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Shun Inoue

Publications and source records attributed to Shun Inoue.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Fe K{\alpha} equivalent-width mapping with 3D radiative transfer calculation: A general model and application to the RS Canum Venaticorum-type stars with XRISM/Resolve

The Fe K $\alpha$ fluorescence line at 6.4 keV has long been used to probe the relative geometry between photoionizing X-ray sources and surrounding cold material in a wide range of astrophysical systems. With the advent of the X-ray microcalorimeter XRISM/Resolve, Fe K $\alpha$ lines with equivalent widths down to $\sim 5$ eV-previously inaccessible-are now detectable, and even non-detections can place upper limits of a few eV, making non-detections themselves valuable for constraining the geometry. Considering that Fe K $\alpha$-based geometric diagnostics are entering a new stage in the microcalorimeter era, we present Fe K $\alpha$ equivalent-width maps computed with the three-dimensional Monte Carlo radiative-transfer code SKIRT for a generalized configuration consisting of a spherical reflector of radius $R_{*}$ and a point source located at a height $h$ above the surface. The equivalent-width maps exhibit two characteristic features: (1) an increase toward the center of the projected surface of the sphere; and (2) an overall decrease with increasing $h/R_{*}$. The key point is that we confirm these features for equivalent widths of $< 40$ eV, a regime that has become accessible for the first time thanks to the improved detection threshold from $\sim 50$ eV with Chandra/HETG to $\sim 5$ eV with XRISM/Resolve. As an illustrative application, we compare the maps with XRISM/Resolve spectra of three RS Canum Venaticorum-type stars (GT Muscae, $\sigma$ Geminorum, and HR 1099) and constrain the locations of the flare loop and coronal bright points in these systems. Because the maps are constructed for a highly generalized point-source--spherical-reflector geometry, they are readily applicable to many other objects, including X-ray binaries and cataclysmic variables.

astro-ph.HE

High Spectral Resolution X-ray Observations of the Evolved Supermassive Stellar Binary System $\eta$ Carinae - Iron K$\alpha$ Band Profile Revealed with XRISM

The supermassive binary system, $\eta$ Carinae, is experiencing enormous wind-driven mass loss at a rate unparalleled in the rest of the Galaxy. Their wind-wind collision (WWC) continuously produces shock heated, X-ray emitting plasmas. The XRISM X-ray observatory observed the system in 2023 and 2024 when the X-ray emission began to increase toward periastron passage in 2025. This manuscript reports unprecedentedly high-resolution X-ray spectra in the iron K$\alpha$ band between 6.2 and 7.1 keV, obtained with the Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter. The hydrogen-like (Ly$\alpha$) and helium-like (He$\alpha$) lines reveal three velocity components. Two of them are broadened with maximum velocities of 2000-3000 km/s, likely originating from the post-shock companion wind. The other is relatively narrow, with a Gaussian broadening of only ~290 km/s in 1 sigma, which may originate from the post-shock companion wind at the WWC stagnation point or penetrating the primary wind. The iron fluorescent lines exhibit a moderate blueshift and broadening with velocities at 100-200 km/s, consistent with the primary wind's velocity field. The spectra also confirm a Compton shoulder of the He$\alpha$ line complex for the first time. Both fluorescing and scattering spectral profiles indicate that the binary system is seen from the companion side during these observations. The flux ratio of the Compton scattering emission to the fluorescent line suggests substantial hydrogen depletion of the primary wind, expected from CNO-cycled hydrogen nuclear fusion gas.

astro-ph.HE

XRISM view of a stellar flare: High-resolution Fe K spectra of HR 1099, an RS CVn-type star

A high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observation was made of the RS CVn-type binary star HR 1099 using the Resolve instrument onboard XRISM for its calibration purposes. During the $\sim$400 ks telescope time covering 1.5 binary orbit, a flare lasting for $\sim$100 ks was observed with a released X-ray radiation energy of $\sim 10^{34}$ erg, making it the first stellar flare ever observed with an X-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer. The flare peak count rate is 6.4 times higher than that in quiescence and is distinguished clearly in time thanks to the long telescope time. Many emission lines were detected in the 1.7--10 keV range both in the flare and quiescent phases. Using the high spectral resolution of Resolve in the Fe K band (6.5--7.0 keV), we resolved the inner-shell lines of Fe XIX--XXIV as well as the outer-shell lines of Fe XXV--XXVI. These lines have peaks in the contribution functions at different temperatures over a wide range, allowing us to construct the differential emission measure (DEM) distribution over the electron temperature of 1--10 keV (roughly 10--100 MK) based only on Fe lines, thus without an assumption of the elemental abundance. The reconstructed DEM has a bimodal distribution, and only the hotter component increased during the flare. The elemental abundance was derived based on the DEM distribution thus constructed. A significant abundance increase was observed during the flare for Ca and Fe, which are some of the elements with the lowest first ionization potential among those analyzed, but not for Si, S, and Ar. This behavior is seen in some giant solar flares and the present result is a clear example in stellar flares.

astro-ph.SR

Origin of the stellar Fe K{\alpha} line clarified with FUV and X-ray observations of a superflare on the RS Canum Venaticorum-type Star UX Arietis

Fluorescence line diagnostics of the Fe K{\alpha} line at $\sim 6.4$ keV observed in both solar and stellar flares can constrain the latitude and size of the flare loop, even in the absence of imaging observations. However, they are hampered by the unresolved origin of stellar Fe K{\alpha} lines: i.e., it is unclear which of the two mechanisms-photoionization by hard X-ray photons or collisional ionization by non-thermal electrons-is the dominant process. We present clear evidence for the photoionization origin based on simultaneous far ultraviolet (FUV) and soft X-ray observations of a superflare on the RS Canum Venaticorum-type Star UX Arietis with Extreme ultraviolet spetrosCope for ExosphEric Dynamic (EXCEED; 900$-$1480 \r{A}) onboard Hisaki and Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER; 0.2$-$12 keV). The flare started at 22:50 UT on 2018 November 15 and released $2 \times 10^{36}$ erg in the 900$-$1480 \r{A} band and $3 \times 10^{36}$ erg in the 0.3$-$4 keV band. The FUV emission, a proxy for non-thermal activity, peaked approximately 1.4 hours before the soft X-rays. In contrast, the Fe K{\alpha} line, detected at a statistical significance of $5.3 \sigma$ with an equivalent width of $67^{+28}_{-20}$ eV, peaked simultaneously with the thermal X-ray maximum rather than the non-thermal FUV peak-strongly supporting the photoionization hypothesis. Radiative transfer calculations, combined with the observed Fe K{\alpha} line intensity, further support the photoionization scenario and demonstrate the potential of this line to provide the flare geometry.

astro-ph.SR

Eclipsing Stellar Flare on the Demon Star Algol Binary System Observed during the MAXI-NICER Follow-up Campaign in 2018

Algol is a well-known eclipsing binary hosting an active and variable star that exhibits frequent stellar flares. Here, we report our pre-planned and coordinated rapid X-ray follow-up observations of an eclipsing flare on Algol. The Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) detected a flare on Algol at 05:52 UT on 2018 July 4. Subsequently, we carried out a prompt X-ray monitoring with the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) starting at 19:45 UT on the same day, and the observation ended at 06:02 UT on 2018 July 6. During the decaying phase of the flare, we successfully detected a 5.8-hour-long eclipse, corresponding to the secondary eclipse in which Algol A blocks the line of sight to Algol B. During the eclipse, the 2-10 keV X-ray flux is decreased to 20% level from $1.9\times10^{-10}~ \mathrm{erg~cm^{-2}~s^{-1} }$ to $4.5\times10^{-11}~ \mathrm{erg~cm^{-2}~s^{-1} }$. We found a configuration of the flare size and location to explain the X-ray observations; e.g., the flare occurred at the latitude 45{\deg}S of the Algol B surface with a flare height of $1.9\times10^{11}~\mathrm{cm}$, corresponding to 0.8 times the stellar radius of Algol B, giving 80% obscuration of the flare loop by Algol A. The apparent absorption increase before the eclipse might originate from coronal mass ejection (CME) in the line of sight ejected during the flare.

astro-ph.SR

High-Resolution Modelling of Coronae and Winds in Solar-type Stars with Varying Rotation Rates I. X-ray Coronae

Stellar coronae are believed to be the main birthplace of various stellar magnetic activities. However, the structures and properties of stellar coronae remain poorly understood. Using the Space Weather Modelling Framework with the Alfv\'{e}n Wave Solar Model (SWMF-AWSoM) and dynamo-generated surface magnetic maps, here we model the coronae of four solar-type stars. By incorporating the Sun, our work covers a range of stars with the rotation varying from 1.0 to 23.3 $\Omega_\odot$ (periods of 25 to 1 days). Guided by observations, we scale the magnetic field strength with increasing rotation, covering a range between 6.0 G to 1200 G approximately. In our models, energy release associated with small-scale magnetic flux is a key source of coronal heating and is essential for reproducing realistic coronal structures. Our models capture dense (1$-$2 orders of magnitude higher than solar values) and ultra-hot ($\sim 10\,\mathrm{MK}$) coronae dominated by closed field structures. Using the CHIANTI atomic database, we also compute synthetic X-ray spectra and derive the corresponding X-ray luminosities $(L_X)$, which follow a scaling law to magnetic field $L_X \propto \langle|\mathbf{B}|\rangle^{1.75}$. Furthermore, the coronal X-ray emission is found to be rotationally modulated by the alternating presence of bright active regions and dark coronal holes. These results provide new insights into the extremely high-energy coronae of rapidly rotating solar-type stars, which differ markedly from the Sun.

astro-ph.SR

XRISM observations of solar flare X-ray emission reflected in the Earth's atmosphere

The X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), launched into low-Earth orbit in 2023, observes the reflection of solar flare X-rays in the Earth's atmosphere as a by-product of celestial observations. Using a $\sim$one-year data set covering from October 2023 to November 2024, we report on our first results of the measurement of the metal abundance pattern and high-resolution Fe-K spectroscopy. The abundances of Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ca, and Fe measured with the CCD detector Xtend during M- and X-class flares show the inverse-first-ionization-potential (inverse-FIP) effect, which is consistent with the results of Katsuda et al., ApJ, 2020 using the Suzaku satellite. The abundances of Si, S, and Ar are found to decrease with increasing flare magnitude, which is consistent with the theoretical model by Laming (Laming, ApJ, 2021), whereas Ca exhibits an opposite trend. The large effective area and field of view of Xtend allow us to trace the evolution of the abundances in several X-class flare loops on a timescale of a few 100 s, finding an enrichment of low-FIP elements before flare peaks. The high-resolution Fe-K spectrum obtained with the microcalorimeter Resolve successfully separates the Rayleigh- and Compton-scattered Fe XXIV/XXV lines and neutral or low-ionized Fe-K$\alpha$ lines. The neutral/low-ionized Fe-K$\alpha$ equivalent width shows an anti-correlation with hard X-ray flux with the best-fit power-law slope of $-0.14 \pm 0.09$, suggesting that hard X-rays from flare loops are stimulating the Fe K$\alpha$ fluorescence. This work demonstrates that XRISM can be a powerful tool in the field of solar physics, offering valuable high-statistic CCD data and high-resolution microcalorimeter spectra in the energy range extending to the Fe-K band.

astro-ph.SR

Defect-Mediated Aggregation and Motility-Induced Phase Separation in Self-Propelled Lattice-Gas Active XY Model

We propose an ``active XY model'' that incorporates key elements of both the classical XY model and the Vicsek model to study the role of topological defects in active matter systems. This model features self-propelled particles with XY spin degrees of freedom on a lattice and introduces a self-propulsion parameter controlling the directional bias of particle motion. Using numerical simulations, we demonstrate that self-propulsion induces motility-induced phase separation (MIPS), where particles aggregate into clusters around topological defects with positive vortex charge. In contrast, negative charge defects tend to dissipate. We analyze the evolution of these clusters and show that their growth follows a two-stage exponential relaxation process, with characteristic time scaling as $\tau \sim L^{3}$ with the system size $L$, reminiscent of first-order phase separation in equilibrium systems. Our results highlight the important role of topological defects in phase separations and clustering behavior in active systems, bridging nonequilibrium dynamics and equilibrium theory.

cond-mat.soft

Systematic NICER study of the low-ionized Fe K$\alpha$ line on RS Canum Venaticorum type stars

The Fe K$\alpha$ fluorescence line ($\sim 6.4$ keV) has been observed during solar and stellar flares. Two emission mechanisms of the Fe K$\alpha$ line, photoionization and collisional ionization, have been discussed, and the aim of this work is to collect evidences for each mechanism employing a statistical correlation approach between the Fe K$\alpha$ line flux and rough flare properties. Here, we systematically searched the NICER (0.2$-$12 keV) archive data for the Fe K$\alpha$ line of RS Canum Venaticorum type stars. Among our analyzed 255 observation IDs with a total exposure of $\sim 700$ ks, we found 25 data sets (total $\sim 40$ ks) exhibiting the Fe K$\alpha$ emission line at 6.37$-$6.54 keV with its equivalent width of 44.3$-$578.4 eV: 18 observations during flares, 6 observations during unconfirmed possible flare candidates and one at a quiescent phase. These observations indicate a positive correlation between the Fe K$\alpha$ line intensity and the 7.11$-$20 keV thermal plasma luminosity with its powerlaw index of $0.86 \pm 0.46$. This correlation in the range of the thermal plasma luminosity $10^{29-33}$ erg s$^{-1}$ is consistent with the photoionization origin of the line. On the other hand, the equivalent width of the Fe K$\alpha$ line has a negative correlation with the 7.11$-$20 keV thermal plasma luminosity with its powerlaw index of $-0.27 \pm 0.10$. This anti-correlation is consistent with the decline of the fluorescence efficiency with increasing the stellar flare loop height. Furthermore, we found a signature of an absorption line at $6.38^{+0.03}_{-0.04}$ keV during a superflare of $\sigma$ Gem. The equivalent width of the line was $-34.7^{+2.03}_{-1.58}$ eV. We discuss the density of the Fe ions from the equivalent width using the curve of growth analysis.

astro-ph.SR

In-orbit Performance of the Soft X-ray Imaging Telescope Xtend aboard XRISM

We present a summary of the in-orbit performance of the soft X-ray imaging telescope Xtend onboard the XRISM mission, based on in-flight observation data, including first-light celestial objects, calibration sources, and results from the cross-calibration campaign with other currently-operating X-ray observatories. XRISM/Xtend has a large field of view of $38.5'\times38.5'$, covering an energy range of 0.4--13 keV, as demonstrated by the first-light observation of the galaxy cluster Abell 2319. It also features an energy resolution of 170--180 eV at 6 keV, which meets the mission requirement and enables to resolve He-like and H-like Fe K$\alpha$ lines. Throughout the observation during the performance verification phase, we confirm that two issues identified in SXI onboard the previous Hitomi mission -- light leakage and crosstalk events -- are addressed and suppressed in the case of Xtend. A joint cross-calibration observation of the bright quasar 3C273 results in an effective area measured to be $\sim420$ cm$^{2}$@1.5 keV and $\sim310$ cm$^{2}$@6.0 keV, which matches values obtained in ground tests. We also continuously monitor the health of Xtend by analyzing overclocking data, calibration source spectra, and day-Earth observations: the readout noise is stable and low, and contamination is negligible even one year after launch. A low background level compared to other major X-ray instruments onboard satellites, combined with the largest grasp ($\Omega_{\rm eff}\sim60$ ${\rm cm^2~degree^2}$) of Xtend, will not only support Resolve analysis, but also enable significant scientific results on its own. This includes near future follow-up observations and transient searches in the context of time-domain and multi-messenger astrophysics.

astro-ph.IM

Soft X-ray Imager of the Xtend system onboard XRISM

The Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) is the X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for the soft X-ray imaging telescope Xtend installed on the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), which was adopted as a recovery mission for the Hitomi X-ray satellite and was successfully launched on 2023 September 7 (JST). In order to maximize the science output of XRISM, we set the requirements for Xtend and find that the CCD set employed in the Hitomi/SXI or similar, i.e., a $2 \times 2$ array of back-illuminated CCDs with a $200~\mu$m-thick depletion layer, would be practically best among available choices, when used in combination with the X-ray mirror assembly. We design the XRISM/SXI, based on the Hitomi/SXI, to have a wide field of view of $38' \times 38'$ in the $0.4-13$ keV energy range. We incorporated several significant improvements from the Hitomi/SXI into the CCD chip design to enhance the optical-light blocking capability and to increase the cosmic-ray tolerance, reducing the degradation of charge-transfer efficiency in orbit. By the time of the launch of XRISM, the imaging and spectroscopic capabilities of the SXI has been extensively studied in on-ground experiments with the full flight-model configuration or equivalent setups and confirmed to meet the requirements. The optical blocking capability, the cooling and temperature control performance, and the transmissivity and quantum efficiency to incident X-rays of the CCDs are also all confirmed to meet the requirements. Thus, we successfully complete the pre-flight development of the SXI for XRISM.

astro-ph.IM

Detection of extended X-ray emission around the PeVatron microquasar V4641 Sgr with XRISM

A recent report on the detection of very-high-energy gamma rays from V4641 Sagittarii (V4641 Sgr) up to ~0.8 peta-electronvolt has made it the second confirmed "PeVatron" microquasar. Here we report on the observation of V4641 Sgr with X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) in September 2024. Thanks to the large field of view and low background, the CCD imager Xtend successfully detected for the first time X-ray extended emission around V4641 Sgr with a significance of > 4.5 sigma and > 10 sigma based on our imaging and spectral analysis, respectively. The spatial extent is estimated to have a radius of $7 \pm 3$ arcmin ($13 \pm 5$ pc at a distance of 6.2 kpc) assuming a Gaussian-like radial distribution, which suggests that the particle acceleration site is within ~10 pc of the microquasar. If the X-ray morphology traces the diffusion of accelerated electrons, this spatial extent can be explained by either an enhanced magnetic field (~80 uG) or a suppressed diffusion coefficient (~$10^{27}$ cm$^2$ s$^{-1}$ at 100 TeV). The integrated X-ray flux, (4-6)$\times 10^{-12}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ (2-10 keV), would require a magnetic field strength higher than the galactic mean (> 8 uG) if the diffuse X-ray emission originates from synchrotron radiation and the gamma-ray emission is predominantly hadronic. If the X-rays are of thermal origin, the measured extension, temperature, and plasma density can be explained by a jet with a luminosity of ~$2\times 10^{39}$ erg s$^{-1}$, which is comparable to the Eddington luminosity of this system.

astro-ph.HE

Rising Near-Ultraviolet Spectra in Stellar Megaflares

Flares from M-dwarf stars can attain energies up to $10^4$ times larger than solar flares but are generally thought to result from similar processes of magnetic energy release and particle acceleration. Larger heating rates in the low atmosphere are needed to reproduce the shape and strength of the observed continua in stellar flares, which are often simplified to a blackbody model from the optical to the far-ultraviolet (FUV). The near-ultraviolet (NUV) has been woefully undersampled in spectral observations despite this being where the blackbody radiation should peak. We present Hubble Space Telescope NUV spectra in the impulsive phase of a flare with $E_{\rm{TESS}} \approx 7.5 \times 10^{33}$ erg and a flare with $E_{\rm{TESS}} \approx 10^{35}$ erg and the largest NUV flare luminosity observed to date from an M star. The composite NUV spectra are not well represented by a single blackbody that is commonly assumed in the literature. Rather, continuum flux rises toward shorter wavelengths into the FUV, and we calculate that an optical $T=10^4$ K blackbody underestimates the short wavelength NUV flux by a factor of $\approx 6$. We show that rising NUV continuum spectra can be reproduced by collisionally heating the lower atmosphere with beams of $E \gtrsim 10$ MeV protons or $E \gtrsim 500$ keV electrons and flux densities of $10^{13}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. These are much larger than canonical values describing accelerated particles in solar flares.

astro-ph.SR

Multiwavelength Campaign Observations of a Young Solar-type Star, EK Draconis. II. Understanding Prominence Eruption through Data-Driven Modeling and Observed Magnetic Environment

EK Draconis, a nearby young solar-type star (G1.5V, 50-120 Myr), is known as one of the best proxies for inferring the environmental conditions of the young Sun. The star frequently produces superflares and Paper I presented the first evidence of an associated gigantic prominence eruption observed as a blueshifted H$\alpha$ Balmer line emission. In this paper, we present the results of dynamical modeling of the stellar eruption and examine its relationship to the surface starspots and large-scale magnetic fields observed concurrently with the event. By performing a one-dimensional free-fall dynamical model and a one dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of the flow along the expanding magnetic loop, we found that the prominence eruption likely occurred near the stellar limb (12$^{+5}_{-5}$-16$^{+7}_{-7}$ degrees from the limb) and was ejected at an angle of 15$^{+6}_{-5}$-24$^{+6}_{-6}$ degrees relative to the line of sight, and the magnetic structures can expand into a coronal mass ejection (CME). The observed prominence displayed a terminal velocity of $\sim$0 km s$^{-1}$ prior to disappearance, complicating the interpretation of its dynamics in Paper I. The models in this paper suggest that prominence's H$\alpha$ intensity diminishes at around or before its expected maximum height, explaining the puzzling time evolution in observations. The TESS light curve modeling and (Zeeman) Doppler Imaging revealed large mid-latitude spots with polarity inversion lines and one polar spot with dominant single polarity, all near the stellar limb during the eruption. This suggests that mid-latitude spots could be the source of the pre-existing gigantic prominence we reported in Paper I. These results provide valuable insights into the dynamic processes that likely influenced the environments of early Earth, Mars, Venus, and young exoplanets.

astro-ph.SR

A long-duration superflare on the K giant HD 251108

Many giant stars are magnetically active, which causes rotational variability, chromospheric emission lines, and X-ray emission. Large outbursts in these emission features can set limits on the magnetic field strength and thus constrain the mechanism of the underlying dynamo. HD~251108 is a Li-rich active K-type giant. We find a rotational period of 21.3~d with color changes and additional long-term photometric variability. Both can be explained with very stable stellar spots. We followed the decay phase of a superflare for 28 days with NICER and from the ground. We track the flare decay in unprecedented detail in several coronal temperature components. With a peak flux around $10^{34}$~erg~s$^{-1}$ (0.5-4.0~keV) and an exponential decay time of 2.2~days in the early decay phase, this is one of the strongest flares ever observed; yet it follows trends established from samples of smaller flares, for example for the relations between H$\alpha$ and X-ray flux, indicating that the physical process that powers the flare emission is consistent over a large range of flare energies. We estimate a flare loop length about 2-4 times the stellar radius. No evidence is seen for abundance changes during the flare.

astro-ph.SR

Initial operations of the Soft X-ray Imager onboard XRISM

XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) is an astronomical satellite with the capability of high-resolution spectroscopy with the X-ray microcalorimeter, Resolve, and wide field-of-view imaging with the CCD camera, Xtend. Xtend consists of the mirror assembly (XMA: X-ray Mirror Assembly) and detector (SXI: Soft X-ray Imager). The SXI is composed of CCDs, analog and digital electronics, and a mechanical cooler. After the successful launch on September 6th, 2023 (UT) and subsequent critical operations, the mission instruments were turned on and set up. The CCDs have been kept at the designed operating temperature of $-110^\circ$C after the electronics and cooling system were successfully set up. During the initial operation phase, which continued for more than a month after the critical operations, we verified the observation procedure, stability of the cooling system, all the observation options with different imaging areas and/or timing resolutions, and time-tagged and automated operations including those for South Atlantic Anomaly passages. We optimized the operation procedure and observation parameters including the cooler settings, imaging areas for the small window modes, and event selection algorithm. We summarize our policy and procedure of the initial operations for the SXI. We also report on a couple of issues we faced during the initial operations and lessons learned from them.

astro-ph.IM

Status of Xtend telescope onboard X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM)

Xtend is one of the two telescopes onboard the X-ray imaging and spectroscopy mission (XRISM), which was launched on September 7th, 2023. Xtend comprises the Soft X-ray Imager (SXI), an X-ray CCD camera, and the X-ray Mirror Assembly (XMA), a thin-foil-nested conically approximated Wolter-I optics. A large field of view of $38^{\prime}\times38^{\prime}$ over the energy range from 0.4 to 13 keV is realized by the combination of the SXI and XMA with a focal length of 5.6 m. The SXI employs four P-channel, back-illuminated type CCDs with a thick depletion layer of 200 $\mu$m. The four CCD chips are arranged in a 2$\times$2 grid and cooled down to $-110$ $^{\circ}$C with a single-stage Stirling cooler. Before the launch of XRISM, we conducted a month-long spacecraft thermal vacuum test. The performance verification of the SXI was successfully carried out in a course of multiple thermal cycles of the spacecraft. About a month after the launch of XRISM, the SXI was carefully activated and the soundness of its functionality was checked by a step-by-step process. Commissioning observations followed the initial operation. We here present pre- and post-launch results verifying the Xtend performance. All the in-orbit performances are consistent with those measured on ground and satisfy the mission requirement. Extensive calibration studies are ongoing.

astro-ph.IM

High-velocity blue-shifted Fe XXV He$\alpha$ line during a superflare of the RS CVn-type star IM Peg

Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) detected a superflare, releasing $5\times 10^{37}$ erg in 2$-$10 keV, of the RS CVn-type star IM Peg at 10:41 UT on 2023 July 23 with its Gas Slit Camera (GSC; 2$-$30 keV). We conducted X-ray follow-up observations of the superflare with Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER; 0.2$-$12 keV) starting at 16:52 UT on July 23 until 06:00 UT on August 2. NICER X-ray spectra clearly showed emission lines of the Fe XXV He$\alpha$ and Fe XXVI Ly$\alpha$ for $\sim 1.5$ days since the MAXI detection. The Fe XXV He$\alpha$ line was blue-shifted with its maximum Doppler velocity reaching $-2200 \pm 600$ $\mathrm{km \: s^{-1}}$, suggesting an upward-moving plasma during the flare, such as a coronal mass ejection (CME) and/or chromospheric evaporation. This is the first case that the Fe XXV He$\alpha$ line is blue-shifted during a stellar flare and its velocity overwhelmingly exceeds the escape velocity of the star ($-230$ $\mathrm{km \: s^{-1}}$). One hour before the most pronounced blueshift detection, a signature of reheating the flare plasma was observed. We discuss the origin of the blueshift, a CME or high-velocity chromospheric evaporation.

astro-ph.SR