arXiv subjects

S. Balman

Publications and source records attributed to S. Balman.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

RR Pic (1925): A Chandra X-ray View

We present the Chandra ACIS-S3 data of the old classical nova RR Pic (1925). The source has a count rate of 0.067+/-0.002 c/s in the 0.3-5.0 keV energy range. We detect the orbital period of the underlying binary system in the X-ray wavelengths. We also find that the neutral Hydrogen column density differs for orbital minimum and orbital maximum spectra with values 0.25(+0.23-0.18)x10^22 cm^-2 and 0.64(+0.13-0.14)x10^22 cm^-2 at 3sigma confidence level. The X-ray spectrum of RR Pic can be represented by a composite model of bremsstrahlung with a photoelectric absorption, two absorption lines centered around 1.1-1.4 keV and 5 Gaussian lines centered at emission lines around 0.3-1.1 keV corresponding to various transitions of S, N, O, C, Ne and Fe . The bremsstrahlung temperature derived from the fits range from 0.99 to 1.60 keV and the unabsorbed X-ray flux is found to be 2.5(+0.4-1.2)x10^-13 erg cm^-2 s^-1 in the 0.3-5.0 keV range with a luminosity of (1.1\pm0.2)x10^31 erg s^-1 at 600 pc. We also detect excess emission in the spectrum possibly originating from the reverse shock in the ejecta.

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arXiv2005

X-ray outburst of 4U 0115+634 and ROTSE Observations of its Optical Counterpart V635 Cas

ROTSE IIId (The Robotic Optical Transient Experiment) observations of X-ray binary system 4U 0115+634/V635 Cas obtained during 2004 June and 2005 January make possible, for the first time, to study the correlation between optical and type II X-ray outbursts. The X-ray outburst sharply enhanced after periastron passage where the optical brightness was reduced by 0.3 magnitude for a few days. We interpret the sharp reduction of optical brightness as a sign of mass ejection from the outer parts of the disc of the Be star. After this sharp decrease, the optical brightness healed and reached the pre X-ray outburst level. Afterwards, gradual decrease of the optical brightness followed a minimum then a gradual increase started again. Qualitatively, change of optical lightcurve suggests a precession of the Be star disc around a few hundred days. We also investigate the periodic signatures from the archival RXTE-ASM (Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer - All Sky Monitor) light curve covering a time span of $\sim 9$ years. We find significant orbital modulation in the ASM light curve during the type I X-ray outburst.

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arXiv2004

Discovery of Irradiation Induced Variations in the Light Curve of the Classical Nova Cygni 2001 No.2 (V2275 Cyg)

We present the CCD photometry, light curve and time series analysis of the classical nova V2275 Cyg (N Cyg 2001 No.2). The source was observed for 14 nights in total using an R filter in 2002 and 2003 with the 1.5 m Russian-Turkish joint telescope (RTT150) at the TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey) National Observatory in Antalya Turkey, as part of a large program on the CCD photometry of Cataclysmic Variables (CVs). We report the detection of two distinct periodicities in the light curve of the nova : a) P_1=0.31449(15) d -- 7.6 h, b) P_2=0.017079(17) d -- 24.6 min. The first period is evident in both 2002 and 2003 whereas the second period is only detected in the 2003 data set. We interpret the first period as the orbital period of the system and attribute the orbital variations to aspect changes of the secondary irradiated by the hot WD. We suggest that the nova was a Super Soft X-ray source in 2002 and, perhaps, in 2003. The second period could be a QPO originating from the oscillation of the ionization front (due to a hot WD) below the inner Lagrange point as predicted by King (1989) or a beat frequency in the system as a result of the magnetic nature of the WD if steady accretion has already been re-established.

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arXiv2003

Discovery of a New Transient Magnetar Candidate: XTE J1810-197

We report the discovery of a new X-ray pulsar, XTE J1810-197. The source was serendipitously discovered on 2003 July 15 by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) while observing the soft gamma repeater SGR 1806-20. The pulsar has a 5.54 s spin-period and a soft spectrum (photon index ~ 4). We detect the source in earlier RXTE observations back to 2003 January. These show that a transient outburst began between 2002 November 17 and 2003 January 23 and that the pulsar has been spinning down since then, with a high rate Pdot ~ 10^-11 s/s showing significant timing noise, but no evidence for Doppler shifts due to a binary companion. The rapid spin-down rate and slow spin-period imply a super-critical magnetic field B=3x10^14 G and a young characteristic age < 7600 yr. These properties are strikingly similar to those of anomalous X-ray pulsars and soft gamma repeaters, making the source a likely new magnetar. A follow-up Chandra observation provided a 2".5 radius error circle within which the 1.5 m Russian-Turkish Optical Telescope RTT150 found a limiting magnitude of R_c=21.5, in accord with other recently reported limits. The source is present in archival ASCA and ROSAT data as well, at a level 100 times fainter than the \~ 3 mCrab seen in 2003. This suggests that other X-ray sources that are currently in a state similar to the inactive phase of XTE J1810-197 may also be unidentified magnetars awaiting detection via a similar activity.

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arXiv2003

A Chandra LETGS observation of V4743 Sagittarius: A Super Soft X-ray Source and a Violently Variable Light Curve

V4743 Sgr (Nova Sgr 2002 No. 3) was discovered on 20 September 2002. We obtained a 5ks ACIS-S spectrum in November 2002 and found that the nova was faint in X-rays. We then obtained a 25ks CHANDRA LETGS observation on 19 March 2003. By this time, it had evolved into the Super Soft X-ray phase exhibiting a continuous spectrum with deep absorption features. The light curve from the observation showed large amplitude oscillations with a period of 1325s (22min) followed by a decline in total count rate after ~13ks of observations. The count rate dropped from ~40cts/s to practically zero within ~6ks and stayed low for the rest of the observation (~6ks). The spectral hardness ratio changed from maxima to minima in correlation with the oscillations, and then became significantly softer during the decay. Strong H-like and He-like lines of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon were found in absorption during the bright phase, indicating temperatures between 1-2MK, but they were shifted in wavelength corresponding to a Doppler velocity of -2400km/s. The spectrum obtained after the decline in count rate showed emission lines of CVI, NVI, and NVII suggesting that we were seeing expanding gas ejected during the outburst, probably originating from CNO-cycled material. An XMM-Newton ToO observation, obtained on 4 April 2003 and a later LETGS observation from 18 July 2003 also showed oscillations, but with smaller amplitudes.

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arXiv2002

CHANDRA Detection of 16 New X-Ray Sources

We have detected 18 sources over 6 sigma threshold within two regions 8.3X16.9 arcmin^2 and 8.3X33.6 arcmin^2 in the vicinity of the point with alpha=03h31m02.45s (J2000) and delta=+43degree47arcmin58.5arcsec (J2000) using a CHANDRA ACIS (S+I) observation. Two of the sources were detected before with $ROSAT$ HRI and one source could be closely identified with a star in the optical catalog, USNO A-2. We have also studied source spectra applying four spectral models to the data. Most of the sources can be classified as Cataclysmic Variable, Low Mass X-ray Binary or single star candidates due to their spectral characteristics and luminosities. We also searched for the extragalactic origin for these 18 sources. The source count rates vary between 5.8X10^{-4}- 4.7X10^{-3} counts/s. Due to low count rates temporal characteristics of the sources can not be studied effectively.

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arXiv2001

The Reanalysis of the ROSAT Data of GQ Mus (1983) Using White Dwarf Atmosphere Emission Models

The analyses of X-ray emission from classical novae during the outburst stage have shown that the soft X-ray emission below 1 keV, which is thought to originate from the photosphere of the white dwarf, is inconsistent with the simple blackbody model of emission. Thus, $ROSAT$ Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) archival data of the classical novae GQ Mus 1983 (GQ Mus) have been reanalyzed in order to understand the spectral development in the X-ray wavelengths during the outburst stage. The X-ray spectra are fitted with the hot white dwarf atmosphere emission models developed for the remnants of classical novae near the Eddington luminosity. The post-outburst X-ray spectra of the remnant white dwarf is examined in the context of evolution on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram using C-O enhanced atmosphere models. The data obtained in 1991 August (during the ROSAT All Sky Survey) indicate that the effective temperature is kT_e<54 eV (<6.2x10^5 K). The 1992 February data show that the white dwarf had reached an effective temperature in the range 38.3-43.3 eV (4.4-5.1x10^5 K) with an unabsorbed X-ray flux (i.e., $\sim$ bolometric flux) between 2.5x10^-9 and 2.3x10^-10 erg s^-1 cm^-2. We show that the H burning at the surface of the WD had most likely ceased at the time of the X-ray observations. Only the 1991 August data show evidence for ongoing H burning.

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arXiv2000

The emission nebula associated with V1974 Cyg: a unique object?

Through a program of narrow band imaging, we have observed the changing structure of the H alpha emission line around Nova Cyg 1992 (V1974 Cyg) at regular intervals from 1996 to 1999. Between 1994 and 1996, the nebular boundary advanced to the southwest at nearly the speed of light, implying that the nebula was created by an expanding wave of radiation originating in the explosion interacting with surrounding material. The expansion speed dropped to 0.35c during 1996-1999. We have taken spectra of the nebula in 1998 and 1999. Only Balmer lines are detected, no He I, [OIII], [OII], [NII], or [SII]. There is also no trace of the high excitation nova lines (He II, NeV, etc). These spectra show that the nebula is NOT a reflection nebula, a conventional HII region, or a shock involving motions of the gas. The integrated H alpha luminosity of the nebula between 1996 and 1999 is in the range =~1.3-2.2 x 10(35) erg s(-1). The density is poorly determined, but is probably very large (10(4) cm(-3)) in order to explain the brightest region of the nebula. The dynamical timescale is about a year and the recombination timescale of the same order. Bright patches are observed to fade in these times. The energy required to ionize the nebula is the bolometric luminosity of the nova for 30 days, smaller than the time during which the temperature of the nova photosphere was in the right range to produce the ionizing photons. We have also undertaken sensitive surveys of H alpha nebulae around recent novae but find no evidence of other such nebulae, so this type of object must be rare.

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