radio band, repeatedly exhibiting huge radio flares. The X-ray spectra shows two definite states, low (correspondingly hard) and high (correspondingly soft). During the hard state the X-ray spectra shows a pivoting behaviour correlated to the radio emission. In the high state the X-ray spectra shows a gamut of behaviour which controls the radio flaring activity of the source. The complete evolution of the X-ray spectra along with the radio flaring activity is reported here, for the first time for this source.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Binary corrected X-ray light curve of Cygnus X-3 : implications for the timing properties of the compact binary system

We study the binary corrected X-ray light curve of Cygnus X-3 using the RXTE-ASM data and RXTE-PCA data. We find that the X-ray template derived from the EXOSAT observations adequately explains the binary variations. Using the recently determined quadratic binary ephemeris we correct the RXTE-PCA lightcurve and obtain the power spectrum which shows distinct features of shifting towards the low frequency regime vis-a-vis the Galactic X-ray binaries. The power spectrum doesn't vary from the hard to the soft state. We also obtain the binary corrected RXTE-ASM monitoring lightcurve and examine the previously obtained correlation between soft X-ray (2-12 keV from RXTE-ASM), hard X-ray (20-100 keV from CGRO-BATSE) and radio (2.2 GHz from GBI) after the binary correction. We find that the correlation time scale is less than a day.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

The Radio : X-ray Correlation of Cygnus X-3 and other Galactic Microquasars

Cygnus X-3, among the Galactic X-ray binaries, is one of the brightest radio sources. Radio image as well as spectral analysis shows the presence of outflow in the form of jets. The SED in the X-ray band shows a complicated structure and evolution. Here we review some recent results of the correlation of the long-term radio and X-ray emission, in the various states of the source, with emphasis on the low (hard) state. We compare the results with those of other common Galactic microquasars, and attempt to provide a consistent picture of the accretion-ejection mechanism in these types of binaries.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Correlated radio:X-ray emission in the hard states of Galactic microquasars

We present results of our study of correlated radio and X-ray emission in two black hole candidates and Galactic microquasars GRS 1915+105 and Cygnus X-1 in their steady long term hard states, along with Cygnus X-3 (using data obtained from RXTE-ASM, CGRO-BATSE and GBI). We detect a pivotal behavior in the X-ray spectrum of GRS 1915+105, correlated to the radio emission. Similar to the results obtained for Cygnus X-3, the flux of X-rays softer than the pivoting point correlates with the radio emission, while the corresponding harder X-ray flux anti-correlates with both the radio and the softer X-ray emission, in this state. We examine all the previously reported correlations of X-ray properties with the radio emission in Galactic microquasars and argue that these are consistent with a general picture where a spectral pivoting is a common feature in these sources with the shape of the spectrum determining the flux of radio emission, during the hard states. We also detect a general monotonic increase in the radio emission of these sources with the soft X-ray emission spanning about 5 orders of magnitude. We qualitatively explain these findings with a Two Component Advective Flow model where the location of a boundary layer between the thin disk and the Comptonizing region determines the spectral shape and also the amount of outflow.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Disk-Jet Connection in Cygnus X-3

We present the results of a detailed correlation study between the soft X-ray, hard X-ray, and radio emission (obtained from RXTE ASM, BATSE, and GBI observations, respectively) of the bright radio emitting Galactic X-ray binary Cygnus X-3. We detect a very strong positive correlation between the soft X-ray and radio emission during the low-hard and minor flaring periods of the source, and an anti-correlation between the soft and hard X-ray emissions. We present statistical arguments to suggest that the anti-correlation between the radio and hard X-ray emission, reported earlier, is primarily due to their correlation and anti-correlation, respectively, with the soft X-ray emission. We make a wide band X-ray spectral study using the pointed RXTE observations and detect a pivotal behaviour in the X-ray spectrum. We argue that this X-ray spectral pivoting is responsible for the anti-correlation between the soft and hard X-ray emissions. The strong correlation between the soft X-ray and radio emission suggests a close link between the accreting mechanism, plasma cloud surrounding the compact object and the radio emission.

astro-ph↗