arXiv subjects

Wei Cui

Publications and source records attributed to Wei Cui.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

News from a Multi-Wavelength Monitoring Campaign on Mrk 421

We conducted a daily monitoring campaign on Mrk 421 in 2003 and 2004 with the Whipple 10 m telescope and the large-area instruments aboard RXTE, simultaneously covering TeV and X-ray energies. Supporting observations at optical and radio wavelengths were also frequently carried out. Mrk 421 was observed over a wide range of fluxes (with a dynamic range of ~30 both at TeV and X-ray energies). The source was relatively quiet in 2003 but became unusually active in 2004, with flares reaching peak fluxes of ~80 mCrab in X-rays and >3 Crab at TeV energies! We will describe the multiwavelength campaign and present some preliminary results. We will also discuss the implications of the results on the proposed emission models for TeV blazars.

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arXiv2004

X-ray Flaring Activity of Mrk 421

We report results from a systematic search for X-ray flares from Mrk 421, using archival data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellite. The flares are clearly seen over a wide range of timescales. The quasi-continuous coverage of the source with the All-Sky Monitor (ASM) reveals frequent occurrence of major flares that last for months. On a few occasions, the source was intensively monitored with the more sensitive pointing instruments aboard RXTE. The data from these observations shows the presence of X-ray flares of much shorter durations, ranging from weeks down to less than an hour. For the first time, we clearly resolved the sub-hour flares from Mrk 421. Moreover, Fourier analyses reveal variability on even shorter timescales, up to about 0.01 Hz. The source appears to behave differently in its spectral properties during different flares, large or small, which is intriguing. While significant hysteresis is observed to be associated with spectral evolution in some cases, little is seen in other cases. Sometimes, the shape of the X-ray spectrum hardly varies across a flare. Therefore, the phenomenology is complex. The observed hierarchical structure of the X-ray flares seems to imply the scale-invariant nature of the phenomenon, perhaps similar to solar flares or rapid X-ray flares observed of stellar-mass black holes in this regard. Combined with other results, the observed flaring timescales seriously constrain the physical properties of X-ray emitting regions in the jets of Mrk 421.

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arXiv2003

Cessation of X-ray Pulsation of GX 1+4

We report results from our weekly monitoring campaign on the X-ray pulsar GX 1+4 with the {\em Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer} satellite. The spin-down trend of GX 1+4 was continuing, with the pulsar being at its longest period ever measured (about 138.7 s). At the late stage of the campaign, the source entered an extended faint state, when its X-ray (2-60 keV) flux decreased significantly to an average level of $\sim 3 \times 10^{-10} ergs cm^{-2} s^{-1}$. It was highly variable in the faint state; the flux dropped to as low as $\sim 3 \times 10^{-11} ergs cm^{-2} s^{-1}$. In several observations during this period, the X-ray pulsation became undetectable. We can, therefore, conclude conservatively that the pulsed fraction, which is normally $\gtrsim$ 70% (peak-to-peak), must have decreased drastically in those cases. This is very similar to what was observed of GX 1+4 in 1996 when it became similarly faint in X-ray. In fact, the flux at which the cessation of X-ray pulsation first occurred is nearly the same as it was in 1996. We suggest that we have, once again, observed the propeller effect in GX 1+4, a phenomenon that is predicted by theoretical models of accreting X-ray pulsars.

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arXiv2002

Why is it Difficult to Detect a Millisecond Pulsar in Neutron Star X-ray Binaries?

We explain why it is possible to detect directly X-ray emission from near the surface of the neutron star (NS) in SAX J1808.4-3658 but not in most other low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), with the exception that emission from the surface can be seen during bursts events. We show that the X-ray emission from SAX J1808.4-3658 mostly originates in the Comptonization process in a relatively optical thin hot region (with an optical depth $τ_0$ around 4 and temperature is around 20 keV). Such a transparent region does not prevent us from detecting coherent X-ray pulsation due to hot spots on the NS surface. When the characteristic scattering time in the region is of order of inverse rotational frequency omega or higher then the amplitude of the harmonic oscillation decays exponentially with (tau_0 x omega). We give a precise model for the loss of modulation, such suppression of the QPO amplitude due to scattering can explain the disappearance of kHz QPOs with increasing QPO frequency. We also formulate general conditions under which the millisecond X-ray pulsation can be detected in LMXBs. We demonstrate that the observed soft phase lag of the pulsed emission is a result of the downscattering of the hard X-ray photons in the relatively cold material near the NS surface. In the framework of this downscattering model we propose a method to determine the atmosphere density in that region from soft-lag measurements.

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arXiv2001

Discovery of Two Types of X-ray Dips in Cyg X-1

We observed Cyg X-1 with {\em RXTE} contiguously over its 5.6-day binary orbit. The source was found to be in the hard state throughout the observation. Many intensity dips were detected in the X-ray light curves. We found that the dips fell into two distinct categories based on their spectral properties. One type exhibits strong energy-dependent attenuation of X-ray emission at low energies during a dip, which is characteristic of photoelectric absorption, but the other type shows nearly energy-independent attenuation. While the first type of dips are likely caused by density enhancement in an inhomogeneous wind of the companion star, as previous studies have indicated, the second type might be due to partial obscuration of an extended X-ray emitting region by optically thick ``clumps'' in the accretion flow. It is also possible that the latter are caused by a momentary decrease in the X-ray luminosity of the source, due, for instance, to a decrease in the mass accretion rate, or by Thomson scattering in highly ionized ``clumps''. We discuss the implications of these scenarios.

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arXiv2001

A Peculiar Flaring Episode of Cygnus X-1

Recent monitoring of Cyg X-1 with {\em RXTE} revealed a period of intense flaring, which started in October of 2000 and lasted until March of 2001. The source exhibited some quite unusual behaviors during this period. The soft X-ray flux of the source went up and down three times on a timescale of about one month, as discovered by the ASM aboard RXTE, before finally returning to the normal level (of the hard state). The observed spectral and temporal X-ray properties of Cyg X-1 are mostly intermediate between the canonical hard and soft states. This is known previously for strong X-ray flares, however, we show that the source did enter a period that resembles, in many ways, a sustained soft state during the last of the three flares. We make detailed comparisons between this flare and the 1996 state transition, in terms of the observed X-ray properties, such as flux--hardness correlation, X-ray spectrum, and power density spectrum. We point out the similarities and differences, and discuss possible implications of the results on our understanding of the phenomena of flares and state transitions associated with Cyg X-1.

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arXiv2001

Evolution of Iron K$_α$ Line Emission in the Black Hole Candidate GX 339-4

GX 339-4 was regularly monitored with RXTE during a period (in 1999) when its X-ray flux decreased significantly (from 4.2$\times 10^{-10}$ erg cm$^{-2} s^{-1}$ to 7.6$\times 10^{-12}$ erg cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ in the 3--20 keV band), as the source settled into the ``off state''. Our spectral analysis revealed the presence of a prominent iron K$_α$ line in the observed spectrum of the source for all observations. The line shows an interesting evolution: it is centered at $\sim$6.4 keV when the measured flux is above 5$\times 10^{-11}$ erg cm$^{-2} s^{-1}$, but is shifted to $\sim$6.7 keV at lower fluxes. The equivalent width of the line appears to increase significantly toward lower fluxes, although it is likely to be sensitive to calibration uncertainties. While the fluorescent emission of neutral or mildly ionized iron atoms in the accretion disk can perhaps account for the 6.4 keV line, as is often invoked for black hole candidates, it seems difficult to understand the 6.7 keV line with this mechanism, because the disk should be less ionized at lower fluxes (unless its density changes drastically). On the other hand, the 6.7 keV line might be due to recombination cascade of hydrogen or helium like iron ions in an optically thin, highly ionized plasma. We discuss the results in the context of proposed accretion models.

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arXiv2000

X-ray intensity-hardness correlation in Cyg X-1

Using data from the All-Sky Monitor aboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), we found that the 1.5-12 keV X-ray count rate of Cyg X-1 is, on time scales from 90 seconds to at least 10 days, strongly correlated with the spectral hardness of the source in the soft state, but is weakly anti-correlated with the latter in the hard state. The correlation shows an interesting evolution during the 1996 spectral state transition. The entire episode can be roughly divided into three distinct phases: (1) a 20-d transition phase from the hard state to the soft state, during which the correlation changes from being negative to positive, (2) a 50-d soft state with a steady positive correlation, and (3) a 20-d transition back to the hard state. The pointed RXTE observations confirmed the ASM results but revealed new behaviors of the source at energies beyond the ASM pass band. We discuss the implications of our findings.

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arXiv2000

Peculiar Extended X-ray Emission around the "Radio-Loud" Black Hole Candidate 1E1740.7-2942

We present the discovery of peculiar extended X-ray emission around 1E1740.7-2942, a black hole candidate that is known to produce prominent, persistent radio jets. The data was obtained with the High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The zeroth-order image reveals an elongated feature about 3" in length that is roughly perpendicular to the radio lobes (or jets). The feature is roughly symmetric about the point source. It is spatially resolved in the long direction but not in the short direction. The position of 1E1740.7-2942 was determined with a statistical accuracy of \~0.06" in the right ascension and ~0.04" in the declination, thanks to Chandra's unprecedented spatial resolution. It is about 0.6" from the radio position but the difference is well within the uncertainty in the absolute aspect solutions of the observation. The dispersed HETGS spectra of 1E1740.7-2942 show evidence for the presence of weak, narrow emission lines, although the statistics are quite limited. We discuss possible origins of the extended emission and the implications of the emission lines.

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arXiv2000

On the Disappearance of Kilohertz Quasi-Periodic Oscillations at a High Mass Accretion Rate in Low-Mass X-ray Binaries

For all sources in which the phenomenon of kilo-Hertz quasi-periodic oscillation (kHz QPO) is observed, the QPOs disappear abruptly when the inferred mass accretion rate exceeds a certain threshold. Although the threshold cannot at present be accurately determined (or even quantified) observationally, it is clearly higher for bright Z sources than for faint atoll sources. Here we propose that the observational manifestation of kHz QPOs {\em requires} direct interaction between the neutron star magnetosphere and the Keplerian accretion disk and that the cessation of kHz QPOs at high accretion rate is due to the lack of such an interact when the Keplerian disk terminates at the last stable orbit and yet the magnetosphere is pushed farther inward. The threshold is therefore dependent of the magnetic field strength -- the stronger the magnetic field the higher the threshold. This is certainly in agreement with the atoll/Z paradigm, but we argue that it is also generally true, even for individual sources within each (atoll or Z) category. For atoll sources, the kHz QPOs also seem to vanish at low accretion rate. Perhaps the ``disengagement'' between the magnetosphere and the Keplerian disk also takes place under such circumstances, because of, for instance, the presence of quasi-spherical advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF) close to the neutron star. Unfortunately, in this case, the estimation of the accretion rate threshold would require a knowledge of the physical mechanisms that cause the disengagement. If the ADAF is responsible, the threshold is likely dependent of the magnetic field of the neutron star.

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arXiv2000

Complete RXTE Spectral Observations of the Black Hole X-ray Nova XTE J1550-564

We report on the X-ray spectral behavior of the exceptionally bright X-ray nova XTE J1550-564 during its 1998-99 outburst. Our study is based on 209 pointed observations using the PCA and HEXTE instruments onboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer spanning 250 days and covering the entire double-peaked eruption that occurred from 1998 September until 1999 May. The spectra are fit to a model including multicolor blackbody disk and power-law components. The source is observed in the very high and high/soft outburst states of black hole X-ray novae. During the very high state, when the power-law component dominated the spectrum, the inner disk radius is observed to vary by more than an order of magnitude; the radius decreased by a factor of 16 in one day during a 6.8 Crab flare. If the larger of these observed radii is taken to be the last stable orbit, then the smaller observed radius would imply that the inner edge of the disk is inside the event horizon! However, we conclude that the apparent variations of the inner disk radius observed during periods of increased power-law emission are probably caused by the failure of the multicolor disk/power-law model; the actual physical radius of the inner disk may remain fairly constant. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the observed inner disk radius remains approximately constant over 120 days in the high state, when the power-law component is weak, even though the disk flux and total flux vary by an order of magnitude. The mass of the black hole inferred by equating the approximately constant inner disk radius observed in the high/soft state with the last stable orbit for a Schwarzschild black hole is M_BH = 7.4 M_sun (D/6 kpc) (cos i)^{-1/2}.

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arXiv2000

Discovery of High-Frequency QPOs in Black Hole Candidate XTE J1859+226

We report the discovery of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) at roughly 187 Hz and 150 Hz in the X-ray intensity of X-ray nova XTE J1859+226. The source was observed during a recent outburst with RXTE. Besides these high-frequency QPOs, we have also detected QPOs (and sometimes their harmonics) at 6--7 Hz, and significant broad-band variability at low frequencies. These properties, as well as the observed hard X-ray spectrum, make XTE J1859+226 a black hole candidate (BHC). The detection of QPOs at two distinct frequencies $\gtrsim 100$ Hz in two observations separated by about 4 hours provide additional insights into the high-frequency QPO phenomenon in BHCs. The importance lies in the proposed interpretations which invariably involve the effects of strong gravity near a black hole. We compare our results to those of other BHCs, and discuss the impact of the observational data on the models in a global context.

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arXiv2000

Three-Layered Atmospheric Structure in Accretion Disks Around Stellar-Mass Black Holes

Modeling of the x-ray spectra of the Galactic superluminal jet sources GRS 1915+105 and GRO J1655-40 reveal a three-layered atmospheric structure in the inner region of their accretion disks. Above the cold and optically thick disk of a temperature 0.2-0.5 keV, there is a warm layer with a temperature of 1.0-1.5 keV and an optical depth around 10. Sometimes there is also a much hotter, optically thin corona above the warm layer, with a temperature of 100 keV or higher and an optical depth around unity. The structural similarity between the accretion disks and the solar atmosphere suggest that similar physical processes may be operating in these different systems.

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arXiv2000

Phase Lag and Coherence Function of X-ray emission from Black Hole Candidate XTE J1550-564

We report the results from measuring the phase lag and coherence function of X-ray emission from black hole candidate (BHC) XTE J1550-564. These X-ray temporal properties have been recognized to be increasingly important in providing important diagnostics of the dynamics of accretion flows around black holes. For XTE J1550-564, we found significant hard lag --- the X-ray variability in high energy bands {\em lags} behind that in low energy bands --- associated both with broad-band variability and quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO). However, the situation is more complicated for the QPO: while hard lag was measured for the first harmonic of the signal, the fundamental component showed significant {\em soft} lag. Such behavior is remarkably similar to what was observed of microquasar GRS 1915+105. The phase lag evolved during the initial rising phase of the 1998 outburst. The magnitude of both the soft and hard lags of the QPO increases with X-ray flux, while the Fourier spectrum of the broad-band lag varies significantly in shape. The coherence function is relatively high and roughly constant at low frequencies, and begins to drop almost right after the first harmonic of the QPO. It is near unity at the beginning and decreases rapidly during the rising phase. Also observed is that the more widely separated the two energy bands are the less the coherence function between the two. It is interesting that the coherence function increases significantly at the frequencies of the QPO and its harmonics. We discuss the implications of the results on the models proposed for BHCs.

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arXiv1999

Correlations between Low-Frequency QPOs and Spectral Parameters in XTE J1550-564 and GRO J1655-40

Utilizing observations obtained with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, we examine correlations between the properties of 0.08-22 Hz variable frequency QPOs and the X-ray spectral parameters for the black hole candidates XTE J1550-564 and GRO J1655-40. The spectra were fitted to a model including a multi-temperature blackbody disk and a power-law component. We find that the QPO frequency and amplitude are well correlated with the spectral parameters, although the correlations found for XTE J1550-564 are generally opposite to those for GRO J1655-40. There is one exeption: Both sources exhibit a general increase in the QPO frequency as the disk flux increases (or as the mass accretion rate through the disk increases). In addition, these QPOs are observed only when the power-law component contributes more than 20% of the 2-20 keV flux, which indicates that both the disk and the power-law components are linked to the QPO phenomenon.

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arXiv1999

Evidence for Doppler-Shifted Iron Emission Lines in Black Hole Candidate 4U 1630-47

We report the first detection of a pair of correlated emission lines in the X-ray spectrum of black hole candidate 4U 1630-47 during its 1996 outburst, based on RXTE observations of the source. At the peak plateau of the outburst, the emission lines are detected, centered mostly at $\sim$5.7 keV and $\sim$7.7 keV, respectively, while the line energies exhibit random variability $\sim$5%. Interestingly, the lines move in a concerted manner to keep their separation roughly constant. The lines also vary greatly in strength, but with the lower-energy line always much stronger than the higher-energy one. The measured equivalent width ranges from $\sim$50 eV to $\sim$270 eV for the former, and from insignificant detection to $\sim$140 eV for the latter; the two are reasonably correlated. The correlation between the lines implies a causal connection --- perhaps they share a common origin. Both lines may arise from a single $K_α$ line of highly ionized iron that is Doppler-shifted either in a Keplerian accretion disk or in a bi-polar outflow or even both. In both scenarios, a change in the line energy might simply reflect a change in the ionization state of line-emitting matter. We discuss the implication of the results and also raise some questions about such interpretations.

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arXiv1999

Phase Lags of QPOs in Microquasar GRS 1915+105

I report the discovery of hard X-ray phase lags associated with the famous 67 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in microquasar GRS 1915+105. The QPO is seen on multiple occasions. For this investigation, I have chosen one particular observation when the oscillation is the strongest. The measured hard lags show strong energy dependence. With respect to the 2-2.5 keV band, the phase lag increases from insignificant detection at 5.2-7.0 keV to as much as 2.3 radians (which corresponds a time lag of $\sim$5.6 ms) above $\sim$13 keV. Also detected in the same observation are one narrowly peaked, strong QPO at 67 mHz, along with its first three harmonics, one weak QPO at $\sim$400 mHz and one broad QPO at $\sim$840 mHz. Similar cross spectral analyses have been performed on these QPOs (and the harmonics), in order to measure any phase lags associated with the features. Phase lags are detected in all, with similar energy dependence. For the 67 mHz QPO, the results are quite intriguing: only the first and third harmonic components show hard lags, while the fundamental and the second harmonic components actually display smaller {\it soft} lags. Coupled with the energy dependence of the QPO amplitude, the results seem to indicate a complicated change in the signal profile with photon energy. I will discuss the implication of the phase lags on possible origins of the QPOs.

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arXiv1999

X-ray Orbital Modulation of Cygnus X-1

We have analyzed over 2 years of RXTE/ASM data for Cygnus X-1. We have detected the 5.6-day orbital period in Lomb-Scargle periodograms of both light curves and hardness ratios when Cyg X-1 was in the hard state. This detection was made with improved sensitivity and temporal coverage compared with previous detections by other X-ray missions. The folded light curves and hardness ratios show a broad intensity dip accompanied by spectral hardening centered on superior conjunction of the X-ray source. The dip has a duration of about 27% of the orbital period and depth ranging from 8% to 23% of the non-dip intensities in three energy bands. Variability on time scales of hours is often evident within the broad dip in the unfolded data. In contrast, no feature at the orbital period is evident in the periodograms or folded light curves for the soft state. Absorption of X-rays by a stellar wind from the companion star can reproduce the observed X-ray orbital modulations in the hard state. To explain the low orbital modulation in the soft-state data, a reduction of the wind density during the soft state would be required. As an alternative, a partial covering scenario is described which could also account for the lack of the orbital modulation in the soft state.

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