arXiv subjects

Naoki Isobe

Publications and source records attributed to Naoki Isobe.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

The First MAXI/GSC Catalog in the High Galactic-Latitude Sky

We present the first unbiased source catalog of the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) mission at high Galactic latitudes ($|b| > 10^{\circ}$), produced from the first 7-month data (2009 September 1 to 2010 March 31) of the Gas Slit Camera in the 4--10 keV band. We develop an analysis procedure to detect faint sources from the MAXI data, utilizing a maximum likelihood image fitting method, where the image response, background, and detailed observational conditions are taken into account. The catalog consists of 143 X-ray sources above 7 sigma significance level with a limiting sensitivity of $\sim1.5\times10^{-11}$ ergs cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ (1.2 mCrab) in the 4--10 keV band. Among them, we identify 38 Galactic/LMC/SMC objects, 48 galaxy clusters, 39 Seyfert galaxies, 12 blazars, and 1 galaxy. Other 4 sources are confused with multiple objects, and one remains unidentified. The log $N$ - log $S$ relation of extragalactic objects is in a good agreement with the HEAO-1 A-2 result, although the list of the brightest AGNs in the entire sky has significantly changed since that in 30 years ago.

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arXiv2011

Peculiarly Narrow SED of GRB 090926B with MAXI and Fermi/GBM

The monitor of all-sky X-ray image (MAXI) Gas Slit Camera (GSC) on the International Space Station (ISS) detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB) on 2009, September 26, GRB\,090926B. This GRB had extremely hard spectra in the X-ray energy range. Joint spectral fitting with the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope shows that this burst has peculiarly narrow spectral energy distribution and is represented by Comptonized blackbody model. This spectrum can be interpreted as photospheric emission from the low baryon-load GRB fireball. Calculating the parameter of fireball, we found the size of the base of the flow $r_0 = (4.3 \pm 0.9) \times 10^{9} \, Y^{\prime \, -3/2}$ cm and Lorentz factor of the plasma $Γ= (110 \pm 10) \, Y^{\prime \, 1/4}$, where $Y^{\prime}$ is a ratio between the total fireball energy and the energy in the blackbody component of the gamma-ray emission. This $r_0$ is factor of a few larger, and the Lorentz factor of 110 is smaller by also factor of a few than other bursts that have blackbody components in the spectra.

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arXiv2011

MAXI GSC monitoring of the Crab nebula and pulsar during the GeV gamma-ray flare in September 2010

We report on the MAXI GSC X-ray monitoring of the Crab nebula and pulsar during the GeV gamma-ray flare for the period of 2010 September 18-24 (MJD 55457-55463) detected by AGILE and Fermi-LAT. There were no significant variations on the pulse phase averaged and pulsed fluxes during the gamma-ray flare on time scales from 0.5 to 5 days. The pulse profile also showed no significant change during this period. The upper limits on the variations of the pulse phase averaged and pulsed fluxes for the period MJD 55457.5-55462.5 in the 4-10 keV band are derived to be 1 and 19%, respectively, at the 90% confidence limit of the statistical uncertainty. The lack of variations in the pulsed component over the multi-wavelength range (radio, X-ray, hard X-ray, and gamma-ray) supports not the pulsar but the nebular origin for the gamma-ray flare.

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arXiv2011

Suzaku measurement of electron and magnetic energy densities in the east lobe of the giant radio galaxy DA 240

A careful analysis of the Suzaku data of the giant radio galaxy DA 240, of which the size is 1.48 Mpc, revealed diffuse X-ray emission associated with its east lobe. The diffuse X-ray spectrum was described with a simple power-law model with a photon index of 1.92 (-0.17+0.13) (-0.06+0.04), where the first and second errors represent the statistical and systematic ones. The agreement with the synchrotron radio photon index, 1.95 +- 0.01 in 326 -- 608.5 MHz, ensures that the excess X-ray emission is attributed to the inverse Compton emission from the synchrotron-radiating electrons, boosting up the cosmic microwave background photons. From the X-ray flux density, 51.5 +-3.9 (-5.4+6.2) nJy at 1 keV derived with the photon index fixed at the radio index, in comparison with the synchrotron radio intensity of 10.30 +- 0.12 Jy at 326 MHz, the magnetic and electron energy densities was estimated as u_m = (3.0 +-0.2 +-0.4) \times 10^(-14) ergs/cm3 and u_e = (3.4 (-0.2+0.3) (-0.4+0.5)) \times 10^(-14) ergs/cm3 integrated over the electron Lorentz factor of 10^3 -- 10^5, respectively. Thus, the east lobe is found to reside in an equipartition condition between the electrons and magnetic field parametrized as u_e/u_m = 1.1 (-0.1+0.2) (-0.2+0.4). The east lobe of DA 240 is indicated to exhibit the lowest value of u_e, among all the X-ray detected lobes of radio galaxies. A comparison of the energetics in the giant radio galaxies with a size of about 1 Mpc to those in the smaller objects suggests a possibility that radio galaxies lose their jet power, as they evolve from 100 kpc to 1 Mpc.

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arXiv2011

Gas Slit Camera (GSC) onboard MAXI on ISS

The Gas Slit Camera (GSC) is an X-ray instrument on the MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image) mission on the International Space Station. It is designed to scan the entire sky every 92-minute orbital period in the 2--30 keV band and to achieve the highest sensitivity among the X-ray all-sky monitors ever flown so far. The GSC employs large-area position-sensitive proportional counters with the total detector area of 5350 cm$^2$. The on-board data processor has functions to format telemetry data as well as to control the high voltage of the proportional counters to protect them from the particle irradiation. The paper describes the instruments, on-board data processing, telemetry data formats, and performance specifications expected from the ground calibration tests.

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arXiv2011

In-Orbit Performance of MAXI Gas Slit Camera (GSC) on ISS

We report the in-orbit performance of the Gas Slit Camera (GSC) on the MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image) mission carried on the International Space Station (ISS). Its commissioning operation started on August 8, 2009, confirmed the basic performances of the effective area in the energy band of 2--30 keV, the spatial resolution of the slit-and-slat collimator and detector with 1.5 degree FWHM, the source visibility of 40-150 seconds for each scan cycle, and the sky coverage of 85% per 92-minute orbital period and 95% per day. The gas gains and read-out amplifier gains have been stable within 1%. The background rate is consistent with the past X-ray experiments operated at the similar low-earth orbit if its relation with the geomagnetic cutoff rigidity is extrapolated to the high latitude. We also present the status of the in-orbit operation and the calibration of the effective area and the energy response matrix using Crab-nebula data.

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arXiv2011

Solid-state Slit Camera (SSC) on Board MAXI

Solid-state Slit Camera (SSC) is an X-ray camera onboard the MAXI mission of the International Space Station. Two sets of SSC sensors view X-ray sky using charge-coupled devices (CCDs) in 0.5--12\,keV band. The total area for the X-ray detection is about 200\,cm$\rm ^2$ which is the largest among the missions of X-ray astronomy. The energy resolution at the CCD temperature of $-$70 \degc is 145\,eV in full width at the half maximum (FWHM) at 5.9\,keV, and the field of view is 1°.5 (FWHM) $\times$ 90°for each sensor. The SSC could make a whole-sky image with the energy resolution good enough to resolve line emissions, and monitor the whole-sky at the energy band of $<$ 2\,keV for the first time in these decades.

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arXiv2010

Suzaku diagnostics of the energetics in the lobes of the giant radio galaxy 3C 35

The Suzaku observation of a giant radio galaxy 3C 35 revealed faint extended X-ray emission, associated with its radio lobes and/or host galaxy. After careful subtraction of the X-ray and non-X-ray background and contaminating X-ray sources, the X-ray spectrum of the faint emission was reproduced by a sum of the power-law (PL) and soft thermal components. The soft component was attributed to the thermal plasma emission from the host galaxy. The photon index of the PL component, $Γ= 1.35_{-0.86}^{+0.56}$$_{-0.10}^{+0.11}$ where the first and second errors represent the statistical and systematic ones, was found to agree with the synchrotron radio index from the lobes, $Γ_{\rm R} = 1.7$. Thus, the PL component was attributed to the inverse Compton (IC) X-rays from the synchrotron electrons in the lobes. The X-ray flux density at 1 keV was derived as $13.6\pm 5.4_{-3.6}^{+4.0}$ nJy with the photon index fixed at the radio value. The X-ray surface brightness from these lobes ($\sim 0.2$ nJy arcmin$^{-2}$) is lowest among the lobes studied through the IC X-ray emission. In combination with the synchrotron radio flux density, $7.5 \pm 0.2$ Jy at 327.4 MHz, the electron energy density spatially averaged over the lobes was evaluated to be the lowest among those radio galaxies, as $u_{\rm e} = (5.8 \pm 2.3 _{-1.7}^{+1.9}) \times 10^{-14}$ ergs cm$^{-3}$ over the electron Lorentz factor of $10^{3}$ -- $10^{5}$. The magnetic energy density was calculated as $u_{\rm m}=(3.1_{-1.0}^{+2.5}$$_{-0.9}^{+1.4}) \times 10^{-14}$ ergs cm$^{-3}$, corresponding to the magnetic field strength of $0.88_{-0.16}^{+0.31}$$_{-0.14}^{+0.19}$ $μ$G. These results suggest that the energetics in the 3C 35 lobes are nearly consistent with equipartition between the electrons and magnetic fields.

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arXiv2010

The ASTRO-H Mission

The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions initiated by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). ASTRO-H will investigate the physics of the high-energy universe by performing high-resolution, high-throughput spectroscopy with moderate angular resolution. ASTRO-H covers very wide energy range from 0.3 keV to 600 keV. ASTRO-H allows a combination of wide band X-ray spectroscopy (5-80 keV) provided by multilayer coating, focusing hard X-ray mirrors and hard X-ray imaging detectors, and high energy-resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy (0.3-12 keV) provided by thin-foil X-ray optics and a micro-calorimeter array. The mission will also carry an X-ray CCD camera as a focal plane detector for a soft X-ray telescope (0.4-12 keV) and a non-focusing soft gamma-ray detector (40-600 keV) . The micro-calorimeter system is developed by an international collaboration led by ISAS/JAXA and NASA. The simultaneous broad bandpass, coupled with high spectral resolution of Delta E ~7 eV provided by the micro-calorimeter will enable a wide variety of important science themes to be pursued.

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arXiv2010

Bright X-ray flares from the BL Lac object Mrk 421, detected with MAXI in 2010 January and February

Strong X-ray flares from the blazar Mrk 421 were detected in 2010 January and February through the 7 month monitoring with the MAXI GSC. The maximum 2 -- 10 keV flux in the January and February flares was measured as 120 +- 10 mCrab and 164 +- 17 mCrab respectively; the latter is the highest among those reported from the object. A comparison of the MAXI and Swift BAT data suggests a convex X-ray spectrum with an approximated photon index of about 2. This spectrum is consistent with a picture that MAXI is observing near the synchrotron peak frequency. The source exhibited a spectral variation during these flares, slightly different from those in the previous observations, in which the positive correlation between the flux and hardness was widely reported. By equating the halving decay timescale in the January flare, $t_{\rm d} \sim 2.5 \times 10^{4}$ s, to the synchrotron cooling time, the magnetic field was evaluated as B = 0.045 G $(δ/10)^{-1/3}$, where $δ$ is the jet beaming factor. Assuming that the light crossing time of the emission region is shorter than the doubling rise time, $t_{\rm r} \lesssim 2 \times 10^{4}$ s, the region size was roughly estimated as $ R < 6 \times 10^{15}$ cm $(δ/10)$. These are consistent with the values previously reported. For the February flare, the rise time, $t_{\rm r} < 1.3 \times 10^{5}$ s, gives a loose upper limit on the size as $ R < 4 \times 10^{16}$ cm $(δ/10)$, although the longer decay time $t_{\rm d} \sim 1.4 \times 10^{5}$ s, indicates B = 0.015 G $(δ/10)^{-1/3}$, which is weaker than the previous results. This could be reconciled by invoking a scenario that this flare is a superposition of unresolved events with a shorter timescale.

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arXiv2010

Mass Function of Binary Massive Black Holes in Active Galactic Nuclei

If the activity of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is predominantly induced by major galaxy mergers, then a significant fraction of AGNs should harbor binary massive black holes in their centers. We study the mass function of binary massive black holes in nearby AGNs based on the observed AGN black-hole mass function and theory of evolution of binary massive black holes interacting with a massive circumbinary disk in the framework of coevolution of massive black holes and their host galaxies. The circumbinary disk is assumed to be steady, axisymmetric, geometrically thin, self-regulated, self-gravitating but non-fragmenting with a fraction of Eddington accretion rate, which is typically one tenth of Eddington value. The timescale of orbital decay is {then} estimated as ~10^8yr for equal mass black-hole, being independent of the black hole mass, semi-major axis, and viscosity parameter but dependent on the black-hole mass ratio, Eddington ratio, and mass-to-energy conversion efficiency. This makes it possible for any binary massive black holes to merge within a Hubble time by the binary-disk interaction. We find that (1.8+-0.6%) for the equal mass ratio and (1.6+-0.4%) for the one-tenth mass ratio of the total number of nearby AGNs have close binary massive black holes with orbital period less than ten years in their centers, detectable with on-going highly sensitive X-ray monitors such as Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image and/or Swift/Burst Alert Telescope. Assuming that all binary massive black holes have the equal mass ratio, about 20% of AGNs with black hole masses of 10^{6.5-7}M_sun has the close binaries and thus provides the best chance to detect them.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Suzaku Observation of the Brightest Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 4C 50.55 (IGR J 21247+5058)

We report the results from a deep Suzaku observation of 4C 50.55 (IGR J 21247+5058), the brightest broad-line radio galaxy in the hard X-ray (> 10 keV) sky. The simultaneous broad band spectra over 1-60 keV can be represented by a cut-off power law with two layers of absorption and a significant reflection component from cold matter with a solid angle of Ω/2π\approx 0.2. A rapid flux rise by ~ 20% over 2 \times 10^4 sec is detected in the 2-10 keV band. The spectral energy distribution suggests that there is little contribution to the total X-ray emission from jets. Applying a thermal Comptonization model, we find that corona is optically thick (τ_e \approx 3) and has a relatively low temperature (kT_e \approx 30 keV). The narrow iron-K emission line is consistent with a picture where the standard disk is truncated and/or its inner part is covered by optically thick Comptonizing corona smearing out relativistic broad line features. The inferred disk structure may be a common feature of accretion flows onto black holes that produce powerful jets.

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arXiv2010

MAXI GSC observations of a spectral state transition in the black hole candidate XTE J1752-223

We present the first results on the black hole candidate XTE J1752-223 from the Gas Slit Camera (GSC) on-board the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) on the International Space Station. Including the onset of the outburst reported by the Proportional Counter Array on-board the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer on 2009 October 23, the MAXI/GSC has been monitoring this source approximately 10 times per day with a high sensitivity in the 2-20 keV band. XTE J1752-223 was initially in the low/hard state during the first 3 months. An anti-correlated behavior between the 2-4 keV and 4-20 keV bands were observed around January 20, 2010, indicating that the source exhibited the spectral transition to the high/soft state. A transient radio jet may have been ejected when the source was in the intermediate state where the spectrum was roughly explained by a power-law with a photon index of 2.5-3.0. The unusually long period in the initial low/hard state implies a slow variation in the mass accretion rate, and the dramatic soft X-ray increase may be explained by a sudden appearance of the accretion disk component with a relatively low innermost temperature (0.4-0.7 keV). Such a low temperature might suggest that the maximum accretion rate was just above the critical gas evaporation rate required for the state transition.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Suzaku observation of the giant radio galaxy 3C 326

A Suzaku observation of a giant radio galaxy, 3C 326, which has a physical size of about 2 Mpc, was conducted on 2008 January 19 -- 21. In addition to several X-ray sources, diffuse emission was significantly detected associated with its west lobe, but the east lobe was contaminated by an unidentified X-ray source WARP J1552.4+2007. After careful evaluation of the X-ray and Non X-ray background, the 0.4 -- 7 keV X-ray spectrum of the west lobe is described by a power-law model. The photon index and 1 keV flux density was derived as $1.82_{-0.24}^{+0.26}\pm0.04$ and $19.4_{-3.2}^{+3.3}\pm 3.0$ nJy, respectively, where the first and second errors represent the statistical and systematic ones. The diffuse X-rays were attributed to be inverse Compton radiation by the synchrotron radio electrons scattering off the cosmic microwave background photons. This radio galaxy is the largest among those with lobes detected through inverse Compton X-ray emission. A comparison of the radio to X-ray fluxes yields the energy densities of electron and magnetic field as $u_e = (2.3 \pm 0.3 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{-13}$ ergs/cm3 and $u_m = (1.2_{-0.1}^{+0.2}\pm 0.2) \times 10^{-14}$ ergs/cm3, respectively. The galaxy is suggested to host a low luminosity nucleus with an absorption-corrected 2 -- 10 keV luminosity of $<2 \times 10^{42}$ ergs/s, together with a relatively weak radio core. The energetics in the west lobe of 3C 326 were compared with those of moderate radio galaxies with a size of $\sim 100$ kpc. The west lobe of 3C 326 is confirmed to agree with the correlations for the moderate radio galaxies, $u_e \propto D^{-2.2\pm0.4}$ and $u_m \propto D^{-2.4\pm0.4}$, where $D$ is their total physical size. This implies that the lobes of 3C 326 are still being energized by the jet, despite the current weakness of the nucleus.

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arXiv2009

The MAXI Mission on the ISS: Science and Instruments for Monitoring All Sky X-Ray Images

The MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image) mission is the first astronomical payload to be installed on the Japanese Experiment Module-Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) on the ISS. It is scheduled for launch in the middle of 2009 to monitor all-sky X-ray objects on every ISS orbit. MAXI will be more powerful than any previous X-ray All Sky Monitor (ASM) payloads, being able to monitor hundreds of AGN. MAXI will provide all sky images of X-ray sources of about 20 mCrab in the energy band of 2-30 keV from observation on one ISS orbit (90 min), about 4.5 mCrab for one day, and about 1 mCrab for one month. A final detectability of MAXI could be 0.2 mCrab for 2 year observations.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2009

Suzaku and Multi-wavelength Observations of OJ 287 during the Periodic Optical Outburst in 2007

Suzaku observations of the blazar OJ 287 were performed in 2007 April 10--13 and November 7--9. They correspond to a quiescent and a flaring state, respectively. The X-ray spectra can be well described with single power-law models in both exposures. The derived X-ray photon index and the flux density at 1 keV were found to be Gamma = 1.65 +- 0.02 and S_{1 keV} = 215 +- 5 nJy, in the quiescent state. In the flaring state, the source exhibited a harder X-ray spectrum (Gamma = 1.50 +- 0.01) with a nearly doubled X-ray flux density S_{1 keV} = 404^{+6}_{-5} nJy. Moreover, significant hard X-ray signals were detected up to ~ 27 keV. In cooperation with the Suzaku, simultaneous radio, optical, and very-high-energy gamma-ray observations were performed with the Nobeyama Millimeter Array, the KANATA telescope, and the MAGIC telescope, respectively. The radio and optical fluxes in the flaring state (3.04 +- 0.46 Jy and 8.93 +- 0.05 mJy at 86.75 Hz and in the V-band, respectively) were found to be higher by a factor of 2--3 than those in the quiescent state (1.73 +- 0.26 Jy and 3.03 +- 0.01 mJy at 86.75 Hz and in the V-band, respectively). No notable gamma-ray events were detected in either observation. The spectral energy distribution indicated that the X-ray spectrum was dominated by inverse Compton radiation in both observations, while synchrotron radiation exhibited a spectral cutoff around the optical frequency. Furthermore, no significant difference in the synchrotron cutoff frequency was found between the quiescent and flaring states. According to a simple synchrotron self-Compton model, the change of the spectral energy distribution is due to an increase in the energy density of electrons with small changes of both the magnetic field strength and the maximum Lorentz factor of electrons.

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arXiv2009

Suzaku Observation of the Metallicity in the Interstellar Medium of NGC 4258

The Suzaku X-ray satellite observed the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 4258 for a total good exposure time of 100 ks. We present an analysis of the Suzaku XIS data, in which we confirm that the 0.5--2 keV spectra of the interstellar medium (ISM) are well-represented by a two-temperature model. The cool and hot ISM temperatures are 0.23+-0.02 and 0.59 +-0.01 keV, respectively. Suzaku's excellent spectral sensitivity enables us to measure the metal abundances of O, Ne, Mg, Si and Fe of the ISM for the first time. The resultant abundance pattern of O, Mg, Si, and Fe is consistent with that of the new solar abundance table of Lodders (2003), rather than Anders & Grevesse (1989). This suggests that the metal enrichment processes of NGC 4258 and of our Galaxy are similar.

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arXiv2009

Modeling and Reproducibility of Suzaku HXD PIN/GSO Background

Suzaku Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) achieved the lowest background level than any other previously or currently operational missions sensitive in the energy range of 10--600 keV, by utilizing PIN photodiodes and GSO scintillators mounted in the BGO active shields to reject particle background and Compton-scattered events as much as possible. Because it does not have imaging capability nor rocking mode for the background monitor, the sensitivity is limited by the reproducibility of the non X-ray background (NXB) model. We modeled the HXD NXB, which varies with time as well as other satellites with a low-earth orbit, by utilizing several parameters, including particle monitor counts and satellite orbital/attitude information. The model background is supplied as an event file in which the background events are generated by random numbers, and can be analyzed in the same way as the real data. The reproducibility of the NXB model depends on the event selection criteria (such as cut-off rigidity and energy band) and the integration time, and the 1sigma systematic error is estimated to be less than 3% (PIN 15--40 keV) and 1% (GSO 50--100 keV) for more than 10 ksec exposure.

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