arXiv subjects

R. P. Fender

Publications and source records attributed to R. P. Fender.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

Variable circular polarisation associated with relativistic ejections from GRS 1915+105

We report the discovery of variable circularly polarised radio emission associated with relativistic ejections from GRS 1915+105, based on observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and the Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN). Following a radio flare in 2001 January, significant and variable circular polarisation, at a fractional level of 0.2-0.4%, was measured with ATCA at four frequencies between 1-9 GHz. Following an additional outburst 65 days later in 2001 March, further ATCA observations measured a comparable sign and level of circular polarisation at two frequencies. At this second epoch, contemporaneous MERLIN observations directly imaged a relativistic ejection event and allowed us to confidently associate both the circularly and linearly polarised emission with the relativistic ejecta, allowing a detailed measurement of the full polarisation properties in the optically thin phase. The fractional circular polarisation spectrum appears to flatten at higher frequencies in 2001 January, when there is strong evidence for multiple components at different optical depths. While we cannot conclusively distinguish between synchrotron or propagation-induced conversion as the origin of the circularly polarised component, we do not consider that coherent or birefringent scintillation mechanisms are likely. The implication is therefore that the ejections from GRS 1915+105 are associated with a significant population of low-energy electrons, with associated consequences for the energetics of relativistic ejection events. [abridged]

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Initial low/hard state, multiple jet ejections and X-ray/radio correlations during the outburst of XTE J1859+226

We have studied the 1999 soft X-ray transient outburst of XTE J1859+226 at radio and X-ray wavelengths. The event was characterised by strong variability in the disc, corona and jet - in particular, a number of radio flares (ejections) took place and seemed well-correlated with hard X-ray events. Apparently unusual for the `canonical soft' X-ray transient, there was an initial period of low/hard state behaviour during the rise from quiescence but prior to the peak of the main outburst - we show that not only could this initial low/hard state be an ubiquitous feature of soft X-ray transient outbursts but that it could also be extremely important in our study of outburst mechanisms.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Hard X-ray states and radio emission in GRS 1915+105

We have compared simultaneous Ryle Telescope radio and Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer X-ray observations of the galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105, using the classification of the X-ray behaviour in terms of three states as previously established. We find a strong (one-to-one) relation between radio oscillation events and series of spectrally hard states in the X-ray light curves, if the hard states are longer than ~100s and are "well separated" from each other. In all other cases the source either shows a low-level or a high level radio emission, but no radio oscillation events. During intervals when the source stays in the hard spectral state for periods of days to months, the radio behaviour is quite different; during some of these intervals a quasi-continuous jet is formed with an almost flat synchrotron spectrum extending to at least the near-infrared. Based on the similarities between the oscillation profiles at different wavelengths, we suggest a scenario which can explain most of the complex X-ray : radio behaviour of GRS 1915+105. We compare this behaviour with that of other black hole sources and challenge previous reports of a relation between spectrally soft X-ray states and the radio emission.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

The star-formation rate in the host of GRB 990712

We have observed the host galaxy of GRB 990712 at 1.4 GHz with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, to obtain an estimate of its total star-formation rate. We do not detect a source at the position of the host. The 2 sigma upper limit of 70 microJy implies that the total star-formation rate is lower than 100 Msun/yr, using conservative values for the spectral index and cosmological parameters. This upper limit is in stark contrast with recent reports of radio/submillimeter-determined star-formation rates of roughly 500 Msun/yr for two other GRB host galaxies. Our observations present the deepest radio-determined star-formation rate limit on a GRB host galaxy yet, and show that also from the unobscured radio point-of-view, not every GRB host galaxy is a vigorous starburst.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Spectral, polarisation and time-lag properties of GRS 1915+105 radio oscillations

We report high sensitivity dual-frequency observations of radio oscillations from GRS 1915+105 following the decay of a major flare event in 2000 July. The oscillations are clearly observed at both frequencies, and the time-resolved spectral index traces the events between optically thin and thick states. While previously anticipated from sparse observations and simple theory, this is the first time a quasi-periodic signal has been seen in the radio spectrum, and is a clear demonstration that flat radio spectra can arise from the combination of emission from optically thick and thin regions. In addition, we measure the linear polarisation of the oscillations, at both frequencies, at a level of about 1--2%, with a flat spectrum. Cross-correlating the two light curves we find a mean delay, in the sense that the emission at 8640 MHz leads that at 4800 MHz, of around 600 seconds. Comparison with frequency-dependent time delays reported in the literature reveals that this delay is variable between epochs. We briefly discuss possible origins for a varying time delay, and suggest possible consequences.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Multi-wavelength observations of the Soft Gamma Repeater SGR 1900+14 during its April 2001 activation

The soft-gamma repeater SGR 1900+14 became active on 18 April 2001 after about two years of quiescence; it had remained at a very low state of activity since the fall of 1998, when it exhibited extraordinary flaring. We have observed the source in the gamma and X rays with Ulysses and Chandra, and in the radio with MERLIN. We report here the confirmation of a two component X-ray spectrum (power law + blackbody), indicating emission from the neutron star surface. We have determined that there is a dust halo surrounding the source that extends up to >~ 100'' from the center of SGR 1900+14, due to scattering in the interstellar medium.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Radio flares and plasmon size in Cygnus X-3

We have observed a number of minor radio flares in Cyg X-3 using the MERLIN array. Photometric observations show the system to be highly active with multiple flares on hourly timescales over the one month observing programme. Analysis of the source's power spectrum show no persistent periodicities in these data, and no evidence of the 4.8 hr orbital period. An upper limit of 15 mJy can be placed on the amplitude of any sinusoidal varaition of source flux at the orbital period. The brightness temperature of a flare is typically T > 10^{9}- 10^{10} K, with a number of small flares of 5 minute duration having brightness temperatures of T > few x 10^{11} K. For such a change in flux to occur within a typical 10 minute timescale, the radiation must originate from plasmons with a size < 1.22 AU. This emission is unlikely to originate close to the centre of the system as both the jets and compact object are buried deep within an optically thick stellar wind. Assuming a spherically symmetric wind, plasmons would become visible at distances ~ 13 AU from the core.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

X-ray states and radio emission in the black hole candidate XTE J1550-564

We report on radio and X-ray observations of the black hole candidate (BHC) XTE J1550-564 performed during its 2000 X-ray outburst. Observations have been conducted with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and have allowed us to sample the radio behavior of XTE J1550-564 in the X-ray Low Hard and Intermediate/Very High states. We observed optically thin radio emission from XTE J1550-564 five days after a transition to an Intermediate/Very High state, but we observed no radio emission six days later, while XTE J1550-564 was still in the Intermediate/Very High state. In the Low Hard state, XTE J1550-564 is detected with an inverted radio spectrum. The radio emission in the Low Hard state most likely originates from a compact jet; optical observations suggest that the synchrotron emission from this jet may extend up to the optical range. The total power of the compact jet might therefore be a significant fraction of the total luminosity of the system. We suggest that the optically thin synchrotron radio emission detected five days after the transition to the Intermediate/Very High state is due to a discrete ejection of relativistic plasma during the state transition. Subsequent to the decay of the optically thin radio emission associated with the state transition, it seems that in the Intermediate/Very High state the radio emission is quenched by a factor greater than 50, implying a suppression of the outflow. We discuss the properties of radio emission in the X-ray states of BHCs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Spectral evidence for a powerful compact jet from XTE J1118+480

We present observations of the X-ray transient XTE J1118+480 during its Low/Hard X-ray state outburst in 2000, at radio and sub-millimetre wavelengths with the VLA, Ryle Telescope, MERLIN and JCMT. The high-resolution MERLIN observations reveal all the radio emission (at 5 GHz) to come from a compact core with physical dimensions smaller than 65*d(kpc) AU. The combined radio data reveal a persistent and inverted radio spectrum, with spectral index \~+0.5. The source is also detected at 350 GHz, on an extrapolation of the radio spectrum. Flat or inverted radio spectra are now known to be typical of the Low/Hard X-ray state, and are believed to arise in synchrotron emission from a partially self-absorbed jet. Comparison of the radio and sub-millimetre data with reported near-infrared observations suggest that the synchrotron emission from the jet extends to the near-infrared, or possibly even optical regimes. In this case the ratio of jet power to total X-ray luminosity is likely to be P_J/L_X >> 0.01, depending on the radiative efficiency and relativistic Doppler factor of the jet. Based on these arguments we conclude that during the period of our observations XTE J1118+480 was producing a powerful outflow which extracted a large fraction of the total accretion power.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Powerful jets from black hole X-ray binaries in Low/Hard X-ray states

Four persistent (Cygnus X-1, GX 339-4, GRS 1758-258 and 1E 1740.7-2942) and three transient (GS 2023+38, GRO J0422+32 and GS 1354-64) black hole X-ray binary systems have been extensively observed at radio wavelengths during extended periods in the Low/Hard X-ray state, which is characterised in X-rays by a hard power-law spectrum and strong variability. All seven systems show a persistent flat or inverted (in the sense that spectral index alpha >= 0) radio spectrum in this state, markedly different from the optically thin radio spectra exhibited by most X-ray transients within days of outburst. Furthermore, in none of the systems is a high-frequency cut-off to this spectral component detected, and there is evidence that it extends to near-infrared or optical regimes. Luminous persistent hard X-ray states in the black hole system GRS 1915+105 produce a comparable spectrum. This spectral component is considered to arise in synchrotron emission from a conical, partially self-absorbed jet, of the same genre as those originally considered for Active Galactic Nuclei. Whatever the physical origin of the Low/Hard X-ray states, these self-similar outflows are an ever-present feature. The power in the jet component is likely to be a significant (> 5%) and approximately fixed fraction of the total accretion luminosity. The correlation between hard X-ray and synchrotron emission in all the sources implies that the jets are intimately related to the Comptonisation process, and do not have very large bulk Lorentz factors, unless the hard X-ray emission is also beamed by the same factor.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

On the peak radio and X-ray emission from neutron star and black hole candidate X-ray transients

We have compiled and analysed reports from the literature of (quasi-)simultaneous observations of X-ray transients at radio and X-ray wavelengths and compared them with each other and with more unusual radio-bright sources such as Cygnus X-3, GRS 1915+105 and Circinus X-1. There exists a significant (>97% likelihood) positive (rank) correlation between the peak X-ray flux P_X and radio flux density P_R for the black hole candidate (BHC) systems, and a marginally significant positive (rank) correlation for the neutron star (NS) systems. This is further evidence for a coupling between accretion and outflows in X-ray binary systems, in this case implying a relation between peak disc-accretion-rate and the number of synchroton-emitting electrons ejected. However, we also show that the distribution of `radio loudness', P_R/P_X, is significantly different for the two samples, in the sense that the BHCs generally have a higher ratio of P_R/P_X. The origin of this discrepancy is uncertain, but probably reflects differences in the energetics and/or radiative efficiency of flows around the neutron stars and black holes; we briefly discuss some of these possibilities. We conclude that these data point to the formation of a mildly relativistic jet whose luminosity is a function of the accretion rate, in the majority, if not all, of X-ray transient outbursts, but whose relation to the observed X-ray emission is dependent on the nature of the accreting compact object. (Abridged).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

The 1997 hard state outburst of the X-ray transient GS 1354-64 / BW Cir

We present observations of the 1997 outburst of the X-ray transient GS 1354-64 (BW Cir) at X-ray, optical and, for the first time, radio wavelengths; this includes upper limits to the linear and circular polarisation of the radio data. The X-ray outburst was unusual in that the source remained in the low/hard X-ray state throughout; the X-ray peak was also preceded by at least one optical outburst, suggesting that it was an `outside-in' outburst - similar to those observed in dwarf novae systems, although possibly taking place on a viscous timescale in this case. It therefore indicates that the optical emission was not dominated by the reprocessing of X-rays but that instead we see the instability directly. While the radio source was too faint to detect any extended structure, spectral analysis of the radio data and a comparison with other similar systems suggests that mass ejections, probably in the form of a jet, took place and that the emitted synchrotron spectrum may have extended as far as infrared wavelengths. Finally, we compare this 1997 outburst of GS 1354-64 with possible previous outbursts and also with other hard state objects, both transient and persistent. It appears that a set of characteristics -- such as a weak, flat spectrum radio jet, a mHz QPO increasing in frequency, a surprisingly high optical:X-ray luminosity ratio and the observed optical peak preceding the X-ray peak -- may be common to all hard state X-ray transients.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

The disc-jet connection in GRS 1915+105

We have compared simultaneous Ryle Telescope (RT) radio and Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) X-ray observations of the galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105. We find that radio emission, and therefore also the radio jet, requires the presence of long (~100s), hard dips in the X-ray light curve which seem to have a one-to-one relation with the radio events: each hard dip produces a new radio "flare". We discuss the characteristic features of the connection between the hard X-ray states and the radio emission.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Cygnus X-3 with ISO: investigating the wind

We observed the energetic binary Cygnus X-3 in both quiescent and flaring states between 4 and 16 microns using the ISO satellite. We find that the quiescent source shows the thermal free-free spectrum typical of a hot, fast stellar wind, such as from a massive helium star. The quiescent mass-loss rate due to a spherically symmetric, non-accelerating wind is found to be in the range 0.4-2.9 x 10E-4 solar masses per year, consistent with other infrared and radio observations, but considerably larger than the 10E-5 solar masses per year deduced from both the orbital change and the X-ray column density. There is rapid, large amplitude flaring at 4.5 and 11.5 microns at the same time as enhanced radio and X-ray activity, with the infrared spectrum apparently becoming flatter in the flaring state. We believe non-thermal processes are operating, perhaps along with enhanced thermal emission.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Giant repeated ejections from GRS 1915+105

We report simultaneous millimetre and infrared observations of a sequence of very large amplitude quasi-periodic oscillations from the black hole X-ray binary GRS 1915+105. These oscillations are near the end of a sequence of over 700 repeated events as observed at 15 GHz, and are simultaneous at the mm and infrared wavelengths to within our time resolution (<4 min), consistent with the respective emitting regions being physically close near the base of the outflow. One infrared event appears to have no mm counterpart, perhaps due to highly variable absorption. The overall radio-mm-infrared spectrum around the time of the observations does suggest some absorption at lower frequencies. We calculate the energy and mass-flow into the outflow for a number of different assumptions, and find that the time-averaged power required to produce the observed synchrotron emission cannot be much less than 3e38 erg/s, and is likely to be much larger. This minimum power requirement is found regardless of whether the observed emission arises in discrete ejections or in an internal shock in a quasi-continuous flow. Depending on the similarity of the physical conditions in the two types of ejection, GRS 1915+105 may be supplying more power (and mass, if both have the same baryonic component) to the jet during periods of repeated oscillations than during the more obvious larger events.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Resolving the radio nebula around beta Lyrae

In this paper we present high spatial resolution radio images of the puzzling binary system beta Lyrae obtained with MERLIN at 5 GHz. We find a nebula surrounding the binary with a brightness temperature of 11000+-700K approximately 40AU across. This definitively confirms the thermal origin of the radio emission, which is consistent with emission from the wind of the B6-8II component (mass loss of order of 10^-7 Msun per year), ionized by the radiation field of the hotter companion. This nebula, surrounding the binary, is the proof that beta Layrae evolved in a non-conservative way, i. e. not all the mass lost by the primary is accretted by the secondary, and present measurements indicate that almost 0.015Msun had been lost from the system since the onset of the Roche lobe overflow phase. Moreover, the nebula is aligned with the jet-like structures inferred from recent optical measurements, indicating a possible connection among them.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Disk mass accretion rate and infrared flares in GRS 1915+105

We have analyzed in detail a set of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of the galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105 corresponding to times when quasi-periodic oscillations in the infrared have been reported. From time-resolved spectral analysis, we have estimated the mass accretion rate through the (variable) inner edge of the accretion disk. We compare this accretion rate to an estimate of the mass/energy outflow rate in the jet. We discuss the possible implications of these results in terms of disk-instability and jet ejection, and in particular note an apparent anti-correlation between the accretion and ejection rates, implying that the gas expelled in the jet must leave the accretion disk before reaching its innermost radius.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Orbital dynamics of Cygnus X-3

Orbital-phased-resolved infrared spectra of Cygnus X-3 in outburst and quiescence, including tomographic analysis, are presented. We confirm the phasing of broad HeII and NV lines in quiescence, such that maximum blue shift corresponds to the X-ray minimum at phase = 0.00 +/- 0.04. In outburst, double-peaked HeI structures show a similar phasing with two significant differences: (a) although varying in relative strength, there is continuous line emission in blue and red peaks around the orbit, and (b) an absorption component, ~1/4 of an orbit out of phase with the emission features, is discerned. Doppler tomograms of the double-peaked profiles are consistent with a disk-wind geometry, rotating at velocities of 1000 km/s. Regrettably, the tomography algorithm will produce a similar ring structure from alternative line sources if contaminated by overlying P Cygni profiles. This is certainly the case in the strong 2.0587 micron HeI line, leading to an ambiguous solution for the nature of double-peaked emission. The absorption feature, detected 1/4 of an orbit out of phase with the emission features, is consistent with an origin in the He star wind and yields for the first time a plausible radial velocity curve for the system. We directly derive the mass function of the system, 0.027 M_sun. If we assume a neutron star accretor and adopt a high orbital inclination, i > 60 degrees, we obtain a mass range for the He star of 5 M_sun < M_WR < 11 M_sun. Alternatively if the compact object is a black hole, we estimate M_BH < 10 M_sun. We discuss the implications of these masses for the nature and size of the binary system.

astro-ph↗