arXiv subjects

Yuusuke Uchida

Publications and source records attributed to Yuusuke Uchida.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

XRISM reveals sloshing-driven gas motions in the core of Abell 2029

We investigate the velocity structure of the intracluster medium (ICM) in the core of the relaxed cool-core cluster Abell 2029 using XRISM Resolve spectroscopy. We analyze combined XRISM Resolve observations and divide the central region into several subregions. To account for photon mixing caused by the XRISM point spread function, we perform a spatial-spectral mixing analysis. We detect an ordered line-of-sight bulk-velocity gradient across the cluster core: the northern regions are blueshifted relative to the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG), while the southern regions are close to zero velocity or slightly redshifted. The maximum velocity difference is about $280~{\rm km\,s^{-1}}$. In contrast, the turbulent velocity dispersion is smaller, with measured values and upper limits of $\lesssim150~{\rm km\,s^{-1}}$, implying a non-thermal pressure fraction below $\sim2.5\%$. The velocity pattern is consistent with gas sloshing associated with the spiral structure seen in Chandra X-ray images. Averaged over all regions, the inferred turbulent heating rate is below the radiative cooling rate, indicating that turbulent dissipation alone is insufficient to offset cooling in the entire core. These results reveal that A2029 is not kinematically featureless: sloshing-induced bulk motions are present, while the observed line-of-sight velocity dispersion indicates only a limited contribution to pressure support and core heating.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Probable Detection of a Cooler Gas Component in the Perseus Cluster with XRISM

We present an analysis of the temperature structure of the Perseus cluster atmosphere using XRISM Resolve observations. The average temperature rises from 3.3 keV near the nucleus of NGC 1275 to 8 keV at 10 arcmin (210 kpc), which is consistent with Chandra and XMM measurements. The velocity and velocity dispersion profiles are broadly consistent with those in arXiv:2509.04421. While the gas at altitudes beyond $\sim60$ kpc can be modeled as a single temperature plasma, we find evidence for more than one gas phase in the inner $\sim60$ kpc. The hotter gas component, traced primarily by the Fe He$\alpha$ line, has a velocity dispersion of $\lesssim140$ km s$^{-1}$. We detect a cooler, $\sim1.87-2.43$ keV, gas component with a velocity dispersion of $\sim300-400$ km s$^{-1}$ and a bulk velocity of $\sim 21-213$ km s$^{-1}$ with respect to the central galaxy. These ranges reflect large systematic uncertainties associated with modeling spatial-spectral mixing and the bright central point source. Potential low energy gain variations may add additional uncertainties. The cooler component is identified by broad wings in prominent emission lines, most notably S Ly$\alpha$ and Fe He$\alpha$. This cooler component's Mach number $\sim0.73-0.96$ and non-thermal pressure fraction of $\sim22.9-33.7\%$ are much higher than found for the hotter gas. The cooler gas may be associated with merging halos along the line of sight which formed the cool, sloshing spiral and/or cooling gas being disturbed by the radio jets and lobes.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

XRISM High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy of Cygnus X-1 -- Orbital and Short-Term Variability of Iron Absorption

We present the first high-resolution spectroscopy of the black hole high-mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-1 with XRISM, including orbital-phase-resolved analyses and tentative evidence of short-term variability in the Fe-K band on second timescales. Using data from the Performance Verification phase in April 2024, we analyzed spectral variability across orbital phases with the Resolve microcalorimeter and the Xtend CCD imager. The unprecedented resolution of Resolve reveals variability in highly ionized Fe absorption lines. The absorption features show orbital-phase-dependent variability in column density, ionization state, and blueshifted velocity, suggesting structural variations in the focused stellar wind along the line of sight. We also find indications of subtle broadening of the neutral Fe emission profile. In addition, intensity-sorted spectroscopy during dip phases suggests possible variability on timescales of a few seconds in the absorption features, consistent with cooler, denser and lower-ionized gas clumps. Although the statistical significance is limited, these results hint that the stellar wind and the X-rays from the accretion disk around the black hole may interact on timescales as short as a few seconds. These XRISM results constrain wind-fed accretion in Cyg X-1 and highlight Resolve's capability to probe plasma environments in high-mass X-ray binaries.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

XRISM High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy of Cygnus X-1 -- highly ionized Iron absorption structures

We present the first high-resolution X-ray spectral analysis of Cygnus X-1 using XRISM. The observation was carried out from April 7 to 10, 2024, covering the orbital phase range 0.65--0.17 during its low/hard state. Taking advantage of the exceptional energy resolution of the Resolve instrument, we examined highly ionized iron absorption lines and characterized the ionization states, column densities, and line-of-sight velocities of the absorbing plasma. Spectral analysis revealed an ionization parameter of approximately 3, column densities of a few times 10^21 cm^-2, and a blueshifted velocity of approximately 100 km s^-1. The observation was divided into two phases: before and after orbital phase phi_orb = 0.9, corresponding to non-dipping and dipping intervals. While only weak absorption features were present before phi_orb = 0.9, strong absorption by He-like and H-like Fe appeared during the dipping phase. We measured equivalent widths of 2.3 eV, 0.4 eV, and 1.2 eV for He-like Fe K-alpha, and H-like Ly-alpha1 and Ly-alpha2, respectively, demonstrating the capability of XRISM Resolve to securely detect narrow absorption features of only a few eV. These measurements trace the motion of the absorbing material and offer insight into the kinematics and spatial distribution of the wind in the vicinity of the black hole. These findings enhance our understanding of wind-fed accretion in Cygnus X-1 and highlight the importance of continued high-resolution X-ray observations to further constrain the physical properties of winds and accretion flows in high-mass X-ray binaries.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Refined Constraints on the Hard X-ray Polarization of the Crab Pulsar and Nebula Derived from an Extended XL-Calibur Dataset

We present updated hard X-ray polarization measurements of the Crab pulsar and nebula obtained with the balloon-borne polarimeter XL-Calibur in the ~19-64 keV energy range. During the flight, intermittent GPS-failure resulted in poorly constrained timing for ~38% of the Crab dataset. By implementing a new phase-recovery method that reconstructs timing during extended GPS-off intervals, phase tag data is recovered for ~95% of the GPS-off dataset, increasing the precision of the phase-resolved analysis. Phase-information for the data is recovered by using the Crab pulsar, with its 33 ms period, as an external timing source. Using a Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo framework to jointly fit phase offsets and frequency derivatives, sufficient phase accuracy is achieved, across multiple periods without GPS for a phase-resolved analysis. This enables inclusion of nearly the full dataset in the polarization study. The polarization degree of the nebular emission is found to be (27.7${\pm}$4.9)% at a polarization angle of 127.2{\deg}${\pm}$5.1{\deg} confirming previous XL-Calibur results and remaining aligned with the Crab's spin axis, consistent with synchrotron emission from the inner nebula. Phase-resolved measurements show that the off-pulse and bridge intervals exhibit a strong polarization, while the pulsar peaks, although weakly constrained, remain in agreement with the softer-energy trends of IXPE. These findings reinforce a scenario in which hard X-ray emission arises primarily in the nebular torus and wind regions. The successful recovery of precise phase tagging from GPS-off data demonstrates the capacity to use the pulsar as an external clock even in the case of sparsely populated data.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

XRISM Observations of The Prototypical Cold Front in Abell 3667

We present high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the merging galaxy cluster Abell 3667 with \textit{XRISM}/Resolve. Two observations, targeting the cluster X-ray core and the prototypical cold front, were performed with exposures of 105 ks and 276 ks, respectively. We find that the gas in the core is blueshifted by $v_z\sim-200$ km s$^{-1}$ relative to the brightest cluster galaxy, while the low-entropy gas inside the cold front is redshifted by $v_z\sim 200$ km s$^{-1}$. As one moves further off-center across the front, the line-of-sight (LoS) velocity changes significantly, by $\Delta v_z=535^{+167}_{-154}$ km s$^{-1}$, back to the value similar to that in the core. There are no significant LoS velocity gradients perpendicular to the cluster symmetry axis. These features suggest that the gas forming the cold front is flowing in the plane oriented along the LoS, supporting an offset merger scenario in which the main cluster has passed in front of the subcluster and induced rotation of the core gas in the plane perpendicular to the sky. The region just inside the front exhibits the largest LoS velocity dispersion seen across two pointings, $\sigma_z\sim420$ km s$^{-1}$, which can be interpreted as a developing turbulence or a projection of the LoS velocity shear within the front. The large LoS velocity jump across the cold front, combined with the lack of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the surface of the front, suggests some mechanism to suppress it. For example, a magnetic field with $B>5\,\mu$G is required if the cold front is stabilized by magnetic draping.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

First Detection of X-ray Polarization and Its Short-term Increase Pre- and Post-Eclipse in HMXB 4U 1700-377

We report the first statistically significant detection of X-ray polarization from the high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) 4U 1700-377, observed using the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). A polarization degree exceeding 10% was detected above 5 keV, placing it among the highest polarization observed in HMXBs to date. The observation was conducted over a full orbital period of the binary system, during which several sporadic and instantaneous flares were detected. We identify a clear correlation between the polarization degree and orbital phase, with the highest polarization occurring just before and after the eclipse, reaching over 20% for a few tens of ks. These results suggest that the scattering medium responsible for the observed polarization is spatially localized between the compact object and the O-type companion star, likely created by large-scale inhomogeneities in the stellar wind and its interaction with the compact star's emission. We also explore the roles of disk winds and orbital reflection in the observed polarization variability. While both mechanisms contribute to the polarization, the substantial increase in polarization before and after the eclipse cannot be fully explained by these models alone, suggesting that the involvement of additional factors. The properties of the X-ray polarization observed by IXPE provide new insights into the accretion processes, X-ray emission, and wind structure in 4U 1700-377, advancing our understanding of their complex environments and the nature of the compact objects within.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

XL-Calibur Polarimetry of Cyg X-1 Further Constrains the Origin of its Hard-state X-ray Emission

The balloon-borne hard X-ray polarimetry mission XL-Calibur observed the Black Hole X-ray Binary (BHXRB) Cygnus X-1 (Cyg X-1) during its nearly six-day Long Duration Balloon (LDB) flight from Sweden to Canada in July 2024. The XL-Calibur observations allowed us to derive the most precise constraints to date of the Polarization Degree (PD) and Polarization Angle (PA) of the hard X-ray emission from a BHXRB. XL-Calibur observed Cyg X-1 in the hard state and measured a $\sim$19-64 keV PD of ($5.0^{+2.7}_{-3.0}$)% at a PA of $-28^{\circ}\pm 17^{\circ}$, with an 8.7% chance probability of detecting larger PDs than the one observed, given an unpolarized signal. The XL-Calibur results are thus comparable to the 2-8 keV PD and PA found by IXPE, with a similar agreement between the hard X-ray PA and the radio jet direction. We also discuss the implications of our polarization measurements in the context of models describing the origin of the broadband X-ray and $\gamma$-ray emission, to which XL-Calibur provides independent constraints on any proposed emission modeling.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

XRISM Pre-Pipeline and Singularity: Container-Based Data Processing for the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission and High-Performance Computing

The X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) is the seventh Japanese X-ray observatory whose development and operation are in collaboration with universities and research institutes in Japan, the United States, and Europe, including JAXA, NASA, and ESA. The telemetry data downlinked from the satellite are reduced to scientific products using pre-pipeline (PPL) and pipeline (PL) software running on standard Linux virtual machines (VMs) for the JAXA and NASA sides, respectively. OBSIDs identified the observations, and we had 80 and 161 OBSIDs to be reprocessed at the end of the commissioning period and performance verification and calibration period, respectively. The combination of the containerized PPL utilizing Singularity of a container platform running on the JAXA's "TOKI-RURI" high-performance computing (HPC) system and working disk images formatted to ext3 accomplished a 33x speedup in PPL tasks over our regular VM. Herein, we briefly describe the data processing in XRISM and our porting strategies for PPL in the HPC environment.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

Verification of the Timing System for the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission in the GPS Unsynchronized Mode

We report the results from the ground and on-orbit verifications of the XRISM timing system when the satellite clock is not synchronized to the GPS time. In this case, the time is determined by a free-run quartz oscillator of the clock, whose frequency changes depending on its temperature. In the thermal vacuum test performed in 2022, we obtained the GPS unsynchronized mode data and the temperature-versus-clock frequency trend. Comparing the time values calculated from the data and the true GPS times when the data were obtained, we confirmed that the requirement (within a 350 $\mu$s error in the absolute time, accounting for both the spacecraft bus system and the ground system) was satisfied in the temperature conditions of the thermal vacuum test. We also simulated the variation of the timing accuracy in the on-orbit temperature conditions using the Hitomi on-orbit temperature data and found that the error remained within the requirement over $\sim 3 \times 10^{5}$ s. The on-orbit tests were conducted in 2023 September and October as part of the bus system checkout. The temperature versus clock frequency trend remained unchanged from that obtained in the thermal vacuum test and the observed time drift was consistent with that expected from the trend.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

XL-Calibur measurements of polarised hard X-ray emission from the Crab

We report measurements of the linear polarisation degree (PD) and angle (PA) for hard X-ray emission from the Crab pulsar and wind nebula. Measurements were made with the XL-Calibur ($\sim$15-80 keV) balloon-borne Compton-scattering polarimeter in July 2024. The polarisation parameters are determined using a Bayesian analysis of Stokes parameters obtained from X-ray scattering angles. Well-constrained ($\sim$8.5$\sigma$) results are obtained for the polarisation of the $\sim$19-64 keV signal integrated over all pulsar phases: PD=(25.1$\pm$2.9)% and PA=(129.8$\pm$3.2)$^\circ$. In the off-pulse (nebula-dominated) phase range, the PD is constrained at $\sim$4.5$\sigma$ and is compatible with the phase-integrated result. The PA of the nebular hard X-ray emission aligns with that measured by IXPE in the 2-8 keV band for the toroidal inner region of the pulsar wind nebula, where the hard X-rays predominantly originate. For the main pulsar peak, PD=(32.8$^{+18.2}_{-28.5}$)% and PA=(156.0 $\pm$ 21.7)$^\circ$, while for the second peak (inter-pulse), PD=(0.0$^{+33.6}_{-0.0}$)% and PA=(154.5 $\pm$ 34.5)$^\circ$. A low level of polarisation in the pulsar peaks likely does not favour emission originating from the inner regions of the pulsar magnetosphere. Discriminating between Crab pulsar emission models will require deeper observations, e.g. with a satellite-borne hard X-ray polarimeter.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Development of the Timing System for the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission

This paper describes the development, design, ground verification, and in-orbit verification, performance measurement, and calibration of the timing system for the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM). The scientific goals of the mission require an absolute timing accuracy of 1.0~ms. All components of the timing system were designed and verified to be within the timing error budgets, which were assigned by component to meet the requirements. After the launch of XRISM, the timing capability of the ground-tuned timing system was verified using the millisecond pulsar PSR~B1937+21 during the commissioning period, and the timing jitter of the bus and the ground component were found to be below $15~\mu$s compared to the NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR) profile. During the performance verification and calibration period, simultaneous observations of the Crab pulsar by XRISM, NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array), and NICER were made to measure the absolute timing offset of the system, showing that the arrival time of the main pulse with XRISM was aligned with that of NICER and NuSTAR to within $200~\mu$s. In conclusion, the absolute timing accuracy of the bus and the ground component of the XRISM timing system meets the timing error budget of $500~\mu$s.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

The energy dependence of cluster size and its physical processes in the proton measurement with TimePix3 silicon detector

We investigated the energy dependence of the number of triggered pixels, or cluster size, when charged particles are detected using the TimePix3 detector with a silicon sensor. We measured protons in the range of 1.5~3.3 MeV from a Pelletron accelerator at RIKEN using a TimePix3 detector with a 500 um-thick silicon sensor. We determined from the experimental results a cluster size comprised between 30 and 80 pixels. To understand the physical process that produces large cluster images and its energy dependence, we simulated the charge carrier drifts in the sensor, assuming the incidence of a proton in the detector. The cluster sizes estimated in the simulation were smaller than those observed in the experiment, and remained constant across the entire energy range, when thermal diffusion and charge carriers self-repulsion were considered as the factors of the cluster image formation. In addition, we discovered that the size of the cluster image and its energy dependence observed in the experiment could be well explained when considering that the TimePix3 detector is sensitive to the transient induced charges, allowing even pixels that do not collect the charge carriers to trigger. We conclude that the cluster size measurement is a promising method for evaluating the energy deposited by a charged particle in the TimePix3 detector.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

High count rate effects in event processing for XRISM/Resolve x-ray microcalorimeter: I. Ground test

The spectroscopic performance of an X-ray microcalorimeter is compromised at high count rates. In this study, we utilize the Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter onboard the XRISM satellite to examine the effects observed during high count rate measurements and propose modeling approaches to mitigate them. We specifically address the following instrumental effects that impact performance: CPU limit, pile-up, and untriggered electrical cross talk. Experimental data at high count rates were acquired during ground testing using the flight model instrument and a calibration X-ray source. In the experiment, data processing not limited by the performance of the onboard CPU was run in parallel, which cannot be done in orbit. This makes it possible to access the data degradation caused by limited CPU performance. We use these data to develop models that allow for a more accurate estimation of the aforementioned effects. To illustrate the application of these models in observation planning, we present a simulated observation of GX 13+1. Understanding and addressing these issues is crucial to enhancing the reliability and precision of X-ray spectroscopy in situations characterized by elevated count rates.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Suzaku Observations of the Cold Front in A3667: a Non-Equilibrium Ionization State of the Intracluster Medium

We present a systematic study of the thermodynamic properties of the intracluster medium (ICM), including the plasma conditions in the ICM, in the merging galaxy cluster A3667 using Suzaku. We analyze the X-ray spectra of the ICM between the northwestern and the southeastern radio relics across a prominent cold front in A3667 to search for the ICM in a non-equilibrium ionization (NEI) state. We find that the ICM inside the cold front exhibits an NEI state with an ionization parameter of $(2.5\pm0.7)\times10^{11}\,\mathrm{s\,cm^{-3}}$ at the $90\%$ confidence level, which is lower than that expected from a collisional ionization equilibrium (CIE) state of the ICM (i.e., $n_\mathrm{e}t > 10^{12}\,\mathrm{s\,cm^{-3}}$). The timescale calculated from the ionization parameter of the ICM inside the cold front is $ 4.6\pm1.2\,\mathrm{Myr}$, which is much shorter than the thermal equilibration timescale. A weak transonic sloshing motion might explain the possibility that the ICM inside the cold front of A3667 is in the NEI state. In addition, the NEI state of the ICM in A3667 seems to be associated with the elongated radio halo bridging the region between the northwestern radio relic and the prominent cold front in A3667 across the cluster center.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Polarized X-rays Correlated with Short--Timescale Variability of Cygnus X-1

We systematically investigate the variability of polarized X-rays on a timescale of a few seconds in the low/hard state of the black hole binary Cygnus X-1. The correlation between polarization degrees and angles with X-Ray intensity was analyzed using data collected by the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) in June 2022. Given that X-Ray variability in the low/hard state of Cygnus X-1 is non-periodic, flux peaks were aggregated to suppress statistical fluctuations. We divided the temporal profiles of these aggregated flux peaks into seven time segments and evaluated the polarization for each segment. The results reveal that the polarization degree was 4.6\%$\pm$1.2 and 5.3\%$\pm$1.2 before and after the peak, respectively, but decreased to 3.4\%$\pm$1.1 and 2.7\%$\pm$1.1 in the segments including and immediately following the peak. Furthermore, the polarization angle exhibited a slight shift from approximately 30$^{\circ}$ to $\sim$40$^{\circ}$ before and after the peak. These findings suggest that the accretion disk contracts with increasing X-Ray luminosity, and the closer proximity of the X-Ray emitting gas to the black hole may lead to reduced polarization.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

High count rate effects in event processing for XRISM/Resolve x-ray microcalorimeter

The spectroscopic performance of x-ray instruments can be affected at high count rates. The effects and mitigation in the optical chain, such as x-ray attenuation filters or de-focusing mirrors, are widely discussed, but those in the signal chain are not. Using the Resolve x-ray microcalorimeter onboard the XRISM satellite, we discuss the effects observed during high count rate measurements and how these can be modeled. We focus on three instrumental effects that impact performance at high count rate: CPU limit, pile up, and electrical cross talk. High count rate data were obtained during ground testing using the flight model instrument and a calibration x-ray source. A simulated observation of GX 13+1 is presented to illustrate how to estimate these effects based on these models for observation planning. The impact of these effects on high count rate observations is discussed.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

Hitomi/XRISM micro-calorimeter

We present an overview of the ASTRO-H (Hitomi) Soft X-Ray Spectrometer (SXS) and the X-Ray Imaging and Spectrometer Mission (XRISM) {\it Resolve} spectrometer. In each, a 36-pixel X-ray micro-calorimeter array operated at 50 mK covers a $3 \times 3$ arc-minute field of view. The instruments are designed to achieve an energy resolution of better than 7 eV over the 0.3 -- 12 keV energy range and operate for more than 3 years in orbit. Actually, the SXS achieved the energy resolution of $\sim$5 eV in orbit, but it was lost after only a month of operation due to the loss of spacecraft attitude control. For the recovery mission, XRISM will be equipped with the {\it Resolve} spectrometer which has mostly the same design as SXS and is expected to have the same in-flight performance.

astro-ph.IM↗