Chandra Discovers X-ray Source at the Center of Our Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

Culminating 25 years of searching by astronomers, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology say that a faint X-ray source, newly detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, may be the long-sought X-ray emission from a known supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. Frederick K. Baganoff and colleagues from Pennsylvania State University, University Park, and the University of California, Los Angeles, will present their findings today in Atlanta at the 195th national meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Baganoff, lead scientist for the Chandra X-ray Observatory's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) team's "Sagittarius A* and the Galactic Center" project and postdoctoral research associate at MIT, said that the precise positional coincidence between the new X-ray source and the radio position of a long-known source called Sagittarius A* "encourages us to believe that the two are the same." Sagittarius A* is a point-like, variable radio source at the center of our galaxy. It looks like a faint quasar and is believed to be powered by gaseous matter falling into a supermassive black hole with 2.6 million times the mass of our Sun. Chandra's remarkable detection of this X-ray source has placed astronomers within a couple of years of a coveted prize: measuring the spectrum of energy produced by Sagittarius A* to determine in detail how the supermassive black hole that powers it works. "The race to be the first to detect X-rays from Sagittarius A* is one of the hottest and longest-running in all of X-ray astronomy," Baganoff said. "Theorists are eager to hear the results of our observation so they can test their ideas." But now that an X-ray source close to Sagittarius A* has been found, it has taken researchers by surprise by being much fainter than expected. "There must be something unusual about the environment around this black hole that affects how it is fed and how the gravitational energy released from the infalling matter is

CHANDRA AND XMM-NEWTON X-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE HYPERACTIVE T TAURI STAR RY TAU

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skinner, Stephen L. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA), Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0389 (United States); Audard, Marc [Dept. of Astronomy, University of Geneva, Ch. d’Ecogia 16, CH-1290 Versoix (Switzerland); Güdel, Manuel, E-mail: stephen.skinner@colorado.edu, E-mail: marc.audard@unige.ch, E-mail: manuel.guedel@univie.ac.at [Dept. of Astrophysics, Univ. of Vienna, Türkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria)

2016-07-20

We present results of pointed X-ray observations of the accreting jet-driving T Tauri star RY Tau using Chandra and XMM-Newton . We obtained high-resolution grating spectra and excellent-quality CCD spectra and light curves with the objective of identifying the physical mechanisms underlying RY Tau’s bright X-ray emission. Grating spectra reveal numerous emission lines spanning a broad range of temperature superimposed on a hot continuum. The X-ray emission measure distribution is dominated by very hot plasma at T {sub hot} ∼ 50 MK, but higher temperatures were present during flares. A weaker cool plasma component is also present as revealed by low-temperature lines such as O viii. X-ray light curves show complex variability consisting of short-duration (∼hours) superhot flares accompanied by fluorescent Fe emission at 6.4 keV superimposed on a slowly varying (∼one day) component that may be tied to stellar rotation. The hot flaring component is undoubtedly of magnetic (e.g., coronal) origin. Soft- and hard-band light curves undergo similar slow variability implying that at least some of the cool plasma shares a common magnetic origin with the hot plasma. Any contribution to the X-ray emission from cool shocked plasma is small compared to the dominant hot component but production of individual low-temperature lines such as O viii in an accretion shock is not ruled out.

The End of Days -- Chandra Catches X-ray Glow From Supernova

Science.gov (United States)

1999-12-01

Through a combination of serendipity and skill, scientists have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to capture a rare glimpse of X-radiation from the early phases of a supernova, one of the most violent events in nature. Although more than a thousand supernovas have been observed by optical astronomers, the early X-ray glow from the explosions has been detected in less than a dozen cases. The Chandra observations were made under the direction of a team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, led by Walter Lewin and his graduate student, Derek Fox. When combined with simultaneous observations by radio and optical telescopes, the X-ray observations tell about the thickness of the shell that was blown off, its density, its speed, and how much material was shed by the star before it exploded. Chandra observed an X-ray glow from SN1999em with the total power of 50,000 suns. Ten days later it observed the supernova for another nine hours, and found that the X rays had faded to half their previous intensity. The optical luminosity, which had the brightness of 200 million suns, had faded somewhat less. No radio emission was detected at any time. With this information, the MIT group and their colleagues are already piecing together a picture of the catastrophic explosion. Observations by optical astronomers showed that SN1999em was a Type II supernova produced by the collapse of the core of a star ten or more times as massive as the Sun. The intense heat generated in the collapse produces a cataclysmic rebound that sends high speed debris flying outward at speeds in excess of 20 million miles per hour. The debris crashes into matter shed by the former star before the explosion. This awesome collision generates shock waves that heat expanding debris to three million degrees. The X-ray glow from this hot gas was detected by Chandra and gives astrophysicists a better understanding of the dynamics of the explosion, as well as the

CHANDRA X-RAY DETECTION OF THE ENIGMATIC FIELD STAR BP Psc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kastner, Joel H.; Montez, Rodolfo; Rodriguez, David; Zuckerman, B.; Perrin, Marshall D.; Grosso, Nicolas; Forveille, Thierry; Graham, James R.

2010-01-01

BP Psc is a remarkable emission-line field star that is orbited by a dusty disk and drives a parsec-scale system of jets. We report the detection by the Chandra X-ray Observatory of a weak X-ray point source coincident with the centroids of optical/IR and submillimeter continuum emission at BP Psc. As the star's photosphere is obscured throughout the visible and near-infrared, the Chandra X-ray source likely represents the first detection of BP Psc itself. The X-rays most likely originate with magnetic activity at BP Psc and hence can be attributed either to a stellar corona or to star-disk interactions. The log of the ratio of X-ray to bolometric luminosity, log(L X /L bol ), lies in the range -5.8 to -4.2. This is smaller than log(L X /L bol ) ratios typical of low-mass, pre-main sequence stars, but is well within the log(L X /L bol ) range observed for rapidly rotating (FK Com-type) G giant stars. Hence, the Chandra results favor an exotic model wherein the disk/jet system of BP Psc is the result of its very recently engulfing a companion star or a giant planet, as the primary star ascended the giant branch.

Off-plane x-ray reflection grating fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Thomas J.; DeRoo, Casey T.; Marlowe, Hannah; McEntaffer, Randall L.; Miles, Drew M.; Tutt, James H.; Schultz, Ted B.

2015-09-01

Off-plane X-ray diffraction gratings with precision groove profiles at the submicron scale will be used in next generation X-ray spectrometers. Such gratings will be used on a current NASA suborbital rocket mission, the Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment (OGRE), and have application for future grating missions. The fabrication of these gratings does not come without challenges. High performance off-plane gratings must be fabricated with precise radial grating patterns, optically at surfaces, and specific facet angles. Such gratings can be made using a series of common micro-fabrication techniques. The resulting process is highly customizable, making it useful for a variety of different mission architectures. In this paper, we detail the fabrication method used to produce high performance off-plane gratings and report the results of a preliminary qualification test of a grating fabricated in this manner. The grating was tested in the off-plane `Littrow' configuration, for which the grating is most efficient for a given diffraction order, and found to achieve 42% relative efficiency in the blaze order with respect to all diffracted light.

New Constraints on the Geometry and Kinematics of Matter Surrounding the Accretion Flow in X-Ray Binaries from Chandra High-energy Transmission Grating X-Ray Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Tzanavaris, P.; Yaqoob, T.

2018-03-01

The narrow, neutral Fe Kα fluorescence emission line in X-ray binaries (XRBs) is a powerful probe of the geometry, kinematics, and Fe abundance of matter around the accretion flow. In a recent study it has been claimed, using Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) spectra for a sample of XRBs, that the circumnuclear material is consistent with a solar-abundance, uniform, spherical distribution. It was also claimed that the Fe Kα line was unresolved in all cases by the HETG. However, these conclusions were based on ad hoc models that did not attempt to relate the global column density to the Fe Kα line emission. We revisit the sample and test a self-consistent model of a uniform, spherical X-ray reprocessor against HETG spectra from 56 observations of 14 Galactic XRBs. We find that the model is ruled out in 13/14 sources because a variable Fe abundance is required. In two sources a spherical distribution is viable, but with nonsolar Fe abundance. We also applied a solar-abundance Compton-thick reflection model, which can account for the spectra that are inconsistent with a spherical model, but spectra with a broader bandpass are required to better constrain model parameters. We also robustly measured the velocity width of the Fe Kα line and found FWHM values of up to ∼5000 km s‑1. Only in some spectra was the Fe Kα line unresolved by the HETG.

New Constraints on the Geometry and Kinematics of Matter Surrounding the Accretion Flow in X-Ray Binaries from Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating X-Ray Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Tzanavaris, P.; Yaqoob, T.

2018-01-01

The narrow, neutral Fe Ka fluorescence emission line in X-ray binaries (XRBs) is a powerful probe of the geometry, kinematics, and Fe abundance of matter around the accretion flow. In a recent study it has been claimed, using Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) spectra for a sample of XRBs, that the circumnuclear material is consistent with a solar-abundance, uniform, spherical distribution. It was also claimed that the Fe Ka line was unresolved in all cases by the HETG. However, these conclusions were based on ad hoc models that did not attempt to relate the global column density to the Fe Ka line emission. We revisit the sample and test a self-consistent model of a uniform, spherical X-ray reprocessor against HETG spectra from 56 observations of 14 Galactic XRBs. We find that the model is ruled out in 13/14 sources because a variable Fe abundance is required. In two sources a spherical distribution is viable, but with nonsolar Fe abundance. We also applied a solar-abundance Compton-thick reflection model, which can account for the spectra that are inconsistent with a spherical model, but spectra with a broader bandpass are required to better constrain model parameters. We also robustly measured the velocity width of the Fe Ka line and found FWHM values of up to approx. 5000 km/s. Only in some spectra was the Fe Ka line unresolved by the HETG.

Analysis of surface absorbed dose in X-ray grating interferometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Zhili, E-mail: wangnsrl@ustc.edu.cn [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Wu, Zhao; Gao, Kun; Wang, Dajiang; Chen, Heng; Wang, Shenghao [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Wu, Ziyu, E-mail: wuzy@ustc.edu.cn [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • Theoretical framework for dose estimation in X-ray grating interferometry. • Potential dose reduction of X-ray grating interferometry compared to conventional radiography. • Guidelines for optimization of X-ray grating interferometry for dose-sensitive applications. • Measure to compare various existing X-ray phase contrast imaging techniques. - Abstract: X-ray phase contrast imaging using grating interferometry has shown increased contrast over conventional absorption imaging, and therefore the great potential of dose reduction. The extent of the dose reduction depends on the geometry of grating interferometry, the photon energy, the properties of the sample under investigation and the utilized detector. These factors also determine the capability of grating interferometry to distinguish between different tissues with a specified statistical certainty in a single raw image. In this contribution, the required photon number for imaging and the resulting surface absorbed dose are determined in X-ray grating interferometry, using a two-component imaging object model. The presented results confirm that compared to conventional radiography, phase contrast imaging using grating interferometry indeed has the potential of dose reduction. And the extent of dose reduction is strongly dependent on the imaging conditions. Those results provide a theoretical framework for dose estimation under given imaging conditions before experimental trials, and general guidelines for optimization of grating interferometry for those dose-sensitive applications.

Analysis of surface absorbed dose in X-ray grating interferometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhili; Wu, Zhao; Gao, Kun; Wang, Dajiang; Chen, Heng; Wang, Shenghao; Wu, Ziyu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Theoretical framework for dose estimation in X-ray grating interferometry. • Potential dose reduction of X-ray grating interferometry compared to conventional radiography. • Guidelines for optimization of X-ray grating interferometry for dose-sensitive applications. • Measure to compare various existing X-ray phase contrast imaging techniques. - Abstract: X-ray phase contrast imaging using grating interferometry has shown increased contrast over conventional absorption imaging, and therefore the great potential of dose reduction. The extent of the dose reduction depends on the geometry of grating interferometry, the photon energy, the properties of the sample under investigation and the utilized detector. These factors also determine the capability of grating interferometry to distinguish between different tissues with a specified statistical certainty in a single raw image. In this contribution, the required photon number for imaging and the resulting surface absorbed dose are determined in X-ray grating interferometry, using a two-component imaging object model. The presented results confirm that compared to conventional radiography, phase contrast imaging using grating interferometry indeed has the potential of dose reduction. And the extent of dose reduction is strongly dependent on the imaging conditions. Those results provide a theoretical framework for dose estimation under given imaging conditions before experimental trials, and general guidelines for optimization of grating interferometry for those dose-sensitive applications

Modeling Contamination Migration on the Chandra X-ray Observatory II

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dell, Steve; Swartz, Doug; Tice, Neil; Plucinsky, Paul; Grant, Catherine; Marshall, Herman; Vikhlinin, Alexey

2013-01-01

During its first 14 years of operation, the cold (about -60degC) optical blocking filter of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS), aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory, has accumulated a growing layer of molecular contamination that attenuates low-energy x rays. Over the past few years, the accumulation rate, spatial distribution, and composition may have changed, perhaps partially related to changes in the operating temperature of the ACIS housing. This evolution of the accumulation of the molecular contamination has motivated further analysis of contamination migration on the Chandra X-ray Observatory, particularly within and near the ACIS cavity. To this end, the current study employs a higher-fidelity geometric model of the ACIS cavity, detailed thermal modeling based upon monitored temperature data, and an accordingly refined model of the molecular transport.

Early Chandra X-ray Observations of Eta Carinae

OpenAIRE

Seward, F. D.; Butt, Y. M.; Karovska, M.; Schlegel, A. Prestwich. E. M.; Corcoran, M.

2001-01-01

Sub-arcsecond resolution Chandra observations of Eta Carinae reveal a 40 arcsec X 70 arcsec ring or partial shell of X-ray emission surrounding an unresolved, bright, central source. The spectrum of the central source is strongly absorbed and can be fit with a high-temperature thermal continuum and emission lines. The surrounding shell is well outside the optical/IR bipolar nebula and is coincident with the Outer Shell of Eta Carinae. The X-ray spectrum of the Shell is much softer than that o...

Chandra and the VLT Jointly Investigate the Cosmic X-Ray Background

Science.gov (United States)

2001-03-01

Summary Important scientific advances often happen when complementary investigational techniques are brought together . In the present case, X-ray and optical/infrared observations with some of the world's foremost telescopes have provided the crucial information needed to solve a 40-year old cosmological riddle. Very detailed observations of a small field in the southern sky have recently been carried out, with the space-based NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory as well as with several ground-based ESO telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory (Chile). Together, they have provided the "deepest" combined view at X-ray and visual/infrared wavelengths ever obtained into the distant Universe. The concerted observational effort has already yielded significant scientific results. This is primarily due to the possibility to 'identify' most of the X-ray emitting objects detected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory on ground-based optical/infrared images and then to determine their nature and distance by means of detailed (spectral) observations with the VLT . In particular, there is now little doubt that the so-called 'X-ray background' , a seemingly diffuse short-wave radiation first detected in 1962, in fact originates in a vast number of powerful black holes residing in active nuclei of distant galaxies . Moreover, the present investigation has permitted to identify and study in some detail a prime example of a hitherto little known type of object, a distant, so-called 'Type II Quasar' , in which the central black hole is deeply embedded in surrounding gas and dust. These achievements are just the beginning of a most fruitful collaboration between "space" and "ground". It is yet another impressive demonstration of the rapid progress of modern astrophysics, due to the recent emergence of a new generation of extremely powerful instruments. PR Photo 09a/01 : Images of a small part of the Chandra Deep Field South , obtained with ESO telescopes

An X-ray grazing incidence phase multilayer grating

CERN Document Server

Chernov, V A; Mytnichenko, S V

2001-01-01

An X-ray grazing incidence phase multilayer grating, representing a thin grating placed on a multilayer mirror, is proposed. A high efficiency of grating diffraction can be obtained by the possibility of changing the phase shift of the wave diffracted from the multilayer under the Bragg and total external reflection conditions. A grazing incidence phase multilayer grating consisting of Pt grating stripes on a Ni/C multilayer and optimized for the hard X-ray range was fabricated. Its diffraction properties were studied at photon energies of 7 and 8 keV. The obtained maximum value of the diffraction efficiency of the +1 grating order was 9% at 7 keV and 6.5% at 8 keV. The data obtained are in a rather good accordance with the theory.

Six Years Into Its Mission, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory Continues to Achieve Scientific Firsts

Science.gov (United States)

2005-08-01

In August 1999, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory opened for business. Six years later, it continues to achieve scientific firsts. "When Chandra opened its sunshade doors for the first time, it opened the possibility of studying the X-ray emission of the universe with unprecedented clarity," said Chandra project scientist Dr. Martin Weisskopf of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "Already surpassing its goal of a five-year life, Chandra continues to rewrite textbooks with discoveries about our own solar system and images of celestial objects as far as billions of light years away." Based on the observatory's outstanding results, NASA Headquarters in Washington decided in 2001 to extend Chandra s mission from five years to ten. During the observatory s sixth year of operation, auroras from Jupiter, X-rays from Saturn, and the early days of our solar system were the focus of Chandra discoveries close to home -- discoveries with the potential to better understand the dynamics of life on Earth. Jupiter's auroras are the most spectacular and active auroras in the solar system. Extended Chandra observations revealed that Jupiter s auroral X-rays are caused by highly charged particles crashing into the atmosphere above Jupiter's poles. These results gave scientists information needed to compare Jupiter's auroras with those from Earth, and determine if they are triggered by different cosmic and planetary events. Mysterious X-rays from Saturn also received attention, as Chandra completed the first observation of a solar X-ray flare reflected from Saturn's low-latitudes, the region that correlates to Earth's equator and tropics. This observation led scientists to conclude the ringed planet may act as a mirror, reflecting explosive activity from the sun. Solar-storm watchers on Earth might see a surprising benefit. The results imply scientists could use giant planets like Saturn as remote-sensing tools to help monitor X-ray flaring on portions of the sun

Analysis of the 3C 445 soft X-ray spectrum as observed by Chandra high-energy gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Fu-Tong; Shao, Shu-Hua; Cheng, Yan; Zeng, Jiao-Long

2018-05-01

We present a detailed analysis of the soft X-ray emission of 3C 445 using an archival Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) spectrum. Highly-ionized H- and He-like Mg, Si and S lines, as well as a resolved low-ionized Si Kα line, are detected in the high resolution spectrum. The He-like triplets of Mg and Si are resolved into individual lines, and the calculated R ratios indicate a high density for the emitter. The low values of G ratios indicate the lines originate from collisionally ionized plasmas. However, the detection of a resolved narrow Ne X radiative recombination continua (RRC) feature in the spectrum seems to prefer a photoionized environment. The spectrum is subsequently modeled with a photoionization model, and the results are compared with those of a collisional model. Through a detailed analysis of the spectrum, we exclude a collisional origin for these emission lines. A one-component photoionization model provides a great fit to the emission features. The best-fit parameters are {log} ξ ={3.3}-0.3+0.4 erg cm s‑1, {n}{{H}}={5}-4.5+15× {10}10 cm‑3 and {N}{{H}}={2.5}-1.7+3.8× {10}20 cm‑2. According to the calculated high density for the emitter, the measured velocity widths of the emission lines and the inferred radial distance (6 × 1014 – 8 × 1015 cm), we suggest the emission lines originating from matter are located in the broad line region (BLR).

Optical and x-ray alignment approaches for off-plane reflection gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Allured, Ryan; Donovan, Benjamin D.; DeRoo, Casey T.; Marlowe, Hannah R.; McEntaffer, Randall L.; Tutt, James H.; Cheimets, Peter N.; Hertz, Edward; Smith, Randall K.; Burwitz, Vadim; Hartner, Gisela; Menz, Benedikt

2015-09-01

Off-plane reflection gratings offer the potential for high-resolution, high-throughput X-ray spectroscopy on future missions. Typically, the gratings are placed in the path of a converging beam from an X-ray telescope. In the off-plane reflection grating case, these gratings must be co-aligned such that their diffracted spectra overlap at the focal plane. Misalignments degrade spectral resolution and effective area. In-situ X-ray alignment of a pair of off-plane reflection gratings in the path of a silicon pore optics module has been performed at the MPE PANTER beamline in Germany. However, in-situ X-ray alignment may not be feasible when assembling all of the gratings required for a satellite mission. In that event, optical methods must be developed to achieve spectral alignment. We have developed an alignment approach utilizing a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor and diffraction of an ultraviolet laser. We are fabricating the necessary hardware, and will be taking a prototype grating module to an X-ray beamline for performance testing following assembly and alignment.

The Role of Project Science in the Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dell, Stephen L.; Weisskopf, Martin C.

2006-01-01

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory, one of NASA's Great Observatories, has an outstanding record of scientific and technical success. This success results from the efforts of a team comprising NASA, its contractors, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the instrument groups, and other elements of the scientific community, including thousands of scientists who utilize this powerful facility for astrophysical research. We discuss the role of NASA Project Science in the formulation, development, calibration, and operation of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. In addition to representing the scientific community within the Project, Project Science performed what we term "science systems engineering". This activity encompasses translation of science requirements into technical requirements and assessment of the scientific impact of programmatic and technical trades. We briefly describe several examples of science systems engineering conducted by Chandra Project Science.

Chandra X-ray Observations of Jovian Low-latitude Emissions: Morphological, Temporal, and Spectral Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Bhardwaj, Anil; Elsner, Ronald F.; Gladstone, G. Randall; Cravens, Thomas E.; Waiate J. Hunter, Jr.; Branduardi-Raymont, Graziella; Ford, Peter

2004-01-01

Chandra observed X-rays from Jupiter during 24-26 February 2003 for about 40 hours with the ACIS-S and HRC-I instruments. The analysis of Jovian low-latitude "disk" Xray emissions are presented and compared with the high-latitude "auroral" emissions. We report the first Chandra ACIS-S measured X-ray spectrum (0.3-2 keV) of Jupiter's low-latitude disk The disk X-ray emission is harder and extends to higher energies than the auroral spectrum. The temporal variation in the Jovian disk X-rays is on an average consistent with those in the solar X-rays observed by GOES, and TIMED/SSE. Contrary to the auroral X-rays, the disk emissions are uniformly distributed over Jupiter; no indication of longitudinal dependence or correlation with surface magneh field strength is visible. Also, unlike the approx. 40 +/- 20 min periodic oscillations seen in the auroral X-ray emissions, the disk emissions do not show any periodic oscillations. The disk spectrum seems to be consistent with resonant and fluorescent scattering of solar X-rays by the Jovian upper atmosphere. Jupiter's disk is found to be about 50% dimmer in soft X-rays in February 2003 compared that in December 2000, which is consistent with the decrease in solar activity. No evidence of lightning-induced X-rays is seen in the Chandra X-ray data. The Jovian disk spectra observed with Chandra-ACIS is stronger than that observed with XMM-Newton two months later during April 28-29, 2003. The XMM-Newton Xray image of Jupiter shows evidence of limb darkening on the anti-sunward side as seen from Earth, as well as an asymmetry with respect to the subsolar point: suggesting a solar driven process.

Observations of the Crab Nebula with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskopf, Martin C.

2012-01-01

The Crab Nebula and its pulsar has been the subject of a number of detailed observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The superb angular resolution of Chandra s high-resolution telescope has made possible numerous remarkable results. Here we describe a number of specific studies of the Crab that I and my colleagues have undertaken. We discuss the geometry of the system, which indicates that the "inner X-ray ring", typically identified with the termination shock of the pulsar s particle wind, is most likely not in the equatorial plane of the pulsar. Other topics are the northern wisps and their evolution with time; the characterization of features in the jet to the southeast; pulse-phase spectroscopy and possible correlations with the features at other wavelengths, particularly the optical polarization; and a search for correlations of the X-ray flux with the recently-discovered gamma -ray flares.

A general theory of interference fringes in x-ray phase grating imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Aimin; Wu, Xizeng; Liu, Hong

2015-01-01

Purpose: The authors note that the concept of the Talbot self-image distance in x-ray phase grating interferometry is indeed not well defined for polychromatic x-rays, because both the grating phase shift and the fractional Talbot distances are all x-ray wavelength-dependent. For x-ray interferometry optimization, there is a need for a quantitative theory that is able to predict if a good intensity modulation is attainable at a given grating-to-detector distance. In this work, the authors set out to meet this need. Methods: In order to apply Fourier analysis directly to the intensity fringe patterns of two-dimensional and one-dimensional phase grating interferometers, the authors start their derivation from a general phase space theory of x-ray phase-contrast imaging. Unlike previous Fourier analyses, the authors evolved the Wigner distribution to obtain closed-form expressions of the Fourier coefficients of the intensity fringes for any grating-to-detector distance, even if it is not a fractional Talbot distance. Results: The developed theory determines the visibility of any diffraction order as a function of the grating-to-detector distance, the phase shift of the grating, and the x-ray spectrum. The authors demonstrate that the visibilities of diffraction orders can serve as the indicators of the underlying interference intensity modulation. Applying the theory to the conventional and inverse geometry configurations of single-grating interferometers, the authors demonstrated that the proposed theory provides a quantitative tool for the grating interferometer optimization with or without the Talbot-distance constraints. Conclusions: In this work, the authors developed a novel theory of the interference intensity fringes in phase grating x-ray interferometry. This theory provides a quantitative tool in design optimization of phase grating x-ray interferometers

A general theory of interference fringes in x-ray phase grating imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Aimin; Wu, Xizeng; Liu, Hong

2015-06-01

The authors note that the concept of the Talbot self-image distance in x-ray phase grating interferometry is indeed not well defined for polychromatic x-rays, because both the grating phase shift and the fractional Talbot distances are all x-ray wavelength-dependent. For x-ray interferometry optimization, there is a need for a quantitative theory that is able to predict if a good intensity modulation is attainable at a given grating-to-detector distance. In this work, the authors set out to meet this need. In order to apply Fourier analysis directly to the intensity fringe patterns of two-dimensional and one-dimensional phase grating interferometers, the authors start their derivation from a general phase space theory of x-ray phase-contrast imaging. Unlike previous Fourier analyses, the authors evolved the Wigner distribution to obtain closed-form expressions of the Fourier coefficients of the intensity fringes for any grating-to-detector distance, even if it is not a fractional Talbot distance. The developed theory determines the visibility of any diffraction order as a function of the grating-to-detector distance, the phase shift of the grating, and the x-ray spectrum. The authors demonstrate that the visibilities of diffraction orders can serve as the indicators of the underlying interference intensity modulation. Applying the theory to the conventional and inverse geometry configurations of single-grating interferometers, the authors demonstrated that the proposed theory provides a quantitative tool for the grating interferometer optimization with or without the Talbot-distance constraints. In this work, the authors developed a novel theory of the interference intensity fringes in phase grating x-ray interferometry. This theory provides a quantitative tool in design optimization of phase grating x-ray interferometers.

CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF SN 1987A: THE SOFT X-RAY LIGHT CURVE REVISITED

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helder, E. A.; Broos, P. S.; Burrows, D. N. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Dewey, D. [MIT Kavli Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Dwek, E. [Observational Cosmology Laboratory, Code 665, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); McCray, R. [JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Park, S. [Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Box 19059, Arlington, TX 76019 (United States); Racusin, J. L. [NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Zhekov, S. A. [Space Research and Technology Institute, Akad. G. Bonchev str., bl.1, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria)

2013-02-10

We report on the present stage of SN 1987A as observed by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. We reanalyze published Chandra observations and add three more epochs of Chandra data to get a consistent picture of the evolution of the X-ray fluxes in several energy bands. We discuss the implications of several calibration issues for Chandra data. Using the most recent Chandra calibration files, we find that the 0.5-2.0 keV band fluxes of SN 1987A have increased by {approx}6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -13} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2} per year since 2009. This is in contrast with our previous result that the 0.5-2.0 keV light curve showed a sudden flattening in 2009. Based on our new analysis, we conclude that the forward shock is still in full interaction with the equatorial ring.

Extended asymmetric-cut multilayer X-ray gratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasciolu, Mauro; Haase, Anton; Scholze, Frank; Chapman, Henry N; Bajt, Saša

2015-06-15

The fabrication and characterization of a large-area high-dispersion blazed grating for soft X-rays based on an asymmetric-cut multilayer structure is reported. An asymmetric-cut multilayer structure acts as a perfect blazed grating of high efficiency that exhibits a single diffracted order, as described by dynamical diffraction throughout the depth of the layered structure. The maximum number of grating periods created by cutting a multilayer deposited on a flat substrate is equal to the number of layers deposited, which limits the size of the grating. The size limitation was overcome by depositing the multilayer onto a substrate which itself is a coarse blazed grating and then polish it flat to reveal the uniformly spaced layers of the multilayer. The number of deposited layers required is such that the multilayer thickness exceeds the step height of the substrate structure. The method is demonstrated by fabricating a 27,060 line pairs per mm blazed grating (36.95 nm period) that is repeated every 3,200 periods by the 120-μm period substrate structure. This preparation technique also relaxes the requirements on stress control and interface roughness of the multilayer film. The dispersion and efficiency of the grating is demonstrated for soft X-rays of 13.2 nm wavelength.

Chandra and RXTE studies of the X-ray/gamma-ray millisecond pulsar PSR J0218+4232

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuiper, L.; Hermsen, W.; Stappers, B.W.

2004-01-01

We report on high-resolution spatial and timing observations of the millisecond pulsar PSR J0218+4232 performed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). With these observations we were able to study: (a) the possible spatial extent at X-ray energies of the

A Chandra grating observation of the dusty Wolf-Rayet star WR 48a

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhekov, Svetozar A. [Space Research and Technology Institute, Akad. G. Bonchev Str., bl.1, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria); Gagné, Marc [Department of Geology and Astronomy, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383 (United States); Skinner, Stephen L., E-mail: szhekov@space.bas.bg, E-mail: mgagne@wcupa.edu, E-mail: stephen.skinner@colorado.edu [CASA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)

2014-04-10

We present results of a Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) observation of the carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet (WR) star WR 48a. These are the first high-resolution spectra of this object in X-ray. Blueshifted centroids of the spectral lines of ∼ – 360 km s{sup –1} and line widths of 1000-1500 km s{sup –1} (FWHM) were deduced from the analysis of the line profiles of strong emission lines. The forbidden line of Si XIII is strong and not suppressed, indicating that the rarified 10-30 MK plasma forms far from strong sources of far-ultraviolet emission, most likely in a wind collision zone. Global spectral modeling showed that the X-ray spectrum of WR 48a suffered higher absorption in the 2012 October Chandra observation compared with a previous 2008 January XMM-Newton observation. The emission measure of the hot plasma in WR 48a decreased by a factor ∼3 over the same period of time. The most likely physical picture that emerges from the analysis of the available X-ray data is that of colliding stellar winds in a wide binary system with an elliptical orbit. We propose that the unseen secondary star in the system is another WR star or perhaps a luminous blue variable.

X-ray verification of an optically-aligned off-plane grating module

Science.gov (United States)

Donovan, Benjamin; McEntaffer, Randall; Tutt, James; DeRoo, Casey; Allured, Ryan; Gaskin, Jessica; Kolodziejczak, Jeffery

2017-08-01

The next generation of X-ray spectrometer missions are baselined to have order-of-magnitude improvements in both spectral resolving power and effective area when compared to existing X-ray spectrometer missions. Off-plane X-ray reflection gratings are capable of achieving high resolution and high diffraction efficiencies over the entire X-ray bandpass, making them an ideal technology to implement on these future missions. To achieve the high effective area desired while maintaining high spectral resolution, many off-plane gratings must be precisely aligned such that their diffraction arcs overlap at the focal plane. Methods are under development to align a number of these gratings into a grating module using optical metrology techniques in support of the Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment (OGRE), a suborbital rocket payload scheduled to launch in late 2018. X-ray testing was performed on an aligned grating module at the Straylight Test Facility (SLTF) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to assess the current alignment methodology and its ability to meet the desired performance of OGRE. We report on the results from the test campaign at MSFC, as well as plans for future development.

Streaked, x-ray-transmission-grating spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceglio, N.M.; Roth, M.; Hawryluk, A.M.

1981-08-01

A free standing x-ray transmission grating has been coupled with a soft x-ray streak camera to produce a time resolved x-ray spectrometer. The instrument has a temporal resolution of approx. 20 psec, is capable of covering a broad spectral range, 2 to 120 A, has high sensitivity, and is simple to use requiring no complex alignment procedure. In recent laser fusion experiments the spectrometer successfully recorded time resolved spectra over the range 10 to 120 A with a spectral resolving power, lambda/Δlambda of 4 to 50, limited primarily by source size and collimation effects

Differential X-ray phase-contrast imaging with a grating interferometer using a laboratory X-ray micro-focus tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Kwon-Ha; Ryu, Jong-Hyun; Jung, Chang-Won [Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Cheol-Woo; Kim, Young-Jo; Kwon, Young-Man [Jeonbuk Technopark, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Mi-Ran; Cho, Seung-Ryong [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Chon, Kwon-Su [Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-12-15

X-ray phase-contrast imaging can provide images with much greater soft-tissue contrast than conventional absorption-based images. In this paper, we describe differential X-ray phase-contrast images of insect specimens that were obtained using a grating-based Talbot interferometer and a laboratory X-ray source with a spot size of a few tens of micrometers. We developed the interferometer on the basis of the wavelength, periods, and height of the gratings; the field of view depends on the size of the grating, considering the refractive index of the specimen. The phase-contrast images were acquired using phase-stepping methods. The phase contrast imaging provided a significantly enhanced soft-tissue contrast compared with the attenuation data. The contour of the sample was clearly visible because the refraction from the edges of the object was strong in the differential phase-contrast image. Our results demonstrate that a grating-based Talbot interferometer with a conventional X-ray tube may be attractive as an X-ray imaging system for generating phase images. X-ray phase imaging obviously has sufficient potential and is expected to soon be a great tool for medical diagnostics.

Differential X-ray phase-contrast imaging with a grating interferometer using a laboratory X-ray micro-focus tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Kwon-Ha; Ryu, Jong-Hyun; Jung, Chang-Won; Ryu, Cheol-Woo; Kim, Young-Jo; Kwon, Young-Man; Park, Mi-Ran; Cho, Seung-Ryong; Chon, Kwon-Su

2014-01-01

X-ray phase-contrast imaging can provide images with much greater soft-tissue contrast than conventional absorption-based images. In this paper, we describe differential X-ray phase-contrast images of insect specimens that were obtained using a grating-based Talbot interferometer and a laboratory X-ray source with a spot size of a few tens of micrometers. We developed the interferometer on the basis of the wavelength, periods, and height of the gratings; the field of view depends on the size of the grating, considering the refractive index of the specimen. The phase-contrast images were acquired using phase-stepping methods. The phase contrast imaging provided a significantly enhanced soft-tissue contrast compared with the attenuation data. The contour of the sample was clearly visible because the refraction from the edges of the object was strong in the differential phase-contrast image. Our results demonstrate that a grating-based Talbot interferometer with a conventional X-ray tube may be attractive as an X-ray imaging system for generating phase images. X-ray phase imaging obviously has sufficient potential and is expected to soon be a great tool for medical diagnostics

X-ray grating observations of recurrent nova T Pyxidis during the 2011 outburst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tofflemire, Benjamin M.; Orio, Marina [Astronomy Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 475 N. Charter St., WI 53711 (United States); Page, Kim L.; Osborne, Julian P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Ciroi, Stefano; Cracco, Valentina; Di Mille, Francesco [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Padova University, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 3, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Maxwell, Michael [Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE (United Kingdom)

2013-12-10

The recurrent nova T Pyx was observed with the X-ray gratings of Chandra and XMM-Newton, 210 and 235 days, respectively, after the discovery of the 2011 April 14 outburst. The X-ray spectra show prominent emission lines of C, N, and O, with broadening corresponding to an FWHM of ∼2000-3000 km s{sup –1}, and line ratios consistent with high-density plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium. On day 210 we also measured soft X-ray continuum emission that appears to be consistent with a white dwarf (WD) atmosphere at a temperature ∼420,000 K, partially obscured by anisotropic, optically thick ejecta. The X-ray continuum emission is modulated with the photometric and spectroscopic period observed in quiescence. The continuum at day 235 indicated a WD atmosphere at a consistent effective temperature of 25 days earlier, but with a lower flux. The effective temperature indicates a mass of ∼1 M {sub ☉}. The conclusion of partial WD obscuration is supported by the complex geometry of non-spherically symmetric ejecta confirmed in recent optical spectra obtained with the Southern African Large Telescope in November and December of 2012. These spectra exhibited prominent [O III] nebular lines with velocity structures typical of bipolar ejecta.

Distant Galaxies, Black Holes and Other Celestial Phenomena: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory Marks Four Years of Discovery Firsts

Science.gov (United States)

2003-09-01

Launched in 1999, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory promised to be one of the world's most powerful tools to better understand the structure and evolution of the universe - and it has lived up to expectations. "In four short years, Chandra has achieved numerous scientific firsts, revealing new details on all categories of astronomical objects including distant galaxies, planets, black holes and stars," said Chandra project scientist Dr. Martin C. Weisskopf of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "In the last year alone, Chandra has generated the most sensitive or 'deepest' X-ray exposure ever made, shed new light on the planet Mars, and made several new discoveries involving supermassive black holes," added Weisskopf, who has dedicated nearly 30 years to the Chandra program. The deepest X-ray exposure, Chandra Deep Field North, captured for 23 days an area of the sky one-fifth the size of the full moon. Even though the faintest sources detected produced only one X-ray photon every four days, Chandra found more than 600 X-ray sources -- most of them supermassive black holes in galaxy centers. If the number of black holes seen in that area of the sky were typical, 300 million supermassive black holes would be detectable over the whole sky. In our own solar system, another Chandra image offered scientists their first look at X-rays from Mars . Not only did Chandra detect X-rays in the sparse upper atmosphere 750 miles above the planet, it also offered evidence for a faint halo of X-rays extending out 4,350 miles above the Martian surface. "In its fourth year of operation, Chandra continues to prove itself an engineering marvel," said Chandra Program Manager Keith Hefner at NASA's Marshall Center. "At its highest point, it travels one-third of the way to the Moon, yet it consistently delivers breathtaking results gleaned from millions, sometimes billions, of light years away." Some of Chandra's most intriguing discoveries involved black holes

Optical and X-ray studies of Compact X-ray Binaries in NGC 5904

Science.gov (United States)

Bhalotia, Vanshree; Beck-Winchatz, Bernhard

2018-06-01

Due to their high stellar densities, globular cluster systems trigger various dynamical interactions, such as the formation of compact X-ray binaries. Stellar collisional frequencies have been correlated to the number of X-ray sources detected in various clusters and we hope to measure this correlation for NGC 5904. Optical fluxes of sources from archival HST images of NGC 5904 have been measured using a DOLPHOT PSF photometry in the UV, optical and near-infrared. We developed a data analysis pipeline to process the fluxes of tens of thousands of objects using awk, python and DOLPHOT. We plot color magnitude diagrams in different photometric bands in order to identify outliers that could be X-ray binaries, since they do not evolve the same way as singular stars. Aligning previously measured astrometric data for X-ray sources in NGC 5904 from Chandra with archival astrometric data from HST will filter out the outlier objects that are not X-ray producing, and provide a sample of compact binary systems that are responsible for X-ray emission in NGC 5904. Furthermore, previously measured X-ray fluxes of NGC 5904 from Chandra have also been used to measure the X-ray to optical flux ratio and identify the types of compact X-ray binaries responsible for the X-ray emissions in NGC 5904. We gratefully acknowledge the support from the Illinois Space Grant Consortium.

Modeling Contamination Migration on the Chandra X-Ray Observatory - III

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dell, Stephen L.; Swartz, Douglas A.; Tice, Neil W.; Plucinsky, Paul P.; Grant, Catherine E.; Marshall, Herman L.; Vikhlinin, Alexy A.; Tennant, Allyn F.; Dahmer, Matthew T.

2015-01-01

During its first 16 years of operation, the cold (about -60 C) optical blocking filter of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS), aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory, has accumulated a growing layer of molecular contamination that attenuates low-energy x rays. Over the past few years, the accumulation rate, spatial distribution, and composition have changed. This evolution has motivated further analysis of contamination migration within and near the ACIS cavity, in part to evaluate potential bake-out scenarios intended to reduce the level of contamination. Keywords: X-ray astronomy, CCDs, contamination, modeling and simulation, spacecraft operations

Grating-based X-ray phase contrast for biomedical imaging applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfeiffer, Franz; Willner, Marian; Chabior, Michael; Herzen, Julia; Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Geesthacht; Auweter, Sigrid; Reiser, Maximilian; Bamberg, Fabian

2013-01-01

In this review article we describe the development of grating-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging, with particular emphasis on potential biomedical applications of the technology. We review the basics of image formation in grating-based phase-contrast and dark-field radiography and present some exemplary multimodal radiography results obtained with laboratory X-ray sources. Furthermore, we discuss the theoretical concepts to extend grating-based multimodal radiography to quantitative transmission, phase-contrast, and dark-field scattering computed tomography. (orig.)

The Restless Universe - Understanding X-Ray Astronomy in the Age of Chandra and Newton

Science.gov (United States)

Schlegel, Eric M.

2002-10-01

Carl Sagan once noted that there is only one generation that gets to see things for the first time. We are in the midst of such a time right now, standing on the threshold of discovery in the young and remarkable field of X-ray astronomy. In The Restless Universe , astronomer Eric Schlegel offers readers an informative survey of this cutting-edge science. Two major space observatories launched in the last few years--NASA's Chandra and the European Newton --are now orbiting the Earth, sending back a gold mine of data on the X-ray universe. Schlegel, who has worked on the Chandra project for seven years, describes the building and launching of this space-based X-ray observatory. But the book goes far beyond the story of Chandra . What Schlegel provides here is the background a nonscientist would need to grasp the present and follow the future of X-ray astronomy. He looks at the relatively brief history of the field, the hardware used to detect X-rays, the satellites--past, present, and future--that have been or will be flown to collect the data, the way astronomers interpret this data, and, perhaps most important, the insights we have already learned as well as speculations about what we may soon discover. And throughout the book, Schlegel conveys the excitement of looking at the universe from the perspective brought by these new observatories and the sharper view they deliver. Drawing on observations obtained from Chandra, Newton , and previous X-ray observatories, The Restless Universe gives a first look at an exciting field which significantly enriches our understanding of the universe.

Precise rotational alignment of x-ray transmission diffraction gratings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, S.L.

1988-01-01

Gold transmission diffraction gratings used for x-ray spectroscopy must sometimes be rotationally aligned to the axis of a diagnostic instrument to within sub-milliradian accuracy. We have fabricated transmission diffraction gratings with high line-densities (grating period of 200 and 300 nm) using uv holographic and x-ray lithography. Since the submicron features of the gratings are not optically visible, precision alignment is time consuming and difficult to verify in situ. We have developed a technique to write an optically visible alignment pattern onto these gratings using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). At high magnification (15000 X) several submicron lines of the grating are observable in the SEM, making it possible to write an alignment pattern parallel to the grating lines in an electron-beam-sensitive coating that overlays the grating. We create an alignment pattern by following a 1-cm-long grating line using the SEM's joystick-controlled translation stage. By following the same grating line we are assured the traveled direction of the SEM electron beam is parallel to the grating to better than 10 μradian. The electron-beam-exposed line-width can be large (5 to 15 μm wide) depending on the SEM magnification, and is therefore optically visible. The exposed pattern is eventually made a permanent feature of the grating by ion beam etching or gold electroplating. The pattern can be used to accurately align the grating to the axis of a diagnostic instrument. More importantly, the alignment of the grating can be quickly verified in situ

NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory Selected as Editor's Choice in 2000 Discover Magazine Awards for Technological Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

2000-06-01

The Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA's newest and most powerful X-ray space telescope, has been selected as the winner of the Editor's Choice category of the 2000 Discover Magazine Awards for Technological Innovation. The team of government, industry, university and research institutions that designed, built and deployed Chandra for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala, will be formally recognized June 24 at a gala awards celebration at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fl. Dr. Harvey Tananbaum, director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Science Center, Cambridge, Mass., which conducts the Chandra science mission for NASA, will receive the award on behalf of the team. "Chandra has opened a new window for astronomers into the universe of high-energy cosmic events such as pulsars, supernova remnants and black holes," said Tananbaum. "We're now able to create spectacularly detailed images of celestial phenomena whose mere existence we could only hypothesize before." Among Chandra's most significant discoveries to date, he lists the detection of a giant ring around the heart of the Crab Nebula, details of the shock wave created by an exploding star and resolution of the high-energy X-ray "glow" in the universe into millions of specific light sources. "The successful launch, deployment and on-orbit operations of NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is a testament to the solid partnership between TRW, NASA and the science community that has been enabling NASA's most important space science missions for the past 40 years," said Timothy W. Hannemann, executive vice president and general manager, TRW Space & Electronics Group. "The extraordinary images that Chandra is delivering daily speaks loudly not only to the quality of the science instruments on board, but also to the engineering talents and dedication to mission success exhibited by every member of NASA's Chandra mission team." Chandra, named in honor of Nobel

Chandra X-ray Center Science Data Systems Regression Testing of CIAO

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, N. P.; Karovska, M.; Galle, E. C.; Bonaventura, N. R.

2011-07-01

The Chandra Interactive Analysis of Observations (CIAO) is a software system developed for the analysis of Chandra X-ray Observatory observations. An important component of a successful CIAO release is the repeated testing of the tools across various platforms to ensure consistent and scientifically valid results. We describe the procedures of the scientific regression testing of CIAO and the enhancements made to the testing system to increase the efficiency of run time and result validation.

Chandra's Observations of Jupiter's X-Ray Aurora During Juno Upstream and Apojove Intervals

Science.gov (United States)

Jackman, C.M.; Dunn, W.; Kraft, R.; Gladstone, R.; Branduardi-Raymont, G.; Knigge, C.; Altamirano, D.; Elsner, R.

2017-01-01

The Chandra space telescope has recently conducted a number of campaigns to observe Jupiter's X-ray aurora. The first set of campaigns took place in summer 2016 while the Juno spacecraft was upstream of the planet sampling the solar wind. The second set of campaigns took place in February, June and August 2017 at times when the Juno spacecraft was at apojove (expected close to the magnetopause). We report on these upstream and apojove campaigns including intensities and periodicities of auroral X-ray emissions. This new era of jovian X-ray astronomy means we have more data than ever before, long observing windows (up to 72 kiloseconds for this Chandra set), and successive observations relatively closely spaced in time. These features combine to allow us to pursue novel methods for examining periodicities in the X-ray emission. Our work will explore significance testing of emerging periodicities, and the search for coherence in X-ray pulsing over weeks and months, seeking to understand the robustness and regularity of previously reported hot spot X-ray emissions. The periods that emerge from our analysis will be compared against those which emerge from radio and UV wavelengths.

Chandra X-ray Data Analysis in Educational Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Matilsky, T.; Etkina, E.; Lestition, K.; Mandel, E.; Joye, W.

2004-12-01

Recent progress in both software and remote connectivity capabilities have made it possible for authentic data analysis tasks to be presented in a wide range of educational venues. No longer are precollege teachers and students, and interested members of the public limited by their lack of access to the scientific workstations and UNIX-based imaging and analytical software used by the research community. Through a suite of programs that couples a simplified graphical user interface using the "DS9" imaging software with a "virtual observatory" capability that processes the analytical algorithms used by X-ray astronomers, we can access archived Chandra observations and generate images, as well as light curves, energy spectra, power spectra and other common examples of science tasks. The system connects to a remote UNIX server, but the user may be sited on a PC or Mac platform. Furthermore, the use of VNC (a remote desktop display environment) allows a teacher to view, comment on and debug any analysis task in real time, from anywhere in the world, and across any computer platform. This makes these programs especially useful in distance learning settings. We have developed, tested and used these capabilities in a wide variety of educational arenas, from 4 week intensive courses in X-ray astronomy research techniques for precollege students and teachers, to one day teacher enrichment workshops, to modules of classroom activities suitable for precollege grade levels, using a variety of cosmic X-ray sources. Examples using archived Chandra observations will be presented demonstrating the flexibility and usefulness of these resources.

The simulated spectrum of the OGRE X-ray EM-CCD camera system

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, M.; Soman, M.; Holland, A.; Lumb, D.; Tutt, J.; McEntaffer, R.; Schultz, T.; Holland, K.

2017-12-01

The X-ray astronomical telescopes in use today, such as Chandra and XMM-Newton, use X-ray grating spectrometers to probe the high energy physics of the Universe. These instruments typically use reflective optics for focussing onto gratings that disperse incident X-rays across a detector, often a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD). The X-ray energy is determined from the position that it was detected on the CCD. Improved technology for the next generation of X-ray grating spectrometers has been developed and will be tested on a sounding rocket experiment known as the Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment (OGRE). OGRE aims to capture the highest resolution soft X-ray spectrum of Capella, a well-known astronomical X-ray source, during an observation period lasting between 3 and 6 minutes whilst proving the performance and suitability of three key components. These three components consist of a telescope made from silicon mirrors, gold coated silicon X-ray diffraction gratings and a camera that comprises of four Electron-Multiplying (EM)-CCDs that will be arranged to observe the soft X-rays dispersed by the gratings. EM-CCDs have an architecture similar to standard CCDs, with the addition of an EM gain register where the electron signal is amplified so that the effective signal-to-noise ratio of the imager is improved. The devices also have incredibly favourable Quantum Efficiency values for detecting soft X-ray photons. On OGRE, this improved detector performance allows for easier identification of low energy X-rays and fast readouts due to the amplified signal charge making readout noise almost negligible. A simulation that applies the OGRE instrument performance to the Capella soft X-ray spectrum has been developed that allows the distribution of X-rays onto the EM-CCDs to be predicted. A proposed optical model is also discussed which would enable the missions minimum success criteria's photon count requirement to have a high chance of being met with the shortest possible

Fabrication of 200 nanometer period centimeter area hard x-ray absorption gratings by multilayer deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, S K; Liu, C; Morgan, N Y; Xiao, X; Gomella, A A; Mazilu, D; Bennett, E E; Assoufid, L; de Carlo, F; Wen, H

2012-01-01

We describe the design and fabrication trials of x-ray absorption gratings of 200 nm period and up to 100:1 depth-to-period ratios for full-field hard x-ray imaging applications. Hard x-ray phase-contrast imaging relies on gratings of ultra-small periods and sufficient depth to achieve high sensitivity. Current grating designs utilize lithographic processes to produce periodic vertical structures, where grating periods below 2.0 μm are difficult due to the extreme aspect ratios of the structures. In our design, multiple bilayers of x-ray transparent and opaque materials are deposited on a staircase substrate, and mostly on the floor surfaces of the steps only. When illuminated by an x-ray beam horizontally, the multilayer stack on each step functions as a micro-grating whose grating period is the thickness of a bilayer. The array of micro-gratings over the length of the staircase works as a single grating over a large area when continuity conditions are met. Since the layers can be nanometers thick and many microns wide, this design allows sub-micron grating periods and sufficient grating depth to modulate hard x-rays. We present the details of the fabrication process and diffraction profiles and contact radiography images showing successful intensity modulation of a 25 keV x-ray beam. PMID:23066175

Pushing the Boundaries of X-ray Grating Spectroscopy in a Suborbital Rocket

Science.gov (United States)

McEntaffer, Randall L.; DeRoo, Casey; Schultz, Ted; Zhang, William W.; Murray, Neil J.; O'Dell, Stephen; Cash, Webster

2013-01-01

Developments in grating spectroscopy are paramount for meeting the soft X-ray science goals of future NASA X-ray Observatories. While developments in the laboratory setting have verified the technical feasibility of using off-plane reflection gratings to reach this goal, flight heritage is a key step in the development process toward large missions. To this end we have developed a design for a suborbital rocket payload employing an Off-Plane X-ray Grating Spectrometer. This spectrometer utilizes slumped glass Wolter-1 optics, an array of gratings, and a CCD camera. We discuss the unique capabilities of this design, the expected performance, the science return, and the perceived impact to future missions.

A Chandra High-Resolution X-ray Image of Centaurus A.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraft; Forman; Jones; Kenter; Murray; Aldcroft; Elvis; Evans; Fabbiano; Isobe; Jerius; Karovska; Kim; Prestwich; Primini; Schwartz; Schreier; Vikhlinin

2000-03-01

We present first results from a Chandra X-Ray Observatory observation of the radio galaxy Centaurus A with the High-Resolution Camera. All previously reported major sources of X-ray emission including the bright nucleus, the jet, individual point sources, and diffuse emission are resolved or detected. The spatial resolution of this observation is better than 1&arcsec; in the center of the field of view and allows us to resolve X-ray features of this galaxy not previously seen. In particular, we resolve individual knots of emission in the inner jet and diffuse emission between the knots. All of the knots are diffuse at the 1&arcsec; level, and several exhibit complex spatial structure. We find the nucleus to be extended by a few tenths of an arcsecond. Our image also suggests the presence of an X-ray counterjet. Weak X-ray emission from the southwest radio lobe is also seen, and we detect 63 pointlike galactic sources (probably X-ray binaries and supernova remnants) above a luminosity limit of approximately 1.7x1037 ergs s-1.

The Chandra planetary nebula survey (CHANPLANS). II. X-ray emission from compact planetary nebulae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freeman, M.; Kastner, J. H. [Center for Imaging Science and Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Montez, R. Jr. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Balick, B. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Frew, D. J.; De Marco, O.; Parker, Q. A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy and Macquarie Research Centre for Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrophotonics, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia); Jones, D. [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Atacama, Copayapu 485, Copiapó (Chile); Miszalski, B. [South African Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box 9, Observatory, 7935 (South Africa); Sahai, R. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, MS 183-900, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Blackman, E.; Frank, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY (United States); Chu, Y.-H. [Department of Astronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL (United States); Guerrero, M. A. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, Granada, E-18008 (Spain); Lopez, J. A. [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Campus Ensenada, Apdo. Postal 22860, Ensenada, B. C. (Mexico); Zijlstra, A. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Bujarrabal, V. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Corradi, R. L. M. [Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Nordhaus, J. [NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellow, Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); and others

2014-10-20

We present results from the most recent set of observations obtained as part of the Chandra X-ray observatory Planetary Nebula Survey (CHANPLANS), the first comprehensive X-ray survey of planetary nebulae (PNe) in the solar neighborhood (i.e., within ∼1.5 kpc of the Sun). The survey is designed to place constraints on the frequency of appearance and range of X-ray spectral characteristics of X-ray-emitting PN central stars and the evolutionary timescales of wind-shock-heated bubbles within PNe. CHANPLANS began with a combined Cycle 12 and archive Chandra survey of 35 PNe. CHANPLANS continued via a Chandra Cycle 14 Large Program which targeted all (24) remaining known compact (R {sub neb} ≲ 0.4 pc), young PNe that lie within ∼1.5 kpc. Results from these Cycle 14 observations include first-time X-ray detections of hot bubbles within NGC 1501, 3918, 6153, and 6369, and point sources in HbDs 1, NGC 6337, and Sp 1. The addition of the Cycle 14 results brings the overall CHANPLANS diffuse X-ray detection rate to ∼27% and the point source detection rate to ∼36%. It has become clearer that diffuse X-ray emission is associated with young (≲ 5 × 10{sup 3} yr), and likewise compact (R {sub neb} ≲ 0.15 pc), PNe with closed structures and high central electron densities (n{sub e} ≳ 1000 cm{sup –3}), and is rarely associated with PNe that show H{sub 2} emission and/or pronounced butterfly structures. Hb 5 is one such exception of a PN with a butterfly structure that hosts diffuse X-ray emission. Additionally, two of the five new diffuse X-ray detections (NGC 1501 and NGC 6369) host [WR]-type central stars, supporting the hypothesis that PNe with central stars of [WR]-type are likely to display diffuse X-ray emission.

Discovery of X-Ray Emission from the Crab Pulsar at Pulse Minimum

Science.gov (United States)

Tennant, Allyn F.; Becker, Werner; Juda, Michael; Elsner, Ronald F.; Kolodziejczak, Jeffery J.; Murray, Stephen S.; ODell, Stephen L.; Paerels, Frits; Swartz, Douglas A.

2001-01-01

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory observed the Crab pulsar using the Low-Energy Transmission Grating with the High-Resolution Camera. Time-resolved zeroth-order images reveal that the pulsar emits X-rays at all pulse phases. Analysis of the flux at minimum - most likely non-thermal in origin - places an upper limit (T(sub infinity) < 2.1 MK) on the surface temperature of the underlying neutron star. In addition, analysis of the pulse profile establishes that the error in the Chandra-determined absolute time is quite small, -0.2 +/- 0.1 ms.

THE CHANDRA X-RAY SURVEY OF PLANETARY NEBULAE (CHANPLANS): PROBING BINARITY, MAGNETIC FIELDS, AND WIND COLLISIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kastner, J. H.; Montez, R. Jr.; Rapson, V. [Center for Imaging Science and Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Balick, B. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Frew, D. J.; De Marco, O.; Parker, Q. A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy and Macquarie Research Centre for Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrophotonics, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia); Miszalski, B. [South African Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box 9, Observatory, 7935 (South Africa); Sahai, R. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, MS 183-900, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Blackman, E.; Frank, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY (United States); Chu, Y.-H. [Department of Astronomy, University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana, IL (United States); Guerrero, M. A. [Instituto de Astrofisica de Astronomia, Glorieta de la Astronomia s/n, Granada 18008 (Spain); Lopez, J. A. [Instituto de Astronomia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Campus Ensenada, Apdo. Postal 22860, Ensenada, B. C. (Mexico); Zijlstra, A. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Behar, E. [Department of Physics, Technion (Israel); Bujarrabal, V. [Observatorio Astronomico Nacional, Apartado 112, E-28803, Alcala de Henares (Spain); Corradi, R. L. M. [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Nordhaus, J. [Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Sandin, C., E-mail: jhk@cis.rit.edu, E-mail: soker@physics.technion.ac.il, E-mail: eva.villaver@uam.es [Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, D-14482 Potsdam (Germany); and others

2012-08-15

We present an overview of the initial results from the Chandra Planetary Nebula Survey (CHANPLANS), the first systematic (volume-limited) Chandra X-Ray Observatory survey of planetary nebulae (PNe) in the solar neighborhood. The first phase of CHANPLANS targeted 21 mostly high-excitation PNe within {approx}1.5 kpc of Earth, yielding four detections of diffuse X-ray emission and nine detections of X-ray-luminous point sources at the central stars (CSPNe) of these objects. Combining these results with those obtained from Chandra archival data for all (14) other PNe within {approx}1.5 kpc that have been observed to date, we find an overall X-ray detection rate of {approx}70% for the 35 sample objects. Roughly 50% of the PNe observed by Chandra harbor X-ray-luminous CSPNe, while soft, diffuse X-ray emission tracing shocks-in most cases, 'hot bubbles'-formed by energetic wind collisions is detected in {approx}30%; five objects display both diffuse and point-like emission components. The presence (or absence) of X-ray sources appears correlated with PN density structure, in that molecule-poor, elliptical nebulae are more likely to display X-ray emission (either point-like or diffuse) than molecule-rich, bipolar, or Ring-like nebulae. All but one of the point-like CSPNe X-ray sources display X-ray spectra that are harder than expected from hot ({approx}100 kK) central stars emitting as simple blackbodies; the lone apparent exception is the central star of the Dumbbell nebula, NGC 6853. These hard X-ray excesses may suggest a high frequency of binary companions to CSPNe. Other potential explanations include self-shocking winds or PN mass fallback. Most PNe detected as diffuse X-ray sources are elliptical nebulae that display a nested shell/halo structure and bright ansae; the diffuse X-ray emission regions are confined within inner, sharp-rimmed shells. All sample PNe that display diffuse X-ray emission have inner shell dynamical ages {approx}< 5 Multiplication

Modeling Contamination Migration on the Chandra X-ray Observatory - II

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dell, Stephen L.; Swartz, Douglas A.; Tice, Neil W.; Plucinsky, Paul P.; Grant, Catherine E.; Marshall, Herman L.; Vikhlinin, Alexey A.; Tennant, Allyn F.

2013-01-01

During its first 14 years of operation, the cold (about -60C) optical blocking filter of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS), aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory, has accumulated a growing layer of molecular contamination that attenuates low-energy x rays. Over the past few years, the accumulation rate, spatial distribution, and composition have changed. This evolution has motivated further analysis of contamination migration within and near the ACIS cavity. To this end, the current study employs a higher-fidelity geometric model of the ACIS cavity, detailed thermal modeling based upon temperature data, and a refined model of the molecular transport.

Deep Chandra Survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud. II. Timing Analysis of X-Ray Pulsars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, JaeSub; Antoniou, Vallia; Zezas, Andreas; Drake, Jeremy J.; Plucinsky, Paul P. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Haberl, Frank [Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbach straße, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Sasaki, Manami [Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Sternwartstrasse 7, 96049 Bamberg (Germany); Laycock, Silas, E-mail: jaesub@head.cfa.harvard.edu [Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA 01854 (United States)

2017-09-20

We report the timing analysis results of X-ray pulsars from a recent deep Chandra survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We analyzed a total exposure of 1.4 Ms from 31 observations over a 1.2 deg{sup 2} region in the SMC under a Chandra X-ray Visionary Program. Using the Lomb–Scargle and epoch-folding techniques, we detected periodic modulations from 20 pulsars and a new candidate pulsar. The survey also covered 11 other pulsars with no clear sign of periodic modulation. The 0.5–8 keV X-ray luminosity ( L {sub X} ) of the pulsars ranges from 10{sup 34} to 10{sup 37} erg s{sup −1} at 60 kpc. All of the Chandra sources with L {sub X} ≳ 4 × 10{sup 35} erg s{sup −1} exhibit X-ray pulsations. The X-ray spectra of the SMC pulsars (and high-mass X-ray binaries) are in general harder than those of the SMC field population. All but SXP 8.02 can be fitted by an absorbed power-law model with a photon index of Γ ≲ 1.5. The X-ray spectrum of the known magnetar SXP 8.02 is better fitted with a two-temperature blackbody model. Newly measured pulsation periods of SXP 51.0, SXP 214, and SXP 701, are significantly different from the previous XMM-Newton and RXTE measurements. This survey provides a rich data set for energy-dependent pulse profile modeling. Six pulsars show an almost eclipse-like dip in the pulse profile. Phase-resolved spectral analysis reveals diverse spectral variations during pulsation cycles: e.g., for an absorbed power-law model, some exhibit an (anti)-correlation between absorption and X-ray flux, while others show more intrinsic spectral variation (i.e., changes in photon indices).

Chandra-SDSS Normal and Star-Forming Galaxies. I. X-Ray Source Properties of Galaxies Detected by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory in SDSS DR2

Science.gov (United States)

Hornschemeier, A. E.; Heckman, T. M.; Ptak, A. F.; Tremonti, C. A.; Colbert, E. J. M.

2005-01-01

We have cross-correlated X-ray catalogs derived from archival Chandra X-Ray Observatory ACIS observations with a Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2 (DR2) galaxy catalog to form a sample of 42 serendipitously X-ray-detected galaxies over the redshift interval 0.03X-ray-studied samples of normal galaxies and those in the deepest X-ray surveys. Our chief purpose is to compare optical spectroscopic diagnostics of activity (both star formation and accretion) with X-ray properties of galaxies. Our work supports a normalization value of the X-ray-star formation rate correlation consistent with the lower values published in the literature. The difference is in the allocation of X-ray emission to high-mass X-ray binaries relative to other components, such as hot gas, low-mass X-ray binaries, and/or active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We are able to quantify a few pitfalls in the use of lower resolution, lower signal-to-noise ratio optical spectroscopy to identify X-ray sources (as has necessarily been employed for many X-ray surveys). Notably, we find a few AGNs that likely would have been misidentified as non-AGN sources in higher redshift studies. However, we do not find any X-ray-hard, highly X-ray-luminous galaxies lacking optical spectroscopic diagnostics of AGN activity. Such sources are members of the ``X-ray-bright, optically normal galaxy'' (XBONG) class of AGNs.

THE X-RAY FLUX DISTRIBUTION OF SAGITTARIUS A* AS SEEN BY CHANDRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neilsen, J.; Anton Pannekoek, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam (Netherlands))" data-affiliation=" (Astronomical Institute, Anton Pannekoek, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam (Netherlands))" >Markoff, S.; Nowak, M. A.; Baganoff, F. K.; Dexter, J.; Witzel, G.; Barrière, N.; Li, Y.; Degenaar, N.; Fragile, P. C.; Gammie, C.; Goldwurm, A.; Grosso, N.; Haggard, D.

2015-01-01

We present a statistical analysis of the X-ray flux distribution of Sgr A* from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory's 3 Ms Sgr A* X-ray Visionary Project in 2012. Our analysis indicates that the observed X-ray flux distribution can be decomposed into a steady quiescent component, represented by a Poisson process with rate Q = (5.24 ± 0.08) × 10 –3  counts s –1 , and a variable component, represented by a power law process (dN/dF∝F –ξ , ξ=1.92 −0.02 +0.03 ). This slope matches our recently reported distribution of flare luminosities. The variability may also be described by a log-normal process with a median unabsorbed 2-8 keV flux of 1.8 −0.6 +0.8 ×10 −14  erg s –1  cm –2 and a shape parameter σ = 2.4 ± 0.2, but the power law provides a superior description of the data. In this decomposition of the flux distribution, all of the intrinsic X-ray variability of Sgr A* (spanning at least three orders of magnitude in flux) can be attributed to flaring activity, likely in the inner accretion flow. We confirm that at the faint end, the variable component contributes ∼10% of the apparent quiescent flux, as previously indicated by our statistical analysis of X-ray flares in these Chandra observations. Our flux distribution provides a new and important observational constraint on theoretical models of Sgr A*, and we use simple radiation models to explore the extent to which a statistical comparison of the X-ray and infrared can provide insights into the physics of the X-ray emission mechanism

THE X-RAY FLUX DISTRIBUTION OF SAGITTARIUS A* AS SEEN BY CHANDRA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neilsen, J. [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Markoff, S. [Astronomical Institute, " Anton Pannekoek," University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam (Netherlands); Nowak, M. A.; Baganoff, F. K. [MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Dexter, J. [Department of Astronomy, Hearst Field Annex, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States); Witzel, G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States); Barrière, N. [Space Sciences Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 (United States); Li, Y. [Department of Astronomy and Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005 (China); Degenaar, N. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 OHA (United Kingdom); Fragile, P. C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424 (United States); Gammie, C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1002 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Goldwurm, A. [AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC), Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, F-75205 Paris cedex 13 (France); Grosso, N. [Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l' Université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France); Haggard, D., E-mail: jneilsen@space.mit.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, AC# 2244, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002 (United States)

2015-02-01

We present a statistical analysis of the X-ray flux distribution of Sgr A* from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory's 3 Ms Sgr A* X-ray Visionary Project in 2012. Our analysis indicates that the observed X-ray flux distribution can be decomposed into a steady quiescent component, represented by a Poisson process with rate Q = (5.24 ± 0.08) × 10{sup –3} counts s{sup –1}, and a variable component, represented by a power law process (dN/dF∝F {sup –ξ}, ξ=1.92{sub −0.02}{sup +0.03}). This slope matches our recently reported distribution of flare luminosities. The variability may also be described by a log-normal process with a median unabsorbed 2-8 keV flux of 1.8{sub −0.6}{sup +0.8}×10{sup −14} erg s{sup –1} cm{sup –2} and a shape parameter σ = 2.4 ± 0.2, but the power law provides a superior description of the data. In this decomposition of the flux distribution, all of the intrinsic X-ray variability of Sgr A* (spanning at least three orders of magnitude in flux) can be attributed to flaring activity, likely in the inner accretion flow. We confirm that at the faint end, the variable component contributes ∼10% of the apparent quiescent flux, as previously indicated by our statistical analysis of X-ray flares in these Chandra observations. Our flux distribution provides a new and important observational constraint on theoretical models of Sgr A*, and we use simple radiation models to explore the extent to which a statistical comparison of the X-ray and infrared can provide insights into the physics of the X-ray emission mechanism.

THE CHANDRA SURVEY OF EXTRAGALACTIC SOURCES IN THE 3CR CATALOG: X-RAY EMISSION FROM NUCLEI, JETS, AND HOTSPOTS IN THE CHANDRA ARCHIVAL OBSERVATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Massaro, F. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Torino, via Pietro Giuria 1, I-10125 Torino (Italy); Harris, D. E.; Paggi, A.; Wilkes, B. J.; Kuraszkiewicz, J. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Liuzzo, E.; Orienti, M.; Paladino, R. [Istituto di Radioastronomia, INAF, via Gobetti 101, I-40129, Bologna (Italy); Tremblay, G. R. [Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physics Department, Yale University, P.O. Box 208120, New Haven, CT 06520-8120 (United States); Baum, S. A.; O’Dea, C. P. [University of Manitoba, Dept of Physics and Astronomy, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 (Canada)

2015-09-15

As part of our program to build a complete radio and X-ray database of all Third Cambridge catalog extragalactic radio sources, we present an analysis of 93 sources for which Chandra archival data are available. Most of these sources have already been published. Here we provide a uniform re-analysis and present nuclear X-ray fluxes and X-ray emission associated with radio jet knots and hotspots using both publicly available radio images and new radio images that have been constructed from data available in the Very Large Array archive. For about 1/3 of the sources in the selected sample, a comparison between the Chandra and radio observations was not reported in the literature: we find X-ray detections of 2 new radio jet knots and 17 hotspots. We also report the X-ray detection of extended emission from the intergalactic medium for 15 galaxy clusters.

[Diffraction gratings used in x-ray spectroscopy]: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, H.I.

1988-01-01

This subcontract was initiated in order to facilitate the development at MIT of technologies for fabricating the very fine diffraction grating required in x-ray spectroscopy at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL). These gratings are generally gold transmission gratings with spatial periods of 200 nm or less. The major focus of our efforts was to develop a means of fabricating gratings of 100 nm period. We explored two approaches: e-beam fabrication of x-ray lithography masks, and achromatic holographic lithography. This work was pursued by Erik Anderson as a major component of his Ph.D. thesis. Erik was successful in both the e-beam and holographic approaches. However, the e-beam method proved to be highly impractical: exposure times of about 115 days would be required to cover an area of 1 cm 2 . The achromatic holography, on the other hand, should be capable of exposing areas well in excess of 1 cm 2 in times under 1 hour. Moreover, 100 nm-period gratings produced by achromatic holography are coherent over their entire area whereas gratings produced by e-beam lithography are coherent only over areas /approximately/100 μm. The remainder of this report consists of portions excerpted from Erik Anderson's thesis. These contain all the details of our work on 100 nm period gratings. 26 refs., 17 figs

A Soft X-ray Spectrometer using a Highly Dispersive Multilayer Grating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warwick, Tony; Padmore, Howard; Voronov, Dmitriy; Yashchuk, Valeriy

2010-01-01

There is a need for higher resolution spectrometers as a tool for inelastic x-ray scattering. Currently, resolving power around R = 10,000 is advertised. Measured RIXS spectra are often limited by this instrumental resolution and higher resolution spectrometers using conventional gratings would be prohibitively large. We are engaged in a development program to build blazed multilayer grating structures for diffracting soft x-rays in high order. This leads to spectrometers with dispersion much higher than is possible using metal coated-gratings. The higher dispersion then provides higher resolution and the multilayer gratings are capable of operating away from grazing incidence as required. A spectrometer design is presented with a total length 3.8 m and capable of 10 5 resolving power.

A Soft X-ray Spectrometer using a Highly Dispersive Multilayer Grating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warwick, Tony; Padmore, Howard; Voronov, Dmitriy; Yashchuk, Valeriy

2010-01-01

There is a need for higher resolution spectrometers as a tool for inelastic x-ray scattering. Currently, resolving power around R = 10,000 is advertised. Measured RIXS spectra are often limited by this instrumental resolution and higher resolution spectrometers using conventional gratings would be prohibitively large. We are engaged in a development program to build blazed multilayer grating structures for diffracting soft x-rays in high order. This leads to spectrometers with dispersion much higher than is possible using metal coated-gratings. The higher dispersion then provides higher resolution and the multilayer gratings are capable of operating away from grazing incidence as required. A spectrometer design is presented with a total length 3.8m and capable of 10 5 resolving power.

Infrared Counterparts to Chandra X-Ray Sources in the Antennae

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, D. M.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Brandl, B. R.; Wilson, J. C.; Carson, J. C.; Henderson, C. P.; Hayward, T. L.; Barry, D. J.; Ptak, A. F.; Colbert, E. J. M.

2007-03-01

We use deep J (1.25 μm) and Ks (2.15 μm) images of the Antennae (NGC 4038/4039) obtained with the Wide-field InfraRed Camera on the Palomar 200 inch (5 m) telescope, together with the Chandra X-ray source list of Zezas and coworkers to search for infrared counterparts to X-ray point sources. We establish an X-ray/IR astrometric frame tie with ~0.5" rms residuals over a ~4.3' field. We find 13 ``strong'' IR counterparts brighter than Ks=17.8 mag and 99.9% confidence level that IR counterparts to X-ray sources are ΔMKs~1.2 mag more luminous than average non-X-ray clusters. We also note that the X-ray/IR matches are concentrated in the spiral arms and ``overlap'' regions of the Antennae. This implies that these X-ray sources lie in the most ``super'' of the Antennae's super star clusters, and thus trace the recent massive star formation history here. Based on the NH inferred from the X-ray sources without IR counterparts, we determine that the absence of most of the ``missing'' IR counterparts is not due to extinction, but that these sources are intrinsically less luminous in the IR, implying that they trace a different (possibly older) stellar population. We find no clear correlation between X-ray luminosity classes and IR properties of the sources, although small-number statistics hamper this analysis.

Innovative diffraction gratings for high-resolution resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voronov, D.L.; Warwick, T.; Gullikson, E. M.; Salmassi, F.; Padmore, H. A.

2016-01-01

High-resolution Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) requires diffraction gratings with very exacting characteristics. The gratings should provide both very high dispersion and high efficiency which are conflicting requirements and extremely challenging to satisfy in the soft x-ray region for a traditional grazing incidence geometry. To achieve high dispersion one should increase the groove density of a grating; this however results in a diffraction angle beyond the critical angle range and results in drastic efficiency loss. The problem can be solved by use of multilayer coated blazed gratings (MBG). In this work we have investigated the diffraction characteristics of MBGs via numerical simulations and have developed a procedure for optimization of grating design for a multiplexed high resolution imaging spectrometer for RIXS spectroscopy to be built in sector 6 at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). We found that highest diffraction efficiency can be achieved for gratings optimized for 4"t"h or 5"t"h order operation. Fabrication of such gratings is an extremely challenging technological problem. We present a first experimental prototype of these gratings and report its performance. High order and high line density gratings have the potential to be a revolutionary new optical element that should have great impact in the area of soft x-ray RIXS.

TGCat, The Chandra Transmission Grating Catalog and Archive: Systems, Design and Accessibility

OpenAIRE

Mitschang, Arik W.; Huenemoerder, David P.; Nichols, Joy S.

2009-01-01

The recently released Chandra Transmission Grating Catalog and Archive, TGCat, presents a fully dynamic on-line catalog allowing users to browse and categorize Chandra gratings observations quickly and easily, generate custom plots of resulting response corrected spectra on-line without the need for special software and to download analysis ready products from multiple observations in one convenient operation. TGCat has been registered as a VO resource with the NVO providing direct access to ...

CHANDRA AND SUZAKU OBSERVATIONS OF THE Be/X-RAY STAR HD110432

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torrejón, J. M.; Schulz, N. S.; Nowak, M. A.

2012-01-01

We present an analysis of a pointed 141 ks Chandra high-resolution transmission gratings observation of the Be X-ray emitting star HD110432, a prominent member of the γ Cas analogs. This observation represents the first high-resolution spectrum taken for this source as well as the longest uninterrupted observation of any γ Cas analog. The Chandra light curve shows a high variability but its analysis fails to detect any coherent periodicity up to a frequency of 0.05 Hz. Hardness ratio versus intensity analyses demonstrate that the relative contributions of the [1.5-3] Å, [3-6] Å, and [6-16] Å energy bands to the total flux change rapidly in the short term. The analysis of the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) spectrum shows that, to correctly describe the spectrum, three model components are needed. Two of those components are optically thin thermal plasmas of different temperatures (kT ≈ 8-9 and 0.2-0.3 keV, respectively) described by the models vmekal or bvapec. The Fe abundance in each of these two components appears equal within the errors and is slightly subsolar with Z ≈ 0.75 Z ☉ . The bvapec model better describes the Fe L transitions, although it cannot fit well the Na XI Lyα line at 10.02 Å, which appears to be overabundant. Two different models seem to describe well the third component. One possibility is a third hot optically thin thermal plasma at kT = 16-21 keV with an Fe abundance Z ≈ 0.3 Z ☉ , definitely smaller than for the other two thermal components. Furthermore, the bvapec model describes well the Fe K shell transitions because it accounts for the turbulence broadening of the Fe XXV and Fe XXVI lines with a v turb ≈ 1200 km s –1 . These two lines, contributed mainly by the hot thermal plasma, are significantly wider than the Fe Kα line whose FWHM ☉ , and a very hot second plasma with kT ≈ 33 keV or, alternatively, a power law with photon index of Γ = 1.58. In either case, each one of the two components

Chandra reveals a black hole X-ray binary within the ultraluminous supernova remnant MF 16

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, T. P.; Colbert, E. J. M.

2003-06-01

We present evidence, based on Chandra ACIS-S observations of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6946, that the extraordinary X-ray luminosity of the MF 16 supernova remnant actually arises in a black hole X-ray binary. This conclusion is drawn from the point-like nature of the X-ray source, its X-ray spectrum closely resembling the spectrum of other ultraluminous X-ray sources thought to be black hole X-ray binary systems, and the detection of rapid hard X-ray variability from the source. We briefly discuss the nature of the hard X-ray variability, and the origin of the extreme radio and optical luminosity of MF 16 in light of this identification.

Chandra observations of Jupiter's X-ray Aurora during Juno upstream and apojove intervals

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, W.; Jackman, C. M.; Kraft, R.; Gladstone, R.; Branduardi-Raymont, G.; Knigge, C.; Altamirano, D.; Elsner, R.; Kammer, J.

2017-12-01

The Chandra space telescope has recently conducted a number of campaigns to observe Jupiter's X-ray aurora. The first set of campaigns took place in summer 2016 while the Juno spacecraft was upstream of the planet sampling the solar wind. The second set of campaigns took place in February, June and August 2017 at times when the Juno spacecraft was at apojove. These campaigns were planned following the Juno orbit correction to capitalise on the opportunity to image the X-ray emission while Juno was orbiting close to the expected position of the magnetopause. Previous work has suggested that the auroral X-ray emissions map close to the magnetopause boundary [e.g. Vogt et al., 2015; Kimura et al., 2016; Dunn et al., 2016] and thus in situ spacecraft coverage in this region combined with remote observation of the X-rays afford the chance to constrain the drivers of these energetic emissions and determine if they originate on open or closed field lines. We aim to examine possible drivers of X-ray emission including reconnection and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and to explore the role of the solar wind in controlling the emissions. We report on these upstream and apojove campaigns including intensities and periodicities of auroral X-ray emissions. This new era of jovian X-ray astronomy means we have more data than ever before, long observing windows (up to 72 ks for this Chandra set), and successive observations relatively closely spaced in time. These features combine to allow us to pursue novel methods for examining periodicities in the X-ray emission. Our work will explore significance testing of emerging periodicities, and the search for coherence in X-ray pulsing over weeks and months, seeking to understand the robustness and regularity of previously reported hot spot X-ray emissions. The periods that emerge from our analysis will be compared against those which emerge from radio and UV wavelengths.

The software development process at the Chandra X-ray Center

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Janet D.; Evans, Ian N.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina

2008-08-01

Software development for the Chandra X-ray Center Data System began in the mid 1990's, and the waterfall model of development was mandated by our documents. Although we initially tried this approach, we found that a process with elements of the spiral model worked better in our science-based environment. High-level science requirements are usually established by scientists, and provided to the software development group. We follow with review and refinement of those requirements prior to the design phase. Design reviews are conducted for substantial projects within the development team, and include scientists whenever appropriate. Development follows agreed upon schedules that include several internal releases of the task before completion. Feedback from science testing early in the process helps to identify and resolve misunderstandings present in the detailed requirements, and allows review of intangible requirements. The development process includes specific testing of requirements, developer and user documentation, and support after deployment to operations or to users. We discuss the process we follow at the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC) to develop software and support operations. We review the role of the science and development staff from conception to release of software, and some lessons learned from managing CXC software development for over a decade.

The X-ray Variability of Eta Car, 1996-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Corcoran, Michael F.; Hamaguchi, K.; Gull, T.; Owocki, S.; Pittard, J.

2010-01-01

X-ray photometry in the 2-10 keY band of the the supermassive binary star Eta Car has been measured with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer from 1996-2010. The ingress to X-ray minimum is consistent with a period of 2024 days. The 2009 X-ray minimum began on January 162009 and showed an unexpectedly abrupt recovery starting after 12 Feb 2009. The X-ray colors become harder about half-way through all three minima and continue until flux recovery. The behavior of the fluxes and X-ray colors for the most recent X-ray minimum, along with Chandra high resolution grating spectra at key phases suggests a significant change in the inner wind of Eta Car, a possible indicator that the star is entering a new unstable phase of mass loss.

PROBING WOLF–RAYET WINDS: CHANDRA/HETG X-RAY SPECTRA OF WR 6

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huenemoerder, David P.; Schulz, N. S. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, 70 Vassar St., Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Gayley, K. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (United States); Hamann, W.-R.; Oskinova, L.; Shenar, T. [Institut für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24/25, D-14476 Potsdam (Germany); Ignace, R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614 (United States); Nichols, J. S. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., MS 34, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Pollock, A. M. T., E-mail: dph@space.mit.edu, E-mail: ken.gayley@gmail.com, E-mail: wrh@astro.physik.uni-potsdam.de, E-mail: lida@astro.physik.uni-potsdam.de, E-mail: shtomer@astro.physik.uni-potsdam.de, E-mail: ignace@mail.etsu.edu, E-mail: jnichols@cfa.harvard.edu [European Space Agency, ESAC, Apartado 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Cañada (Spain)

2015-12-10

With a deep Chandra/HETGS exposure of WR 6, we have resolved emission lines whose profiles show that the X-rays originate from a uniformly expanding spherical wind of high X-ray-continuum optical depth. The presence of strong helium-like forbidden lines places the source of X-ray emission at tens to hundreds of stellar radii from the photosphere. Variability was present in X-rays and simultaneous optical photometry, but neither were correlated with the known period of the system or with each other. An enhanced abundance of sodium revealed nuclear-processed material, a quantity related to the evolutionary state of the star. The characterization of the extent and nature of the hot plasma in WR 6 will help to pave the way to a more fundamental theoretical understanding of the winds and evolution of massive stars.

Real Time Space Weather Support for Chandra X-ray Observatory Operations

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dell, S. L.; Miller, S.; Minow, J. I.; Wolk, S.; Aldcroft, T. L.; Spitzbart, B. D.; Swartz, D. A.

2012-12-01

NASA launched the Chandra X-ray Observatory in July 1999. Soon after first light in August 1999, however, degradation in the energy resolution and charge transfer efficiency of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) x-ray detectors was observed. The source of the degradation was quickly identified as radiation damage in the charge-transfer channel of the front-illuminated CCDs, by weakly penetrating ("soft", 100-500 keV) protons as Chandra passed through the Earth's radiation belts and ring currents. As soft protons were not considered a risk to spacecraft health before launch, the only on-board radiation monitoring system is the Electron, Proton, and Helium Instrument (EPHIN) which was included on Chandra with the primary purpose of monitoring energetic solar particle events. Further damage to the ACIS detector has been successfully mitigated through a combination of careful mission planning, autonomous on-board radiation protection, and manual intervention based upon real-time monitoring of the soft-proton environment. The AE-8 and AP-8 trapped radiation models and Chandra Radiation Models are used to schedule science operations in regions of low proton flux. EPHIN has been used as the primary autonomous in-situ radiation trigger; but, it is not sensitive to the soft protons that damage the front-illuminated CCDs. Monitoring of near-real-time space weather data sources provides critical information on the proton environment outside the Earth's magnetosphere due to solar proton events and other phenomena. The operations team uses data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) to provide near-real-time monitoring of the proton environment; however, these data do not give a representative measure of the soft-proton (real-time data provided by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. This presentation will discuss radiation mitigation against proton damage, including models and real-time data sources used to protect the ACIS detector

Hard-x-ray phase-imaging microscopy using the self-imaging phenomenon of a transmission grating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yashiro, Wataru; Harasse, Sebastien; Momose, Atsushi; Takeuchi, Akihisa; Suzuki, Yoshio

2010-01-01

We report on a hard-x-ray imaging microscope consisting of a lens, a sample, and a transmission grating. After the theoretical framework of self-imaging phenomenon by the grating in the system is presented, equations for the electric field on the image plane are derived for ideal and real lenses and an equation for the intensity on the image plane for partially coherent illumination is derived. The equations are simple and similar to those applying to a projection microscope consisting of a transmission grating except that there is no defocusing effect, regardless of whether the grating is in front of or behind the lens. This means that x-ray phase-imaging microscopy can be done without the defocusing effect. It is also shown that, by resolving the self-image on the image plane, high-sensitive x-ray phase-imaging microscopy can be attained without degradation in the spatial resolution due to diffraction by the grating. Experimental results obtained using partially coherent illumination from a synchrotron x-ray source confirm that hard-x-ray phase-imaging microscopy can be quantitatively performed with high sensitivity and without the spatial resolution degradation.

A CHANDRA SURVEY OF THE X-RAY PROPERTIES OF BROAD ABSORPTION LINE RADIO-LOUD QUASARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, B. P.; Brandt, W. N.; Garmire, G. P.; Gibson, R. R.; Shemmer, O.

2009-01-01

This work presents the results of a Chandra study of 21 broad absorption line (BAL) radio-loud quasars (RLQs). We conducted a Chandra snapshot survey of 12 bright BAL RLQs selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data/Faint Images of the Radio Sky data and possessing a wide range of radio and C IV absorption properties. Optical spectra were obtained nearly contemporaneously with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope; no strong flux or BAL variability was seen between epochs. In addition to the snapshot targets, we include in our sample nine additional BAL RLQs possessing archival Chandra coverage. We compare the properties of (predominantly high-ionization) BAL RLQs to those of non-BAL RLQs as well as to BAL radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) and non-BAL RQQs for context. All 12 snapshots and 8/9 archival BAL RLQs are detected, with observed X-ray luminosities less than those of non-BAL RLQs having comparable optical/UV luminosities by typical factors of 4.1-8.5. (BAL RLQs are also X-ray weak by typical factors of 2.0-4.5 relative to non-BAL RLQs having both comparable optical/UV and radio luminosities.) However, BAL RLQs are not as X-ray weak relative to non-BAL RLQs as are BAL RQQs relative to non-BAL RQQs. While some BAL RLQs have harder X-ray spectra than typical non-BAL RLQs, some have hardness ratios consistent with those of non-BAL RLQs, and there does not appear to be a correlation between X-ray weakness and spectral hardness, in contrast to the situation for BAL RQQs. RLQs are expected to have X-ray continuum contributions from both accretion-disk corona and small-scale jet emission. While the entire X-ray continuum in BAL RLQs cannot be obscured to the same degree as in BAL RQQs, we calculate that the jet is likely partially covered in many BAL RLQs. We comment briefly on implications for geometries and source ages in BAL RLQs.

Cometary X-rays - the View After the First Chandra Cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, Carey M.

2001-09-01

The unexpected discovery of x-ray emission from Comet Hyakutake in March 1996 (Lisse et al. 1996) has produced a number of questions about the physical mechanism producing the radiation. The original detection and subsequent observations (Dennerl et al. 1997, Mumma et al. 1997, Krasnopolsky et al. 1998, Owens et al. 1998, Lisse et al. 1999) have shown that the very soft (best fit thermal bremsstrahlung model kT 0.2 keV) emission is due to an interaction between the solar wind and the comet's atmosphere. Using the results from the 15 comets detected to date in x-rays, we report on the latest results on cometary x-ray emission, including new results from Chandra and XMM. As-observed morphologies, spectra, and light curves will be discussed. Our emphasis will be on understanding the physical mechanism producing the emission, and using this to determine the nature of the cometary coma, the structure of the solar wind in the heliosphere, and the source of the local soft x-ray background. This work has been graciously supported by grants from the NASA Planetary Astronomy and Astrophysical Data Programs.

Trochoidal X-ray Vector Radiography: Directional dark-field without grating stepping

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Y.; Bachche, S.; Kageyama, M.; Kuribayashi, M.; Pfeiffer, F.; Lasser, T.; Momose, A.

2018-03-01

X-ray Vector Radiography (XVR) is an imaging technique that reveals the orientations of sub-pixel sized structures within a sample. Several dark-field radiographs are acquired by rotating the sample around the beam propagation direction and stepping one of the gratings to several positions for every pose of the sample in an X-ray grating interferometry setup. In this letter, we present a method of performing XVR of a continuously moving sample without the need of any grating motion. We reconstruct the orientations within a sample by analyzing the change in the background moire fringes caused by the sample moving and simultaneously rotating in plane (trochoidal trajectory) across the detector field-of-view. Avoiding the motion of gratings provides significant advantages in terms of stability and repeatability, while the continuous motion of the sample makes this kind of system adaptable for industrial applications such as the scanning of samples on a conveyor belt. Being the first step in the direction of utilizing advanced sample trajectories to replace grating motion, this work also lays the foundations for a full three dimensional reconstruction of scattering function without grating motion.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory data processing system

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Ian; Cresitello-Dittmar, Mark; Doe, Stephen; Evans, Janet; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Germain, Gregg; Glotfelty, Kenny; Plummer, David; Zografou, Panagoula

2006-06-01

Raw data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory are processed by a set of standard data processing pipelines to create scientifically useful data products appropriate for further analysis by end users. Fully automated pipelines read the dumped raw telemetry byte stream from the spacecraft and perform the common reductions and calibrations necessary to remove spacecraft and instrumental signatures and convert the data into physically meaningful quantities that can be further analyzed by observers. The resulting data products are subject to automated validation to ensure correct pipeline processing and verify that the spacecraft configuration and scheduling matched the observers request and any constraints. In addition, pipeline processing monitors science and engineering data for anomalous indications and trending, and triggers alerts if appropriate. Data products are ingested and stored in the Chandra Data Archive, where they are made available for downloading by users. In this paper, we describe the architecture of the data processing system, including the scientific algorithms that are applied to the data, and interfaces to other subsystems. We place particular emphasis on the impacts of design choices on system integrity and maintainability. We review areas where algorithmic improvements or changes in instrument characteristics have required significant enhancements, and the mechanisms used to effect these changes while assuring continued scientific integrity and robustness. We discuss major enhancements to the data processing system that are currently being developed to automate production of the Chandra Source Catalog.

Characterization of diffraction gratings by use of a tabletop soft-x-ray laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seminario, Max; Rocca, Jorge J.; Depine, Ricardo A.; Bach, Benny; Bach, Bernie

2001-01-01

We have demonstrated the use of a high-repetition-rate 46.9-mm tabletop laser to characterize diffraction gratings designed for grazing-incidence operation in the soft-x-ray spectral region. The efficiencies for various diffraction orders were measured as a function of angle of incidence and compared with the results of model simulations. This measurement technique provides benchmarks with which to improve electromagnetic codes used in the design of soft-x-ray diffraction gratings. The results illustrate the potential of compact tabletop soft-x-ray lasers for use as a new tool for characterization of short-wavelength optics at the manufacturer's site

Integrated X-ray testing of the electro-optical breadboard model for the XMM reflection grating spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bixler, J.V.; Craig, W.; Decker, T. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Aarts, H.; Boggende, T. den; Brinkman, A.C. [Space Research Organization Netherlands, Utrecht (Netherlands); Burkert, W.; Brauninger, H. [Max-Planck Institute fur Extraterrestische Physik, Testanlage (Germany); Branduardi-Raymont, G. [Univ. College London (United Kingdom); Dubbeldam, L. [Space Research Organization Netherlands, Leiden (Netherlands)] [and others

1994-07-12

X-ray calibration of the Electro-Optical Breadboard Model (EOBB) of the XXM Reflection Grating Spectrometer has been carried out at the Panter test facility in Germany. The EOBB prototype optics consisted of a four-shell grazing incidence mirror module followed by an array of eight reflection gratings. The dispersed x-rays were detected by an array of three CCDs. Line profile and efficiency measurements where made at several energies, orders, and geometric configurations for individual gratings and for the grating array as a whole. The x-ray measurements verified that the grating mounting method would meet the stringent tolerances necessary for the flight instrument. Post EOBB metrology of the individual gratings and their mountings confirmed the precision of the grating boxes fabrication. Examination of the individual grating surface`s at micron resolution revealed the cause of anomalously wide line profiles to be scattering due to the crazing of the replica`s surface.

The recent development of an X-ray grating interferometer at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun Haohua; Kou Bingquan; Xi Yan; Qi Juncheng; Sun Jianqi; Mohr, Juergen; Boerner, Martin; Zhao Jun; Xu, Lisa X.; Xiao Tiqiao; Wang Yujie [Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China) and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040 (China); Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Microstructure Technology (IMT), Hermannvon-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2012-07-31

An X-ray grating interferometer has been installed at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). Three sets of phase gratings were designed to cover the wide X-ray energy range needed for biological and soft material imaging capabilities. The performance of the grating interferometer has been evaluated by a tomography study of a PMMA particle packing and a new born mouse chest. In the mouse chest study, the carotid artery and carotid vein inside the mouse can be identified in situ without contrast agents.

The recent development of an X-ray grating interferometer at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Haohua; Kou Bingquan; Xi Yan; Qi Juncheng; Sun Jianqi; Mohr, Jürgen; Börner, Martin; Zhao Jun; Xu, Lisa X.; Xiao Tiqiao; Wang Yujie

2012-01-01

An X-ray grating interferometer has been installed at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). Three sets of phase gratings were designed to cover the wide X-ray energy range needed for biological and soft material imaging capabilities. The performance of the grating interferometer has been evaluated by a tomography study of a PMMA particle packing and a new born mouse chest. In the mouse chest study, the carotid artery and carotid vein inside the mouse can be identified in situ without contrast agents.

CHANDRA ACIS SURVEY OF X-RAY POINT SOURCES: THE SOURCE CATALOG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Song; Liu, Jifeng; Qiu, Yanli; Bai, Yu; Yang, Huiqin; Guo, Jincheng; Zhang, Peng, E-mail: jfliu@bao.ac.cn, E-mail: songw@bao.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China)

2016-06-01

The Chandra archival data is a valuable resource for various studies on different X-ray astronomy topics. In this paper, we utilize this wealth of information and present a uniformly processed data set, which can be used to address a wide range of scientific questions. The data analysis procedures are applied to 10,029 Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer observations, which produces 363,530 source detections belonging to 217,828 distinct X-ray sources. This number is twice the size of the Chandra Source Catalog (Version 1.1). The catalogs in this paper provide abundant estimates of the detected X-ray source properties, including source positions, counts, colors, fluxes, luminosities, variability statistics, etc. Cross-correlation of these objects with galaxies shows that 17,828 sources are located within the D {sub 25} isophotes of 1110 galaxies, and 7504 sources are located between the D {sub 25} and 2 D {sub 25} isophotes of 910 galaxies. Contamination analysis with the log N –log S relation indicates that 51.3% of objects within 2 D {sub 25} isophotes are truly relevant to galaxies, and the “net” source fraction increases to 58.9%, 67.3%, and 69.1% for sources with luminosities above 10{sup 37}, 10{sup 38}, and 10{sup 39} erg s{sup −1}, respectively. Among the possible scientific uses of this catalog, we discuss the possibility of studying intra-observation variability, inter-observation variability, and supersoft sources (SSSs). About 17,092 detected sources above 10 counts are classified as variable in individual observation with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) criterion ( P {sub K–S} < 0.01). There are 99,647 sources observed more than once and 11,843 sources observed 10 times or more, offering us a wealth of data with which to explore the long-term variability. There are 1638 individual objects (∼2350 detections) classified as SSSs. As a quite interesting subclass, detailed studies on X-ray spectra and optical spectroscopic follow-up are needed to

Contributions of the "Great" X-Ray Observatories (XMM-Newton and Chandra) to Astronomy and Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskopf, Martin

2011-01-01

NASA s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA s XMM-Newton made their first observations over a decade ago. The unprecedented and complementary capabilities of these observatories to detect, image, and measure the energy of cosmic X-rays, achieved less than 50 years after the first detection of an extra-solar X-ray source, represent an increase in sensitivity comparable in going from naked-eye observations to the most powerful optical telescopes over the past 400 years. In this presentation we highlight some of the many discoveries made using these powerful X-ray observatories that have transformed 21st century astronomy. We briefly discuss future prospects for this truly exciting field.

Revisiting Bragg's X-ray microscope: Scatter based optical transient grating detection of pulsed ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fullagar, Wilfred K.; Paganin, David M.; Hall, Chris J.

2011-01-01

Transient optical gratings for detecting ultrafast signals are routine for temporally resolved photochemical investigations. Many processes can contribute to the formation of such gratings; we indicate use of optically scattering centres that can be formed with highly variable latencies in different materials and devices using ionising radiation. Coherent light scattered by these centres can form the short-wavelength-to-optical-wavelength, incoherent-to-coherent basis of a Bragg X-ray microscope, with inherent scope for optical phasing. Depending on the dynamics of the medium chosen, the way is open to both ultrafast pulsed and integrating measurements. For experiments employing brief pulses, we discuss high-dynamic-range short-wavelength diffraction measurements with real-time optical reconstructions. Applications to optical real-time X-ray phase-retrieval are considered. -- Research highlights: → It is timely that the concept of Bragg's X-ray microscope be revisited. → Transient gratings can be used for X-ray all-optical information processing. → Applications to optical real-time X-ray phase-retrieval are considered.

Real Time Space Weather Support for Chandra X-Ray Observatory Operations

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dell, Stephen L.; Minow, Joseph I.; Miller, J. Scott; Wolk, Scott J.; Aldcroft, Thomas L.; Spitzbart, Bradley D.; Swartz. Douglas A.

2012-01-01

NASA launched the Chandra X-ray Observatory in July 1999. Soon after first light in August 1999, however, degradation in the energy resolution and charge transfer efficiency of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) x-ray detectors was observed. The source of the degradation was quickly identified as radiation damage in the charge-transfer channel of the front-illuminated CCDs, by weakly penetrating ( soft , 100 500 keV) protons as Chandra passed through the Earth s radiation belts and ring currents. As soft protons were not considered a risk to spacecraft health before launch, the only on-board radiation monitoring system is the Electron, Proton, and Helium Instrument (EPHIN) which was included on Chandra with the primary purpose of monitoring energetic solar particle events. Further damage to the ACIS detector has been successfully mitigated through a combination of careful mission planning, autonomous on-board radiation protection, and manual intervention based upon real-time monitoring of the soft-proton environment. The AE-8 and AP-8 trapped radiation models and Chandra Radiation Models are used to schedule science operations in regions of low proton flux. EPHIN has been used as the primary autonomous in-situ radiation trigger; but, it is not sensitive to the soft protons that damage the front-illuminated CCDs. Monitoring of near-real-time space weather data sources provides critical information on the proton environment outside the Earth s magnetosphere due to solar proton events and other phenomena. The operations team uses data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) to provide near-real-time monitoring of the proton environment; however, these data do not give a representative measure of the soft-proton (real-time data provided by NOAA s Space Weather Prediction Center. This presentation describes the radiation mitigation strategies to minimize the proton damage in the ACIS CCD detectors and the importance of real-time data

X-ray phase radiography and tomography with grating interferometry and the reverse projection technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhili; Gao, Kun; Ge, Xin; Wu, Zhao; Chen, Heng; Wang, Shenghao; Wu, Ziyu; Zhu, Peiping; Yuan, Qingxi; Huang, Wanxia; Zhang, Kai

2013-01-01

X-ray grating interferometry provides substantially increased contrast over conventional absorption-based imaging methods, and therefore new and complementary information. Compared with other phase-contrast imaging techniques, x-ray grating interferometry can overcome some of the problems that have impaired the applications of x-ray phase-contrast radiography and phase tomography. Recently, special attention has been paid to the development of quantitative phase retrieval methods, which is mandatory to perform x-ray phase tomography, to achieve material identification, to differentiate distinct tissues, etc. Typically, the phase-stepping approach has been utilized for phase retrieval in grating interferometry. This method requires a grating scanning and acquisition of multiple radiographic projections, and therefore is disadvantageous in terms of imaging speed and radiation damage. Here we present an innovative, highly sensitive approach, dubbed ‘reverse projection’ (RP), for quantitative phase retrieval. Compared with the phase-stepping approach, the present RP method abandons grating scanning completely, and thus is advantageous due to its much higher efficiency and the reduced radiation dose, without the degradation of reconstruction quality. This review presents a detailed explanation of the principle of the RP method. Both radiography and phase tomography experiments are performed to validate the RP method. We believe that this new technique will find widespread applications in biomedical imaging and in vivo studies. (paper)

Cometary X-ray Emission: the View After the First Chandra Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, C. M.

2002-01-01

The unexpected discovery of x-ray emission from Comet Hyakutake in March 1996 (Lisse et al. 1996) has produced a number of questions about the physical mechanism producing the radiation. The original detection and subsequent observations (Dennerl et al. 1997, Mumma et al. 1997, Krasnopolsky et al. 1998, Owens et al. 1998, Lisse et al. 1999) have shown that the very soft (best fit thermal bremsstrahlung model kT ~ 0.2 keV) emission is due to an interaction between the solar wind and the comet's atmosphere. Using the results from the 15 comets detected to date in x-rays, we report on the latest results on cometary x-ray emission, including new results from Chandra and XMM. As-observed morphologies, spectra, and light curves will be discussed. Our emphasis will be on understanding the physical mechanism producing the emission, and using this to determine the nature of the cometary coma, the structure of the solar wind in the heliosphere, and the source of the local soft x-ray background. This work has been graciously supported by grants from the NASA Planetary Astronomy and Astrophysical Data Programs.

Contextual Multivariate Segmentation of Pork Tissue from Grating-Based Multimodal X-Ray Tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einarsdottir, Hildur; Nielsen, Mikkel S.; Ersbøll, Bjarne Kjær

2013-01-01

have made novel X-ray image modalities available, where the refraction and scattering of X-rays is obtained simultaneously with the absorption properties, providing enhanced contrast for soft biological tissues. This paper demonstrates how data obtained from grating-based imaging can be segmented...

Chandra Captures Venus In A Whole New Light

Science.gov (United States)

2001-11-01

conducted the research. The Chandra observation of Venus was also a technological tour de force. The angular separation of Venus from the Sun, as seen from Earth, never exceeds 48 degrees. This relative proximity has prevented star trackers and cameras on other X-ray astronomy satellites from locking onto guide stars and pointing steadily in the direction of Venus to perform such an observation. Venus was observed on Jan. 10, 2001, with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) detector plus the Low Energy Transmission Grating and on Jan. 13, 2001, with the ACIS alone. Other members of the team were Vadim Burwitz and Jakob Engelhauser, Max Planck Institute; Carey Lisse, University of Maryland, College Park; and Scott Wolk, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Mass. These results were presented at this week's "New Visions of X-ray universe in the XMM-Newton and Chandra Era" symposium in Noordwijk, Netherlands. The Low Energy Transmission Grating was built by the Space Research Organization of the Netherlands and the Max Planck Institute, and the ACIS instrument was developed for NASA by The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian's Chandra X-ray Center controls science and flight operations from Cambridge, Mass.

Design and fabrication of an active polynomial grating for soft-X-ray monochromators and spectrometers

CERN Document Server

Chen, S J; Perng, S Y; Kuan, C K; Tseng, T C; Wang, D J

2001-01-01

An active polynomial grating has been designed for use in synchrotron radiation soft-X-ray monochromators and spectrometers. The grating can be dynamically adjusted to obtain the third-order-polynomial surface needed to eliminate the defocus and coma aberrations at any photon energy. Ray-tracing results confirm that a monochromator or spectrometer based on this active grating has nearly no aberration limit to the overall spectral resolution in the entire soft-X-ray region. The grating substrate is made of a precisely milled 17-4 PH stainless steel parallel plate, which is joined to a flexure-hinge bender shaped by wire electrical discharge machining. The substrate is grounded into a concave cylindrical shape with a nominal radius and then polished to achieve a roughness of 0.45 nm and a slope error of 1.2 mu rad rms. The long trace profiler measurements show that the active grating can reach the desired third-order polynomial with a high degree of figure accuracy.

A soft X-Ray flat field grating spectrograph and its experimental applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni Yuanlong; Mao Chusheng

2001-01-01

The principle, structure, and application results of a flat field grating spectrograph for X-ray laser research is presented. There are two kinds of the spectrograph. One uses a varied space grating with nominal line spacing 1200 l/mm, the spectral detection range is 5 - 50 nm, and another uses a 2400 l/mm varied line space grating, detection range is 1 - 10 nm. The experimental results of the former is introduced only. Both experimental results of this instrument using the soft X-ray film and a streak camera as the detecting elements are given. The spectral resolutions are 0.01 nm and 0.05 nm, respectively. The temporal resolution is 30 ps. Finally, the stigmatic structure of the spectrograph is introduced, which uses cylindrical mirror and spherical mirror as a focusing system. The magnification is 5, spatial resolution is 25 μm. The experimental results are given as well

Oxygen, Neon, and Iron X-Ray Absorption in the Local Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Gatuzz, Efrain; Garcia, Javier; Kallman, Timothy R.; Mendoza, Claudio

2016-01-01

We present a detailed study of X-ray absorption in the local interstellar medium by analyzing the X-ray spectra of 24 galactic sources obtained with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer and the XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer. Methods. By modeling the continuum with a simple broken power-law and by implementing the new ISMabs X-ray absorption model, we have estimated the total H, O, Ne, and Fe column densities towards the observed sources. Results. We have determined the absorbing material distribution as a function of source distance and galactic latitude longitude. Conclusions. Direct estimates of the fractions of neutrally, singly, and doubly ionized species of O, Ne, and Fe reveal the dominance of the cold component, thus indicating an overall low degree of ionization. Our results are expected to be sensitive to the model used to describe the continuum in all sources.

The Ultra-fast Outflow of the Quasar PG 1211+143 as Viewed by Time-averaged Chandra Grating Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Danehkar, Ashkbiz; Nowak, Michael A.; Lee, Julia C.; Kriss, Gerard A.; Young, Andrew J.; Hardcastle, Martin J.; Chakravorty, Susmita; Fang, Taotao; Neilsen, Joseph; Rahoui, Farid; Smith, Randall K.

2018-02-01

We present a detailed X-ray spectral study of the quasar PG 1211+143 based on Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) observations collected in a multi-wavelength campaign with UV data using the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (HST-COS) and radio bands using the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We constructed a multi-wavelength ionizing spectral energy distribution using these observations and archival infrared data to create XSTAR photoionization models specific to the PG 1211+143 flux behavior during the epoch of our observations. Our analysis of the Chandra-HETGS spectra yields complex absorption lines from H-like and He-like ions of Ne, Mg, and Si, which confirm the presence of an ultra-fast outflow (UFO) with a velocity of approximately ‑17,300 km s‑1 (outflow redshift z out ∼ ‑0.0561) in the rest frame of PG 1211+143. This absorber is well described by an ionization parameter {log}ξ ∼ 2.9 {erg} {{{s}}}-1 {cm} and column density {log}{N}{{H}}∼ 21.5 {{cm}}-2. This corresponds to a stable region of the absorber’s thermal stability curve, and furthermore its implied neutral hydrogen column is broadly consistent with a broad Lyα absorption line at a mean outflow velocity of approximately ‑16,980 km s‑1 detected by our HST-COS observations. Our findings represent the first simultaneous detection of a UFO in both X-ray and UV observations. Our VLA observations provide evidence for an active jet in PG 1211+143, which may be connected to the X-ray and UV outflows; this possibility can be evaluated using very-long-baseline interferometric observations.

Probing Large-scale Coherence between Spitzer IR and Chandra X-Ray Source-subtracted Cosmic Backgrounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cappelluti, N.; Urry, M. [Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 208120, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Arendt, R. [University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States); Kashlinsky, A. [Observational Cosmology Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 665, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Li, Y.; Hasinger, G. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Helgason, K. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, P.O. Box 208101, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Natarajan, P. [Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Finoguenov, A. [Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, D-85741, Garching bei München (Germany)

2017-09-20

We present new measurements of the large-scale clustering component of the cross-power spectra of the source-subtracted Spitzer -IRAC cosmic infrared background and Chandra -ACIS cosmic X-ray background surface brightness fluctuations Our investigation uses data from the Chandra Deep Field South, Hubble Deep Field North, Extended Groth Strip/AEGIS field, and UDS/SXDF surveys, comprising 1160 Spitzer hours and ∼12 Ms of Chandra data collected over a total area of 0.3 deg{sup 2}. We report the first (>5 σ ) detection of a cross-power signal on large angular scales >20″ between [0.5–2] keV and the 3.6 and 4.5 μ m bands, at ∼5 σ and 6.3 σ significance, respectively. The correlation with harder X-ray bands is marginally significant. Comparing the new observations with existing models for the contribution of the known unmasked source population at z < 7, we find an excess of about an order of magnitude at 5 σ confidence. We discuss possible interpretations for the origin of this excess in terms of the contribution from accreting early black holes (BHs), including both direct collapse BHs and primordial BHs, as well as from scattering in the interstellar medium and intra-halo light.

CHANDRA ACIS SURVEY OF X-RAY POINT SOURCES IN NEARBY GALAXIES. II. X-RAY LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS AND ULTRALUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Song; Qiu, Yanli; Liu, Jifeng [Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Bregman, Joel N., E-mail: songw@bao.ac.cn, E-mail: jfliu@bao.ac.cn [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

2016-09-20

Based on the recently completed Chandra /ACIS survey of X-ray point sources in nearby galaxies, we study the X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) for X-ray point sources in different types of galaxies and the statistical properties of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). Uniform procedures are developed to compute the detection threshold, to estimate the foreground/background contamination, and to calculate the XLFs for individual galaxies and groups of galaxies, resulting in an XLF library of 343 galaxies of different types. With the large number of surveyed galaxies, we have studied the XLFs and ULX properties across different host galaxy types, and confirm with good statistics that the XLF slope flattens from lenticular ( α ∼ 1.50 ± 0.07) to elliptical (∼1.21 ± 0.02), to spirals (∼0.80 ± 0.02), to peculiars (∼0.55 ± 0.30), and to irregulars (∼0.26 ± 0.10). The XLF break dividing the neutron star and black hole binaries is also confirmed, albeit at quite different break luminosities for different types of galaxies. A radial dependency is found for ellipticals, with a flatter XLF slope for sources located between D {sub 25} and 2 D {sub 25}, suggesting the XLF slopes in the outer region of early-type galaxies are dominated by low-mass X-ray binaries in globular clusters. This study shows that the ULX rate in early-type galaxies is 0.24 ± 0.05 ULXs per surveyed galaxy, on a 5 σ confidence level. The XLF for ULXs in late-type galaxies extends smoothly until it drops abruptly around 4 × 10{sup 40} erg s{sup −1}, and this break may suggest a mild boundary between the stellar black hole population possibly including 30 M {sub ⊙} black holes with super-Eddington radiation and intermediate mass black holes.

Middle Tier Services Accessing the Chandra X-Ray Center Data Archive

Science.gov (United States)

Patz, A.; Harbo, P.; Moran, J.; van Stone, D.; Zografou, P.

The Chandra Data Archive team at the Chandra X-ray Center has developed middle tier services that are used by both our search and retrieval applications to uniformly access our data repository. Accessible through an HTTP URL interface, these services can be called by our J2EE web application (WebChaser) and our Java Swing application (Chaser), as well as any other HTTP client. Programs can call the services to retrieve observation data such as a single FITS file, a proposal abstract or a detailed report of observation parameters. Having a central interface to the archive, shared by client applications, facilitates code reusability and easier maintenance. These middle tier services have been written in Java and packaged into a single J2EE application called the Search and Retrieval (SR) Services. The package consists of a web application front-end and an Enterprise Java Beans back-end. This paper describes the design and use of the SR Services.

Grating-based X-ray tomography of 3D food structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miklos, Rikke; Nielsen, Mikkel Schou; Einarsdottir, Hildur

2016-01-01

A novel grating based X-ray phase-contrast tomographic method has been used to study how partly substitution of meat proteins with two different types of soy proteins affect the structure of the formed protein gel in meat emulsions. The measurements were performed at the Swiss synchrotron radiati...

Atomic Physics Measurements in Support of X-ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Beiersdorfer, Peter; Brown, G. V.; Kelley, R. E.; Kilbourne, C. A.; Leutenegger, M.; Porter, F. S.; Obst, M.; Lepson, J. K.; Desai, P.; Gu, M. F.

2010-10-01

X-ray astronomy has been a voracious consumer of atomic data, especially after the launch of the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray Observatories, which have produced very high-resolution grating spectra of point sources. One of the important issues has been to understand the physics underlying the Fe L-shell spectra, and the Fe XVII spectrum in particular. A lot of progress has been made, including measurements of the electron-impact and resonance excitation cross sections, which now provides a rather clear picture of the production mechanism of the Fe XVII spectrum. Recent measurements of the radiative rates provide additional information on the deexcitation channels, while investigations of dielectronic satellite transitions provide a measure of the electron temperature. Many questions, however, still remain. Work at LLNL was performed under the auspices of DOE under contract DE-AC53-07NA27344 and supported by NASA's APRA program under contracts NNH07AF81I and NNG06WF08I. Part of this work was supported by Chandra Cycle 10 Award AR9-0002X.

X-ray phase microtomography with a single grating for high-throughput investigations of biological tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Zdora, Marie-Christine; Vila-Comamala, Joan; Schulz, Georg; Khimchenko, Anna; Hipp, Alexander; Cook, Andrew C; Dilg, Daniel; David, Christian; Grünzweig, Christian; Rau, Christoph; Thibault, Pierre; Zanette, Irene

2017-02-01

The high-throughput 3D visualisation of biological specimens is essential for studying diseases and developmental disorders. It requires imaging methods that deliver high-contrast, high-resolution volumetric information at short sample preparation and acquisition times. Here we show that X-ray phase-contrast tomography using a single grating can provide a powerful alternative to commonly employed techniques, such as high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM). We present the phase tomography of a mouse embryo in paraffin obtained with an X-ray single-grating interferometer at I13-2 Beamline at Diamond Light Source and discuss the results in comparison with HREM measurements. The excellent contrast and quantitative density information achieved non-destructively and without staining using a simple, robust setup make X-ray single-grating interferometry an optimum candidate for high-throughput imaging of biological specimens as an alternative for existing methods like HREM.

High-energy x-ray grating-based phase-contrast radiography of human anatomy

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Florian; Hauke, Christian; Lachner, Sebastian; Ludwig, Veronika; Pelzer, Georg; Rieger, Jens; Schuster, Max; Seifert, Maria; Wandner, Johannes; Wolf, Andreas; Michel, Thilo; Anton, Gisela

2016-03-01

X-ray grating-based phase-contrast Talbot-Lau interferometry is a promising imaging technology that has the potential to raise soft tissue contrast in comparison to conventional attenuation-based imaging. Additionally, it is sensitive to attenuation, refraction and scattering of the radiation and thus provides complementary and otherwise inaccessible information due to the dark-field image, which shows the sub-pixel size granularity of the measured object. Until recent progress the method has been mainly limited to photon energies below 40 keV. Scaling the method to photon energies that are sufficient to pass large and spacious objects represents a challenging task. This is caused by increasing demands regarding the fabrication process of the gratings and the broad spectra that come along with the use of polychromatic X-ray sources operated at high acceleration voltages. We designed a setup that is capable to reach high visibilities in the range from 50 to 120 kV. Therefore, spacious and dense parts of the human body with high attenuation can be measured, such as a human knee. The authors will show investigations on the resulting attenuation, differential phase-contrast and dark-field images. The images experimentally show that X-ray grating-based phase-contrast radiography is feasible with highly absorbing parts of the human body containing massive bones.

Chandra X-Rays from the Redshift 7.54 Quasar ULAS J1342+0928

Science.gov (United States)

Bañados, Eduardo; Connor, Thomas; Stern, Daniel; Mulchaey, John; Fan, Xiaohui; Decarli, Roberto; Farina, Emanuele P.; Mazzucchelli, Chiara; Venemans, Bram P.; Walter, Fabian; Wang, Feige; Yang, Jinyi

2018-04-01

We present a 45 ks Chandra observation of the quasar ULAS J1342+0928 at z = 7.54. We detect {14.0}-3.7+4.8 counts from the quasar in the observed-frame energy range 0.5–7.0 keV (6σ detection), representing the most distant non-transient astronomical source identified in X-rays to date. The present data are sufficient only to infer rough constraints on the spectral parameters. We find an X-ray hardness ratio of { \\mathcal H }{ \\mathcal R }=-{0.51}-0.28+0.26 between the 0.5–2.0 keV and 2.0–7.0 keV ranges and derive a power-law photon index of {{Γ }}={1.95}-0.53+0.55. Assuming a typical value for high-redshift quasars of Γ = 1.9, ULAS J1342+0928 has a 2–10 keV rest-frame X-ray luminosity of {L}2-10={11.6}-3.5+4.3× {10}44 {erg} {{{s}}}-1. Its X-ray-to-optical power-law slope is {α }OX}=-{1.67}-0.10+0.16, consistent with the general trend indicating that the X-ray emission in the most bolometrically powerful quasars is weaker relative to their optical emission.

Grating Oriented Line-Wise Filtration (GOLF) for Dual-Energy X-ray CT

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Yan; Cong, Wenxiang; Harrison, Daniel; Wang, Ge

2017-12-01

In medical X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), the use of two distinct X-ray source spectra (energies) allows dose-reduction and material discrimination relative to that achieved with only one source spectrum. Existing dual-energy CT methods include source kVp-switching, double-layer detection, dual-source gantry, and two-pass scanning. Each method suffers either from strong spectral correlation or patient-motion artifacts. To simultaneously address these problems, we propose to improve CT data acquisition with the Grating Oriented Line-wise Filtration (GOLF) method, a novel X-ray filter that is placed between the source and patient. GOLF uses a combination of absorption and filtering gratings that are moved relative to each other and in synchronization with the X-ray tube kVp-switching process and/or the detector view-sampling process. Simulation results show that GOLF can improve the spectral performance of kVp-switching to match that of dual-source CT while avoiding patient motion artifacts and dual imaging chains. Although significant flux is absorbed by this pre-patient filter, the proposed GOLF method is a novel path for cost-effectively extracting dual-energy or multi-energy data and reducing radiation dose with or without kVp switching.

Discovery of Spatial and Spectral Structure in the X-Ray Emission from the Crab Nebula

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskopf, Martin C.; Hester, J. Jeff; Tennant, Allyn F.; Elsner, Ronald F.; Schulz, Norbert S.; Marshall, Herman L.; Karovska, Margarita; Nichols, Joy S.; Swartz, Douglas A.; Kolodziejczak, Jeffery J.

2000-01-01

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory observed the Crab Nebula and pulsar during orbital calibration. Zeroth-order images with the High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) readout by the Advanced Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) Imaging Spectrometer spectroscopy array (ACIS-S) show a striking richness of X-ray structure at a resolution comparable to that of the best ground-based visible-light observations. The HETG-ACIS-S images reveal, for the first time, an X-ray inner ring within the X-ray torus, the suggestion of a hollow-tube structure for the torus, and X-ray knots along the inner ring and (perhaps) along the inward extension of the X-ray jet. Although complicated by instrumental effects and the brightness of the Crab Nebula, the spectrometric analysis shows systematic variations of the X-ray spectrum throughout the nebula.

Discovery of Spatial and Spectral Structure in the X-Ray Emission from the Crab Nebula.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskopf; Hester; Tennant; Elsner; Schulz; Marshall; Karovska; Nichols; Swartz; Kolodziejczak; O'Dell

2000-06-20

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory observed the Crab Nebula and pulsar during orbital calibration. Zeroth-order images with the High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) readout by the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer spectroscopy array (ACIS-S) show a striking richness of X-ray structure at a resolution comparable to that of the best ground-based visible-light observations. The HETG-ACIS-S images reveal, for the first time, an X-ray inner ring within the X-ray torus, the suggestion of a hollow-tube structure for the torus, and X-ray knots along the inner ring and (perhaps) along the inward extension of the X-ray jet. Although complicated by instrumental effects and the brightness of the Crab Nebula, the spectrometric analysis shows systematic variations of the X-ray spectrum throughout the nebula.

Development and Characterization of Two-Dimensional Gratings for Single-Shot X-ray Phase-Contrast Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margarita Zakharova

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Single-shot grating-based phase-contrast imaging techniques offer additional contrast modalities based on the refraction and scattering of X-rays in a robust and versatile configuration. The utilization of a single optical element is possible in such methods, allowing the shortening of the acquisition time and increasing flux efficiency. One of the ways to upgrade single-shot imaging techniques is to utilize customized optical components, such as two-dimensional (2D X-ray gratings. In this contribution, we present the achievements in the development of 2D gratings with UV lithography and gold electroplating. Absorption gratings represented by periodic free-standing gold pillars with lateral structure sizes from 5 µm to 25 µm and heights from 5 µm to 28 µm have shown a high degree of periodicity and defect-free patterns. Grating performance was tested in a radiographic setup using a self-developed quality assessment algorithm based on the intensity distribution histograms. The algorithm allows the final user to estimate the suitability of a specific grating to be used in a particular setup.

Observations of the Crab Nebula with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory During the Gamma-Ray Flare of 2011 April

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskopf, Martin C.

2012-01-01

Recently, using the AGILE and Fermi satellites, gamma-ray flares have been discovered from the direction of the Crab Nebula (Tavani et al. 2011, Abdo et al. 2011). We have been using the Chandra X-Ray observatory to monitor the Crab on a monthly cadence since just after the 2010 September gamma-ray flare. We were fortunate to trigger series of pre-planned target of opportunity observations during the 2011 April flare. We present the results of these observations and address some implications both for now and for the future.

Imaging properties of high aspect ratio absorption gratings for use in preclinical x-ray grating interferometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Trimborn, Barbara; Meyer, Pascal; Kunka, Danays; Zuber, Marcus; Albrecht, Frederic; Kreuer, Sascha; Volk, Thomas; Baumbach, Tilo; Koenig, Thomas

2016-01-21

X-ray grating interferometry is one among various methods that allow extracting the so-called phase and visibility contrasts in addition to the well-known transmission images. Crucial to achieving a high image quality are the absorption gratings employed. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of how the grating type and lamella heights influence the final images. Benchmarking gratings of two different designs, we show that a frequently used proxy for image quality, a grating's so-called visibility, is insufficient to predict contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs). Presenting scans from an excised rat lung, we demonstrate that the CNRs obtained for transmission and visibility images anti-correlate. This is explained by the stronger attenuation implied by gratings that are engineered to provide high visibilities by means of an increased lamella height. We show that even the visibility contrast can suffer from this effect when the associated reduced photon flux on the detector is not outweighed by a corresponding gain in visibility. Resulting in an inevitable trade-off between the quality of the two contrasts, the question of how an optimal grating should be designed can hence only be answered in terms of Pareto optimality.

ON NEUTRAL ABSORPTION AND SPECTRAL EVOLUTION IN X-RAY BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, J. M.; Cackett, E. M.; Reis, R. C.

2009-01-01

Current X-ray observatories make it possible to follow the evolution of transient and variable X-ray binaries across a broad range in luminosity and source behavior. In such studies, it can be unclear whether evolution in the low-energy portion of the spectrum should be attributed to evolution in the source, or instead to evolution in neutral photoelectric absorption. Dispersive spectrometers make it possible to address this problem. We have analyzed a small but diverse set of X-ray binaries observed with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer across a range in luminosity and different spectral states. The column density in individual photoelectric absorption edges remains constant with luminosity, both within and across source spectral states. This finding suggests that absorption in the interstellar medium strongly dominates the neutral column density observed in spectra of X-ray binaries. Consequently, evolution in the low-energy spectrum of X-ray binaries should properly be attributed to evolution in the source spectrum. We discuss our results in the context of X-ray binary spectroscopy with current and future X-ray missions.

Analytic theory of soft x-ray diffraction by lamellar multilayer gratings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kozhevnikov, I.V.; van der Meer, R.; Bastiaens, Hubertus M.J.; Boller, Klaus J.; Bijkerk, Frederik

2011-01-01

An analytic theory describing soft x-ray diffraction by Lamellar Multilayer Gratings (LMG) has been developed. The theory is derived from a coupled waves approach for LMGs operating in the single-order regime, where an incident plane wave can only excite a single diffraction order. The results from

A user-friendly LabVIEW software platform for grating based X-ray phase-contrast imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shenghao; Han, Huajie; Gao, Kun; Wang, Zhili; Zhang, Can; Yang, Meng; Wu, Zhao; Wu, Ziyu

2015-01-01

X-ray phase-contrast imaging can provide greatly improved contrast over conventional absorption-based imaging for weakly absorbing samples, such as biological soft tissues and fibre composites. In this study, we introduced an easy and fast way to develop a user-friendly software platform dedicated to the new grating-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging setup at the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory of the University of Science and Technology of China. The control of 21 motorized stages, of a piezoelectric stage and of an X-ray tube are achieved with this software, it also covers image acquisition with a flat panel detector for automatic phase stepping scan. Moreover, a data post-processing module for signals retrieval and other custom features are in principle available. With a seamless integration of all the necessary functions in one software package, this platform greatly facilitate users' activities during experimental runs with this grating based X-ray phase contrast imaging setup.

CHANDRA DETECTION OF X-RAY EMISSION FROM ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES AND EXTENDED STAR CLUSTERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Meicun; Li, Zhiyuan

2016-01-01

We have conducted a systematic study of X-ray emission from ultracompact dwarf (UCD) galaxies and extended star clusters (ESCs), based on archival Chandra observations. Among a sample of 511 UCDs and ESCs complied from the literature, 17 X-ray counterparts with 0.5–8 keV luminosities above ∼5 × 10 36 erg s −1 are identified, which are distributed in eight early-type host galaxies. To facilitate comparison, we also identify X-ray counterparts of 360 globular clusters (GCs) distributed in four of the eight galaxies. The X-ray properties of the UCDs and ESCs are found to be broadly similar to those of the GCs. The incidence rate of X-ray-detected UCDs and ESCs, 3.3% ± 0.8%, while lower than that of the X-ray-detected GCs (7.0% ± 0.4%), is substantially higher than expected from the field populations of external galaxies. A stacking analysis of the individually undetected UCDs/ESCs further reveals significant X-ray signals, which corresponds to an equivalent 0.5–8 keV luminosity of ∼4 × 10 35 erg s −1 per source. Taken together, these provide strong evidence that the X-ray emission from UCDs and ESCs is dominated by low-mass X-ray binaries having formed from stellar dynamical interactions, consistent with the stellar populations in these dense systems being predominantly old. For the most massive UCDs, there remains the possibility that a putative central massive black hole gives rise to the observed X-ray emission

CHANDRA DETECTION OF X-RAY EMISSION FROM ULTRACOMPACT DWARF GALAXIES AND EXTENDED STAR CLUSTERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Meicun; Li, Zhiyuan, E-mail: lizy@nju.edu.cn [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046 (China)

2016-03-10

We have conducted a systematic study of X-ray emission from ultracompact dwarf (UCD) galaxies and extended star clusters (ESCs), based on archival Chandra observations. Among a sample of 511 UCDs and ESCs complied from the literature, 17 X-ray counterparts with 0.5–8 keV luminosities above ∼5 × 10{sup 36} erg s{sup −1} are identified, which are distributed in eight early-type host galaxies. To facilitate comparison, we also identify X-ray counterparts of 360 globular clusters (GCs) distributed in four of the eight galaxies. The X-ray properties of the UCDs and ESCs are found to be broadly similar to those of the GCs. The incidence rate of X-ray-detected UCDs and ESCs, 3.3% ± 0.8%, while lower than that of the X-ray-detected GCs (7.0% ± 0.4%), is substantially higher than expected from the field populations of external galaxies. A stacking analysis of the individually undetected UCDs/ESCs further reveals significant X-ray signals, which corresponds to an equivalent 0.5–8 keV luminosity of ∼4 × 10{sup 35} erg s{sup −1} per source. Taken together, these provide strong evidence that the X-ray emission from UCDs and ESCs is dominated by low-mass X-ray binaries having formed from stellar dynamical interactions, consistent with the stellar populations in these dense systems being predominantly old. For the most massive UCDs, there remains the possibility that a putative central massive black hole gives rise to the observed X-ray emission.

Arcsecond and Sub-arcsedond Imaging with X-ray Multi-Image Interferometer and Imager for (very) small sattelites

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashida, K.; Kawabata, T.; Nakajima, H.; Inoue, S.; Tsunemi, H.

2017-10-01

The best angular resolution of 0.5 arcsec is realized with the X-ray mirror onborad the Chandra satellite. Nevertheless, further better or comparable resolution is anticipated to be difficult in near future. In fact, the goal of ATHENA telescope is 5 arcsec in the angular resolution. We propose a new type of X-ray interferometer consisting simply of an X-ray absorption grating and an X-ray spectral imaging detector, such as X-ray CCDs or new generation CMOS detectors, by stacking the multi images created with the Talbot interferenece (Hayashida et al. 2016). This system, now we call Multi Image X-ray Interferometer Module (MIXIM) enables arcseconds resolution with very small satellites of 50cm size, and sub-arcseconds resolution with small sattellites. We have performed ground experiments, in which a micro-focus X-ray source, grating with pitch of 4.8μm, and 30 μm pixel detector placed about 1m from the source. We obtained the self-image (interferometirc fringe) of the grating for wide band pass around 10keV. This result corresponds to about 2 arcsec resolution for parrallel beam incidence. The MIXIM is usefull for high angular resolution imaging of relatively bright sources. Search for super massive black holes and resolving AGN torus would be the targets of this system.

Quantitative Analysis of Micro-Structure in Meat Emulsions from Grating-Based Multimodal X-Ray Tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einarsdottir, Hildur; Nielsen, Mikkel Schou; Miklos, Rikke

2013-01-01

Using novel X-ray techniques, based on grating-interferometry, new imaging modalities can be obtained simultaneously with absorption computed tomography (CT). These modalities, called phase contrast and dark field imaging, measure the electron density and the diffusion length of the sample....... Enhanced contrast capabilities of this X-ray technique makes studies on materials with similar attenuation properties possible. In this paper the focus is set on processing grating-based X-ray tomograms of meat emulsions to quantitatively measure micro-structural changes due to heat treatment. The emulsion...... samples were imaged both in a raw and cooked state. Additionally, different fat types were used in the emulsions in order to compare micro-structural differences when either pork fat or sunflower oil was used. From the reconstructed tomograms the different ingredients in the emulsions were segmented using...

Large-area full field x-ray differential phase-contrast imaging using 2D tiled gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Schröter, Tobias J.; Koch, Frieder J.; Kunka, Danays; Meyer, Pascal; Tietze, Sabrina; Engelhardt, Sabine; Zuber, Marcus; Baumbach, Tilo; Willer, Konstantin; Birnbacher, Lorenz; Prade, Friedrich; Pfeiffer, Franz; Reichert, Klaus-Martin; Hofmann, Andreas; Mohr, Jürgen

2017-06-01

Grating-based x-ray differential phase-contrast imaging (DPCI) is capable of acquiring information based on phase-shift and dark-field signal, in addition to conventional x-ray absorption-contrast. Thus DPCI gives an advantage to investigate composite materials with component wise similar absorption properties like soft tissues. Due to technological challenges in fabricating high quality gratings over a large extent, the field of view (FoV) of the imaging systems is limited to a grating area of a couple of square centimeters. For many imaging applications (e.g. in medicine), however, a FoV that ranges over several ten centimeters is needed. In this manuscript we propose to create large area gratings of theoretically any extent by assembling a number of individual grating tiles. We discuss the precision needed for alignment of each microstructure tile in order to reduce image artifacts and to preserve minimum 90% of the sensitivity obtainable with a monolithic grating. To achieve a reliable high precision alignment a semiautomatic assembly system consisting of a laser autocollimator, a digital microscope and a force sensor together with positioning devices was built. The setup was used to tile a first four times four analyzer grating with a size of 200 mm  ×  200 mm together with a two times two phase grating. First imaging results prove the applicability and quality of the tiling concept.

ISMabs: A COMPREHENSIVE X-RAY ABSORPTION MODEL FOR THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gatuzz, E.; Mendoza, C. [Centro de Física, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), P.O. Box 20632, Caracas 1020A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); García, J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, 02138 (United States); Kallman, T. R. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Gorczyca, T. W., E-mail: egatuzz@ivic.gob.ve, E-mail: claudio@ivic.gob.ve, E-mail: javier@head.cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: timothy.r.kallman@nasa.gov, E-mail: thomas.gorczyca@wmich.edu [Department of Physics, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008 (United States)

2015-02-10

We present an X-ray absorption model for the interstellar medium, to be referred to as ISMabs, that takes into account both neutral and ionized species of cosmically abundant elements, and includes the most accurate atomic data available. Using high-resolution spectra from eight X-ray binaries obtained with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer, we proceed to benchmark the atomic data in the model particularly in the neon K-edge region. Compared with previous photoabsorption models, which solely rely on neutral species, the inclusion of ions leads to improved spectral fits. Fit parameters comprise the column densities of abundant contributors that allow direct estimates of the ionization states. ISMabs is provided in the appropriate format to be implemented in widely used X-ray spectral fitting packages such as XSPEC, ISIS, and SHERPA.

Chandra X-ray observations of the hyper-luminous infrared galaxy IRAS F15307+3252

Science.gov (United States)

Hlavacek-Larrondo, J.; Gandhi, P.; Hogan, M. T.; Gendron-Marsolais, M.-L.; Edge, A. C.; Fabian, A. C.; Russell, H. R.; Iwasawa, K.; Mezcua, M.

2017-01-01

Hyper-luminous infrared galaxies (HyLIRGs) lie at the extreme luminosity end of the IR galaxy population with LIR > 1013 L⊙. They are thought to be closer counterparts of the more distant sub-millimeter galaxies, and should therefore be optimal targets to study the most massive systems in formation. We present deep Chandra observations of IRAS F15307+3252 (100 ks), a classical HyLIRG located at z = 0.93 and hosting a radio-loud AGN (L1.4 GHz ˜ 3.5 × 1025 W Hz-1). The Chandra images reveal the presence of extended (r = 160 kpc), asymmetric X-ray emission in the soft 0.3-2.0 keV band that has no radio counterpart. We therefore argue that the emission is of thermal origin originating from a hot intragroup or intracluster medium virializing in the potential. We find that the temperature (˜2 keV) and bolometric X-ray luminosity (˜3 × 1043 erg s-1) of the gas follow the expected LX-ray-T correlation for groups and clusters, and that the gas has a remarkably short cooling time of 1.2 Gyr. In addition, VLA radio observations reveal that the galaxy hosts an unresolved compact steep-spectrum (CSS) source, most likely indicating the presence of a young radio source similar to 3C186. We also confirm that the nucleus is dominated by a redshifted 6.4 keV Fe Kα line, strongly suggesting that the AGN is Compton-thick. Finally, Hubble images reveal an overdensity of galaxies and sub-structure in the galaxy that correlates with soft X-ray emission. This could be a snapshot view of on-going groupings expected in a growing cluster environment. IRAS F15307+3252 might therefore be a rare example of a group in the process of transforming into a cluster.

The First Chandra Field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weisskopf, Martin C.; /NASA, Marshall; Aldcroft, Thomas L.; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Cameron, Robert A.; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys. /SLAC; Gandhi,; Foellmi, Cedric; /European Southern Obs., Chile; Elsner, Ronald F.; /NASA, Marshall; Patel, Sandeep K.; /USRA, Huntsville; Wu, Kinwah; /Mullard Space Sci. Lab.; O' Dell, Stephen; /NASA, Marshall

2005-09-09

Before the official first-light images, the Chandra X-ray Observatory obtained an X-ray image of the field to which its focal plane was first exposed. We describe this historic observation and report our study of the first Chandra field. Chandra's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) detected 15 X-ray sources, the brightest being dubbed ''Leon X-1'' to honor the Chandra Telescope Scientist, Leon Van Speybroeck. Based upon our analysis of the X-ray data and spectroscopy at the European Southern Observatory (ESO; La Silla, Chile), we find that Leon X-1 is a Type-1 (unobscured) active galactic nucleus (AGN) at a redshift z = 0.3207. Leon X-1 exhibits strong Fe II emission and a broad-line Balmer decrement that is unusually flat for an AGN. Within the context of the Eigenvector-1 correlation space, these properties suggest that Leon X-1 may be a massive ({ge} 10{sup 9} M{sub {circle_dot}}) black hole, accreting at a rate approaching its Eddington limit.

A TEST OF THE NATURE OF THE FE K LINE IN THE NEUTRON STAR LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARY SERPENS X-1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiang, Chia-Ying; Cackett, Edward M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, 666 W. Hancock, Detroit, MI 48202 (United States); Miller, Jon M. [Department of Astronomy, The University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI48109-1046 (United States); Barret, Didier [Universite de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, Toulouse (France); Fabian, Andy C.; Parker, Michael L. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); D’Aì, Antonino [INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Palermo, via U. La Malfa 153, I-90146 Palermo (Italy); Bhattacharyya, Sudip [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400005 (India); Burderi, Luciano [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, SP Monserrato-Sestu, KM 0.7, I-09042 Monserrato (Italy); Salvo, Tiziana Di; Iaria, Rosario [Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Universitá di Palermo, via Archirafi 36, I-90123 Palermo (Italy); Egron, Elise [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, via della Scienza 5, I-09047 Selargius (Italy); Homan, Jeroen [MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, 77 Massachusetts Avenue 37-582D, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Lin, Dacheng [Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States); Miller, M. Coleman, E-mail: ft8320@wayne.edu [Department of Astronomy and Joint Space-Science Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421 (United States)

2016-04-20

Broad Fe K emission lines have been widely observed in the X-ray spectra of black hole systems as well as in neutron star systems. The intrinsically narrow Fe K fluorescent line is generally believed to be part of the reflection spectrum originating in an illuminated accretion disk which is broadened by strong relativistic effects. However, the nature of the lines in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) has been a matter of debate. We therefore obtained the longest, high-resolution X-ray spectrum of a neutron star LMXB to date with a 300 ks Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) observation of Serpens X-1. The observation was taken under the “continuous clocking” mode, and thus was free of photon pile-up effects. We carry out a systematic analysis and find that the blurred reflection model fits the Fe line of Serpens X-1 significantly better than a broad Gaussian component does, implying that the relativistic reflection scenario is much preferred. Chandra HETGS also provides a highest spectral resolution view of the Fe K region and we find no strong evidence for additional narrow lines.

A new method for information retrieval in two-dimensional grating-based X-ray phase contrast imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhi-Li; Gao Kun; Chen Jian; Ge Xin; Tian Yang-Chao; Wu Zi-Yu; Zhu Pei-Ping

2012-01-01

Grating-based X-ray phase contrast imaging has been demonstrated to be an extremely powerful phase-sensitive imaging technique. By using two-dimensional (2D) gratings, the observable contrast is extended to two refraction directions. Recently, we have developed a novel reverse-projection (RP) method, which is capable of retrieving the object information efficiently with one-dimensional (1D) grating-based phase contrast imaging. In this contribution, we present its extension to the 2D grating-based X-ray phase contrast imaging, named the two-dimensional reverse-projection (2D-RP) method, for information retrieval. The method takes into account the nonlinear contributions of two refraction directions and allows the retrieval of the absorption, the horizontal and the vertical refraction images. The obtained information can be used for the reconstruction of the three-dimensional phase gradient field, and for an improved phase map retrieval and reconstruction. Numerical experiments are carried out, and the results confirm the validity of the 2D-RP method

Most powerful X-ray telescope marks third anniversary

Science.gov (United States)

2002-08-01

A black hole gobbles up matter in our own Milky Way Galaxy. A hot spot of X-rays pulsates from near Jupiter's poles. An intergalactic web of hot gas, hidden from view since the time galaxies formed, is finally revealed. These scenarios sound like science fiction - but to those familiar with the latest developments in X-ray astronomy, they are just a few of the real-life discoveries made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory during its third year of operation. "Within the last year, Chandra has revealed another series of never-before-seen phenomena in our galaxy and beyond," said Chandra project scientist Dr. Martin Weisskopf of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "When you combine recent discoveries with the secrets revealed during the observatory's first two years in orbit, it's amazing how much Chandra has told us about the universe in a relatively short period of time." One such discovery was an unprecedented view of a supermassive black hole devouring material in the Milky Way Galaxy - a spectacle witnessed for the first time when Chandra observed a rapid X-ray flare emitted from the direction of the black hole residing at our galaxy's center. In a just few minutes, Sagittarius A, a source of radio emission believed to be associated with the black hole, became 45 times brighter in X-rays, before declining to pre-flare levels a few hours later, offering astronomers a never-before-seen view of the energetic processes surrounding this supermassive black hole. "When we launched the Chandra Observatory, we attempted to explain its amazing capabilities in Earthly terms, such as the fact it can 'see' so well, it's like someone reading the letters of a stop sign 12 miles away," said Chandra Program Manager Tony Lavoie of the Marshall Center. "But now that the observatory has been in orbit for three years, we have unearthly proof of the technological marvel Chandra really is. Not only has it continued to operate smoothly and efficiently, it has

Hard synchrotron radiation scattering from a nonideal surface grating from multilayer X-ray mirrors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punegov, V.I.; Nesterets, Ya.I.; Mytnichenko, S.V.; Kovalenko, N.V.; Chernov, V.A.

2003-01-01

The hard synchrotron radiation scattering from a multilayer surface grating is theoretically and experimentally investigated. The numerical calculations of angular distribution of scattering intensity from X-ray mirror Ni/C are executed with use of recurrence formulae and statistical dynamical theory of diffraction. It is shown, that the essential role in formation of a diffraction pattern plays a diffuse scattering caused by structure imperfection of a multilayer grating [ru

Comparative Analysis and Variability of the Jovian X-Ray Spectra Detected by the Chandra and XMM-Newton Observatories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hui, Yawei [ORNL; Schultz, David Robert [ORNL; Kharchenko, Vasili A [ORNL; Bhardwaj, Anil [Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Trivandrum, India; Branduardi-Raymont, Graziella [University College, London; Stancil, Phillip C. [University of Georgia, Athens, GA; Cravens, Thomas E. E. [University of Kansas; Lisse, Carey M. [Johns Hopkins University; Dalgarno, A. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

2010-01-01

Expanding upon recent work, a more comprehensive spectral model based on charge exchange induced X-ray emission by ions precipitating into the Jovian atmosphere is used to provide new understanding of the polar auroras. In conjunction with the Xspec spectral fitting software, the model is applied to analyze observations from both Chandra and XMM-Newton by systematically varying the initial precipitating ion parameters to obtain the best fit model for the observed spectra. In addition to the oxygen and sulfur ions considered previously, carbon is included to discriminate between solar wind and Jovian magnetospheric ion origins, enabled by the use of extensive databases of both atomic collision cross sections and radiative transitions. On the basis of fits to all the Chandra observations, we find that carbon contributes negligibly to the observed polar X-ray emission suggesting that the highly accelerated precipitating ions are of magnetospheric origin. Most of the XMM-Newton fits also favor this conclusion with one exception that implies a possible carbon contribution. Comparison among all the spectra from these two observatories in light of the inferred initial energies and relative abundances of precipitating ions from the modeling show that they are significantly variable in time (observation date) and space (north and south polar X-ray auroras).

Low-dose multiple-information retrieval algorithm for X-ray grating-based imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhentian; Huang Zhifeng; Chen Zhiqiang; Zhang Li; Jiang Xiaolei; Kang Kejun; Yin Hongxia; Wang Zhenchang; Stampanoni, Marco

2011-01-01

The present work proposes a low dose information retrieval algorithm for X-ray grating-based multiple-information imaging (GB-MII) method, which can retrieve the attenuation, refraction and scattering information of samples by only three images. This algorithm aims at reducing the exposure time and the doses delivered to the sample. The multiple-information retrieval problem in GB-MII is solved by transforming a nonlinear equations set to a linear equations and adopting the nature of the trigonometric functions. The proposed algorithm is validated by experiments both on conventional X-ray source and synchrotron X-ray source, and compared with the traditional multiple-image-based retrieval algorithm. The experimental results show that our algorithm is comparable with the traditional retrieval algorithm and especially suitable for high Signal-to-Noise system.

X-ray Outburst in Mira A

OpenAIRE

Karovska, M.; Schlegel, E.; Hack, W.; Wood, B.

2005-01-01

We report here the Chandra ACIS-S detection of a bright soft X-ray transient in the Mira AB interacting symbiotic-like binary. We resolved the system for the first time in the X-rays. Using Chandra and HST images we determined that the unprecedented outburst is likely associated with the cool AGB star (Mira A), the prototype of Mira-type variables. X-rays have never before been detected from an AGB star, and the recent activity signals that the system is undergoing dramatic changes. The total...

Initial Performance of the Aspect System on the Chandra Observatory: Post-Facto Aspect Reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Aldcroft, T.; Karovska, M.; Cresitello-Dittmar, M.; Cameron, R.

2000-01-01

The aspect system of the Chandra Observatory plays a key role in realizing the full potential of Chandra's x-ray optics and detectors. To achieve the highest spatial and spectral resolution (for grating observations), an accurate post-facto time history of the spacecraft attitude and internal alignment is needed. The CXC has developed a suite of tools which process sensor data from the aspect camera assembly and gyroscopes, and produce the spacecraft aspect solution. In this poster, the design of the aspect pipeline software is briefly described, followed by details of aspect system performance during the first eight months of flight. The two key metrics of aspect performance are: image reconstruction accuracy, which measures the x-ray image blurring introduced by aspect; and celestial location, which is the accuracy of detected source positions in absolute sky coordinates.

Investigation on the properties of a laminar grating as a soft x-ray beam splitter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Ying; Fuchs, Hans-Joerg; Liu Zhengkun; Chen Huoyao; He Shengnan; Fu Shaojun; Kley, Ernst-Bernhard; Tuennermann, Andreas

2010-01-01

Laminar-type gratings as soft x-ray beam splitters for interferometry are presented. Gold-coated grating beam splitters with 1000 lines/mm are designed for grazing incidence operation at 13.9nm. They are routinely fabricated using electron beam lithography and ion etching techniques. The laminar grating is measured to have almost equal absolute efficiencies of about 20% in the zeroth and -1st orders, which enables a fringe visibility up to 0.99 in the interferometer. The discrepancy of the grating profiles between the optimized theoretical and the experimental results is analyzed according to the comparison of the optimized simulation results and the measurement realization of the grating efficiencies. By a precise control of the grating profile, the grating efficiency in the -1st order and the fringe visibility could be improved to 25% and 1, respectively.

Revisiting Bragg's X-ray microscope: scatter based optical transient grating detection of pulsed ionising radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fullagar, Wilfred K; Paganin, David M; Hall, Chris J

2011-06-01

Transient optical gratings for detecting ultrafast signals are routine for temporally resolved photochemical investigations. Many processes can contribute to the formation of such gratings; we indicate use of optically scattering centres that can be formed with highly variable latencies in different materials and devices using ionising radiation. Coherent light scattered by these centres can form the short-wavelength-to-optical-wavelength, incoherent-to-coherent basis of a Bragg X-ray microscope, with inherent scope for optical phasing. Depending on the dynamics of the medium chosen, the way is open to both ultrafast pulsed and integrating measurements. For experiments employing brief pulses, we discuss high-dynamic-range short-wavelength diffraction measurements with real-time optical reconstructions. Applications to optical real-time X-ray phase-retrieval are considered. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DETECTING THE WARM-HOT INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM THROUGH X-RAY ABSORPTION LINES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yao Yangsen; Shull, J. Michael; Cash, Webster [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, 389 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Wang, Q. Daniel, E-mail: yaoys@colorado.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

2012-02-20

The warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) at temperatures 10{sup 5}-10{sup 7} K is believed to contain 30%-50% of the baryons in the local universe. However, all current X-ray detections of the WHIM at redshifts z > 0 are of low statistical significance ({approx}< 3{sigma}) and/or controversial. In this work, we aim to establish the detection limits of current X-ray observatories and explore requirements for next-generation X-ray telescopes for studying the WHIM through X-ray absorption lines. We analyze all available grating observations of Mrk 421 and obtain spectra with signal-to-noise ratios (S/Ns) of {approx}90 and 190 per 50 mA spectral bin from Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, respectively. Although these spectra are two of the best ever collected with Chandra and XMM-Newton, we cannot confirm the two WHIM systems reported by Nicastro et al. in 2005. Our bootstrap simulations indicate that spectra with such high S/N cannot constrain the WHIM with O VII column densities N{sub Ovii}{approx}10{sup 15} cm{sup -2} (corresponding to an equivalent width of 2.5 mA for a Doppler velocity of 50 km s{sup -1}) at {approx}> 3{sigma} significance level. The simulation results also suggest that it would take >60 Ms for Chandra and 140 Ms for XMM-Newton to measure the N{sub Ovii} at {>=}4{sigma} from a spectrum of a background QSO with flux of {approx}0.2 mCrab (1 Crab = 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -8} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2} at 0.5-2 keV). Future X-ray spectrographs need to be equipped with spectral resolution R {approx} 4000 and effective area A {>=} 100 cm{sup 2} to accomplish the similar constraints with an exposure time of {approx}2 Ms and would require {approx}11 Ms to survey the 15 QSOs with flux {approx}> 0.2 mCrab along which clear intergalactic O VI absorbers have been detected.

Impacts of Chandra X-ray Observatory Public Communications and Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Arcand, Kimberly K.; Watzke, Megan; Lestition, Kathleen; Edmonds, Peter

2015-01-01

The Chandra X-ray Observatory Center runs a multifaceted Public Communications & Engagement program encompassing press relations, public engagement, and education. Our goals include reaching a large and diverse audience of national and international scope, establishing direct connections and working relationships with the scientists whose research forms the basis for all products, creating peer-reviewed materials and activities that evolve from an integrated pipeline design and encourage users toward deeper engagement, and developing materials that target underserved audiences such as women, Spanish speakers, and the sight and hearing impaired. This talk will highlight some of the key features of our program, from the high quality curated digital presence to the cycle of research and evaluation that informs our practice at all points of the program creation. We will also discuss the main impacts of the program, from the tens of millions of participants reached through the establishment and sustainability of a network of science 'volunpeers.'

Diagnosing and mapping pulmonary emphysema on X-ray projection images: incremental value of grating-based X-ray dark-field imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Meinel, Felix G; Schwab, Felix; Schleede, Simone; Bech, Martin; Herzen, Julia; Achterhold, Klaus; Auweter, Sigrid; Bamberg, Fabian; Yildirim, Ali Ö; Bohla, Alexander; Eickelberg, Oliver; Loewen, Rod; Gifford, Martin; Ruth, Ronald; Reiser, Maximilian F; Pfeiffer, Franz; Nikolaou, Konstantin

2013-01-01

To assess whether grating-based X-ray dark-field imaging can increase the sensitivity of X-ray projection images in the diagnosis of pulmonary emphysema and allow for a more accurate assessment of emphysema distribution. Lungs from three mice with pulmonary emphysema and three healthy mice were imaged ex vivo using a laser-driven compact synchrotron X-ray source. Median signal intensities of transmission (T), dark-field (V) and a combined parameter (normalized scatter) were compared between emphysema and control group. To determine the diagnostic value of each parameter in differentiating between healthy and emphysematous lung tissue, a receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed both on a per-pixel and a per-individual basis. Parametric maps of emphysema distribution were generated using transmission, dark-field and normalized scatter signal and correlated with histopathology. Transmission values relative to water were higher for emphysematous lungs than for control lungs (1.11 vs. 1.06, pemphysema provides color-coded parametric maps, which show the best correlation with histopathology. In a murine model, the complementary information provided by X-ray transmission and dark-field images adds incremental diagnostic value in detecting pulmonary emphysema and visualizing its regional distribution as compared to conventional X-ray projections.

Lunar Prospecting With Chandra

Science.gov (United States)

2003-09-01

Observations of the bright side of the Moon with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have detected oxygen, magnesium, aluminum and silicon over a large area of the lunar surface. The abundance and distribution of those elements will help to determine how the Moon was formed. "We see X-rays from these elements directly, independent of assumptions about the mineralogy and other complications," said Jeremy Drake of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., at a press conference at the "Four Years with Chandra" symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. "We have Moon samples from the six widely-space Apollo landing sites, but remote sensing with Chandra can cover a much wider area," continued Drake. "It's the next best thing to being there, and it's very fast and cost-effective." The lunar X-rays are caused by fluorescence, a process similar to the way that light is produced in fluorescent lamps. Solar X-rays bombard the surface of the Moon, knock electrons out of the inner parts of the atoms, putting them in a highly unstable state. Almost immediately, other electrons rush to fill the gaps, and in the process convert their energy into the fluorescent X-rays seen by Chandra. According to the currently popular "giant impact" theory for the formation of the Moon, a body about the size of Mars collided with the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. This impact flung molten debris from the mantle of both the Earth and the impactor into orbit around the Earth. Over the course of tens of millions of years, the debris stuck together to form the Moon. By measuring the amounts of aluminum and other elements over a wide area of the Moon and comparing them to the Earth's mantle, Drake and his colleagues plan to help test the giant impact hypothesis. "One early result," quipped Drake, "is that there is no evidence for large amounts of calcium, so cheese is not a major constituent of the Moon." Illustration of Earth's Geocorona Illustration of Earth's Geocorona The same

REVISITING THE SHORT-TERM X-RAY SPECTRAL VARIABILITY OF NGC 4151 WITH CHANDRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Junfeng; Fabbiano, G.; Elvis, M.; Zezas, A.; Karovska, M.; Risaliti, G.

2010-01-01

We present new X-ray spectral data for the Seyfert 1 nucleus in NGC 4151 observed with Chandra for ∼200 ks. A significant ACIS pileup is present, resulting in a nonlinear count rate variation during the observation. With pileup corrected spectral fitting, we are able to recover the spectral parameters and find consistency with those derived from unpiled events in the ACIS readout streak and outer region from the bright nucleus. The absorption corrected 2-10 keV flux of the nucleus varied between 6 x 10 -11 erg s -1 cm -2 and 10 -10 erg s -1 cm -2 (L 2-10 k eV ∼ 1.3-2.1 x 10 42 erg s -1 ). Similar to earlier Chandra studies of NGC 4151 at a historical low state, the photon indices derived from the same absorbed power-law model are Γ ∼ 0.7-0.9. However, we show that Γ is highly dependent on the adopted spectral models. Fitting the power-law continuum with a Compton reflection component gives Γ ∼ 1.1. By including passage of non-uniform X-ray obscuring clouds, we can reproduce the apparent flat spectral states with Γ ∼ 1.7, typical for Seyfert 1 active galactic nuclei. The same model also fits the hard spectra from previous ASCA 'long look' observation of NGC 4151 in the lowest flux state. The spectral variability during our observation can be interpreted as variations in intrinsic soft continuum flux relative to a Compton reflection component that is from distant cold material and constant on short timescale, or variations of partially covering absorber in the line of sight toward the nucleus. An ionized absorber model with ionization parameter log ξ ∼ 0.8-1.1 can also fit the low-resolution ACIS spectra. If the partial covering model is correct, adopting a black hole mass M BH ∼4.6x10 7 M sun we constrain the distance of the obscuring cloud from the central black hole to be r ∼< 9 lt-day, consistent with the size of the broad emission line region of NGC 4151 from optical reverberation mapping.

Grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging with twin peaks in phase-stepping curves—phase retrieval and dewrapping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Yi; Xie, Huiqiao; Tang, Xiangyang, E-mail: xiangyang.tang@emory.edu [Imaging and Medical Physics, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 1701 Uppergate Dr., C-5018, Atlanta, Georgia 30322 (United States); Cai, Weixing [Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States); Mao, Hui [Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30329 (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: X-ray differential phase contrast CT implemented with Talbot interferometry employs phase-stepping to extract information of x-ray attenuation, phase shift, and small-angle scattering. Since inaccuracy may exist in the absorption grating G{sub 2} due to an imperfect fabrication, the effective period of G{sub 2} can be as large as twice the nominal period, leading to a phenomenon of twin peaks that differ remarkably in their heights. In this work, the authors investigate how to retrieve and dewrap the phase signal from the phase-stepping curve (PSC) with the feature of twin peaks for x-ray phase contrast imaging. Methods: Based on the paraxial Fresnel–Kirchhoff theory, the analytical formulae to characterize the phenomenon of twin peaks in the PSC are derived. Then an approach to dewrap the retrieved phase signal by jointly using the phases of the first- and second-order Fourier components is proposed. Through an experimental investigation using a prototype x-ray phase contrast imaging system implemented with Talbot interferometry, the authors evaluate and verify the derived analytic formulae and the proposed approach for phase retrieval and dewrapping. Results: According to theoretical analysis, the twin-peak phenomenon in PSC is a consequence of combined effects, including the inaccuracy in absorption grating G{sub 2}, mismatch between phase grating and x-ray source spectrum, and finite size of x-ray tube’s focal spot. The proposed approach is experimentally evaluated by scanning a phantom consisting of organic materials and a lab mouse. The preliminary data show that compared to scanning G{sub 2} over only one single nominal period and correcting the measured phase signal with an intuitive phase dewrapping method that is being used in the field, stepping G{sub 2} over twice its nominal period and dewrapping the measured phase signal with the proposed approach can significantly improve the quality of x-ray differential phase contrast imaging in both

NASA Names Premier X-Ray Observatory and Schedules Launch

Science.gov (United States)

1998-12-01

NASA's Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility has been renamed the Chandra X-ray Observatory in honor of the late Indian-American Nobel laureate, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. The telescope is scheduled to be launched no earlier than April 8, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-93, commanded by astronaut Eileen Collins. Chandrasekhar, known to the world as Chandra, which means "moon" or "luminous" in Sanskrit, was a popular entry in a recent NASA contest to name the spacecraft. The contest drew more than six thousand entries from fifty states and sixty-one countries. The co-winners were a tenth grade student in Laclede, Idaho, and a high school teacher in Camarillo, CA. The Chandra X-ray Observatory Center (CXC), operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, will control science and flight operations of the Chandra X-ray Observatory for NASA from Cambridge, Mass. "Chandra is a highly appropriate name," said Harvey Tananbaum, Director of the CXC. "Throughout his life Chandra worked tirelessly and with great precision to further our understanding of the universe. These same qualities characterize the many individuals who have devoted much of their careers to building this premier X-ray observatory." "Chandra probably thought longer and deeper about our universe than anyone since Einstein," said Martin Rees, Great Britain's Astronomer Royal. "Chandrasekhar made fundamental contributions to the theory of black holes and other phenomena that the Chandra X-ray Observatory will study. His life and work exemplify the excellence that we can hope to achieve with this great observatory," said NASA Administrator Dan Goldin. Widely regarded as one of the foremost astrophysicists of the 20th century, Chandrasekhar won the Nobel Prize in 1983 for his theoretical studies of physical processes important to the structure and evolution of stars. He and his wife immigrated from India to the U.S. in 1935. Chandrasekhar served on the faculty of the University of

Monitoring variable X-ray sources in nearby galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, A. K. H.

2010-12-01

In the last decade, it has been possible to monitor variable X-ray sources in nearby galaxies. In particular, since the launch of Chandra, M31 has been regularly observed. It is perhaps the only nearby galaxy which is observed by an X-ray telescope regularly throughout operation. With 10 years of observations, the center of M31 has been observed with Chandra for nearly 1 Msec and the X-ray skies of M31 consist of many transients and variables. Furthermore, the X-ray Telescope of Swift has been monitoring several ultraluminous X-ray sources in nearby galaxies regularly. Not only can we detect long-term X-ray variability, we can also find spectral variation as well as possible orbital period. In this talk, I will review some of the important Chandra and Swift monitoring observations of nearby galaxies in the past 10 years. I will also present a "high-definition" movie of M31 and discuss the possibility of detecting luminous transients in M31 with MAXI.

The puzzling detection of x-rays from Pluto by Chandra

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, C. M.; McNutt, R. L.; Wolk, S. J.; Bagenal, F.; Stern, S. A.; Gladstone, G. R.; Cravens, T. E.; Hill, M. E.; Kollmann, P.; Weaver, H. A.; Strobel, D. F.; Elliott, H. A.; McComas, D. J.; Binzel, R. P.; Snios, B. T.; Bhardwaj, A.; Chutjian, A.; Young, L. A.; Olkin, C. B.; Ennico, K. A.

2017-05-01

Using Chandra ACIS-S, we have obtained low-resolution imaging X-ray spectrophotometry of the Pluto system in support of the New Horizons flyby on 14 July 2015. Observations were obtained in a trial ;seed; campaign conducted in one visit on 24 Feb 2014, and a follow-up campaign conducted soon after the New Horizons flyby that consisted of 3 visits spanning 26 Jul to 03 Aug 2015. In a total of 174 ksec of on-target time, in the 0.31 to 0.60 keV passband, we measured 8 total photons in a co-moving 11 × 11 pixel2 box (the 90% flux aperture determined by observations of fixed background sources in the field) measuring ∼121,000 × 121,000 km2 (or ∼100 × 100 RPluto) at Pluto. No photons were detected from 0.60 to 1.0 keV in this box during the same exposures. Allowing for background, we find a net signal of 6.8 counts and a statistical noise level of 1.2 counts, for a detection of Pluto in this passband at > 99.95% confidence. The Pluto photons do not have the spectral shape of the background, are coincident with a 90% flux aperture co-moving with Pluto, and are not confused with any background source, so we consider them as sourced from the Pluto system. The mean 0.31 - 0.60 keV X-ray power from Pluto is 200 +200/-100 MW, in the middle range of X-ray power levels seen for other known Solar System emission sources: auroral precipitation, solar X-ray scattering, and charge exchange (CXE) between solar wind (SW) ions and atmospheric neutrals. We eliminate auroral effects as a source, as Pluto has no known magnetic field and the New Horizons Alice UV spectrometer detected no airglow from Pluto during the flyby. Nano-scale atmospheric haze particles could lead to enhanced resonant scattering of solar X-rays from Pluto, but the energy signature of the detected photons does not match the solar spectrum and estimates of Pluto's scattered X-ray emission are 2 to 3 orders of magnitude below the 3.9 ± 0.7 × 10-5cps found in our observations. Charge-exchange-driven emission

Effectiveness of X-ray grating interferometry for non-destructive inspection of packaged devices

Science.gov (United States)

Uehara, Masato; Yashiro, Wataru; Momose, Atsushi

2013-10-01

It is difficult to inspect packaged devices such as IC packages and power modules because the devices contain various components, such as semiconductors, metals, ceramics, and resin. In this paper, we demonstrated the effectiveness of X-ray grating interferometry (XGI) using a laboratory X-ray tube for the industrial inspection of packaged devices. The obtained conventional absorption image showed heavy-elemental components such as metal wires and electrodes, but the image did not reveal the defects in the light-elemental components. On the other hand, the differential phase-contrast image obtained by XGI revealed microvoids and scars in the encapsulant of the samples. The visibility contrast image also obtained by XGI showed some cracks in the ceramic insulator of power module sample. In addition, the image showed the silicon plate surrounded by the encapsulant having the same X-ray absorption coefficient. While these defects and components are invisible in the conventional industrial X-ray imaging, XGI thus has an attractive potential for the industrial inspection of the packaged devices.

A Chandra Survey of Milky Way Globular Clusters. I. Emissivity and Abundance of Weak X-Ray Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhongqun; Li, Zhiyuan; Xu, Xiaojie; Li, Xiangdong

2018-05-01

Based on archival Chandra data, we have carried out an X-ray survey of 69, or nearly half the known population of, Milky Way globular clusters (GCs), focusing on weak X-ray sources, mainly cataclysmic variables (CVs) and coronally active binaries (ABs). Using the cumulative X-ray luminosity per unit stellar mass (i.e., X-ray emissivity) as a proxy of the source abundance, we demonstrate a paucity (lower by 41% ± 27% on average) of weak X-ray sources in most GCs relative to the field, which is represented by the Solar Neighborhood and Local Group dwarf elliptical galaxies. We also revisit the mutual correlations among the cumulative X-ray luminosity (L X), cluster mass (M), and stellar encounter rate (Γ), finding {L}{{X}}\\propto {M}0.74+/- 0.13, {L}{{X}}\\propto {{{Γ }}}0.67+/- 0.07 and {{Γ }}\\propto {M}1.28+/- 0.17. The three quantities can further be expressed as {L}{{X}}\\propto {M}0.64+/- 0.12 {{{Γ }}}0.19+/- 0.07, which indicates that the dynamical formation of CVs and ABs through stellar encounters in GCs is less dominant than previously suggested, and that the primordial formation channel has a substantial contribution. Taking these aspects together, we suggest that a large fraction of primordial, soft binaries have been disrupted in binary–single or binary–binary stellar interactions before they could otherwise evolve into X-ray-emitting close binaries, whereas the same interactions also have led to the formation of new close binaries. No significant correlations between {L}{{X}}/{L}K and cluster properties, including dynamical age, metallicity, and structural parameters, are found.

High efficiency multilayer blazed gratings for EUV and soft X-rays: Recent developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voronov, Dmitriy; Ahn, Minseung; Anderson, Erik; Cambie, Rossana; Chang, Chih-Hao; Goray, Leonid; Gullikson, Eric; Heilmann, Ralf; Salmassi, Farhad; Schattenburg, Mark; Warwick, Tony; Yashchuk, Valeriy; Padmore, Howard

2011-01-01

Multilayer coated blazed gratings with high groove density are the best candidates for use in high resolution EUV and soft x-ray spectroscopy. Theoretical analysis shows that such a grating can be potentially optimized for high dispersion and spectral resolution in a desired high diffraction order without significant loss of diffraction efficiency. In order to realize this potential, the grating fabrication process should provide a perfect triangular groove profile and an extremely smooth surface of the blazed facets. Here we report on recent progress achieved at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in fabrication of high quality multilayer coated blazed gratings. The blazed gratings were fabricated using scanning beam interference lithography followed by wet anisotropic etching of silicon. A 200 nm period grating coated with a Mo/Si multilayer composed with 30 bi-layers demonstrated an absolute efficiency of 37.6percent in the 3rd diffraction order at 13.6 nm wavelength. The groove profile of the grating was thoroughly characterized with atomic force microscopy before and after the multilayer deposition. The obtained metrology data were used for simulation of the grating efficiency with the vector electromagnetic PCGrate-6.1 code. The simulations showed that smoothing of the grating profile during the multilayer deposition is the main reason for efficiency losses compared to the theoretical maximum. Investigation of the grating with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed a complex evolution of the groove profile in the course of the multilayer deposition. Impact of the shadowing and smoothing processes on growth of the multilayer on the surface of the sawtooth substrate is discussed.

CHANDRA CHARACTERIZATION OF X-RAY EMISSION IN THE YOUNG F-STAR BINARY SYSTEM HD 113766

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisse, C. M.; Christian, D. J.; Wolk, S. J.; Günther, H. M.; Chen, C. H.; Grady, C. A.

2017-01-01

Using Chandra , we have obtained imaging X-ray spectroscopy of the 10–16 Myr old F-star binary HD 113766. We individually resolve the 1.″4 separation binary components for the first time in the X-ray and find a total 0.3–2.0 keV luminosity of 2.2 × 10 29 erg s −1 , consistent with previous RASS estimates. We find emission from the easternmost, infrared-bright, dusty member HD 113766A to be only ∼10% that of the western, infrared-faint member HD 113766B. There is no evidence for a 3rd late-type stellar or substellar member of HD 113766 with L x  > 6 × 10 25 erg s −1 within 2′ of the binary pair. The ratio of the two stars’ X-ray luminosity is consistent with their assignments as F2V and F6V by Pecaut et al. The emission is soft for both stars, kT Apec  = 0.30–0.50 keV, suggesting X-rays produced by stellar rotation and/or convection in young dynamos, but not accretion or outflow shocks, which we rule out. A possible 2.8 ± 0.15 (2 σ ) hr modulation in the HD 113766B X-ray emission is seen, but at very low confidence and of unknown provenance. Stellar wind drag models corresponding to L x  ∼ 2 × 10 29 erg s −1 argue for a 1 mm dust particle lifetime around HD 113766B of only ∼90,0000 years, suggesting that dust around HD 113766B is quickly removed, whereas 1 mm sized dust around HD 113766A can survive for >1.5 × 10 6 years. At 10 28 –10 29 erg s −1 X-ray luminosity, astrobiologically important effects, like dust warming and X-ray photolytic organic synthesis, are likely for any circumstellar material in the HD 113766 systems.

Chandra's X-ray Vision

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

1999-07-23

Jul 23, 1999 ... CXO is 13.8 metres long and its solar arrays have a wingspan of. 19.5 metres as shown in ... the Universe (for example, coronae of stars, matter ejected from .... The telescope system and the scientific instruments were put through ..... solve the puzzle about the origin of cosmic X-ray background- one of the ...

Optimization of planar metallic nonrefracting transmission-grating profiles for M/sup th/-order intensity maximization in the soft x-ray range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatchyn, R.; Csonka, P.L.; Lindau, I.

1982-01-01

In this paper, we derive the thickness profiles of metallic transmission-grating bars which maximize either the power throughput into the m/sup th/ diffracted order or the ratio of the m/sup th/-order diffracted power to the total output power (in the soft x-ray range). The derivation is performed for both general and symmetric bar shapes and for the two physically important cases of continuous gratings and gratings with integral bars. The solutions derived are shown to be valid for cases where the optical constants are generalized to be functions of position in a direction perpendicular to the grating bars. Examples of some optimum profiles for gold in the soft x-ray range are computed on the basis of the presented analysis and tabulated for convenient reference. 18 references

Chandra Finds Oxygen and Neon Ring in Ashes of Exploded Star

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has revealed an expanding ring-like structure of oxygen and neon that was hurled into space by the explosion of a massive star. The image of E0102-72 provides unprecedented details about the creation and dispersal of heavy elements necessary to form planets like Earth. The results were reported by Professor Claude Canizares of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, at the 195th national meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Atlanta, Ga. Drs. Kathryn Flanagan, David Davis, and John Houck of MIT collaborated with Canizares in this investigation. E0102-72 is the remnant of a supernova explosion located in our neighbor galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, nearly 200,000 light years away. It was created by the explosion of a star that was more than ten times as massive as our Sun. We are seeing the aftermath of the explosion a thousand or more years after the outburst. Shock waves are heating gas to temperatures of nearly 10 million degrees, so it glows with X-rays that are detected by Chandra's instruments. By using the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETG), astronomers were able to pinpoint the distribution of each chemical element individually and measure the velocities of different parts of the expanding ring. They also show the shock wave in a kind of "freeze-frame," revealing the progressive heating of the stellar matter as it plows into the surrounding gas. This is the first time such detailed X-ray information has ever been obtained for a supernova remnant, and should provide critical clues to the nature of supernovas. The grating spectrometer, which was built by an MIT team led by Canizares, spreads the X-rays according to their wavelength, giving distinct images of the object at specific wavelengths characteristic of each chemical element. Small wavelength shifts caused by the Doppler effect are used to measure the expansion velocities of each element independently. "We've been

X-ray reflection in oxygen-rich accretion discs of ultracompact X-ray binaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madej, O. K.; Garcia, Jeronimo; Jonker, P. G.

2014-01-01

We present spectroscopic X-ray data of two candidate ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs): 4U 0614+091 and 4U 1543-624. We confirm the presence of a broad O viii Ly alpha reflection line (at a parts per thousand 18 angstrom) using XMM-Newton and Chandra observations obtained in 2012 and 2013. The ...

The radio-X-ray relation as a star formation indicator: results from the Very Large Array-Extended Chandra Deep Field-South

Science.gov (United States)

Vattakunnel, S.; Tozzi, P.; Matteucci, F.; Padovani, P.; Miller, N.; Bonzini, M.; Mainieri, V.; Paolillo, M.; Vincoletto, L.; Brandt, W. N.; Luo, B.; Kellermann, K. I.; Xue, Y. Q.

2012-03-01

In order to trace the instantaneous star formation rate (SFR) at high redshift, and thus help in understanding the relation between the different emission mechanisms related to star formation, we combine the recent 4-Ms Chandra X-ray data and the deep Very Large Array radio data in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South region. We find 268 sources detected both in the X-ray and radio bands. The availability of redshifts for ˜95 per cent of the sources in our sample allows us to derive reliable luminosity estimates and the intrinsic properties from X-ray analysis for the majority of the objects. With the aim of selecting sources powered by star formation in both bands, we adopt classification criteria based on X-ray and radio data, exploiting the X-ray spectral features and time variability, taking advantage of observations scattered across more than 10 years. We identify 43 objects consistent with being powered by star formation. We also add another 111 and 70 star-forming candidates detected only in the radio and X-ray bands, respectively. We find a clear linear correlation between radio and X-ray luminosity in star-forming galaxies over three orders of magnitude and up to z˜ 1.5. We also measure a significant scatter of the order of 0.4 dex, higher than that observed at low redshift, implying an intrinsic scatter component. The correlation is consistent with that measured locally, and no evolution with redshift is observed. Using a locally calibrated relation between the SFR and the radio luminosity, we investigate the LX(2-10 keV)-SFR relation at high redshift. The comparison of the SFR measured in our sample with some theoretical models for the Milky Way and M31, two typical spiral galaxies, indicates that, with current data, we can trace typical spirals only at z≤ 0.2, and strong starburst galaxies with SFRs as high as ˜100 M⊙ yr-1, up to z˜ 1.5.

Chandra Independently Determines Hubble Constant

Science.gov (United States)

2006-08-01

A critically important number that specifies the expansion rate of the Universe, the so-called Hubble constant, has been independently determined using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This new value matches recent measurements using other methods and extends their validity to greater distances, thus allowing astronomers to probe earlier epochs in the evolution of the Universe. "The reason this result is so significant is that we need the Hubble constant to tell us the size of the Universe, its age, and how much matter it contains," said Max Bonamente from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Ala., lead author on the paper describing the results. "Astronomers absolutely need to trust this number because we use it for countless calculations." Illustration of Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect Illustration of Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect The Hubble constant is calculated by measuring the speed at which objects are moving away from us and dividing by their distance. Most of the previous attempts to determine the Hubble constant have involved using a multi-step, or distance ladder, approach in which the distance to nearby galaxies is used as the basis for determining greater distances. The most common approach has been to use a well-studied type of pulsating star known as a Cepheid variable, in conjunction with more distant supernovae to trace distances across the Universe. Scientists using this method and observations from the Hubble Space Telescope were able to measure the Hubble constant to within 10%. However, only independent checks would give them the confidence they desired, considering that much of our understanding of the Universe hangs in the balance. Chandra X-ray Image of MACS J1149.5+223 Chandra X-ray Image of MACS J1149.5+223 By combining X-ray data from Chandra with radio observations of galaxy clusters, the team determined the distances to 38 galaxy clusters ranging from 1.4 billion to 9.3 billion

X-ray Optics Development at MSFC

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Dharma P.

2017-01-01

Development of high resolution focusing telescopes has led to a tremendous leap in sensitivity, revolutionizing observational X-ray astronomy. High sensitivity and high spatial resolution X-ray observations have been possible due to use of grazing incidence optics (paraboloid/hyperboloid) coupled with high spatial resolution and high efficiency detectors/imagers. The best X-ray telescope flown so far is mounted onboard Chandra observatory launched on July 23,1999. The telescope has a spatial resolution of 0.5 arc seconds with compatible imaging instruments in the energy range of 0.1 to 10 keV. The Chandra observatory has been responsible for a large number of discoveries and has provided X-ray insights on a large number of celestial objects including stars, supernova remnants, pulsars, magnetars, black holes, active galactic nuclei, galaxies, clusters and our own solar system.

Deepest X-Rays Ever Reveal universe Teeming With Black Holes

Science.gov (United States)

2001-03-01

For the first time, astronomers believe they have proof black holes of all sizes once ruled the universe. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory provided the deepest X-ray images ever recorded, and those pictures deliver a novel look at the past 12 billion years of black holes. Two independent teams of astronomers today presented images that contain the faintest X-ray sources ever detected, which include an abundance of active super massive black holes. "The Chandra data show us that giant black holes were much more active in the past than at present," said Riccardo Giacconi, of Johns Hopkins University and Associated Universities, Inc., Washington, DC. The exposure is known as "Chandra Deep Field South" since it is located in the Southern Hemisphere constellation of Fornax. "In this million-second image, we also detect relatively faint X-ray emission from galaxies, groups, and clusters of galaxies". The images, known as Chandra Deep Fields, were obtained during many long exposures over the course of more than a year. Data from the Chandra Deep Field South will be placed in a public archive for scientists beginning today. "For the first time, we are able to use X-rays to look back to a time when normal galaxies were several billion years younger," said Ann Hornschemeier, Pennsylvania State University, University Park. The group’s 500,000-second exposure included the Hubble Deep Field North, allowing scientists the opportunity to combine the power of Chandra and the Hubble Space Telescope, two of NASA's Great Observatories. The Penn State team recently acquired an additional 500,000 seconds of data, creating another one-million-second Chandra Deep Field, located in the constellation of Ursa Major. Chandra Deep Field North/Hubble Deep Field North Press Image and Caption The images are called Chandra Deep Fields because they are comparable to the famous Hubble Deep Field in being able to see further and fainter objects than any image of the universe taken at X-ray

Using the Chandra Source-Finding Algorithm to Automatically Identify Solar X-ray Bright Points

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Mitzi L.; Tennant, A.; Cirtain, J. M.

2009-01-01

This poster details a technique of bright point identification that is used to find sources in Chandra X-ray data. The algorithm, part of a program called LEXTRCT, searches for regions of a given size that are above a minimum signal to noise ratio. The algorithm allows selected pixels to be excluded from the source-finding, thus allowing exclusion of saturated pixels (from flares and/or active regions). For Chandra data the noise is determined by photon counting statistics, whereas solar telescopes typically integrate a flux. Thus the calculated signal-to-noise ratio is incorrect, but we find we can scale the number to get reasonable results. For example, Nakakubo and Hara (1998) find 297 bright points in a September 11, 1996 Yohkoh image; with judicious selection of signal-to-noise ratio, our algorithm finds 300 sources. To further assess the efficacy of the algorithm, we analyze a SOHO/EIT image (195 Angstroms) and compare results with those published in the literature (McIntosh and Gurman, 2005). Finally, we analyze three sets of data from Hinode, representing different parts of the decline to minimum of the solar cycle.

PROBING X-RAY ABSORPTION AND OPTICAL EXTINCTION IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM USING CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foight, Dillon R.; Slane, Patrick O. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Güver, Tolga [Istanbul University, Science Faculty, Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Beyazıt, 34119, Istanbul (Turkey); Özel, Feryal [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2016-07-20

We present a comprehensive study of interstellar X-ray extinction using the extensive Chandra supernova remnant (SNR) archive and use our results to refine the empirical relation between the hydrogen column density and optical extinction. In our analysis, we make use of the large, uniform data sample to assess various systematic uncertainties in the measurement of the interstellar X-ray absorption. Specifically, we address systematic uncertainties that originate from (i) the emission models used to fit SNR spectra; (ii) the spatial variations within individual remnants; (iii) the physical conditions of the remnant such as composition, temperature, and non-equilibrium regions; and (iv) the model used for the absorption of X-rays in the interstellar medium. Using a Bayesian framework to quantify these systematic uncertainties, and combining the resulting hydrogen column density measurements with the measurements of optical extinction toward the same remnants, we find the empirical relation N {sub H} = (2.87 ± 0.12) × 10{sup 21} A {sub V} cm{sup 2}, which is significantly higher than the previous measurements.

X-Ray Calorimeter Arrays for Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Kilbourne, Caroline A.

2009-01-01

High-resolution x-ray spectroscopy is a powerful tool for studying the evolving universe. The grating spectrometers on the XMM and Chandra satellites started a new era in x-ray astronomy, but there remains a need for instrumentation that can provide higher spectral resolution with high throughput in the Fe-K band (around 6 keV) and can enable imaging spectroscopy of extended sources, such as supernova remnants and galaxy clusters. The instrumentation needed is a broad-band imaging spectrometer - basically an x-ray camera that can distinguish tens of thousands of x-ray colors. The potential benefits to astrophysics of using a low-temperature calorimeter to determine the energy of an incident x-ray photon via measurement of a small change in temperature was first articulated by S. H. Moseley over two decades ago. In the time since, technological progress has been steady, though full realization in an orbiting x-ray telescope is still awaited. A low-temperature calorimeter can be characterized by the type of thermometer it uses, and three types presently dominate the field. The first two types are temperature-sensitive resistors - semiconductors in the metal-insulator transition and superconductors operated in the superconducting-normal transition. The third type uses a paramagnetic thermometer. These types can be considered the three generations of x-ray calorimeters; by now each has demonstrated a resolving power of 2000 at 6 keV, but only a semiconductor calorimeter system has been developed to spaceflight readiness. The Soft X-ray Spectrometer on Astro-H, expected to launch in 2013, will use an array of silicon thermistors with I-IgTe x-ray absorbers that will operate at 50 mK. Both the semiconductor and superconductor calorimeters have been implemented in small arrays, kilo-pixel arrays of the superconducting calorimeters are just now being produced, and it is anticipated that much larger arrays will require the non-dissipative advantage of magnetic thermometers.

NuSTAR Hard X-Ray Survey of the Galactic Center Region. II. X-Ray Point Sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hong, JaeSub; Mori, Kaya; Hailey, Charles J.

2016-01-01

persistent luminous X-ray binaries (XBs) and the likely run-away pulsar called the Cannonball. New source-detection significance maps reveal a cluster of hard (>10 keV) X-ray sources near the Sgr. A diffuse complex with no clear soft X-ray counterparts. The severe extinction observed in the Chandra spectra...

Chandra X-ray Time-Domain Study of Alpha Centauri AB, Procyon, and their Environs

Science.gov (United States)

Ayres, Thomas R.

2018-06-01

For more than a decade, Chandra X-ray Observatory has been monitoring the central AB binary (G2V+K1V) of the α Centauri triple system with semi-annual pointings, using the High-Resolution Camera. This study has been extended in recent years to the mid-F subgiant, Procyon. The main objective is to follow the coronal (T~1MK) activity variations of the three stars, analogous to the Sun's 11-year sunspot cycle. Tentative periods of 20 yr and 8 yr have been deduced for α Cen A and B, respectively; but so far Procyon has shown only a slow, very modest decline in count rate, which could well reflect a slight instrumental degradation rather than intrinsic behavior. The negligible high-energy variability of Procyon sits in stark contrast to the dramatic factor of several to ten changes in the X-ray luminosities of α Cen AB and the Sun over their respective cycles. Further, although sunlike α Cen A has been observed by successive generations of X-ray observatories for nearly four decades, albeit sporadically, there are key gaps in the coverage that affect the determination of the cycle period. In fact, the most recent pointings suggest a downturn in A's count rate that might be signaling a shorter, more solar-like cycle following a delayed minimum in the 2005--2010 time frame (perhaps an exaggerated version of the extended solar minimum between recent Cycles 23 and 24). Beyond the coronal cycles of the three stars, the sequence of periodic X-ray images represents a unique time-domain history concerning steady as well as variable sources in the two 30'x30' fields. The most conspicuous of the variable objects -- in the α Cen field -- will be described here.

A CHANDRA PERSPECTIVE ON GALAXY-WIDE X-RAY BINARY EMISSION AND ITS CORRELATION WITH STAR FORMATION RATE AND STELLAR MASS: NEW RESULTS FROM LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehmer, B. D.; Jenkins, L. P.; Alexander, D. M.; Goulding, A. D.; Roberts, T. P.; Bauer, F. E.; Brandt, W. N.; Ptak, A.

2010-01-01

We present new Chandra observations that complete a sample of seventeen (17) luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) with D H ∼ 20 cm -2 . The LIRGs in our sample have total infrared (8-1000 μm) luminosities in the range of L IR ∼ (1-8) x 10 11 L sun . The high-resolution imaging and X-ray spectral information from our Chandra observations allow us to measure separately X-ray contributions from active galactic nuclei and normal galaxy processes (e.g., X-ray binaries and hot gas). We utilized total infrared plus UV luminosities to estimate star formation rates (SFRs) and K-band luminosities and optical colors to estimate stellar masses (M * ) for the sample. Under the assumption that the galaxy-wide 2-10 keV luminosity (L gal HX ) traces the combined emission from high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) and low-mass X-ray binaries, and that the power output from these components is linearly correlated with SFR and M * , respectively, we constrain the relation L gal HX = αM * + βSFR. To achieve this, we construct a Chandra-based data set composed of our new LIRG sample combined with additional samples of less actively star-forming normal galaxies and more powerful LIRGs and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) from the literature. Using these data, we measure best-fit values of α = (9.05 ± 0.37) x 10 28 erg s -1 M -1 sun and β = (1.62 ± 0.22) x 10 39 erg s -1 (M sun yr -1 ) -1 . This scaling provides a more physically meaningful estimate of L gal HX , with ∼0.1-0.2 dex less scatter, than a direct linear scaling with SFR. Our results suggest that HMXBs dominate the galaxy-wide X-ray emission for galaxies with SFR/M * ∼>5.9 x 10 -11 yr -1 , a factor of ∼2.9 times lower than previous estimates. We find that several of the most powerful LIRGs and ULIRGs, with SFR/M * ∼> 10 -9 yr -1 , appear to be X-ray underluminous with respect to our best-fit relation. We argue that these galaxies are likely to contain X-ray binaries residing in compact star-forming regions

CHANDRA CHARACTERIZATION OF X-RAY EMISSION IN THE YOUNG F-STAR BINARY SYSTEM HD 113766

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lisse, C. M. [Planetary Exploration Branch, Space Exploration Sector, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Christian, D. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330 (United States); Wolk, S. J. [Chandra X-ray Center, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Günther, H. M. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, NE83-569, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Chen, C. H. [STScI, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Grady, C. A., E-mail: carey.lisse@jhuapl.edu, E-mail: damian.christian@csun.edu, E-mail: swolk@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: hgunther@mit.edu, E-mail: cchen@stsci.edu, E-mail: carol.a.grady@nasa.gov [Eureka Scientific and Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, NASA-GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2017-02-01

Using Chandra , we have obtained imaging X-ray spectroscopy of the 10–16 Myr old F-star binary HD 113766. We individually resolve the 1.″4 separation binary components for the first time in the X-ray and find a total 0.3–2.0 keV luminosity of 2.2 × 10{sup 29} erg s{sup −1}, consistent with previous RASS estimates. We find emission from the easternmost, infrared-bright, dusty member HD 113766A to be only ∼10% that of the western, infrared-faint member HD 113766B. There is no evidence for a 3rd late-type stellar or substellar member of HD 113766 with L {sub x} > 6 × 10{sup 25} erg s{sup −1} within 2′ of the binary pair. The ratio of the two stars’ X-ray luminosity is consistent with their assignments as F2V and F6V by Pecaut et al. The emission is soft for both stars, kT {sub Apec} = 0.30–0.50 keV, suggesting X-rays produced by stellar rotation and/or convection in young dynamos, but not accretion or outflow shocks, which we rule out. A possible 2.8 ± 0.15 (2 σ ) hr modulation in the HD 113766B X-ray emission is seen, but at very low confidence and of unknown provenance. Stellar wind drag models corresponding to L {sub x} ∼ 2 × 10{sup 29} erg s{sup −1} argue for a 1 mm dust particle lifetime around HD 113766B of only ∼90,0000 years, suggesting that dust around HD 113766B is quickly removed, whereas 1 mm sized dust around HD 113766A can survive for >1.5 × 10{sup 6} years. At 10{sup 28}–10{sup 29} erg s{sup −1} X-ray luminosity, astrobiologically important effects, like dust warming and X-ray photolytic organic synthesis, are likely for any circumstellar material in the HD 113766 systems.

Optics Developments for X-Ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Ramsey, Brian

2014-01-01

X-ray optics has revolutionized x-ray astronomy. The degree of background suppression that these afford, have led to a tremendous increase in sensitivity. The current Chandra observatory has the same collecting area (approx. 10(exp 3)sq cm) as the non-imaging UHURU observatory, the first x-ray observatory which launched in 1970, but has 5 orders of magnitude more sensitivity due to its focusing optics. In addition, its 0.5 arcsec angular resolution has revealed a wealth of structure in many cosmic x-ray sources. The Chandra observatory achieved its resolution by using relatively thick pieces of Zerodur glass, which were meticulously figured and polished to form the four-shell nested array. The resulting optical assembly weighed around 1600 kg, and cost approximately $0.5B. The challenge for future x-ray astronomy missions is to greatly increase the collecting area (by one or more orders of magnitude) while maintaining high angular resolution, and all within realistic mass and budget constraints. A review of the current status of US optics for x-ray astronomy will be provided along with the challenges for future developments.

The Ultracompact Nature of the Black Hole Candidate X-Ray Binary 47 Tuc X9

Science.gov (United States)

Bahramian, Arash; Heinke, Craig O.; Tudor, Vlad; Miller-Jones, James C. A.; Bogdanov, Slavko; Maccarone, Thomas J.; Knigge, Christian; Sivakoff, Gregory R.; Chomiuk, Laura; Strader, J.;

CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF A 1.9 kpc SEPARATION DOUBLE X-RAY SOURCE IN A CANDIDATE DUAL ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS GALAXY AT z = 0.16

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comerford, Julia M.; Pooley, David; Gerke, Brian F.; Madejski, Greg M.

2011-01-01

We report Chandra observations of a double X-ray source in the z = 0.1569 galaxy SDSS J171544.05+600835.7. The galaxy was initially identified as a dual active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidate based on the double-peaked [O III] λ5007 emission lines, with a line-of-sight velocity separation of 350 km s -1 , in its Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectrum. We used the Kast Spectrograph at Lick Observatory to obtain two long-slit spectra of the galaxy at two different position angles, which reveal that the two Type 2 AGN emission components have not only a velocity offset, but also a projected spatial offset of 1.9 h -1 70 kpc on the sky. Chandra/ACIS observations of two X-ray sources with the same spatial offset and orientation as the optical emission suggest that the galaxy most likely contains Compton-thick dual AGNs, although the observations could also be explained by AGN jets. Deeper X-ray observations that reveal Fe K lines, if present, would distinguish between the two scenarios. The observations of a double X-ray source in SDSS J171544.05+600835.7 are a proof of concept for a new, systematic detection method that selects promising dual AGN candidates from ground-based spectroscopy that exhibits both velocity and spatial offsets in the AGN emission features.

Grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding the European XFEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serkez, Svitozar; Kocharyan, Vitali; Saldin, Evgeni [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Geloni, Gianluca [European XFEL GmbH, Hamburg (Germany)

2013-02-15

Self-seeding is a promising approach to significantly narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs to produce nearly transform-limited pulses. The implementation of this method in the soft X-ray wavelength range necessarily involves gratings as dispersive elements. We study a very compact self-seeding scheme with a grating monochromator originally designed at SLAC, which can be straightforwardly installed in the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without entrance slit. It covers the spectral range from 300 eV to 1000 eV. The optical system was studied using wave optics method (in comparison with ray tracing) to evaluate the performance of the self-seeding scheme. Our wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations, and errors from each optical element. Wave optics is the only method available, in combination with FEL simulations, for the design of a self-seeding monochromator without exit slit. We show that, without exit slit, the self-seeding scheme is distinguished by the much needed experimental simplicity, and can practically give the same resolving power (about 7000) as with an exit slit. Wave optics is also naturally applicable to calculations of the self-seeding scheme efficiency, which include the monochromator transmittance and the effect of the mismatching between seed beam and electron beam. Simulations show that the FEL power reaches 1 TW and that the spectral density for a TW pulse is about two orders of magnitude higher than that for the SASE pulse at saturation.

Grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding the European XFEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serkez, Svitozar; Kocharyan, Vitali; Saldin, Evgeni; Geloni, Gianluca

2013-02-01

Self-seeding is a promising approach to significantly narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs to produce nearly transform-limited pulses. The implementation of this method in the soft X-ray wavelength range necessarily involves gratings as dispersive elements. We study a very compact self-seeding scheme with a grating monochromator originally designed at SLAC, which can be straightforwardly installed in the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without entrance slit. It covers the spectral range from 300 eV to 1000 eV. The optical system was studied using wave optics method (in comparison with ray tracing) to evaluate the performance of the self-seeding scheme. Our wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations, and errors from each optical element. Wave optics is the only method available, in combination with FEL simulations, for the design of a self-seeding monochromator without exit slit. We show that, without exit slit, the self-seeding scheme is distinguished by the much needed experimental simplicity, and can practically give the same resolving power (about 7000) as with an exit slit. Wave optics is also naturally applicable to calculations of the self-seeding scheme efficiency, which include the monochromator transmittance and the effect of the mismatching between seed beam and electron beam. Simulations show that the FEL power reaches 1 TW and that the spectral density for a TW pulse is about two orders of magnitude higher than that for the SASE pulse at saturation.

HST/ACS IMAGING OF OMEGA CENTAURI: OPTICAL COUNTERPARTS OF CHANDRA X-RAY SOURCES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cool, Adrienne M.; Arias, Tersi; Brochmann, Michelle; Dorfman, Jason; Gafford, April; White, Vivian; Haggard, Daryl; Anderson, Jay

2013-01-01

We present results of a search for optical counterparts of X-ray sources in and toward the globular cluster Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) using the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. The ACS data consist of a mosaic of Wide Field Channel images obtained using F625W, F435W, and F658N filters; with nine pointings we cover the central ∼10' × 10' of the cluster and encompass 109 known Chandra sources. We find promising optical counterparts for 59 of the sources, ∼40 of which are likely to be associated with the cluster. These include 27 candidate cataclysmic variables (CVs), 24 of which are reported here for the first time. Fourteen of the CV candidates are very faint, with absolute magnitudes in the range M 625 =10.4-12.6, making them comparable in brightness to field CVs near the period minimum discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Additional optical counterparts include three BY Dra candidates, a possible blue straggler, and a previously reported quiescent low-mass X-ray binary. We also identify 3 foreground stars and 11 probable active galactic nuclei. Finally, we report the discovery of a group of seven stars whose X-ray properties are suggestive of magnetically active binaries, and whose optical counterparts lie on or very near the metal-rich anomalous giant and subgiant branches in ω Cen. If the apparent association between these seven stars and the RGB/SGB-a stars is real, then the frequency of X-ray sources in this metal-rich population is enhanced by a factor of at least five relative to the other giant and subgiant populations in the cluster. If these stars are not members of the metal-rich population, then they bring the total number of red stragglers (also known as sub-subgiants) that have been identified in ω to Cen 20, the largest number yet known in any globular cluster.

HST/ACS Imaging of Omega Centauri: Optical Counterparts of Chandra X-Ray Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Cool, Adrienne M.; Haggard, Daryl; Arias, Tersi; Brochmann, Michelle; Dorfman, Jason; Gafford, April; White, Vivian; Anderson, Jay

2013-02-01

We present results of a search for optical counterparts of X-ray sources in and toward the globular cluster Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) using the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. The ACS data consist of a mosaic of Wide Field Channel images obtained using F625W, F435W, and F658N filters; with nine pointings we cover the central ~10' × 10' of the cluster and encompass 109 known Chandra sources. We find promising optical counterparts for 59 of the sources, ~40 of which are likely to be associated with the cluster. These include 27 candidate cataclysmic variables (CVs), 24 of which are reported here for the first time. Fourteen of the CV candidates are very faint, with absolute magnitudes in the range M 625 =10.4-12.6, making them comparable in brightness to field CVs near the period minimum discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Additional optical counterparts include three BY Dra candidates, a possible blue straggler, and a previously reported quiescent low-mass X-ray binary. We also identify 3 foreground stars and 11 probable active galactic nuclei. Finally, we report the discovery of a group of seven stars whose X-ray properties are suggestive of magnetically active binaries, and whose optical counterparts lie on or very near the metal-rich anomalous giant and subgiant branches in ω Cen. If the apparent association between these seven stars and the RGB/SGB-a stars is real, then the frequency of X-ray sources in this metal-rich population is enhanced by a factor of at least five relative to the other giant and subgiant populations in the cluster. If these stars are not members of the metal-rich population, then they bring the total number of red stragglers (also known as sub-subgiants) that have been identified in ω to Cen 20, the largest number yet known in any globular cluster.

Metrology of variable-line-spacing x-ray gratings using the APS Long Trace Profiler

Science.gov (United States)

Sheung, Janet; Qian, Jun; Sullivan, Joseph; Thomasset, Muriel; Manton, Jonathan; Bean, Sunil; Takacs, Peter; Dvorak, Joseph; Assoufid, Lahsen

2017-09-01

As resolving power targets have increased with each generation of beamlines commissioned in synchrotron radiation facilities worldwide, diffraction gratings are quickly becoming crucial optical components for meeting performance targets. However, the metrology of variable-line-spacing (VLS) gratings for high resolution beamlines is not widespread; in particular, no metrology facility at any US DOE facility is currently equipped to fully characterize such gratings. To begin to address this issue, the Optics Group at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne, in collaboration with SOLEIL and with support from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), has developed an alternative beam path addition to the Long Trace Profiler (LTP) at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source. This significantly expands the functionality of the LTP not only to measure mirrors surface slope profile at normal incidence, but also to characterize the groove density of VLS diffraction gratings in the Littrow incidence up to 79°, which covers virtually all diffraction gratings used at synchrotrons in the first order. The LTP light source is a 20mW HeNe laser, which yields enough signal for diffraction measurements to be performed on low angle blazed gratings optimized for soft X-ray wavelengths. We will present the design of the beam path, technical requirements for the optomechanics, and our data analysis procedure. Finally, we discuss challenges still to be overcome and potential limitations with use of the LTP to perform metrology on diffraction gratings.

Hard-x-ray phase-difference microscopy with a low-brilliance laboratory x-ray source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuwabara, Hiroaki; Yashiro, Wataru; Harasse, Sebastien; Momose, Atsushi; Mizutani, Haruo

2011-01-01

We have developed a hard-X-ray phase-imaging microscopy method using a low-brilliance X-ray source. The microscope consists of a sample, a Fresnel zone plate, a transmission grating, and a source grating creating an array of mutually incoherent X-ray sources. The microscope generates an image exhibiting twin features of the sample with opposite signs separated by a distance, which is processed to generate a phase image. The method is quantitative even for non-weak-phase objects that are difficult to be quantitatively examined by the widely used Zernike phase-contrast microscopy, and it has potentially broad applications in the material and biological science fields. (author)

Simultaneous Chandra and VLA Observations of the Transitional Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1023+0038: Anti-correlated X-Ray and Radio Variability

Science.gov (United States)

Bogdanov, Slavko; Deller, Adam T.; Miller-Jones, James C. A.; Archibald, Anne M.; Hessels, Jason W. T.; Jaodand, Amruta; Patruno, Alessandro; Bassa, Cees; D’Angelo, Caroline

2018-03-01

We present coordinated Chandra X-ray Observatory and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 in its low-luminosity accreting state. The unprecedented five hours of strictly simultaneous X-ray and radio continuum coverage for the first time unambiguously show a highly reproducible, anti-correlated variability pattern. The characteristic switches from the X-ray high mode into a low mode are always accompanied by a radio brightening with a duration that closely matches the X-ray low mode interval. This behavior cannot be explained by a canonical inflow/outflow accretion model where the radiated emission and the jet luminosity are powered by, and positively correlated with, the available accretion energy. We interpret this phenomenology as alternating episodes of low-level accretion onto the neutron star during the X-ray high mode that are interrupted by rapid ejections of plasma by the active rotation-powered pulsar, possibly initiated by a reconfiguration of the pulsar magnetosphere, that cause a transition to a less X-ray luminous mode. The observed anti-correlation between radio and X-ray luminosity has an additional consequence: transitional MSPs can make excursions into a region of the radio/X-ray luminosity plane previously thought to be occupied solely by black hole X-ray binary sources. This complicates the use of this luminosity relation for identifying candidate black holes, suggesting the need for additional discriminants when attempting to establish the true nature of the accretor.

Intraday X-Ray Variability of QSOs/AGN Using the Chandra Archives

Science.gov (United States)

Tartamella, C.; Busche, J.

2005-05-01

X-ray variability is a common characteristic of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), and it can be used to probe the nuclear region at short time scales. Quantitative analysis of this variability has been difficult due to low signal-to-noise ratios and short time baselines, but serendipitous Chandra data acquired within the last six years have opened the door to such analysis. Cross-correlation of the Chandra archives with QSO/AGN catalogs on NASA's HEASARC website (e.g. Veron, Sloan) yields a sample of 50+ objects that satisfy the following criteria: absolute magnitude M≤ -22.5, proper time baselines greater than 2 hours, and count rates leading to 10% error bars for 8+ flux points on the light curve. The sample includes a range of red-shifts, magnitudes, and type (e.g. radio loud, radio quiet), and hence may yield empirical clues about luminosity or evolutionary trends. As a beginning of such analysis, we present 11 light curves for 9 objects for which the exposure time was greater than 10 hours. The variability was analyzed using three different statistical methods. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test proved to be impractical because of the unavoidably small number of data points and the simplistic nature of the test. A χ2 test indicated in most cases that there were significant departures from constant brightness (as expected). Autocorrelation plots were also generated for each light curve. With more work and a larger sample size, these plots can be used to identify any trends in the lightcurve such as whether the variability is stochastic or periodic in nature. This test was useful even with the small number of datapoints available. In future work, more sophisticated analyses based on Fourier series, power density spectra, or wavelets are likely to yield more meaningful and useful results.

Synchrotron radiation calibration for soft X-ray detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ning, Jiamin; Guo, Cun; Xu, Rongkun; Jiang, Shilun; Xu, Zeping; Chen, Jinchuan; Xia, Guangxin; Xue, Feibiao; Qin, Yi

2009-04-01

The calibration experiments were carried out to X-ray film, scintillator and transmission grating by employing the soft X-ray station at 3W1B beam-line in Beijing synchrotron Radiation Facility. The experiments presented the black intensity curve and energy response curve of soft X-ray film. And the experimental results can be used in diagnosis of X-ray radiation characterization of Z-pinch, such as in the measurement of soft X-ray Power Meter, grating spectrometer, pinhole camera and one-dimension imaging system which can ensure precision of Z-pinch results. (authors)

Measurements and simulations analysing the noise behaviour of grating-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, T., E-mail: thomas.weber@physik.uni-erlangen.de [University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, ECAP - Erlangen Center for Astroparticle Physics, Erwin-Rommel-Str. 1, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Bartl, P.; Durst, J. [University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, ECAP - Erlangen Center for Astroparticle Physics, Erwin-Rommel-Str. 1, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Haas, W. [University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, ECAP - Erlangen Center for Astroparticle Physics, Erwin-Rommel-Str. 1, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Pattern Recognition Lab, Martensstr. 3, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Michel, T.; Ritter, A.; Anton, G. [University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, ECAP - Erlangen Center for Astroparticle Physics, Erwin-Rommel-Str. 1, 91058 Erlangen (Germany)

2011-08-21

In the last decades, phase-contrast imaging using a Talbot-Lau grating interferometer is possible even with a low-brilliance X-ray source. With the potential of increasing the soft-tissue contrast, this method is on its way into medical imaging. For this purpose, the knowledge of the underlying physics of this technique is necessary. With this paper, we would like to contribute to the understanding of grating-based phase-contrast imaging by presenting results on measurements and simulations regarding the noise behaviour of the differential phases. These measurements were done using a microfocus X-ray tube with a hybrid, photon-counting, semiconductor Medipix2 detector. The additional simulations were performed by our in-house developed phase-contrast simulation tool 'SPHINX', combining both wave and particle contributions of the simulated photons. The results obtained by both of these methods show the same behaviour. Increasing the number of photons leads to a linear decrease of the standard deviation of the phase. The number of used phase steps has no influence on the standard deviation, if the total number of photons is held constant. Furthermore, the probability density function (pdf) of the reconstructed differential phases was analysed. It turned out that the so-called von Mises distribution is the physically correct pdf, which was also confirmed by measurements. This information advances the understanding of grating-based phase-contrast imaging and can be used to improve image quality.

X-ray hot plasma diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cojocaru, E.

1984-11-01

X-ray plasma emission study is powerful diagnostic tool of hot plasmas. In this review article the main techniques of X-ray plasma emission measurement are shortly presented: X-ray spectrometry using absorbent filters, crystal and grating spectrometers, imaging techniques using pinhole cameras, X-ray microscopes and Fresnel zone plate cameras, X-ray plasma emission calorimetry. Advances in these techniques with examples for different hot plasma devices are also presentes. (author)

A Catalog of Candidate Intermediate-Luminosity X-Ray Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E. J. M.; Ptak, A. F.

2002-11-01

ROSAT, and now Chandra, X-ray images allow studies of extranuclear X-ray point sources in galaxies other than our own. X-ray observations of normal galaxies with ROSAT and Chandra have revealed that off-nuclear, compact, intermediate-luminosity (LX[2-10keV]>=1039.0 ergs s-1) X-ray objects (IXOs, a.k.a. ULXs [ultraluminous X-ray sources]) are quite common. Here we present a catalog and finding charts for 87 IXOs in 54 galaxies, derived from all of the ROSAT HRI imaging data for galaxies with cz<=5000 km s-1 from the Third Reference Catalog of Bright Galaxies. We have defined the cutoff LX for IXOs so that it is well above the Eddington luminosity of a 1.4 Msolar black hole (1038.3 ergs s-1), so as not to confuse IXOs with ``normal'' black hole X-ray binaries. This catalog is intended to provide a baseline for follow-up work with Chandra and XMM-Newton, and with space- and ground-based survey work at wavelengths other than X-ray. We demonstrate that elliptical galaxies with IXOs have a larger number of IXOs per galaxy than nonelliptical galaxies with IXOs and note that they are not likely to be merely high-mass X-ray binaries with beamed X-ray emission, as may be the case for IXOs in starburst galaxies. Approximately half of the IXOs with multiple observations show X-ray variability, and many (19) of the IXOs have faint optical counterparts in DSS optical B-band images. Follow-up observations of these objects should be helpful in identifying their nature.

Revisiting the Short-term X-ray Spectral Variability of NGC 4151 with Chandra

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junfeng; Risaliti, G.; Fabbiano, G.; Elvis, M.; Zezas, A.; Karovska, M.

2010-05-01

We present new X-ray spectral data for the Seyfert 1 nucleus in NGC 4151 observed with Chandra for ~200 ks. A significant ACIS pileup is present, resulting in a nonlinear count rate variation during the observation. With pileup corrected spectral fitting, we are able to recover the spectral parameters and find consistency with those derived from unpiled events in the ACIS readout streak and outer region from the bright nucleus. The absorption corrected 2-10 keV flux of the nucleus varied between 6 × 10-11 erg s-1 cm-2 and 10-10 erg s-1 cm-2 (L 2-10 keV ~ 1.3-2.1 × 1042 erg s-1). Similar to earlier Chandra studies of NGC 4151 at a historical low state, the photon indices derived from the same absorbed power-law model are Γ ~ 0.7-0.9. However, we show that Γ is highly dependent on the adopted spectral models. Fitting the power-law continuum with a Compton reflection component gives Γ ~ 1.1. By including passage of non-uniform X-ray obscuring clouds, we can reproduce the apparent flat spectral states with Γ ~ 1.7, typical for Seyfert 1 active galactic nuclei. The same model also fits the hard spectra from previous ASCA "long look" observation of NGC 4151 in the lowest flux state. The spectral variability during our observation can be interpreted as variations in intrinsic soft continuum flux relative to a Compton reflection component that is from distant cold material and constant on short timescale, or variations of partially covering absorber in the line of sight toward the nucleus. An ionized absorber model with ionization parameter log ξ ~ 0.8-1.1 can also fit the low-resolution ACIS spectra. If the partial covering model is correct, adopting a black hole mass M_{BH}˜ 4.6× 10^7 M sun we constrain the distance of the obscuring cloud from the central black hole to be r <~ 9 lt-day, consistent with the size of the broad emission line region of NGC 4151 from optical reverberation mapping.

Noise analysis of grating-based x-ray differential phase-contrast imaging with angular signal radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faiz, Wali; Gao Kun; Wu Zhao; Wei Chen-Xi; Zan Gui-Bin; Tian Yang-Chao; Bao Yuan; Zhu Pei-Ping

2017-01-01

X-ray phase-contrast imaging is one of the novel techniques, and has potential to enhance image quality and provide the details of inner structures nondestructively. In this work, we investigate quantitatively signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of grating-based x-ray phase contrast imaging (GBPCI) system by employing angular signal radiography (ASR). Moreover, photon statistics and mechanical error that is a major source of noise are investigated in detail. Results show the dependence of SNR on the system parameters and the effects on the extracted absorption, refraction and scattering images. Our conclusions can be used to optimize the system design for upcoming practical applications in the areas such as material science and biomedical imaging. (paper)

Spatially resolving a starburst galaxy at hard X-ray energies: NuSTAR, CHANDRA, AND VLBA observations of NGC 253

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wik, D. R.; Lehmer, B. D.; Hornschemeier, A. E.

2014-01-01

for the first time. As a follow up to our initial study of its nuclear region, we present the first results concerning the full galaxy from simultaneous NuSTAR, Chandra, and Very Long Baseline Array monitoring of the local starburst galaxy NGC 253. Above ~10 keV, nearly all the emission is concentrated within...... is detected at E > 40 keV. We report upper limits on diffuse inverse Compton emission for a range of spatial models. For the most extended morphologies considered, these hard X-ray constraints disfavor a dominant inverse Compton component to explain the γ-ray emission detected with Fermi and H.E.S.S. If NGC...

Chandra Sees Remarkable Eclipse of Black Hole

Science.gov (United States)

2007-04-01

A remarkable eclipse of a supermassive black hole and the hot gas disk around it has been observed with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This eclipse has allowed two key predictions about the effects of supermassive black holes to be tested. Just as eclipses of the Sun and moon give astronomers rare opportunities to learn about those objects, an alignment in a nearby galaxy has provided a rare opportunity to investigate a supermassive black hole. Illustrations of Black Hole Eclipse Illustrations of Black Hole Eclipse The supermassive black hole is located in NGC 1365, a galaxy 60 million light years from Earth. It contains a so called active galactic nucleus, or AGN. Scientists believe that the black hole at the center of the AGN is fed by a steady stream of material, presumably in the form of a disk. Material just about to fall into a black hole should be heated to millions of degrees before passing over the event horizon, or point of no return. The disk of gas around the central black hole in NGC 1365 produces copious X-rays but is much too small to resolve directly with a telescope. However, the disk was eclipsed by an intervening cloud, so observation of the time taken for the disk to go in and out of eclipse allowed scientists to estimate the size of the disk. Black Hole Animation Black Hole Animation "For years we've been struggling to confirm the size of this X-ray structure," said Guido Risaliti of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Mass, and the Italian Institute of Astronomy (INAF). "This serendipitous eclipse enabled us to make this breakthrough." The Chandra team directly measured the size of the X-ray source as about seven times the distance between the Sun and the Earth. That means the source of X-rays is about 2 billion times smaller than the host galaxy and only about 10 times larger than the estimated size of the black hole's event horizon, consistent with theoretical predictions. Chandra X-ray Image of NGC 1365

X-Ray and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Dim X-Ray Point Sources Constituting the Galactic Ridge X-Ray Emission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumiko Morihana

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We present the results of X-ray and Near-Infrared observations of the Galactic Ridge X-ray Emission (GRXE. We extracted 2,002 X-ray point sources in the Chandra Bulge Field (l =0°.113, b = 1°.424 down to ~10-14.8 ergscm-2s-1 in 2-8 keV band with the longest observation (900 ks of the GRXE. Based on X-ray brightness and hardness, we classied the X-ray point sources into three groups: A (hard, B (soft and broad spectrum, and C (soft and peaked spectrum. In order to know populations of the X-ray point sources, we carried out NIR imaging and spectroscopy observation. We identied 11% of X-ray point sources with NIR and extracted NIR spectra for some of them. Based on X-ray and NIR properties, we concluded that non-thermal sources in the group A are mostly active galactic nuclei and the thermal sources are mostly white dwarf binaries such as cataclysmic variables (CVs and Pre-CVs. We concluded that the group B and C sources are X-ray active stars in flare and quiescence, respectively.

Planetary Protection: X-ray Super-Flares Aid Formation of "Solar Systems"

Science.gov (United States)

2005-05-01

New results from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory imply that X-ray super-flares torched the young Solar System. Such flares likely affected the planet-forming disk around the early Sun, and may have enhanced the survival chances of Earth. By focusing on the Orion Nebula almost continuously for 13 days, a team of scientists used Chandra to obtain the deepest X-ray observation ever taken of this or any star cluster. The Orion Nebula is the nearest rich stellar nursery, located just 1,500 light years away. These data provide an unparalleled view of 1400 young stars, 30 of which are prototypes of the early Sun. The scientists discovered that these young suns erupt in enormous flares that dwarf - in energy, size, and frequency -- anything seen from the Sun today. Illustration of Large Flares Illustration of Large Flares "We don't have a time machine to see how the young Sun behaved, but the next best thing is to observe Sun-like stars in Orion," said Scott Wolk of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. "We are getting a unique look at stars between one and 10 million years old - a time when planets form." A key result is that the more violent stars produce flares that are a hundred times as energetic as the more docile ones. This difference may specifically affect the fate of planets that are relatively small and rocky, like the Earth. "Big X-ray flares could lead to planetary systems like ours where Earth is a safe distance from the Sun," said Eric Feigelson of Penn State University in University Park, and principal investigator for the international Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project. "Stars with smaller flares, on the other hand, might end up with Earth-like planets plummeting into the star." Animation of X-ray Flares from a Young Sun Animation of X-ray Flares from a "Young Sun" According to recent theoretical work, X-ray flares can create turbulence when they strike planet-forming disks, and this affects the position of rocky planets as they

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Intermediate-luminosity X-ray objects catalog (Colbert+, 2002)

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E. J. M.; Ptak, A. F.

2002-11-01

ROSAT, and now Chandra, X-ray images allow studies of extranuclear X-ray point sources in galaxies other than our own. X-ray observations of normal galaxies with ROSAT and Chandra have revealed that off-nuclear, compact, intermediate-luminosity (LX[2-10keV]>=1039erg/s) X-ray objects (IXOs, a.k.a. ULXs [ultraluminous X-ray sources]) are quite common. Here we present a catalog and finding charts for 87 IXOs in 54 galaxies, derived from all of the ROSAT HRI imaging data for galaxies with cz<=5000km/s from the Third Reference Catalog of Bright Galaxies. (2 data files).

THE X-RAY HALO OF CEN X-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, Thomas W. J.; Rothschild, Richard E.

2009-01-01

Using two Chandra observations, we have derived estimates of the dust distribution and distance to the eclipsing high-mass X-ray binary Cen X-3 using the energy-resolved dust-scattered X-ray halo. By comparing the observed X-ray halos in 200 eV bands from 2-5 keV to the halo profiles predicted by the Weingartner and Draine interstellar grain model, we find that the vast majority (∼ 70%) of the dust along the line of sight to the system is located within about 300 pc of the Sun, although the halo measurements are insensitive to dust very close to the source. One of the Chandra observations occurred during an egress from eclipse as the pulsar emerged from behind the mass-donating primary. By comparing model halo light curves during this transition to the halo measurements, a source distance of 5.7 ± 1.5 kpc (68% confidence level) is estimated, although we find this result depends on the distribution of dust on very small scales. Nevertheless, this value is marginally inconsistent with the commonly accepted distance to Cen X-3 of 8 kpc. We also find that the energy scaling of the scattering optical depth predicted by the Weingartner and Draine interstellar grain model does not accurately represent the results determined by X-ray halo studies of Cen X-3. Relative to the model, there appears to be less scattering at low energies or more scattering at high energies in Cen X-3.

CHANDRA DETECTION OF A NEW DIFFUSE X-RAY COMPONENT FROM THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER 47 TUCANAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, E. M. H.; Cheng, K. S. [Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong); Hui, C. Y. [Department of Astronomy and Space Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kong, A. K. H.; Tam, P. H. T. [Institute of Astronomy and Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Dogiel, V. A., E-mail: cyhui@cnu.ac.kr [I. E. Tamm Theoretical Physics Division of P. N. Lebedev Institute of Physics, Leninskii pr. 53, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2014-06-20

In re-analyzing the archival Chandra data of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, we have detected a new diffuse X-ray emission feature within the half-mass radius of the cluster. The spectrum of the diffuse emission can be described by a power-law model plus a plasma component with photon index Γ ∼ 1.0 and plasma temperature kT ∼ 0.2 keV. While the thermal component is apparently uniform, the non-thermal contribution falls off exponentially from the core. The observed properties could possibly be explained in the context of multiple shocks resulting from the collisions among the stellar wind in the cluster and the inverse Compton scattering between the pulsar wind and the relic photons.

NARROW-LINE X-RAY-SELECTED GALAXIES IN THE CHANDRA -COSMOS FIELD. I. OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPIC CATALOG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pons, E.; Watson, M. G. [University of Leicester, Leicester (United Kingdom); Elvis, M.; Civano, F. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (United States)

2016-04-20

The COSMOS survey is a large and deep survey with multiwavelength observations of sources from X-rays to the UV, allowing an extensive study of their properties. The central 0.9 deg{sup 2} of the COSMOS field have been observed by Chandra with a sensitivity up to 1.9 × 10{sup −16} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} in the full (0.5–10 keV) band. Photometric and spectroscopic identification of the Chandra -COSMOS (C-COSMOS) sources is available from several catalogs and campaigns. Despite the fact that the C-COSMOS galaxies have a reliable spectroscopic redshift in addition to a spectroscopic classification, the emission-line properties of this sample have not yet been measured. We present here the creation of an emission-line catalog of 453 narrow-line sources from the C-COSMOS spectroscopic sample. We have performed spectral fitting for the more common lines in galaxies ([O ii] λ 3727, [Ne iii] λ 3869, H β , [O iii] λλ 4959, 5007, H α , and [N ii] λλ 6548, 6584). These data provide an optical classification for 151 (i.e., 33%) of the C-COSMOS narrow-line galaxies based on emission-line diagnostic diagrams.

X-ray wavefront characterization using a rotating shearing interferometer technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongchang; Sawhney, Kawal; Berujon, Sébastien; Ziegler, Eric; Rutishauser, Simon; David, Christian

2011-08-15

A fast and accurate method to characterize the X-ray wavefront by rotating one of the two gratings of an X-ray shearing interferometer is described and investigated step by step. Such a shearing interferometer consists of a phase grating mounted on a rotation stage, and an absorption grating used as a transmission mask. The mathematical relations for X-ray Moiré fringe analysis when using this device are derived and discussed in the context of the previous literature assumptions. X-ray beam wavefronts without and after X-ray reflective optical elements have been characterized at beamline B16 at Diamond Light Source (DLS) using the presented X-ray rotating shearing interferometer (RSI) technique. It has been demonstrated that this improved method allows accurate calculation of the wavefront radius of curvature and the wavefront distortion, even when one has no previous information on the grating projection pattern period, magnification ratio and the initial grating orientation. As the RSI technique does not require any a priori knowledge of the beam features, it is suitable for routine characterization of wavefronts of a wide range of radii of curvature. © 2011 Optical Society of America

X-ray Point Source Populations in Spiral and Elliptical Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Weaver, K.; Strickland, D.

2002-01-01

The hard-X-ray luminosity of non-active galaxies has been known to be fairly well correlated with the total blue luminosity since the days of the Einstein satellite. However, the origin of this hard component was not well understood. Some possibilities that were considered included X-ray binaries, extended upscattered far-infrared light via the inverse-Compton process, extended hot 107 K gas (especially in ellipitical galaxies), or even an active nucleus. Chandra images of normal, elliptical and starburst galaxies now show that a significant amount of the total hard X-ray emission comes from individual point sources. We present here spatial and spectral analyses of the point sources in a small sample of Chandra obervations of starburst galaxies, and compare with Chandra point source analyses from comparison galaxies (elliptical, Seyfert and normal galaxies). We discuss possible relationships between the number and total hard luminosity of the X-ray point sources and various measures of the galaxy star formation rate, and discuss possible options for the numerous compact sources that are observed.

Dissecting Diffuse X-ray Emission in 30 Doradus with T-ReX

Science.gov (United States)

Townsley, Leisa K.; Broos, Patrick

2017-08-01

30 Doradus (the Tarantula Nebula) offers us a microscope on starburst astrophysics, having endured 25 Myrs of the birth and death of the most massive stars known. Across 30 Dor's 250-pc extent, stellar winds and supernovae have carved its ISM into an amazing display of arcs, pillars, and bubbles. For over 40 years, we have also known that 30 Dor is a bright X-ray emitter, so its familiar stars and cold ISM structures suffer irradiation by multi-million-degree plasmas. The 2-Ms Chandra X-ray Visionary Project ``The Tarantula -- Revealed by X-rays'' (T-ReX) exploits Chandra's fine spatial resolution and the ACIS-I field of view to study ISM interfaces on 1--10 pc scales across the entire 30 Dor complex. Here we give preliminary results from ongoing analyses of these data, focusing on the diffuse X-ray emission. Massive star winds and cavity supernovae over the millenia have contributed to a broad mix of X-ray-emitting plasmas and absorbing columns, showing that 30 Dor's hot ISM is just as complex and confusing as that seen at colder temperatures.

Searching for faint AGN in the CDFS: an X-ray (Chandra) vs optical variability (HST) comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgantopoulos, I.; Pouliasis, E.; Bonanos, A.; Sokolovsky, K.; Yang, M.; Hatzidimitriou, D.; Bellas, I.; Gavras, P.; Spetsieri, Z.

2017-10-01

X-ray surveys are believed to be the most efficient way to detect AGN. Recently though, optical variability studies are claimed to probe even fainter AGN. We are presenting results from an HST study aimed to identify Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) through optical variability selection in the CDFS.. This work is part of the 'Hubble Catalogue of Variables'project of ESA that aims to identify variable sources in the Hubble Source Catalogue.' In particular, we used Hubble Space Telescope (HST) z-band images taken over 5 epochs and performed aperture photometry to derive the lightcurves of the sources. Two statistical methods (standard deviation & interquartile range) resulting in a final sample of 175 variable AGN candidates, having removed the artifacts by visual inspection and known stars and supernovae. The fact that the majority of the sources are extended and variable indicates AGN activity. We compare the efficiency of the method by comparing with the 7Ms Chandra detections. Our work shows that the optical variability probes AGN at comparable redshifts but at deeper optical magnitudes. Our candidate AGN (non detected in X-rays) have luminosities of L_x<6×10^{40} erg/sec at z˜0.7 suggesting that these are associated with low luminosity Seyferts and LINERS.

Studies in the X-Ray Emission of Clusters of Galaxies and Other Topics

Science.gov (United States)

Vrtilek, Jan; Thronson, Harley (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The paper discusses the following: (1) X-ray study of groups of galaxies with Chandra and XMM. (2) X-ray properties of point sources in Chandra deep fields. (3) Study of cluster substructure using wavelet techniques. (4) Combined study of galaxy clusters with X-ray and the S-Z effect. Groups of galaxies are the fundamental building blocks of large scale structure in the Universe. X-ray study of the intragroup medium offers a powerful approach to addressing some of the major questions that still remain about almost all aspects of groups: their ages, origins, importance of composition of various galaxy types, relations to clusters, and origin and enrichment of the intragroup gas. Long exposures with Chandra have opened new opportunities for the study of X-ray background. The presence of substructure within clusters of galaxies has substantial implications for our understanding of cluster evolution as well as fundamental questions in cosmology.

A Joint Chandra and Swift View of the 2015 X-ray Dust-scattering Echo of V404 Cygni

Science.gov (United States)

Heinz, S.; Corrales, L.; Smith, R.; Brandt, W. N.; Jonker, P. G.; Plotkin, R. M.; Neilsen, J.

2016-07-01

We present a combined analysis of the Chandra and Swift observations of the 2015 X-ray echo of V404 Cygni. Using a stacking analysis, we identify eight separate rings in the echo. We reconstruct the soft X-ray light curve of the 2015 June outburst using the high-resolution Chandra images and cross-correlations of the radial intensity profiles, indicating that about 70% of the outburst fluence occurred during the bright flare at the end of the outburst on MJD 57199.8. By deconvolving the intensity profiles with the reconstructed outburst light curve, we show that the rings correspond to eight separate dust concentrations with precise distance determinations. We further show that the column density of the clouds varies significantly across the field of view, with the centroid of most of the clouds shifted toward the Galactic plane, relative to the position of V404 Cyg, invalidating the assumption of uniform cloud column typically made in attempts to constrain dust properties from light echoes. We present a new XSPEC spectral dust-scattering model that calculates the differential dust-scattering cross section for a range of commonly used dust distributions and compositions and use it to jointly fit the entire set of Swift echo data. We find that a standard Mathis-Rumpl-Nordsieck model provides an adequate fit to the ensemble of echo data. The fit is improved by allowing steeper dust distributions, and models with simple silicate and graphite grains are preferred over models with more complex composition.

CIAO: A Modern Data Analysis System for X-Ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Fruscione, Antonella

2017-08-01

It is now eighteen years after launch and Chandra continues to produce spectacular results!A portion of the success is to be attributed to the data analysis software CIAO (Chandra Interactive Analysis of Observations) that the Chandra X-Ray Center (CXC) continues to improve and release year after year.CIAO is downloaded more than 1200 times a year and it is used by a wide variety of users around the world: from novice to experienced X-ray astronomers, high school, undergraduate and graduate students, archival users (many new to X-ray or Chandra data), users with extensive resources and others from smaller countries and institutions.The scientific goals and kinds of datasets and analysis cover a wide range: observations spanning from days to years, different instrument configurations and different kinds of targets, from pointlike stars and quasars, to fuzzy galaxies and clusters, to moving solar objects. These different needs and goals require a variety of specialized software and careful and detailed documentation which is what the CIAO software provides. In general, we strive to build a software system which is easy for beginners, yet powerful for advanced users.The complexity of the Chandra data require a flexible data analysis system which provides an environment where the users can apply our tools, but can also explore and construct their own applications. The main purpose of this talk is to present CIAO as a modern data analysis system for X-ray data analysis.CIAO has grown tremendously over the years and we will highlight (a) the most recent advancements with a particular emphasis on the newly developed high-level scripts which simplify the analysis steps for the most common cases making CIAO more accessible to all users - including beginners and users who are not X-ray astronomy specialists, (b) the python-based Sherpa modelling and fitting application and the new stand-alone version openly developed and distributed on Github and (c) progress on methods to

LONG-TERM X-RAY STABILITY AND ULTRAVIOLET VARIABILITY OF THE IONIZED ABSORPTION IN NGC 3783

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, A. E.; Brandt, W. N. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Behar, E.; Kaspi, S. [Department of Physics, Technion, Haifa 32000 (Israel); Crenshaw, D. M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, 25 Park Place, Suite 605, Atlanta, GA 30303 (United States); Gabel, J. R. [Physics Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178 (United States); Gibson, R. R. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Kraemer, S. B. [Institute for Astrophysics and Computational Sciences, Department of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064 (United States); Turner, T. J., E-mail: amyscott@psu.edu [Department of Physics, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States)

2014-12-20

We present the results of recent Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer and Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observations of the nearby Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3783, which show a strong, nonvarying X-ray warm absorber and physically related and kinematically varying UV absorption. We compare our new observations to high-resolution, high signal-to-noise archival data from 2001, allowing a unique investigation into the long-term variations of the absorption over a 12 yr period. We find no statistically significant changes in the physical properties of the X-ray absorber, but there is a significant drop of ∼40% in the UV and X-ray flux and a significant flattening of the underlying X-ray power-law slope. Large kinematic changes are seen in the UV absorbers, possibly due to radial deceleration of the material. Similar behavior is not observed in the X-ray data, likely due to its lower-velocity resolution, which shows an outflow velocity of v {sub out} ∼ –655 km s{sup –1} in both epochs. The narrow iron Kα emission line at 6.4 keV shows no variation between epochs, and its measured width places the material producing the line at a radial distance of ∼0.03 pc from the central black hole.

Design of a compact high-energy setup for x-ray phase-contrast imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Schüttler, Markus; Yaroshenko, Andre; Bech, Martin; Potdevin, Guillaume; Malecki, Andreas; Chabior, Michael; Wolf, Johannes; Tapfer, Arne; Meiser, Jan; Kunka, Danays; Amberger, Maximilian; Mohr, Jürgen; Pfeiffer, Franz

2014-03-01

The main shortcoming of conventional biomedical x-ray imaging is the weak soft-tissue contrast caused by the small differences in the absorption coefficients between different materials. This issue can be addressed by x-ray phasesensitive imaging approaches, e.g. x-ray Talbot-Lau grating interferometry. The advantage of the three-grating Talbot-Lau approach is that it allows to acquire x-ray phase-contrast and dark-field images with a conventional lab source. However, through the introduction of the grating interferometer some constraints are imposed on the setup geometry. In general, the grating pitch and the mean x-ray energy determine the setup dimensions. The minimal length of the setup increases linearly with energy and is proportional to p2, where p is the grating pitch. Thus, a high-energy (100 keV) compact grating-based setup for x-ray imaging can be realized only if gratings with aspect-ratio of approximately 300 and a pitch of 1-2 μm were available. However, production challenges limit the availability of such gratings. In this study we consider the use of non-binary phase-gratings as means of designing a more compact grating interferometer for phase-contrast imaging. We present simulation and experimental data for both monochromatic and polychromatic case. The results reveal that phase-gratings with triangular-shaped structures yield visibilities that can be used for imaging purposes at significantly shorter distances than binary gratings. This opens the possibility to design a high-energy compact setup for x-ray phase-contrast imaging. Furthermore, we discuss different techniques to achieve triangular-shaped phase-shifting structures.

Adjustable Grazing-Incidence X-Ray Optics

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dell, Stephen L.; Reid, Paul B.

2015-01-01

With its unique subarcsecond imaging performance, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory illustrates the importance of fine angular resolution for x-ray astronomy. Indeed, the future of x-ray astronomy relies upon x-ray telescopes with comparable angular resolution but larger aperture areas. Combined with the special requirements of nested grazing-incidence optics, mass, and envelope constraints of space-borne telescopes render such advances technologically and programmatically challenging. The goal of this technology research is to enable the cost-effective fabrication of large-area, lightweight grazing-incidence x-ray optics with subarcsecond resolution. Toward this end, the project is developing active x-ray optics using slumped-glass mirrors with thin-film piezoelectric arrays for correction of intrinsic or mount-induced distortions.

Revealing the nature of the ULX and X-ray population of the spiral galaxy NGC 4088

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mezcua, M. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Fabbiano, G. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Gladstone, J. C. [Department of Physics, University of Alberta, 11322-89 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G7 (Canada); Farrell, S. A. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Soria, R., E-mail: mmezcua@iac.es [International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia)

2014-04-20

We present the first Chandra and Swift X-ray study of the spiral galaxy NGC 4088 and its ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX N4088-X1). We also report very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations at 1.6 and 5 GHz performed quasi-simultaneously with the Swift and Chandra observations, respectively. Fifteen X-ray sources are detected by Chandra within the D25 ellipse of NGC 4088, from which we derive the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of this galaxy. We find the XLF is very similar to those of star-forming galaxies and estimate a star-formation rate of 4.5 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. The Chandra detection of the ULX yields its most accurate X-ray position, which is spatially coincident with compact radio emission at 1.6 GHz. The ULX Chandra X-ray luminosity, L {sub 0.2-10.0} {sub keV} = 3.4 × 10{sup 39} erg s{sup –1}, indicates that N4088-X1 could be located at the high-luminosity end of the high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) population of NGC 4088. The estimates of the black hole (BH) mass and ratio of radio to X-ray luminosity of N4088-X1 rule out a supermassive BH nature. The Swift X-ray spectrum of N4088-X1 is best described by a thermal Comptonization model and presents a statistically significant high-energy cutoff. We conclude that N4088-X1 is most likely a stellar remnant BH in an HMXB, probably fed by Roche lobe overflow, residing in a super-Eddington ultraluminous state. The 1.6 GHz VLBI source is consistent with radio emission from possible ballistic jet ejections in this state.

A Deep Chandra ACIS Study of NGC 4151. I. The X-ray Morphology of the 3 kpc Diameter Circum-nuclear Region and Relation to the Cold Interstellar Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Risaliti, Guido; Elvis, Martin; Karovska, Margarita; Zezas, Andreas; Mundell, Carole G.; Dumas, Gaelle; Schinnerer, Eva

2011-03-01

We report on the imaging analysis of ~200 ks sub-arcsecond resolution Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS-S) observations of the nearby Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151. Bright, structured soft X-ray emission is observed to extend from 30 pc to 1.3 kpc in the southwest from the nucleus, much farther than seen in earlier X-ray studies. The terminus of the northeastern X-ray emission is spatially coincident with a CO gas lane, where the outflow likely encounters dense gas in the host galactic disk. X-ray emission is also detected outside the boundaries of the ionization cone, which indicates that the gas there is not completely shielded from the nuclear continuum, as would be the case for a molecular torus collimating the bicone. In the central r < 200 pc region, the subpixel processing of the ACIS data recovers the morphological details on scales of <30 pc (<0farcs5) first discovered in Chandra High Resolution Camera images. The X-ray emission is more absorbed toward the boundaries of the ionization cone, as well as perpendicular to the bicone along the direction of a putative torus in NGC 4151. The innermost region where X-ray emission shows the highest hardness ratio is spatially coincident with the near-infrared-resolved H2 emission and dusty spirals we find in an Hubble Space Telescope V - H color image. The agreement between the observed H2 line flux and the value predicted from X-ray-irradiated molecular cloud models supports photo-excitation by X-rays from the active nucleus as the origin of the H2 line, although contribution from UV fluorescence or collisional excitation cannot be ruled out with current data. The discrepancy between the mass of cold molecular gas inferred from recent CO and near-infrared H2 observations may be explained by the anomalous CO abundance in this X-ray-dominated region. The total H2 mass derived from the X-ray observation agrees with the recent measurement by Storchi-Bergmann et al.

Chandra Images Provide New Vision of Cosmic Explosions

Science.gov (United States)

1999-09-01

Images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory released today reveal previously unobserved features in the remnants of three different supernova explosions. Two of the remnants G21.5-0.9 and PSR 0540-69 show dramatic details of the prodigious production of energetic particles by a rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron star, as well as the enormous shell structures produced by the explosions. The image of the third remnant, E0102-72, reveals puzzling spoke-like structures in its interior. G21.5-0.9, in the constellation of Scutum, is about 16,000 light years (1 light year = 6 trillion miles) from Earth. Chandra's image shows a bright nebula surrounded by a much larger diffuse cloud. Inside the inner nebula is a bright central source that is thought to be a rapidly rotating highly magnetized neutron star. A rotating neutron star acts like a powerful generator, creating intense electric voltages that accelerate electrons to speeds close to the speed of light. The total output of this generator is greater than a thousand suns. The fluffy appearance of the central nebula is thought to be due to magnetic field lines which constrain the motions of the high-energy electrons. "It's a remarkable image," said Dr. Patrick Slane of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "Neither the inner core nor the outer shell has ever been seen before." "It is as though we have a set of Russian dolls, with structures embedded within structures," said Professor Gordon Garmire of Penn State University, and principal investigator of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer, the X-ray camera that was used to make two of the images. NASA's project scientist, Dr. Martin Weisskopf of the Marshall Space Flight Center said, "Chandra's capability to provide surprises and insights continues." PSR 0540-69 PSR 0540-69 The existence of a rotating neutron star, or pulsar, in the center of G21.5-0.9 is inferred from the appearance of the nebula and the energy distribution of X-rays and radio

X-ray phase imaging-From static observation to dynamic observation-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momose, A.; Yashiro, W.; Olbinado, M. P.; Harasse, S.

2012-01-01

We are attempting to expand the technology of X-ray grating phase imaging/tomography to enable dynamic observation. X-ray phase imaging has been performed mainly for static cases, and this challenge is significant since properties of materials (and hopefully their functions) would be understood by observing their dynamics in addition to their structure, which is an inherent advantage of X-ray imaging. Our recent activities in combination with white synchrotron radiation for this purpose are described. Taking advantage of the fact that an X-ray grating interferometer functions with X-rays of a broad energy bandwidth (and therefore high flux), movies of differential phase images and visibility images are obtained with a time resolution of a millisecond. The time resolution of X-ray phase tomography can therefore be a second. This study is performed as a part of a project to explore X-ray grating interferometry, and our other current activities are also briefly outlined.

The Chandra Source Catalog: X-ray Aperture Photometry

Science.gov (United States)

Kashyap, Vinay; Primini, F. A.; Glotfelty, K. J.; Anderson, C. S.; Bonaventura, N. R.; Chen, J. C.; Davis, J. E.; Doe, S. M.; Evans, I. N.; Evans, J. D.; Fabbiano, G.; Galle, E. C.; Gibbs, D. G., II; Grier, J. D.; Hain, R.; Hall, D. M.; Harbo, P. N.; He, X.; Houck, J. C.; Karovska, M.; Lauer, J.; McCollough, M. L.; McDowell, J. C.; Miller, J. B.; Mitschang, A. W.; Morgan, D. L.; Nichols, J. S.; Nowak, M. A.; Plummer, D. A.; Refsdal, B. L.; Rots, A. H.; Siemiginowska, A. L.; Sundheim, B. A.; Tibbetts, M. S.; van Stone, D. W.; Winkelman, S. L.; Zografou, P.

2009-09-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) represents a reanalysis of the entire ACIS and HRC imaging observations over the 9-year Chandra mission. We describe here the method by which fluxes are measured for detected sources. Source detection is carried out on a uniform basis, using the CIAO tool wavdetect. Source fluxes are estimated post-facto using a Bayesian method that accounts for background, spatial resolution effects, and contamination from nearby sources. We use gamma-function prior distributions, which could be either non-informative, or in case there exist previous observations of the same source, strongly informative. The current implementation is however limited to non-informative priors. The resulting posterior probability density functions allow us to report the flux and a robust credible range on it.

Spectral state transitions of the Ultraluminous X-ray Source IC 342 X-1

Science.gov (United States)

Marlowe, H.; Kaaret, P.; Lang, C.; Feng, H.; Grisé, F.; Miller, N.; Cseh, D.; Corbel, S.; Mushotzky, R. F.

2014-10-01

We observed the Ultraluminous X-ray Source (ULX) IC 342 X-1 simultaneously in X-ray and radio with Chandra and the JVLA to investigate previously reported unresolved radio emission coincident with the ULX. The Chandra data reveal a spectrum that is much softer than observed previously and is well modelled by a thermal accretion disc spectrum. No significant radio emission above the rms noise level was observed within the region of the ULX, consistent with the interpretation as a thermal state though other states cannot be entirely ruled out with the current data. We estimate the mass of the black hole using the modelled inner disc temperature to be 30 M_{⊙} ≲ M√{cosi}≲ 200 M_{⊙} based on a Shakura-Sunyaev disc model. Through a study of the hardness and high-energy curvature of available X-ray observations, we find that the accretion state of X-1 is not determined by luminosity alone.

Chandra Discovers Light Echo from the Milky Way's Black Hole

Science.gov (United States)

2007-01-01

Like cold case investigators, astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to uncover evidence of a powerful outburst from the giant black hole at the Milky Way's center. A light echo was produced when X-ray light generated by gas falling into the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, known as Sagittarius A* (pronounced "A-star"), was reflected off gas clouds near the black hole. While the primary X-rays from the outburst would have reached Earth about 50 years ago, the reflected X-rays took a longer path and arrived in time to be recorded by Chandra. Variability in Chandra Images of Light Echo Variability in Chandra Images of Light Echo "This dramatic event happened before we had satellites in space that could detect it," said Michael Muno of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "So, it's remarkable that we can use Chandra to dig into the past and see this monster black hole's capacity for destruction." Previously, scientists have used Chandra to directly detect smaller and more recent outbursts from the black hole. This latest outburst revealed by the X-ray echo was about 1,000 times brighter and lasted well over 1,000 times longer than any of the recent outbursts observed by Chandra. Theory predicts that an outburst from Sagittarius A* would cause X-ray emission from the clouds to vary in both intensity and shape. Muno and his team found these changes for the first time, thus ruling out other interpretations. The latest results corroborate other independent, but indirect, evidence for light echoes generated by the black hole in the more distant past. Illustrations of Light Echo Illustrations of Light Echo Scientists have long known that Sagittarius A*, with a mass of about 3 million suns, lurked at the center for Milky Way. However, the black hole is incredibly faint at all wavelengths, especially in X-rays. "This faintness implies that stars and gas rarely get close enough to the black hole to be in any danger," said co-author Frederick

High-Resolution X-Ray Spectroscopy of Galactic Supernova Remnants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoru Katsuda

2014-12-01

Full Text Available High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs, based on grating spectrometers onboard XMM-Newton and Chandra, has been revealing a variety of new astrophysical phenomena. Broadened oxygen lines for a northwestern compact knot in SN 1006 clearly show a high oxygen temperature of ~300 keV. The high temperature together with a lower electron temperature (kTe ~ 1 keV can be reasonably interpreted as temperature non-equilibration between electrons and oxygen behind a collisionless shock. An ejecta knot in the Puppis A SNR shows blueshifted line emission by ~ 1500kms-1. The line widths are fairly narrow in contrast to the SN 1006's knot; an upper limit of 0.9 eV is obtained for O VIII Lyα, which translates to an oxygen temperature of kTO < 30 keV. The low temperature suggests that the knot was heated by a reverse shock whose velocity is 4 times slower than that of a forward shock. Anomalous intensity ratios in O VII Heα lines, i.e., a stronger forbidden line than a resonance line, is found in a cloud-shock interaction region in Puppis A. The line ratio can be best explained by the charge-exchange emission that should arise at interfaces between the cold/warm clouds and the hot plasma. There are several other targets for which we plan to analyze high-quality grating data prior to the operation of the soft X-ray spectrometer onboard Astro-H.

A DEEP X-RAY VIEW OF THE BARE AGN ARK 120. I. REVEALING THE SOFT X-RAY LINE EMISSION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reeves, J. N.; Braito, V. [Center for Space Science and Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States); Porquet, D. [Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l’Université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France); Nardini, E. [Astrophysics Group, School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG (United Kingdom); Lobban, A. [Dept of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Turner, T. J., E-mail: jreeves@umbc.edu, E-mail: j.n.reeves@keele.ac.uk [Department of Physics, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States)

2016-09-10

The Seyfert 1 galaxy Ark 120 is a prototype example of the so-called class of bare nucleus active galactic nuclei (AGNs), whereby there is no known evidence for the presence of ionized gas along the direct line of sight. Here deep (>400 ks exposure), high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of Ark 120 is presented from XMM-Newton observations that were carried out in 2014 March, together with simultaneous Chandra /High Energy Transmission Grating exposures. The high-resolution spectra confirmed the lack of intrinsic absorbing gas associated with Ark 120, with the only X-ray absorption present originating from the interstellar medium (ISM) of our own Galaxy, with a possible slight enhancement of the oxygen abundance required with respect to the expected ISM values in the solar neighborhood. However, the presence of several soft X-ray emission lines are revealed for the first time in the XMM-Newton RGS spectrum, associated with the AGN and arising from the He- and H-like ions of N, O, Ne, and Mg. The He-like line profiles of N, O, and Ne appear velocity broadened, with typical FWHMs of ∼5000 km s{sup −1}, whereas the H-like profiles are unresolved. From the clean measurement of the He-like triplets, we deduce that the broad lines arise from a gas of density n {sub e} ∼ 10{sup 11} cm{sup −3}, while the photoionization calculations infer that the emitting gas covers at least 10% of 4 π steradian. Thus the broad soft X-ray profiles appear coincident with an X-ray component of the optical–UV broad-line region on sub-parsec scales, whereas the narrow profiles originate on larger parsec scales, perhaps coincident with the AGN narrow-line region. The observations show that Ark 120 is not intrinsically bare and substantial X-ray-emitting gas exists out of our direct line of sight toward this AGN.

Spectacular X-ray Jet Points Toward Cosmic Energy Booster

Science.gov (United States)

2000-06-01

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has revealed a spectacular luminous spike of X rays that emanates from the vicinity of a giant black hole in the center of the radio galaxy Pictor A. The spike, or jet, is due to a beam of particles that streaks across hundreds of thousands of light years of intergalactic space toward a brilliant X-ray hot spot that marks its end point. Pictor A Image Press Image and Caption The hot spot is at least 800 thousand light years (8 times the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy) away from where the jet originates. It is thought to represent the advancing head of the jet, which brightens conspicuously where it plows into the tenuous gas of intergalactic space. The jet, powered by the giant black hole, originates from a region of space no bigger than the solar system. "Both the brightness and the spectrum of the X rays are very different from what theory predicts," Professor Andrew Wilson reported today at the 196th national meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Rochester, New York. Wilson, of the University of Maryland, College Park, along with Dr. Patrick Shopbell and Dr. Andrew Young, also of the University of Maryland, are submitting an article on this research to the Astrophysical Journal. "The Chandra observations are telling us that something out there is producing many more high-energy particles than we expected," said Wilson. One possible explanation for the X rays is that shock waves along the side and head of the X-ray jet are accelerating electrons and possibly protons to speeds close to that of light. In the process the electrons are boosted to energies as high as 100 million times their own rest mass energy. These electrons lose their energy rapidly as they produce X rays, so this could be the first direct evidence of this process so far outside a galaxy. The hot spot has been seen with optical and radio telescopes. Radio telescopes have also observed a faint jet. Jets are thought to be produced by the extreme

New insights into the X-ray properties of nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, L. P.; Brnadt, W. N.; Colbert, E. J. M.; Levan, A. J.; Roberts, T. P.; Ward, M. J.; Zezas, A.

2008-02-01

We present some preliminary results from new Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations of the nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC1672. It shows dramatic nuclear and extra-nuclear star formation activity, including starburst regions located near each end of its strong bar, both of which host ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). With the new high-spatial-resolution Chandra imaging, we show for the first time that NGC1672 possesses a faint ($L(X)~10^39 erg/s), hard central X-ray source surrounded by an X-ray bright circumnuclear starburst ring that dominates the X-ray emission in the region. The central source may represent low-level AGN activity, or alternatively the emission from X-ray binaries associated with star-formation in the nucleus.

Design and optimization of the grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding FELs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serkez, Svitozar

2015-10-15

The emergence of Free Electron Lasers (FEL) as a fourth generation of light sources is a breakthrough. FELs operating in the X-ray range (XFEL) allow one to carry out completely new experiments that probably most of the natural sciences would benefit. Self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) is the baseline FEL operation mode: the radiation pulse starts as a spontaneous emission from the electron bunch and is being amplified during an FEL process until it reaches saturation. The SASE FEL radiation usually has poor properties in terms of a spectral bandwidth or, on the other side, longitudinal coherence. Self-seeding is a promising approach to narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs significantly in order to produce nearly transformlimited pulses. It is achieved by the radiation pulse monochromatization in the middle of an FEL amplification process. Following the successful demonstration of the self-seeding setup in the hard X-ray range at the LCLS, there is a need for a self-seeding extension into the soft X-ray range. Here a numerical method to simulate the soft X-ray self seeding (SXRSS) monochromator performance is presented. It allows one to perform start-to-end self-seeded FEL simulations along with (in our case) GENESIS simulation code. Based on this method, the performance of the LCLS self-seeded operation was simulated showing a good agreement with an experiment. Also the SXRSS monochromator design developed in SLAC was adapted for the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The optical system was studied using Gaussian beam optics, wave optics propagation method and ray tracing to evaluate the performance of the monochromator itself. Wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations and height errors from each optical element. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without both entrance and exit

Design and optimization of the grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding FELs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serkez, Svitozar

2015-10-01

The emergence of Free Electron Lasers (FEL) as a fourth generation of light sources is a breakthrough. FELs operating in the X-ray range (XFEL) allow one to carry out completely new experiments that probably most of the natural sciences would benefit. Self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) is the baseline FEL operation mode: the radiation pulse starts as a spontaneous emission from the electron bunch and is being amplified during an FEL process until it reaches saturation. The SASE FEL radiation usually has poor properties in terms of a spectral bandwidth or, on the other side, longitudinal coherence. Self-seeding is a promising approach to narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs significantly in order to produce nearly transformlimited pulses. It is achieved by the radiation pulse monochromatization in the middle of an FEL amplification process. Following the successful demonstration of the self-seeding setup in the hard X-ray range at the LCLS, there is a need for a self-seeding extension into the soft X-ray range. Here a numerical method to simulate the soft X-ray self seeding (SXRSS) monochromator performance is presented. It allows one to perform start-to-end self-seeded FEL simulations along with (in our case) GENESIS simulation code. Based on this method, the performance of the LCLS self-seeded operation was simulated showing a good agreement with an experiment. Also the SXRSS monochromator design developed in SLAC was adapted for the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The optical system was studied using Gaussian beam optics, wave optics propagation method and ray tracing to evaluate the performance of the monochromator itself. Wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations and height errors from each optical element. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without both entrance and exit

Multiwavelength study of Chandra X-ray sources in the Antennae

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, D. M.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Brandl, B. R.; Wilson, J. C.; Carson, J. C.; Henderson, C. P.; Hayward, T. L.; Barry, D. J.; Ptak, A. F.; Colbert, E. J. M.

2011-01-01

We use Wide-field InfraRed Camera (WIRC) infrared (IR) images of the Antennae (NGC 4038/4039) together with the extensive catalogue of 120 X-ray point sources to search for counterpart candidates. Using our proven frame-tie technique, we find 38 X-ray sources with IR counterparts, almost doubling the number of IR counterparts to X-ray sources that we first identified. In our photometric analysis, we consider the 35 IR counterparts that are confirmed star clusters. We show that the clusters with X-ray sources tend to be brighter, Ks≈ 16 mag, with (J-Ks) = 1.1 mag. We then use archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of the Antennae to search for optical counterparts to the X-ray point sources. We employ our previous IR-to-X-ray frame-tie as an intermediary to establish a precise optical-to-X-ray frame-tie with <0.6 arcsec rms positional uncertainty. Due to the high optical source density near the X-ray sources, we determine that we cannot reliably identify counterparts. Comparing the HST positions to the 35 identified IR star cluster counterparts, we find optical matches for 27 of these sources. Using Bruzual-Charlot spectral evolutionary models, we find that most clusters associated with an X-ray source are massive, and young, ˜ 106 yr.

Monitoring Chandra Observations of the Quasi-persistent Neutron Star X-Ray Transient MXB 1659-29 in Quiescence: The Cooling Curve of the Heated Neutron Star Crust

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijnands, R.A.D.; Homan, J.; Miller, J.M.; Lewin, W.H.G.

2004-01-01

We have observed the quasi-persistent neutron star X-ray transient and eclipsing binary MXB 1659-29 in quiescence on three occasions with Chandra. The purpose of our observations was to monitor the quiescent behavior of the source after its last prolonged (~2.5 yr) outburst that ended in 2001

Quantitative breast tissue characterization using grating-based x-ray phase-contrast imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Willner, M.; Herzen, J.; Grandl, S.; Auweter, S.; Mayr, D.; Hipp, A.; Chabior, M.; Sarapata, A.; Achterhold, K.; Zanette, I.; Weitkamp, T.; Sztrókay, A.; Hellerhoff, K.; Reiser, M.; Pfeiffer, F.

2014-04-01

X-ray phase-contrast imaging has received growing interest in recent years due to its high capability in visualizing soft tissue. Breast imaging became the focus of particular attention as it is considered the most promising candidate for a first clinical application of this contrast modality. In this study, we investigate quantitative breast tissue characterization using grating-based phase-contrast computed tomography (CT) at conventional polychromatic x-ray sources. Different breast specimens have been scanned at a laboratory phase-contrast imaging setup and were correlated to histopathology. Ascertained tumor types include phylloides tumor, fibroadenoma and infiltrating lobular carcinoma. Identified tissue types comprising adipose, fibroglandular and tumor tissue have been analyzed in terms of phase-contrast Hounsfield units and are compared to high-quality, high-resolution data obtained with monochromatic synchrotron radiation, as well as calculated values based on tabulated tissue properties. The results give a good impression of the method’s prospects and limitations for potential tumor detection and the associated demands on such a phase-contrast breast CT system. Furthermore, the evaluated quantitative tissue values serve as a reference for simulations and the design of dedicated phantoms for phase-contrast mammography.

Development of full-field x-ray phase-tomographic microscope based on laboratory x-ray source

Science.gov (United States)

Takano, H.; Wu, Y.; Momose, A.

2017-09-01

An X-ray phase tomographic microscope that can quantitatively measure the refractive index of a sample in three dimensions with a high spatial resolution was developed by installing a Lau interferometer consisting of an absorption grating and a π/2 phase grating into the optics of an X-ray microscope. The optics comprises a Cu rotating anode X-ray source, capillary condenser optics, and a Fresnel zone plate for the objective. The microscope has two optical modes: a large-field-of-view mode (field of view: 65 μm x 65 μm) and a high-resolution mode (spatial resolution: 50 nm). Optimizing the parameters of the interferometer yields a self-image of the phase grating with 60% visibility. Through the normal fringe-scanning measurement, a twin phase image, which has an overlap of two phase image of opposite contrast with a shear distance much larger than system resolution, is generated. Although artifacts remain to some extent currently when a phase image is calculated from the twin phase image, this system can obtain high-spatial-resolution images resolving 50-nm structures. Phase tomography with this system has also been demonstrated using a phase object.

Chandra High Resolution Imaging of NGC 1365 and NGC 4151

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, G.; Elvis, M.; Risaliti, G.; Karovska, M.; Zezas, A.; Mazzarella, J. M.; Lord, S.; Howell, J. H.; Mundell, C. G.

2010-07-01

We present Chandra high resolution imaging of the circumnuclear regions of two nearby active galaxies, namely the starburst/AGN composite Seyfert 1.8 NGC 1365 and the archetypal Seyfert 1 NGC 4151. In NGC 1365, the X-ray morphology shows a biconical soft X-ray-emission region extending ~5 kpc in projection from the nucleus, coincident with the optical high-excitation outflows. Chandra HRC imaging of the NGC 4151 nucleus resolves X-ray emission from the 4 arcsec radio jet and the narrow line region (NLR) clouds. Our results demonstrate the unique power of spatially resolved spectroscopy with Chandra, and support previous claims that frequent jet-ISM interaction may explain why jets in Seyfert galaxies appear small, slow, and thermally dominated.

Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the low-luminosity X-ray pulsators SAX J1324.4−6200 and SAX J1452.8−5949

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaur, R.; Wijnands, R.; Patruno, A.; Testa, V.; Israel, G.; Degenaar, N.; Paul, B.; Kumar, B.

2009-01-01

We present results from our Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of two low-luminosity X-ray pulsators SAX J1324.4-6200 and SAX J1452.8-5949 which have spin periods of 172 and 437 s, respectively. The XMM-Newton spectra for both sources can be fitted well with a simple power-law model of photon

The X-Ray Luminosity Functions of Field Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries in Early-Type Galaxies: Evidence for a Stellar Age Dependence

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmer, B. D.; Berkeley, M.; Zezas, A.; Alexander, D. M.; Basu-Zych, A.; Bauer, F. E.; Brandt, W. N.; Fragos, T.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Kalogera, V.;

Jet Power and Black Hole Assortment Revealed in New Chandra Image

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

A dramatic new Chandra image of the nearby galaxy Centaurus A provides one of the best views to date of the effects of an active supermassive black hole. Opposing jets of high-energy particles can be seen extending to the outer reaches of the galaxy, and numerous smaller black holes in binary star systems are also visible. The image was made from an ultra-deep look at the galaxy Centaurus A, equivalent to more than seven days of continuous observations. Centaurus A is the nearest galaxy to Earth that contains a supermassive black hole actively powering a jet. X-ray Image of Centaurus A, Labeled X-ray Image of Centaurus A, Labeled A prominent X-ray jet extending for 13,000 light years points to the upper left in the image, with a shorter "counterjet" aimed in the opposite direction. Astronomers think that such jets are important vehicles for transporting energy from the black hole to the much larger dimensions of a galaxy, and affecting the rate at which stars form there. High-energy electrons spiraling around magnetic field lines produce the X-ray emission from the jet and counterjet. This emission quickly saps the energy from the electrons, so they must be continually reaccelerated or the X-rays will fade out. Knot-like features in the jets detected in the Chandra image show where the acceleration of particles to high energies is currently occurring, and provides important clues to understanding the process that accelerates the electrons to near-light speeds. People Who Read This Also Read... NASA’s Swift Satellite Catches First Supernova in The Act of Exploding Black Holes Have Simple Feeding Habits Chandra Data Reveal Rapidly Whirling Black Holes Erratic Black Hole Regulates Itself The inner part of the X-ray jet close to the black hole is dominated by these knots of X-ray emission, which probably come from shock waves -- akin to sonic booms -- caused by the jet. Farther from the black hole there is more diffuse X-ray emission in the jet. The cause of particle

X-ray Binaries in the Central Region of M31

Science.gov (United States)

Trudolyubov, Sergey P.; Priedhorsky, W. C.; Cordova, F. A.

2006-09-01

We present the results of the systematic survey of X-ray sources in the central region of M31 using the data of XMM-Newton observations. The spectral properties and variability of 124 bright X-ray sources were studied in detail. We found that more than 80% of sources observed in two or more observations show significant variability on the time scales of days to years. At least 50% of the sources in our sample are spectrally variable. The fraction of variable sources in our survey is much higher than previously reported from Chandra survey of M31, and is remarkably close to the fraction of variable sources found in M31 globular cluster X-ray source population. We present spectral distribution of M31 X-ray sources, based on the spectral fitting with a power law model. The distribution of spectral photon index has two main peaks at 1.8 and 2.3, and shows clear evolution with source luminosity. Based on the similarity of the properties of M31 X-ray sources and their Galactic counterparts, we expect most of X-ray sources in our sample to be accreting binary systems with neutron star and black hole primaries. Combining the results of X-ray analysis (X-ray spectra, hardness-luminosity diagrams and variability) with available data at other wavelengths, we explore the possibility of distinguishing between bright neutron star and black hole binary systems, and identify 7% and 25% of sources in our sample as a probable black hole and neutron star candidates. Finally, we compare the M31 X-ray source population to the source populations of normal galaxies of different morphological type. Support for this work was provided through NASA Grant NAG5-12390. Part of this work was done during a summer workshop ``Revealing Black Holes'' at the Aspen Center for Physics, S. T. is grateful to the Center for their hospitality.

Cosmological constraints from Chandra observations of galaxy clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Steven W

2002-09-15

Chandra observations of rich, relaxed galaxy clusters allow the properties of the X-ray gas and the total gravitating mass to be determined precisely. Here, we present results for a sample of the most X-ray luminous, dynamically relaxed clusters known. We show that the Chandra data and independent gravitational lensing studies provide consistent answers on the mass distributions in the clusters. The mass profiles exhibit a form in good agreement with the predictions from numerical simulations. Combining Chandra results on the X-ray gas mass fractions in the clusters with independent measurements of the Hubble constant and the mean baryonic matter density in the Universe, we obtain a tight constraint on the mean total matter density of the Universe, Omega(m), and an interesting constraint on the cosmological constant, Omega(Lambda). We also describe the 'virial relations' linking the masses, X-ray temperatures and luminosities of galaxy clusters. These relations provide a key step in linking the observed number density and spatial distribution of clusters to the predictions from cosmological models. The Chandra data confirm the presence of a systematic offset of ca. 40% between the normalization of the observed mass-temperature relation and the predictions from standard simulations. This finding leads to a significant revision of the best-fit value of sigma(8) inferred from the observed temperature and luminosity functions of clusters.

The universe in X-rays

CERN Document Server

Hasinger, Günther

2008-01-01

In the last 45 years, X-ray astronomy has become an integral part of modern astrophysics and cosmology. There is a wide range of astrophysical objects and phenomena, where X-rays provide crucial diagnostics. In particular they are well suited to study hot plasmas and matter under extreme physical conditions in compact objects. This book summarizes the present status of X-ray astronomy in terms of observational results and their astrophysical interpretation. It is written for students, astrophysicists as well a growing community of physicists interested in the field. An introduction including historical material is followed by chapters on X-ray astronomical instrumentation. The next two parts summarize in 17 chapters the present knowledge on various classes of X-ray sources in the galactic and extragalactic realm. While the X-ray astronomical highlights discussed in this book are mainly based on results from ROSAT, ASCA, RXTE, BeppoSAX, Chandra and XMM-Newton, a final chapter provides an outlook on observation...

The Frequency of Intrinsic X-Ray Weakness among Broad Absorption Line Quasars

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hezhen; Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Gallagher, S. C.; Garmire, G. P.

2018-06-01

We present combined ≈14–37 ks Chandra observations of seven z = 1.6–2.7 broad absorption line (BAL) quasars selected from the Large Bright Quasar Survey (LBQS). These seven objects are high-ionization BAL (HiBAL) quasars, and they were undetected in the Chandra hard band (2–8 keV) in previous observations. The stacking analyses of previous Chandra observations suggested that these seven objects likely contain some candidates for intrinsically X-ray weak BAL quasars. With the new Chandra observations, six targets are detected. We calculate their effective power-law photon indices and hard-band flux weakness, and find that two objects, LBQS 1203+1530 and LBQS 1442–0011, show soft/steep spectral shapes ({{{Γ }}}eff}={2.2}-0.9+0.9 and {1.9}-0.8+0.9) and significant X-ray weakness in the hard band (by factors of ≈15 and 12). We conclude that the two HiBAL quasars are good candidates for intrinsically X-ray weak BAL quasars. The mid-infrared-to-ultraviolet spectral energy distributions of the two candidates are consistent with those of typical quasars. We constrain the fraction of intrinsically X-ray weak active galactic nuclei (AGNs) among HiBAL quasars to be ≈7%–10% (2/29–3/29), and we estimate it is ≈6%–23% (2/35–8/35) among the general BAL quasar population. Such a fraction is considerably larger than that among non-BAL quasars, and we suggest that intrinsically X-ray weak quasars are preferentially observed as BAL quasars. Intrinsically X-ray weak AGNs likely comprise a small minority of the luminous type 1 AGN population, and they should not affect significantly the completeness of these AGNs found in deep X-ray surveys.

Chandra Looks Over a Cosmic Four-Leaf Clover

Science.gov (United States)

2004-07-01

A careful analysis of observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory of a rare quadruple quasar has uncovered evidence that possibly a single star in a foreground galaxy magnified X-rays coming from the quasar. This discovery gives astronomers a new and extremely precise probe of the gas flow around the supermassive black hole that powers the quasar. "If our interpretation is correct, then we are seeing details around this black hole that are 50,000 times smaller than either the Hubble Space Telescope or Chandra could see under ordinary circumstances," said George Chartas of Penn State University in University Park, and lead author of a recent article on the Cloverleaf quasar in The Astrophysical Journal. The Cloverleaf quasar is a single object about 11 billion light years from Earth that appears as four images produced by a process known as gravitational lensing. If one or more galaxies lie along the line of sight to a more distant quasar, the gravitational field of the intervening galaxies can bend and magnify the light from the quasar and produce multiple images of it. The four images of the Cloverleaf quasar have been produced by one or more intervening galaxies. Cloverleaf Quasar Chandra X-ray Image of the Cloverleaf quasar One of the images (A), in the Cloverleaf is brighter than the others in both optical and X-ray light. Chartas and his colleagues found the relative brightness of this image was greater in X-ray than in optical light. The X-rays from iron atoms were also enhanced relative to X-rays at lower energies. Since the amount of brightening due to gravitational lensing does not vary with the wavelength, this means that an additional object has magnified the X-rays. The increased magnification of the X-ray light can be explained by gravitational microlensing, an effect which has been used to search for compact stars and planets in our galaxy. Microlensing occurs when a star or a multiple star system passes in front of light from a background object

Chandra Reviews Black Hole Musical: Epic But Off-Key

Science.gov (United States)

2006-10-01

A gigantic sonic boom generated by a supermassive black hole has been found with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, along with evidence for a cacophony of deep sound. This discovery was made by using data from the longest X-ray observation ever of M87, a nearby giant elliptical galaxy. M87 is centrally located in the Virgo cluster of galaxies and is known to harbor one of the Universe's most massive black holes. Scientists detected loops and rings in the hot, X-ray emitting gas that permeates the cluster and surrounds the galaxy. These loops provide evidence for periodic eruptions that occurred near the supermassive black hole, and that generate changes in pressure, or pressure waves, in the cluster gas that manifested themselves as sound. Chandra Low Energy X-ray Images of M87 Chandra Low Energy X-ray Images of M87 "We can tell that many deep and different sounds have been rumbling through this cluster for most of the lifetime of the Universe," said William Forman of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). The outbursts in M87, which happen every few million years, prevent the huge reservoir of gas in the cluster from cooling and forming many new stars. Without these outbursts and resultant heating, M87 would not be the elliptical galaxy it is today. "If this black hole wasn't making all of this noise, M87 could have been a completely different type of galaxy," said team member Paul Nulsen, also of the CfA, "possibly a huge spiral galaxy about 30 times brighter than the Milky Way." Chandra High Energy X-ray Image of M87 Chandra High Energy X-ray Image of M87 The outbursts result when material falls toward the black hole. While most of the matter is swallowed, some of it was violently ejected in jets. These jets are launched from regions close to the black hole (neither light nor sound can escape from the black hole itself) and push into the cluster's gas, generating cavities and sound which then propagate outwards. Chandra's M87 observations also

THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE X-RAY COUNTERPART TO PSR J2021+4026

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weisskopf, Martin C.; Elsner, Ronald F.; O' Dell, Stephen L.; Tennant, Allyn F. [NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Space Science Office, VP62, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States); Romani, Roger W. [Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Razzano, Massimiliano [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Belfiore, Andrea; Saz Parkinson, Pablo; Ziegler, Marcus; Dormody, Michael [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, Department of Physics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Ray, Paul S. [Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Kerr, Matthew [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, 452 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Harding, Alice [Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 663, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Swartz, Douglas A. [Universities Space Research Association, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Space Science Office, VP62, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States); Carraminana, Alberto [Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica, Luis Enrique Erro 1, Tonantzintla, Puebla 72840 (Mexico); Becker, Werner; Kanbach, Gottfried [Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, 85741 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany); De Luca, Andrea [INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, I-20133 Milano (Italy); Thompson, David J. [Astroparticle Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2011-12-10

We report the probable identification of the X-ray counterpart to the {gamma}-ray pulsar PSR J2021+4026 using imaging with the Chandra X-ray Observatory Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer and timing analysis with the Fermi satellite. Given the statistical and systematic errors, the positions determined by both satellites are coincident. The X-ray source position is R.A. 20{sup h}21{sup m}30.{sup s}733, decl. +40 Degree-Sign 26'46.''04 (J2000) with an estimated uncertainty of 1.''3 combined statistical and systematic error. Moreover, both the X-ray to {gamma}-ray and the X-ray to optical flux ratios are sensible assuming a neutron star origin for the X-ray flux. The X-ray source has no cataloged infrared-to-visible counterpart and, through new observations, we set upper limits to its optical emission of i' > 23.0 mag and r' > 25.2 mag. The source exhibits an X-ray spectrum with most likely both a power law and a thermal component. We also report on the X-ray and visible light properties of the 43 other sources detected in our Chandra observation.

THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE X-RAY COUNTERPART TO PSR J2021+4026

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weisskopf, Martin C.; Elsner, Ronald F.; O'Dell, Stephen L.; Tennant, Allyn F.; Romani, Roger W.; Razzano, Massimiliano; Belfiore, Andrea; Saz Parkinson, Pablo; Ziegler, Marcus; Dormody, Michael; Ray, Paul S.; Kerr, Matthew; Harding, Alice; Swartz, Douglas A.; Carramiñana, Alberto; Becker, Werner; Kanbach, Gottfried; De Luca, Andrea; Thompson, David J.

2011-01-01

We report the probable identification of the X-ray counterpart to the γ-ray pulsar PSR J2021+4026 using imaging with the Chandra X-ray Observatory Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer and timing analysis with the Fermi satellite. Given the statistical and systematic errors, the positions determined by both satellites are coincident. The X-ray source position is R.A. 20 h 21 m 30. s 733, decl. +40°26'46.''04 (J2000) with an estimated uncertainty of 1.''3 combined statistical and systematic error. Moreover, both the X-ray to γ-ray and the X-ray to optical flux ratios are sensible assuming a neutron star origin for the X-ray flux. The X-ray source has no cataloged infrared-to-visible counterpart and, through new observations, we set upper limits to its optical emission of i' > 23.0 mag and r' > 25.2 mag. The source exhibits an X-ray spectrum with most likely both a power law and a thermal component. We also report on the X-ray and visible light properties of the 43 other sources detected in our Chandra observation.

Fabrication and characterization of free-standing, high-line-density transmission gratings for the vacuum UV to soft X-ray range

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goh, S.J.; Bastiaens, Hubertus M.J.; Vratzov, B.; Huang, Qiushi; Bijkerk, Frederik; Boller, Klaus J.

2015-01-01

We present state-of-the-art high resolution transmission gratings, applicable for spectroscopy in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and the soft X-ray (SRX) wavelength range, fabricated with a novel process using ultraviolet based nano imprint lithography (UV-NIL). Free-standing, high-line-density

Chandra Adds to Story of the Way We Were

Science.gov (United States)

2003-05-01

Data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have enabled astronomers to use a new way to determine if a young star is surrounded by a planet-forming disk like our early Sun. These results suggest that disks around young stars can evolve rapidly to form planets, or they can be disrupted by close encounters with other stars. Chandra observed two young star systems, TW Hydrae and HD 98800, both of which are in the TW Hydrae Association, a loose cluster of 10 million-year-old stars. Observations at infrared and other wavelengths have shown that several stars in the TW Hydrae Association are surrounded by disks of dust and gas. At a distance of about 180 light years from Earth, these systems are among the nearest analogs to the early solar nebula from which Earth formed. "X-rays give us an excellent new way to probe the disks around stars," said Joel Kastner of the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY during a press conference today in Nashville, Tenn. at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society. "They can tell us whether a disk is very near to its parent star and dumping matter onto it, or whether such activity has ceased to be important. In the latter case, presumably the disk has been assimilated into larger bodies - perhaps planets--or disrupted." TW Hydrae and HD 98800A Chandra 0th Order Image of HD98800 Kastner and his colleagues found examples of each type of behavior in their study. One star, TW Hydrae, namesake of the TW Hydrae Association, exhibited features in its X-ray spectrum that provide strong, new evidence that matter is accreting onto the star from a circumstellar disk. They concluded that matter is guided by the star's magnetic field onto one or more hot spots on the surface of the star. In contrast, Chandra observations of the young multiple star system HD 98800 revealed that its brightest star, HD 98800A, is producing X-rays much as the Sun does, from a hot upper atmosphere or corona. HD 98800 is a complex multiple-star system

Chandra Captures Flare From Brown Dwarf

Science.gov (United States)

2000-07-01

The first flare ever seen from a brown dwarf, or failed star, was detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The bright X-ray flare has implications for understanding the explosive activity and origin of magnetic fields of extremely low mass stars. Chandra detected no X-rays at all from LP 944-20 for the first nine hours of a twelve hour observation, then the source flared dramatically before it faded away over the next two hours. "We were shocked," said Dr. Robert Rutledge of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, the lead author on the discovery paper to appear in the July 20 issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters. "We didn't expect to see flaring from such a lightweight object. This is really the 'mouse that roared.'" Chandra LP 944-20 X-ray Image Press Image and Caption The energy emitted in the brown dwarf flare was comparable to a small solar flare, and was a billion times greater than observed X-ray flares from Jupiter. The flaring energy is believed to come from a twisted magnetic field. "This is the strongest evidence yet that brown dwarfs and possibly young giant planets have magnetic fields, and that a large amount of energy can be released in a flare," said Dr. Eduardo Martin, also of Caltech and a member of the team. Professor Gibor Basri of the University of California, Berkeley, the principal investigator for this observation, speculated that the flare "could have its origin in the turbulent magnetized hot material beneath the surface of the brown dwarf. A sub-surface flare could heat the atmosphere, allowing currents to flow and give rise to the X-ray flare -- like a stroke of lightning." LP 944-20 is about 500 million years old and has a mass that is about 60 times that of Jupiter, or 6 percent that of the Sun. Its diameter is about one-tenth that of the Sun and it has a rotation period of less than five hours. Located in the constellation Fornax in the southern skies, LP 944-20 is one of the best studied brown dwarfs because it is

A Full Year's Chandra Exposure on Sloan Digital Sky Survey Quasars from the Chandra Multiwavelength Project

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Paul J.; Aldcroft, T. L.; Richards, G. T.; Barkhouse, W. A.; Constantin, A.; Haggard, D.; Karovska, M.; Kim, D.-W.; Kim, M.; Vikhlinin, A.; Anderson, S. F.; Mossman, A.; Kashyap, V.; Myers, A. D.; Silverman, J. D.; Wilkes, B. J.; Tananbaum, H.

2009-01-01

We study the spectral energy distributions and evolution of a large sample of optically selected quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey that were observed in 323 Chandra images analyzed by the Chandra Multiwavelength Project. Our highest-confidence matched sample includes 1135 X-ray detected quasars in the redshift range 0.2 3, substantially expanding the known sample. We find no evidence for evolution out to z ~ 5 for either the X-ray photon index Γ or for the ratio of optical/UV to X-ray flux αox. About 10% of detected QSOs show best-fit intrinsic absorbing columns greater than 1022 cm-2, but the fraction might reach ~1/3 if most nondetections are absorbed. We confirm a significant correlation between αox and optical luminosity, but it flattens or disappears for fainter (MB gsim -23) active galactic nucleus (AGN) alone. We report significant hardening of Γ both toward higher X-ray luminosity, and for relatively X-ray loud quasars. These trends may represent a relative increase in nonthermal X-ray emission, and our findings thereby strengthen analogies between Galactic black hole binaries and AGN. For uniformly selected subsamples of narrow-line Seyfert 1s and narrow absorption line QSOs, we find no evidence for unusual distributions of either αox or Γ.

SYSTEMATIC UNCERTAINTIES IN THE SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS OF NEUTRON STAR MASSES AND RADII FROM THERMONUCLEAR X-RAY BURSTS. III. ABSOLUTE FLUX CALIBRATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Güver, Tolga [Istanbul University, Science Faculty, Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences, Beyazıt, 34119, Istanbul (Turkey); Özel, Feryal; Psaltis, Dimitrios [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Marshall, Herman [Center for Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Guainazzi, Matteo [European Space Astronomy Centre of ESA, P.O. Box 78, Villanueva de la Cañada, E-28691 Madrid (Spain); Díaz-Trigo, Maria [ESO, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany)

2016-09-20

Many techniques for measuring neutron star radii rely on absolute flux measurements in the X-rays. As a result, one of the fundamental uncertainties in these spectroscopic measurements arises from the absolute flux calibrations of the detectors being used. Using the stable X-ray burster, GS 1826–238, and its simultaneous observations by Chandra HETG/ACIS-S and RXTE /PCA as well as by XMM-Newton EPIC-pn and RXTE /PCA, we quantify the degree of uncertainty in the flux calibration by assessing the differences between the measured fluxes during bursts. We find that the RXTE /PCA and the Chandra gratings measurements agree with each other within their formal uncertainties, increasing our confidence in these flux measurements. In contrast, XMM-Newton EPIC-pn measures 14.0 ± 0.3% less flux than the RXTE /PCA. This is consistent with the previously reported discrepancy with the flux measurements of EPIC-pn, compared with EPIC MOS1, MOS2, and ACIS-S detectors. We also show that any intrinsic time-dependent systematic uncertainty that may exist in the calibration of the satellites has already been implicity taken into account in the neutron star radius measurements.

The Evolution of Normal Galaxy X-Ray Emission Through Cosmic History: Constraints from the 6 MS Chandra Deep Field-South

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmer, B. D.; Basu-Zych, A. R.; Mineo, S.; Brandt, W. N.; Eurfrasio, R. T.; Fragos, T.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Lou, B.; Xue, Y. Q.; Bauer, F. E.;

Broadband transmission masks, gratings and filters for extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brose, S.; Danylyuk, S.; Juschkin, L.; Dittberner, C.; Bergmann, K.; Moers, J.; Panaitov, G.; Trellenkamp, St.; Loosen, P.; Grützmacher, D.

2012-01-01

Lithography and patterning on a nanometre scale with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray radiation allow creation of high resolution, high density patterns independent of a substrate type. To realize the full potential of this method, especially for EUV proximity printing and interference lithography, a reliable technology for manufacturing of the transmission masks and gratings should be available. In this paper we present a development of broadband amplitude transmission masks and gratings for extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray lithography based on free-standing niobium membranes. In comparison with a standard silicon nitride based technology the transmission masks demonstrate high contrast not only for in-band EUV (13.5 nm) radiation but also for wavelengths below Si L-absorption edge (12.4 nm). The masks and filters with free standing areas up to 1000 × 1000 μm 2 and 100 nm to 300 nm membrane thicknesses are shown. Electron beam structuring of an absorber layer with dense line and dot patterns with sub-50 nm structures is demonstrated. Diffractive and filtering properties of obtained structures are examined with EUV radiation from a gas discharge plasma source. - Highlights: ► Broadband transmission masks for EUV proximity and interference lithography. ► Technology for free standing niobium membranes with areas up to 1 mm 2 . ► High density patterns with periods of 100 nm and structure sizes below 40 nm. ► Measured diffraction efficiency at 11 nm is in agreement with the theory. ► Produced masks can be effectively used with wavelengths between 6 nm and 17 nm.

Chandra ACIS-S imaging spectroscopy of anomalously faint X-ray emission from Comet 103P/Hartley 2 during the EPOXI encounter

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, C. M.; Christian, D. J.; Wolk, S. J.; Dennerl, K.; Bodewits, D.; Combi, M. R.; Lepri, S. T.; Zurbuchen, T. H.; Li, J. Y.; Dello-Russo, N.; Belton, M. J. S.; Knight, M. M.

2013-02-01

We present results from the Chandra X-ray Observatory's characterization of the X-ray emission from Comet 103P/Hartley 2, in support of NASA's Deep Impact Extended close flyby of the comet on 04 November 2010. The comet was observed 4 times for a total on target time of ˜60 ks between the 17th of October and 16th of November 2010, with two of the visits occurring during the EPOXI close approach on 04 November and 05 November 2010. X-ray emission from 103P was qualitatively similar to that observed for collisionally thin Comets 2P/Encke (Lisse, C.M. et al. [2005]. Astrophys. J. 635, 1329-1347) and 9P/Tempel 1 (Lisse, C.M. et al. [2007]. Icarus 190, 391-405). Emission morphology offset sunward but asymmetrical from the nucleus and emission lines produced by charge exchange between highly stripped C, N, and O solar wind minor ions and coma neutral gas species were found. The comet was very under-luminous in the X-ray at all times, representing the 3rd faintest comet ever detected (LX = 1.1 ± 0.3 × 1014 erg s-1). The coma was collisionally thin to the solar wind at all times, allowing solar wind ions to flow into the inner coma and interact with the densest neutral coma gas. Localization of the X-ray emission in the regions of the major rotating gas jets was observed, consistent with the major source of cometary neutral gas species being icy coma dust particles. Variable spectral features due to changing solar wind flux densities and charge states were also seen. Modeling of the Chandra observations from the first three visits using observed gas production rates and ACE solar wind ion fluxes with a charge exchange mechanism for the emission is consistent with the temporal and spectral behavior expected for a slow, hot wind typical of low latitude emission from the solar corona interacting with the comet's neutral coma. The X-ray emission during the 4th visit on 16 November 2010 is similar to the unusual behavior seen for Comet 17P/Holmes in 2007 (Christian, D.J. et

M31 in the Chandra Era: A High Definition Movie of a Nearby Galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Albert; di Stefano, Rosanne

2009-09-01

M31 has been a prime targets for all X-ray missions since the first detection in 1974. With its superb spatial resolution, Chandra is unique in resolving dense source regions and detecting faint sources. Since the launch of Chandra, M31 has been regularly observed. It is perhaps the only nearby galaxy which is observed by an X-ray telescope regularly throughout operation. With 10 years of observations, the center of M31 has been observed with Chandra for nearly 1 Msec. The X-ray skies of M31 not only consist of many transients and variables, globular cluster X-ray sources in M31 are also different from our Milky Way. They are in general more luminous and one of them may even host an intermediate-mass black hole. Supersoft and quasi-soft X-ray sources in M31 are the best kept secret to unlock the nature of the progenitor of Type Ia supernova. In this talk, I will review some of the important Chandra discoveries in M31 in the past 10 years.

Bayesian Multiscale Analysis of X-Ray Jet Features in High Redshift Quasars

Science.gov (United States)

McKeough, Kathryn; Siemiginowska, A.; Kashyap, V.; Stein, N.

2014-01-01

X-ray emission of powerful quasar jets may be a result of the inverse Compton (IC) process in which the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons gain energy by interactions with the jet’s relativistic electrons. However, there is no definite evidence that IC/CMB process is responsible for the observed X-ray emission of large scale jets. A step toward understanding the X-ray emission process is to study the Radio and X-ray morphologies of the jet. We implement a sophisticated Bayesian image analysis program, Low-count Image Reconstruction and Analysis (LIRA) (Esch et al. 2004; Conners & van Dyk 2007), to analyze jet features in 11 Chandra images of high redshift quasars (z ~ 2 - 4.8). Out of the 36 regions where knots are visible in the radio jets, nine showed detectable X-ray emission. We measured the ratios of the X-ray and radio luminosities of the detected features and found that they are consistent with the CMB radiation relationship. We derived a range of the bulk lorentz factor (Γ) for detected jet features under the CMB jet emission model. There is no discernible trend of Γ with redshift within the sample. The efficiency of the X-ray emission between the detected jet feature and the corresponding quasar also shows no correlation with redshift. This work is supported in part by the National Science Foundation REU and the Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no.1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution, and by NASA Contract NAS8-39073 to the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC). This research has made use of data obtained from the Chandra Data Archive and Chandra Source Catalog, and software provided by the CXC in the application packages CIAO, ChIPS, and Sherpa. We thank Teddy Cheung for providing the VLA radio images. Connors, A., & van Dyk, D. A. 2007, Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy IV, 371, 101 Esch, D. N., Connors, A., Karovska, M., & van Dyk, D. A. 2004, ApJ, 610, 1213

A Comparison Between Spectral Properties of ULXs and Luminous X-ray Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Berghea, C. T.; Colbert, E. J. M.; Roberts, T. P.

2004-05-01

What is special about the 1039 erg s-1 limit that is used to define the ULX class? We investigate this question by analyzing Chandra X-ray spectra of 71 X-ray bright point sources from nearby galaxies. Fifty-one of these sources are ULXs (LX(0.3-8.0 keV) ≥ 1039 erg s-1), and 20 sources (our comparison sample) are less-luminous X-ray binaries with LX(0.3-8.0 keV) = 1038-39 erg s-1. Our sample objects were selected from the Chandra archive to have ≥1000 counts and thus represent the highest quality spectra in the Chandra archives for extragalactic X-ray binaries and ULXs. We fit the spectra with one-component models (e.g., cold absorption with power-law, or cold absorption with multi-colored disk blackbody) and two-component models (e.g. absorption with both a power-law and a multi colored disk blackbody). A crude measure of the spectral states of the sources are determined observationally by calibrating the strength of the disk (blackbody) and coronal (power-law) components. These results are then use to determine if spectral properties of the ULXs are statistically distinct from those of the comparison objects, which are assumed to be ``normal'' black-hole X-ray binaries.

Studies of dark energy with X-ray observatories.

Science.gov (United States)

Vikhlinin, Alexey

2010-04-20

I review the contribution of Chandra X-ray Observatory to studies of dark energy. There are two broad classes of observable effects of dark energy: evolution of the expansion rate of the Universe, and slow down in the rate of growth of cosmic structures. Chandra has detected and measured both of these effects through observations of galaxy clusters. A combination of the Chandra results with other cosmological datasets leads to 5% constraints on the dark energy equation-of-state parameter, and limits possible deviations of gravity on large scales from general relativity.

X-Ray Optics: Past, Present, and Future

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, William W.

2010-01-01

X-ray astronomy started with a small collimated proportional counter atop a rocket in the early 1960s. It was immediately recognized that focusing X-ray optics would drastically improve both source location accuracy and source detection sensitivity. In the past 5 decades, X-ray astronomy has made significant strides in achieving better angular resolution, large photon collection area, and better spectral and timing resolutions, culminating in the three currently operating X-ray observatories: Chandra, XMM/Newton, and Suzaku. In this talk I will give a brief history of X-ray optics, concentrating on the characteristics of the optics of these three observatories. Then I will discuss current X-ray mirror technologies being developed in several institutions. I will end with a discussion of the optics for the International X-ray Observatory that I have been developing at Goddard Space Flight Center.

Quantitative x-ray dark-field computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bech, M; Pfeiffer, F; Bunk, O; Donath, T; David, C; Feidenhans'l, R

2010-01-01

The basic principles of x-ray image formation in radiology have remained essentially unchanged since Roentgen first discovered x-rays over a hundred years ago. The conventional approach relies on x-ray attenuation as the sole source of contrast and draws exclusively on ray or geometrical optics to describe and interpret image formation. Phase-contrast or coherent scatter imaging techniques, which can be understood using wave optics rather than ray optics, offer ways to augment or complement the conventional approach by incorporating the wave-optical interaction of x-rays with the specimen. With a recently developed approach based on x-ray optical gratings, advanced phase-contrast and dark-field scatter imaging modalities are now in reach for routine medical imaging and non-destructive testing applications. To quantitatively assess the new potential of particularly the grating-based dark-field imaging modality, we here introduce a mathematical formalism together with a material-dependent parameter, the so-called linear diffusion coefficient and show that this description can yield quantitative dark-field computed tomography (QDFCT) images of experimental test phantoms.

12 YEARS OF X-RAY VARIABILITY IN M31 GLOBULAR CLUSTERS, INCLUDING 8 BLACK HOLE CANDIDATES, AS SEEN BY CHANDRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnard, R.; Garcia, M.; Murray, S. S.

2012-01-01

We examined 134 Chandra observations of the population of X-ray sources associated with globular clusters (GCs) in the central region of M31. These are expected to be X-ray binary systems (XBs), consisting of a neutron star or black hole accreting material from a close companion. We created long-term light curves for these sources, correcting for background, interstellar absorption, and instrumental effects. We tested for variability by examining the goodness of fit for the best-fit constant intensity. We also created structure functions (SFs) for every object in our sample, the first time this technique has been applied to XBs. We found significant variability in 28 out of 34 GCs and GC candidates; the other 6 sources had 0.3-10 keV luminosities fainter than ∼2 × 10 36 erg s –1 , limiting our ability to detect similar variability. The SFs of XBs with 0.3-10 keV luminosities ∼2-50 × 10 36 erg s –1 generally showed considerably more variability than the published ensemble SF of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our brightest XBs were mostly consistent with the AGN SF; however, their 2-10 keV fluxes could be matched by <1 AGN per square degree. These encouraging results suggest that examining the long-term light curves of other X-ray sources in the field may provide an important distinction between X-ray binaries and background galaxies, as the X-ray emission spectra from these two classes of X-ray sources are similar. Additionally, we identify 3 new black hole candidates (BHCs) using additional XMM-Newton data, bringing the total number of M31 GC BHCs to 9, with 8 covered in this survey.

Development of soft x-ray optical elements at the advanced photon research center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishino, Masahiko; Yoda, Osamu; Koike, Masato; Sano, Kazuo; Iwasaki, Hiroshi

2003-01-01

We have been developing soft X-ray optical elements such as diffraction gratings and multilayer mirrors to applied to X-ray plasma sources and X-ray lasers and so on. In the field of the development of diffraction gratings, the laminar-type holographic gratings for flat-field spectrographs were found to be very effective in suppressing the higher orders and stray-light level. The fabricated holographic grating has a comparable spectral resolution to the replica commercial grating. In the development of the soft X-ray multilayer mirrors, the improvement of the heat stability of the Mo/Si multilayer was carried out. We have found that the Mo/SiO 2 /Si/SiO 2 multilayer having the SiO 2 layer thicknesses of 0.5 nm at the Si-on-Mo interface and of 1.5 nm at the Mo-on-Si interface has thermally stable structure up to 500degC and maintains high soft X-ray reflectivity after annealing at 400degC. In addition, we have developed an evaluation system capable of measuring the wavelength and angular characteristics of the reflectivity and diffraction efficiency of soft X-ray optical elements. (author)

VizieR Online Data Catalog: ChaMP X-ray point source catalog (Kim+, 2007)

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, M.; Kim, D.-W.; Wilkes, B. J.; Green, P. J.; Kim, E.; Anderson, C. S.; Barkhouse, W. A.; Evans, N. R.; Ivezic, Z.; Karovska, M.; Kashyap, V. L.; Lee, M. G.; Maksym, P.; Mossman, A. E.; Silverman, J. D.; Tananbaum, H. D.

2009-01-01

We present the Chandra Multiwavelength Project (ChaMP) X-ray point source catalog with ~6800 X-ray sources detected in 149 Chandra observations covering ~10deg2. The full ChaMP catalog sample is 7 times larger than the initial published ChaMP catalog. The exposure time of the fields in our sample ranges from 0.9 to 124ks, corresponding to a deepest X-ray flux limit of f0.5-8.0=9x10-16ergs/cm2/s. The ChaMP X-ray data have been uniformly reduced and analyzed with ChaMP-specific pipelines and then carefully validated by visual inspection. The ChaMP catalog includes X-ray photometric data in eight different energy bands as well as X-ray spectral hardness ratios and colors. To best utilize the ChaMP catalog, we also present the source reliability, detection probability, and positional uncertainty. (10 data files).

Annealing bounds to prevent further Charge Transfer Inefficiency increase of the Chandra X-ray CCDs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monmeyran, Corentin, E-mail: comonmey@mit.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Patel, Neil S., E-mail: neilp@mit.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Bautz, Mark W., E-mail: mwb@space.mit.edu [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Grant, Catherine E., E-mail: cgrant@space.mit.edu [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Prigozhin, Gregory Y., E-mail: gyp@space.mit.edu [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Agarwal, Anuradha, E-mail: anu@mit.edu [Microphotonics Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Kimerling, Lionel C., E-mail: lckim@mit.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Microphotonics Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2016-12-15

After the front-illuminated CCDs on board the X-ray telescope Chandra were damaged by radiation after launch, it was decided to anneal them in an effort to remove the defects introduced by the irradiation. The annealing led to an unexpected increase of the Charge Transfer Inefficiency (CTI). The performance degradation is attributed to point defect interactions in the devices. Specifically, the annealing at 30 °C activated the diffusion of the main interstitial defect in the device, the carbon interstitial, which led to its association with a substitutional impurity, ultimately resulting in a stable and electrically active defect state. Because the formation reaction of this carbon interstitial and substitutional impurity associate is diffusion limited, we recommend a higher upper bound for the annealing temperature and duration of any future CCD anneals, that of −50 °C for one day or −60 °C for a week, to prevent further CTI increase.

X-Ray Outburst from Young Star in McNeil's Nebula

Science.gov (United States)

2004-07-01

Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory captured an X-ray outburst from a young star, revealing a probable scenario for the intermittent brightening of the recently discovered McNeil's Nebula. It appears the interaction between the young star's magnetic field and an orbiting disk of gas can cause dramatic, episodic increases in the light from the star and disk, illuminating the surrounding gas. "The story of McNeil's Nebula is a wonderful example of the importance of serendipity in science," said Joel Kastner of the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, lead author of a paper in the July 22 issue of Nature describing the X-ray results. "Visible-light images were made of this region several months before Jay McNeil made his discovery, so it could be determined approximately when and by how much the star flared up to produce McNeil's Nebula." The small nebula, which lies in the constellation Orion about 1300 light years from Earth, was discovered with a 3-inch telescope by McNeil, an amateur astronomer from Paducah, Kentucky, in January 2004. In November 2002, a team led by Ted Simon of the Institute for Astronomy in Hawaii had observed the star-rich region with Chandra in search of young, X-ray emitting stars, and had detected several objects. Optical and infrared astronomers had, as part of independent surveys, also observed the region about a year later, in 2003. After the announcement of McNeil's discovery, optical, infrared and X-ray astronomers rushed to observe the region again. They found that a young star buried in the nebula had flared up, and was illuminating the nebula. This star was coincident with one of the X-ray sources discovered earlier by Simon. Chandra observations obtained by Kastner's group just after the optical outburst showed that the source had brightened fifty-fold in X-rays when compared to Simon's earlier observation. The visible-light eruption provides evidence that the cause of the X-ray outburst is the

High-Resolution X-Ray Spectra of the Symbiotic Star SS73 17

Science.gov (United States)

Eze, R. N. C.; Luna, G. J. M.; Smith, R. K.

2010-01-01

SS73 17 was an innocuous Mira-type symbiotic star until the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory and Swift discovered its bright hard X-ray emission, adding it to the small class of "hard X-ray emitting symbiotics." Suzaku observations in 2006 then showed it emits three bright iron lines as well, with little to no emission in the 0.3-2.0 keV bandpass. We present here follow-up observations with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating and Suzaku that confirm the earlier detection of strong emission lines of Fe K(alpha) fluorescence, Fe XXV and Fe XXVI but also show significantly more soft X-ray emission. The high-resolution spectrum also shows emission lines of other highly ionized ions as Si xiv and possibly S XVI. In addition, a re-analysis of the 2006 Suzaku data using the latest calibration shows that the hard (15-50 keV) X-ray emission is brighter than previously thought and remains constant in both the 2006 and 2008 data. The G ratio calculated from the Fe xxv lines shows that these lines are thermal, not photoionized, in origin.With the exception of the hard X-ray emission, the spectra from both epochs can be fit using thermal radiation assuming a differential emission measure based on a cooling-flow model combined with a full and partial absorber. We show that acceptable fits can be obtained for all the data in the 1-10 keV band varying only the partial absorber. Based on the temperature and accretion rate, the thermal emission appears to be arising from the boundary layer between the accreting white dwarf and the accretion disk.

HIGH-RESOLUTION X-RAY SPECTRA OF THE SYMBIOTIC STAR SS73 17

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eze, R. N. C.; Luna, G. J. M.; Smith, R. K.

2010-01-01

SS73 17 was an innocuous Mira-type symbiotic star until the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory and Swift discovered its bright hard X-ray emission, adding it to the small class of 'hard X-ray emitting symbiotics'. Suzaku observations in 2006 then showed it emits three bright iron lines as well, with little to no emission in the 0.3-2.0 keV bandpass. We present here follow-up observations with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating and Suzaku that confirm the earlier detection of strong emission lines of Fe Kα fluorescence, Fe XXV and Fe XXVI but also show significantly more soft X-ray emission. The high-resolution spectrum also shows emission lines of other highly ionized ions as Si XIV and possibly S XVI. In addition, a re-analysis of the 2006 Suzaku data using the latest calibration shows that the hard (15-50 keV) X-ray emission is brighter than previously thought and remains constant in both the 2006 and 2008 data. The G ratio calculated from the Fe XXV lines shows that these lines are thermal, not photoionized, in origin. With the exception of the hard X-ray emission, the spectra from both epochs can be fit using thermal radiation assuming a differential emission measure based on a cooling-flow model combined with a full and partial absorber. We show that acceptable fits can be obtained for all the data in the 1-10 keV band varying only the partial absorber. Based on the temperature and accretion rate, the thermal emission appears to be arising from the boundary layer between the accreting white dwarf and the accretion disk.

X-Ray Spectrometer For ROSAT II (SPECTROSAT)

Science.gov (United States)

Predehl, Peter; Brauninger, Heinrich

1986-01-01

The objective transmission grating was one of the earliest inventions in the field of X-ray astronomy and has been incorporated into Skylab, HERO-P, and EXOTAT. In recent years there have been advances in grating technology and spectrometer design. A high precision mechanical ruling and replication process for manufacturing large self-supporting transmission gratings has been developed by an industrial manufacturer in cooperation with the Max-Planck-Institute (MPI). Theoretical analyses have determined the optimum configuration of the grating facets and the grating surface in order to correct third order aberations and obtain maximum resolving power. We have verified experimentally that the predicted efficiencies may be achieved. In addition, an experimental study of large grating assemblies for space telescopes was made in industry with scientific guidance by MPI. Main objectives of this study were the determination of mechanical loads during launch, as well as the design, construction and fabrication of a representative model of a ROSAT grating ring. Performancy studies including instrument pro-perties as well as the simulated radiation from hot plasmas have shown the ability of SPECTROSAT to perform high efficiency, high resolution line-spectroscopy on a wide variety of cosmic X-ray sources.

Implications of the Detection of X-rays From Pluto by Chandra for Its Solar Wind - Neutral Atmosphere Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, C. M.

2016-12-01

Using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, we have obtained low-resolution imaging X-ray spectrophotometry of the Pluto system in support of the New Horizons (NH) flyby. In a total of 174 ksec of on-target time, we measured 8 photons from 0.31 to 0.60 keV in a co-moving 11 x 11 pixel2 box (the 90% flux aperture for fixed background sources in the field) measuring 121,000 x 121,000 km2 (or 100 x 100 RPluto) at Pluto. The Pluto photons do not have the spectral shape of the background, are coincident with a 90% flux aperture co-moving with Pluto, and are not confused with any background source, so we consider them as sourced from the Pluto system. Allowing for background, we find a net signal of 6.8 counts and a statistical noise level of 1.2 counts, for a detection of Pluto at > 99.95%. The mean 0.31 - 0.60 keV X-ray power from Pluto is 200 +200/-100 MW, in the middle range of X-ray power levels seen for other known solar system emission sources: auroral precipitation, solar X-ray scattering, and charge exchange (CXE) between solar wind (SW) ions and atmospheric neutrals. We eliminate auroral effects as a source, as Pluto has no known magnetic field and the NH/Alice UV spectrometer detected no airglow from Pluto during the flyby. Atmospheric haze particles could produce resonant scattering of solar X-rays from Pluto, but the energy signature of the detected photons does not match the solar spectrum and estimates of Pluto's scattered X-ray emission are 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than seen in our observations. CXE-driven emission from hydrogenic and heliogenic SW carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen ions can produce the energy signature seen, and the 6 x 1025 neutral gas escape rate from Pluto deduced from NH data (Gladstone et al. 2016) can support the 3.0 +3.0/-1.5 x 1024 X-ray photons/s emission rate required by our observations. Using the SW proton density and speed measured by the NH/SWAP instrument in the vicinity of Pluto at the time of the photon emissions, we find a

X-RAY PROPERTIES OF YOUNG EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES. I. X-RAY LUMINOSITY FUNCTION OF LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong-Woo; Fabbiano, Giuseppina

2010-01-01

We have compared the combined X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) detected in Chandra observations of young, post-merger elliptical galaxies with that of typical old elliptical galaxies. We find that the XLF of the 'young' sample does not present the prominent high-luminosity break at L X > 5 x 10 38 erg s -1 found in the old elliptical galaxy XLF. The 'young' and 'old' XLFs differ with a 3σ statistical significance (with a probability less than 0.2% that they derive from the same underlying parent distribution). Young elliptical galaxies host a larger fraction of luminous LMXBs (L X > 5 x 10 38 erg s -1 ) than old elliptical galaxies and the XLF of the young galaxy sample is intermediate between that of typical old elliptical galaxies and that of star-forming galaxies. This observational evidence may be related to the last major/minor mergers and the associated star formation.

Optical Counterparts for Low-Luminosity X-ray Sources in Omega Centauri

Science.gov (United States)

Cool, Adrienne

2002-07-01

We propose to use narrow-band HAlpha imaging with ACS to search for the optical counterparts of low-luminosity X-ray sources {Lx 2 x 10^30 - 5 x 10^32 erg/s} in the globular cluster Omega Centauri. With 9 WFC fields, we will cover the inner two core radii of the cluster, and encompass about 90 of the faint sources we have identified with Chandra. Approximately 30-50 of these sources should be cluster members, the remainder being mostly background galaxies plus a smaller number of foreground stars. This large population of low-Lx cluster X-ray sources is second only to the more than 100 faint sources recently discovered in 47 Tuc with Chandra {Grindlay et al. 2001a}, which have been identified as a mixture of cataclysmic variables, quiescent low-mass X-ray binaries, millisecond pulsars, and coronally active main-sequence binaries. Our Cycle 6 WFPC2 program successfully identified 2 of the 3 then-known faint X-ray sources in the core of Omega Cen using H-alpha imaging. We now propose to expand the areal coverage by a factor of about 18 to encompass the much larger number of sources that have since been discovered with Chandra. The extreme crowding in the central regions of Omega Cen requires the resolution of HST to obtain optical IDs. These identifications are key to making meaningful comparisons between the populations of faint X-ray sources in different clusters, in an effort to understand their origins and role in cluster dynamics.

Soft x-ray spectrographs for solar observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruner, M.E.

1988-01-01

This paper surveys some of the recent advances in the state of the art of soft X-ray spectrometers, particularly as they might be applied to Solar Observations. The discussions center on the windowless region from roughly 1 to 100 A, and covers both grating and crystal instruments. The author begins with a short discussion of the solar soft X-ray spectrum and its interpretation, followed by a few general comments on problems peculiar to soft X-ray instruments. The paper reviews of recent developments in spectrometer optical design, which has been a lively field during the last dozen years. This is particularly true in the case of grating spectrometers. The paper concludes with a short section on telescope considerations, and some remarks on future flight opportunities

Stellar Forensics with Striking Image from Chandra

Science.gov (United States)

2007-10-01

A spectacular new image shows how complex a star's afterlife can be. By studying the details of this image made from a long observation by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers can better understand how some stars die and disperse elements like oxygen into the next generation of stars and planets. At a distance of about 20,000 light years, G292.0+1.8 is one of only three supernova remnants in the Milky Way known to contain large amounts of oxygen. The image shows a rapidly expanding, intricately structured, debris field that contains, along with oxygen, other elements such as neon and silicon that were forged in the star before it exploded. Hard X-ray Image of G292.0+1.8 Hard X-ray Image of G292.0+1.8 "We are finding that, just like snowflakes, each supernova remnant is complicated and beautiful in its own way," said Sangwook Park of Penn State who led the work, released in conjunction with the "8 Years of Chandra" symposium in Huntsville, Ala. The new, deep Chandra image - equaling nearly 6 days worth of observing time - shows an incredibly complex structure. Understanding the details of G292.0+1.8 is especially important because astronomers have considered it to be a "textbook" case of a supernova created by the death of a massive star. Chandra X-ray Image of G292.0+1.8 Chandra X-ray Image of G292.0+1.8 By mapping the distribution of X-rays in different energy bands, the Chandra image traces the distribution of chemical elements ejected in the supernova. The results imply that the explosion was not symmetrical. For example, blue (silicon and sulfur) and green (magnesium) are seen strongly in the upper right, while yellow and orange (oxygen) dominate the lower left. These elements light up at different temperatures, indicating that the temperature is higher in the upper right portion of G292.0+1.8. Slightly below and to the left of the center of G292.0+1.8 is a pulsar, a dense, rapidly rotating neutron star that remained behind after the original star

Deconvolving the Nucleus of Centaurus A Using Chandra PSF Library

Science.gov (United States)

Karovska, Margarita

2000-01-01

Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is a giant early-type galaxy containing the nearest (at 3.5 Mpc) radio-bright Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). Cen A was observed with the High Resolution Camera (HRC) on the Chandra X-ray Observatory on several occasions since the launch in July 1999. The high-angular resolution (less than 0.5 arcsecond) Chandra/HRC images reveal X ray multi-scale structures in this object with unprecedented detail and clarity, including the bright nucleus believed to be associated with a supermassive black hole. We explored the spatial extent of the Cen A nucleus using deconvolution techniques on the full resolution Chandra images. Model point spread functions (PSFs) were derived from the standard Chandra raytrace PSF library as well as unresolved point sources observed with Chandra. The deconvolved images show that the Cen A nucleus is resolved and asymmetric. We discuss several possible causes of this extended emission and of the asymmetries.

THE CHANDRA SOURCE CATALOG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, Ian N.; Primini, Francis A.; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Anderson, Craig S.; Bonaventura, Nina R.; Chen, Judy C.; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Galle, Elizabeth C.; Gibbs, Danny G.; Grier, John D.; Hain, Roger M.; Harbo, Peter N.; He Xiangqun; Karovska, Margarita; Kashyap, Vinay L.; Davis, John E.; Houck, John C.; Hall, Diane M.

2010-01-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is a general purpose virtual X-ray astrophysics facility that provides access to a carefully selected set of generally useful quantities for individual X-ray sources, and is designed to satisfy the needs of a broad-based group of scientists, including those who may be less familiar with astronomical data analysis in the X-ray regime. The first release of the CSC includes information about 94,676 distinct X-ray sources detected in a subset of public Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer imaging observations from roughly the first eight years of the Chandra mission. This release of the catalog includes point and compact sources with observed spatial extents ∼<30''. The catalog (1) provides access to the best estimates of the X-ray source properties for detected sources, with good scientific fidelity, and directly supports scientific analysis using the individual source data; (2) facilitates analysis of a wide range of statistical properties for classes of X-ray sources; and (3) provides efficient access to calibrated observational data and ancillary data products for individual X-ray sources, so that users can perform detailed further analysis using existing tools. The catalog includes real X-ray sources detected with flux estimates that are at least 3 times their estimated 1σ uncertainties in at least one energy band, while maintaining the number of spurious sources at a level of ∼<1 false source per field for a 100 ks observation. For each detected source, the CSC provides commonly tabulated quantities, including source position, extent, multi-band fluxes, hardness ratios, and variability statistics, derived from the observations in which the source is detected. In addition to these traditional catalog elements, for each X-ray source the CSC includes an extensive set of file-based data products that can be manipulated interactively, including source images, event lists, light curves, and spectra from each observation in which a

The Chandra Source Catalog

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Ian N.; Primini, Francis A.; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Anderson, Craig S.; Bonaventura, Nina R.; Chen, Judy C.; Davis, John E.; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Galle, Elizabeth C.; Gibbs, Danny G., II; Grier, John D.; Hain, Roger M.; Hall, Diane M.; Harbo, Peter N.; He, Xiangqun Helen; Houck, John C.; Karovska, Margarita; Kashyap, Vinay L.; Lauer, Jennifer; McCollough, Michael L.; McDowell, Jonathan C.; Miller, Joseph B.; Mitschang, Arik W.; Morgan, Douglas L.; Mossman, Amy E.; Nichols, Joy S.; Nowak, Michael A.; Plummer, David A.; Refsdal, Brian L.; Rots, Arnold H.; Siemiginowska, Aneta; Sundheim, Beth A.; Tibbetts, Michael S.; Van Stone, David W.; Winkelman, Sherry L.; Zografou, Panagoula

2010-07-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is a general purpose virtual X-ray astrophysics facility that provides access to a carefully selected set of generally useful quantities for individual X-ray sources, and is designed to satisfy the needs of a broad-based group of scientists, including those who may be less familiar with astronomical data analysis in the X-ray regime. The first release of the CSC includes information about 94,676 distinct X-ray sources detected in a subset of public Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer imaging observations from roughly the first eight years of the Chandra mission. This release of the catalog includes point and compact sources with observed spatial extents lsim30''. The catalog (1) provides access to the best estimates of the X-ray source properties for detected sources, with good scientific fidelity, and directly supports scientific analysis using the individual source data; (2) facilitates analysis of a wide range of statistical properties for classes of X-ray sources; and (3) provides efficient access to calibrated observational data and ancillary data products for individual X-ray sources, so that users can perform detailed further analysis using existing tools. The catalog includes real X-ray sources detected with flux estimates that are at least 3 times their estimated 1σ uncertainties in at least one energy band, while maintaining the number of spurious sources at a level of lsim1 false source per field for a 100 ks observation. For each detected source, the CSC provides commonly tabulated quantities, including source position, extent, multi-band fluxes, hardness ratios, and variability statistics, derived from the observations in which the source is detected. In addition to these traditional catalog elements, for each X-ray source the CSC includes an extensive set of file-based data products that can be manipulated interactively, including source images, event lists, light curves, and spectra from each observation in which a

PSR J2124-3358: A Bow Shock Nebula with an X-ray Tail

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, S.; Gaensler, B. M.; Vigelius, M.; Cordes, J. M.; Arzoumanian, Z.; Stappers, B.; Ghavamian, P.; Melatos, A.

2005-12-01

As neutron stars move supersonically through the interstellar medium, their relativistic winds are confined by the ram pressure of the interstellar medium. The outer shocked layers may emit in Hα , producing a visible bow shock nebula, while the confined relativistic wind may produce radio or X-ray emission. The Hα bow shock nebula powered by the recycled pulsar J2124-3358 is asymmetric about the velocity vector and shows a marked kink. In recent observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we have detected a long, curved X-ray tail associated with the pulsar. The tail is not aligned with the pulsar velocity, but is confined within the optical bow shock. The X-ray spectrum of the tail is well-fit by a power law, consistent with synchrotron emission from the wind termination shock and the post-shock flow. The presence of Hα and X-ray emission allows us to trace both the external ambient medium and the confined wind. In magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we verify that a bulk flow and non-uniformities in the ambient medium can produce the observed shape of the nebula, possibly in combination with an anisotropic pulsar wind. Support for this work was provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through Chandra Award Number GO5-6075X issued by the Chandra X-ray Observatory Center, which is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for and on behalf of the National Aeronautics Space Administration under contract NAS8-03060.

Determination of the Modulation Transfer Function of Screen-Film Combinations in X-ray photography by the grating method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoeschen, D.

1987-01-01

An intercomparison experiment concerning the determination of the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) of Screen-Film Combinations in x-ray photography by the grating method was made. Six laboratories located in four countries participated. Each laboratory has used its own, individually developed measurement procedure. The results have shown a surprisingly good agreement, the standard deviation (1 σ value) of MTF values reported by the different laboratories was about ± 0.02

X-Ray Snapshots Capture the First Cries of Baby Stars

Science.gov (United States)

2000-11-01

CXC PR: 00-27 Stars, like babies, make quite a fuss in their first days after birth. Astronomers using the Chandra X-ray Observatory have discovered that protostars--stars in their youngest, "neonatal" stage--are marked by powerful X rays from plasma ten times hotter and 100 to 100,000 times brighter than the flares on our Sun. This is all long before their nuclear furnaces of hydrogen even ignite, the mark of stellar maturity. The X-ray flares have also provided the closest look yet at the youngest stars in the universe, never before detected because they are hidden within dust and molecular clouds that filter all other types of light. Yohko Tsuboi of the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) presents these findings today in a press conference at the meeting of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii. "We peered at newborn stars deeply embedded in their cradle and found that their crying is much more tumultuous than we expected," said Tsuboi. "With Chandra, we now have a new tool to examine protostars, which have been impossible to gain access to in any other wavelength." Protostars located in the rho-Ophiuchi molecular cloud Protostars located in the rho-Ophiuchi molecular cloud 1 square light years field X-ray image around rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud core. Red colorrepresents less absorbed X rays, while blue represents absorbed X rays. Lightcurves for each sources are also shown. Tsuboi and her collaborators looked at the two youngest types of protostars: Class-0 (zero) protostars, about 10,000 years old; and Class-I protostars, about 100,000 years old. In human terms, these protostars are like one-hour-old and 10-hour-old babies, respectively. The transition from one class to another is marked by changes in the protostar's infrared spectrum as the gas and dust envelope diminishes. The envelope has been well studied by infrared and radio astronomers. Protostars themselves and their most extreme

BeppoSAX and Chandra Observations of SAX J0103.2-7209 = 2E 0101.5-7225: A New Persistent 345 Second X-Ray Pulsar in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Science.gov (United States)

Israel; Campana; Covino; Dal Fiume D; Gaetz; Mereghetti; Oosterbroek; Orlandini; Parmar; Ricci; Stella

2000-03-10

We report the results of a 1998 July BeppoSAX observation of a field in the Small Magellanic Cloud which led to the discovery of approximately 345 s pulsations in the X-ray flux of SAX J0103.2-7209. The BeppoSAX X-ray spectrum is well fitted by an absorbed power law with a photon index of approximately 1.0 plus a blackbody component with kT=0.11 keV. The unabsorbed luminosity in the 2-10 keV energy range is approximately 1.2x1036 ergs s-1. In a very recent Chandra observation, the 345 s pulsations are also detected. The available period measurements provide a constant period derivative of -1.7 s yr-1 over the last 3 years, making SAX J0103.2-7209 one of the most rapidly spinning up X-ray pulsars known. The BeppoSAX position (30&arcsec; uncertainty radius) is consistent with that of the Einstein source 2E 0101.5-7225 and the ROSAT source RX J0103.2-7209. This source was detected at a luminosity level of a few times 1035-1036 ergs s-1 in all data sets of past X-ray missions since 1979. The ROSAT HRI and Chandra positions are consistent with that of a mV=14.8 Be spectral-type star already proposed as the likely optical counterpart of 2E 0101.5-7225. We briefly report and discuss photometric and spectroscopic data carried out at the ESO telescopes 2 days before the BeppoSAX observation. We conclude that SAX J0103.2-7209 and 2E 0101.5-7225 are the same source: a relatively young and persistent X-ray pulsar in the SMC.

X-Ray Properties of AGN in Brightest Cluster Galaxies. I. A Systematic Study of the Chandra Archive in the 0.2 < z < 0.3 and 0.55 < z < 0.75 Redshift Range

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lilan; Tozzi, Paolo; Yu, Heng; Lusso, Elisabeta; Gaspari, Massimo; Gilli, Roberto; Nardini, Emanuele; Risaliti, Guido

2018-05-01

We present a search for nuclear X-ray emission in the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) of a sample of groups and clusters of galaxies extracted from the Chandra archive. The exquisite angular resolution of Chandra allows us to obtain robust photometry at the position of the BCG, and to firmly identify unresolved X-ray emission when present, thanks to an accurate characterization of the extended emission at the BCG position. We consider two redshift bins (0.2 soft (0.5–2 keV) or hard (2–7 keV) band is detected only in 14 and 9 BCGs (∼18% of the total samples), respectively. The X-ray photometry shows that at least half of the BCGs have a high hardness ratio, compatible with significant intrinsic absorption. This is confirmed by the spectral analysis with a power-law model plus intrinsic absorption. We compute the fraction of X-ray bright BCGs above a given hard X-ray luminosity, considering only sources with positive photometry in the hard band (12/5 sources in the low/high-z sample).

Chandra Studies of Planets and Comets in the X-ray

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, Carey; Bhardwaj, A.; Wolk, S. J.; Christian, D. J.; Dennerl, K.; Bodewits, D.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2009-09-01

The discovery of high energy x-ray emission in 1996 from C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) created a new class of solar system x-ray emitting objects [1]. Subsequent detections of the morphology, spectra, and time dependence of the x-rays from more than 20 comets have shown that the very soft (E Lisse et al., Science 274, 205 (1996)[2] R. Wegmann and K. Dennerl, A&A 430, L33 (2005)[3] D. Bodewits et al., A&A 469, 1183 (2007)[4] A. Bhardwaj et al., PSS 55, 1135 - 1189 (2007)

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Cool-core clusters with Chandra obs. (Andrade-Santos+, 2017)

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade-Santos, F.; Jones, C.; Forman, W. R.; Lovisari, L.; Vikhlinin, A.; van Weeren, R. J.; Murray, S. S.; Arnaud, M.; Pratt, G. W.; Democles, J.; Kraft, R.; Mazzotta, P.; Bohringer, H.; Chon, G.; Giacintucci, S.; Clarke, T. E.; Borgani, S.; David, L.; Douspis, M.; Pointecouteau, E.; Dahle, H.; Brown, S.; Aghanim, N.; Rasia, E.

2018-02-01

The main goal of this work is to compare the fraction of cool-core (CC) clusters in X-ray-selected and SZ-selected samples. The first catalog of 189 SZ clusters detected by the Planck mission was released in early 2011 (Planck Collaboration 2011, VIII/88/esz). A Chandra XVP (X-ray Visionary Program--PI: Jones) and HRC Guaranteed Time Observations (PI: Murray) combined to form the Chandra-Planck Legacy Program for Massive Clusters of Galaxies. For each of the 164 ESZ Planck clusters at z<=0.35, we obtained Chandra exposures sufficient to collect at least 10000 source counts. The X-ray sample used here is an extension of the Voevodkin & Vikhlinin (2004ApJ...601..610V) sample. This sample contains 100 clusters and has an effective redshift depth of z<0.3. All have Chandra observations. Of the 100 X-ray-selected clusters, 49 are also in the ESZ sample, and 47 are in the HIFLUGCS (Reiprich & Boehringer 2002ApJ...567..716R) catalog. (2 data files).

Searching for Exoplanet Effects on the X-ray Spectrum of τ Boo

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Brian; Laming, J. Martin

2018-01-01

We study the X-ray spectrum of the exoplanet host star τ Boo A (F7 V), in order to explore the possibility that its very close-in, massive exoplanet (Porb=3.31 days, m sin i=3.9 MJ) may be affecting the coronal emissions of this star. The star was observed recently by Chandra/LETGS for 92 ksec in three pieces between 2017 February 27 and 2017 March 5; and was previously observed by XMM for 65 ksec in 2003 June 24. The new Chandra observations allow us to resolve τ Boo A from its stellar companion, τ Boo B (M2 V), for the first time. The companion accounts for 21% of the system's total X-ray emission at the time of the Chandra observation. Nevertheless, our measurements of τ Boo A emission measures and coronal abundances from Chandra are reasonably consistent with previous measurements from XMM by Maggio et al. (2011, A&A, 527, A144), in which τ Boo A and B are not resolved. Covering planetary orbital phases 0.21-0.31, 0.44-0.49, and 0.69-0.86, the Chandra data show that τ Boo A's coronal X-ray spectrum does not vary significantly with planetary orbital phase. However, our analysis suggests that coronal abundances for τ Boo A are somewhat anomalous, with a significantly weaker "FIP effect" compared to similar stars without close-in exoplanets, particularly π3 Ori (F6 V).

Differential phase contrast setup for a non coherent beamline at HASYLAB using hard X-ray grating interferometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herzen, Julia; Beckmann, Felix; Haibel, Astrid; Schreyer, Andreas [GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht (Germany); Donath, Tilman; David, Christian; Gruenzweig, Christian [Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Pfeiffer, Franz [Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI (Switzerland); EPF Lausanne, Lausanne (Switzerland)

2009-07-01

Phase-contrast imaging is a common technique to visualize soft tissue with much higher contrast than the conventional absorption-contrast imaging. Differential phase contrast (DPC), developed at PSI, Switzerland, makes use of a hard x-ray grating interferometer and allows for phase-contrast imaging with high brilliance synchrotron sources as well as with conventional x-ray tubes. It is recently reported also to provide dark field information that is very sensitive to micro structures like porosity within the materials. Here we present the plans to adopt the DPC technique to the HARWI-II materials science beamline, operated by GKSS Research Centre, in cooperation with DESY, Hamburg. This will offer an amount of new applications especially in the field of materials science like for example characterizing new light weight materials like magnesium and studying its corrosion as implant material.

Quantitative phase imaging using quadri-wave lateral shearing interferometry. Application to X-ray domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizzi, Julien

2013-01-01

Since Roentgen discovered X-rays, X-ray imaging systems are based on absorption contrast. This technique is inefficient for weakly absorbing objects. As a result, X-ray standard radiography can detect bones lesions, but cannot detect ligament lesions. However, phase contrast imaging can overcome this limitation. Since the years 2000, relying on former works of opticians, X-ray scientists are developing phase sensitive devices compatible with industrial applications such as medical imaging or non destructive control. Standard architectures for interferometry are challenging to implement in the X-ray domain. This is the reason why grating based interferometers became the most promising devices to envision industrial applications. They provided the first x-ray phase contrast images of living human samples. Nevertheless, actual grating based architectures require the use of at least two gratings, and are challenging to adapt on an industrial product. So, the aim of my thesis was to develop a single phase grating interferometer. I demonstrated that such a device can provide achromatic and propagation invariant interference patterns. I used this interferometer to perform quantitative phase contrast imaging of a biological fossil sample and x-ray at mirror metrology. (author)

X-ray Talbot interferometry with capillary plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momose, Atsushi; Kawamoto, Shinya

2006-01-01

An X-ray Talbot interferometer consisting of two capillary plates, which were used as X-ray amplitude gratings, was evaluated for X-ray phase imaging. A theoretical aspect of capillary X-ray Talbot interferometry is presented with a preliminary operation result using synchrotron radiation. A two-dimensional X-ray Talbot effect, or self-imaging effect, which was the basis of Talbot interferometry, was observed with the capillary plate, and moire images formed by the X-ray Talbot interferometer exhibited contrasts corresponding to the differential phase shift caused by phase objects placed in front of the interferometer. Finally, the possibility of quantitative phase measurement with a fringe scanning technique is discussed. (author)

THE SPECTACULAR RADIO-NEAR-IR-X-RAY JET OF 3C 111: THE X-RAY EMISSION MECHANISM AND JET KINEMATICS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clautice, Devon; Perlman, Eric S. [Department of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32901 (United States); Georganopoulos, Markos [Department of Physics, University of Maryland—Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States); Lister, Matthew L.; Hogan, Brandon [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Tombesi, Francesco [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421 (United States); Cara, Mihai [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Marshall, Herman L. [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Kazanas, Demos [NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Astrophysics Science Division, Code 663, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2016-08-01

Relativistic jets are the most energetic manifestation of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) phenomenon. AGN jets are observed from the radio through gamma-rays and carry copious amounts of matter and energy from the sub-parsec central regions out to the kiloparsec and often megaparsec scale galaxy and cluster environs. While most spatially resolved jets are seen in the radio, an increasing number have been discovered to emit in the optical/near-IR and/or X-ray bands. Here we discuss a spectacular example of this class, the 3C 111 jet, housed in one of the nearest, double-lobed FR II radio galaxies known. We discuss new, deep Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) observations that reveal both near-IR and X-ray emission from several components of the 3C 111 jet, as well as both the northern and southern hotspots. Important differences are seen between the morphologies in the radio, X-ray, and near-IR bands. The long (over 100 kpc on each side), straight nature of this jet makes it an excellent prototype for future, deep observations, as it is one of the longest such features seen in the radio, near-IR/optical, and X-ray bands. Several independent lines of evidence, including the X-ray and broadband spectral shape as well as the implied velocity of the approaching hotspot, lead us to strongly disfavor the EC/CMB model and instead favor a two-component synchrotron model to explain the observed X-ray emission for several jet components. Future observations with NuSTAR , HST , and Chandra will allow us to further constrain the emission mechanisms.

CHANDRA, KECK, AND VLA OBSERVATIONS OF THE CRAB NEBULA DURING THE 2011-APRIL GAMMA-RAY FLARE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weisskopf, Martin C.; Tennant, Allyn F.; O' Dell, Stephen L. [NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Astrophysics Office (ZP12), Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States); Arons, Jonathan [Astronomy Department and Theoretical Astrophysics Center, University of California, Berkeley, 601 Campbell Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Blandford, Roger; Funk, Stefan; Romani, Roger W. [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Buehler, Rolf [DESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Caraveo, Patrizia; De Luca, Andrea [INAF-IASF Milano, via E. Bassini 15, I-20133 Milano (Italy); Cheung, Chi C. [National Research Council Research Associate, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC 20001 (United States); Costa, Enrico [INFN Roma Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Ferrigno, Carlo [ISDC, Data Center for Astrophysics of the University of Geneva, chemin d' cogia 16, CH-1290 Versoix (Switzerland); Fu, Hai [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Habermehl, Moritz; Horns, Dieter [Institut fuer Experimentalphysik, Universitaet Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, D-22761 Hamburg (Germany); Linford, Justin D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, MSC07 4220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 (United States); Lobanov, Andrei [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Auf dem Huegel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Max, Claire [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Mignani, Roberto [Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT (United Kingdom); and others

2013-03-01

We present results from our analysis of Chandra X-Ray Observatory, W. M. Keck Observatory, and Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) images of the Crab Nebula that were contemporaneous with the {gamma}-ray flare of 2011 April. Despite hints in the X-ray data, we find no evidence for statistically significant variations that pinpoint the specific location of the flares within the Nebula. The Keck observations extend this conclusion to the 'inner knot', i.e., the feature within an arcsecond of the pulsar. The VLA observations support this conclusion. We also discuss theoretical implications of the {gamma}-ray flares and suggest that the most dramatic {gamma}-ray flares are due to radiation-reaction-limited synchrotron emission associated with sudden, dissipative changes in the current system sustained by the central pulsar.

Statistical Characterization of the Chandra Source Catalog

Science.gov (United States)

Primini, Francis A.; Houck, John C.; Davis, John E.; Nowak, Michael A.; Evans, Ian N.; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Anderson, Craig S.; Bonaventura, Nina R.; Chen, Judy C.; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Galle, Elizabeth C.; Gibbs, Danny G.; Grier, John D.; Hain, Roger M.; Hall, Diane M.; Harbo, Peter N.; He, Xiangqun Helen; Karovska, Margarita; Kashyap, Vinay L.; Lauer, Jennifer; McCollough, Michael L.; McDowell, Jonathan C.; Miller, Joseph B.; Mitschang, Arik W.; Morgan, Douglas L.; Mossman, Amy E.; Nichols, Joy S.; Plummer, David A.; Refsdal, Brian L.; Rots, Arnold H.; Siemiginowska, Aneta; Sundheim, Beth A.; Tibbetts, Michael S.; Van Stone, David W.; Winkelman, Sherry L.; Zografou, Panagoula

2011-06-01

The first release of the Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) contains ~95,000 X-ray sources in a total area of 0.75% of the entire sky, using data from ~3900 separate ACIS observations of a multitude of different types of X-ray sources. In order to maximize the scientific benefit of such a large, heterogeneous data set, careful characterization of the statistical properties of the catalog, i.e., completeness, sensitivity, false source rate, and accuracy of source properties, is required. Characterization efforts of other large Chandra catalogs, such as the ChaMP Point Source Catalog or the 2 Mega-second Deep Field Surveys, while informative, cannot serve this purpose, since the CSC analysis procedures are significantly different and the range of allowable data is much less restrictive. We describe here the characterization process for the CSC. This process includes both a comparison of real CSC results with those of other, deeper Chandra catalogs of the same targets and extensive simulations of blank-sky and point-source populations.

Chandra Sees Wealth Of Black Holes In Star-Forming Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

2001-06-01

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has found new populations of suspected mid-mass black holes in several starburst galaxies, where stars form and explode at an unusually high rate. Although a few of these objects had been found previously, this is the first time they have been detected in such large numbers and could help explain their relationship to star formation and the production of even more massive black holes. At the 198th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Pasadena, California, three independent teams of scientists reported finding dozens of X-ray sources in galaxies aglow with star formation. These X-ray objects appear point-like and are ten to a thousand times more luminous in X-rays than similar sources found in our Milky Way and the M81 galaxy. "Chandra gives us the ability to study the populations of individual bright X-ray sources in nearby galaxies in extraordinary detail," said Andreas Zezas, lead author from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics team that observed The Antennae, a pair of colliding galaxies, and M82, a well-known starburst galaxy. "This allows us to build on earlier detections of these objects and better understand their relationship to starburst galaxies." Antennae-True Color Image True Color Image of Antennae Credit: NASA/SAO/G.Fabbiano et al. Press Image and Caption Kimberly Weaver, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, lead scientist of the team that studied the starburst galaxy NGC 253, discussed the importance of the unusual concentration of these very luminous X-ray sources near the center of that galaxy. Four sources, which are tens to thousands of times more massive than the Sun, are located within 3,000 light years of the galaxy core. "This may imply that these black holes are gravitating toward the center of the galaxy where they could coalesce to form a single supermassive black hole," Weaver suggested. "It could be that this starburst galaxy is transforming itself into a quasar

NASA's Chandra Finds Black Holes Are "Green"

Science.gov (United States)

2006-04-01

Black holes are the most fuel efficient engines in the Universe, according to a new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. By making the first direct estimate of how efficient or "green" black holes are, this work gives insight into how black holes generate energy and affect their environment. The new Chandra finding shows that most of the energy released by matter falling toward a supermassive black hole is in the form of high-energy jets traveling at near the speed of light away from the black hole. This is an important step in understanding how such jets can be launched from magnetized disks of gas near the event horizon of a black hole. Illustration of Fuel for a Black Hole Engine Illustration of Fuel for a Black Hole Engine "Just as with cars, it's critical to know the fuel efficiency of black holes," said lead author Steve Allen of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. "Without this information, we cannot figure out what is going on under the hood, so to speak, or what the engine can do." Allen and his team used Chandra to study nine supermassive black holes at the centers of elliptical galaxies. These black holes are relatively old and generate much less radiation than quasars, rapidly growing supermassive black holes seen in the early Universe. The surprise came when the Chandra results showed that these "quiet" black holes are all producing much more energy in jets of high-energy particles than in visible light or X-rays. These jets create huge bubbles, or cavities, in the hot gas in the galaxies. Animation of Black Hole in Elliptical Galaxy Animation of Black Hole in Elliptical Galaxy The efficiency of the black hole energy-production was calculated in two steps: first Chandra images of the inner regions of the galaxies were used to estimate how much fuel is available for the black hole; then Chandra images were used to estimate the power required to produce

X-ray phase scanning setup for non-destructive testing using Talbot-Lau interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Bachche, S.; Nonoguchi, M.; Kato, K.; Kageyama, M.; Koike, T.; Kuribayashi, M.; Momose, A.

2016-09-01

X-ray grating interferometry has a great potential for X-ray phase imaging over conventional X-ray absorption imaging which does not provide significant contrast for weakly absorbing objects and soft biological tissues. X-ray Talbot and Talbot-Lau interferometers which are composed of transmission gratings and measure the differential X-ray phase shifts have gained popularity because they operate with polychromatic beams. In X-ray radiography, especially for nondestructive testing in industrial applications, the feasibility of continuous sample scanning is not yet completely revealed. A scanning setup is frequently advantageous when compared to a direct 2D static image acquisition in terms of field of view, exposure time, illuminating radiation, etc. This paper demonstrates an efficient scanning setup for grating-based Xray phase imaging using laboratory-based X-ray source. An apparatus consisting of an X-ray source that emits X-rays vertically, optical gratings and a photon-counting detector was used with which continuously moving objects across the field of view as that of conveyor belt system can be imaged. The imaging performance of phase scanner was tested by scanning a long continuous moving sample at a speed of 5 mm/s and absorption, differential-phase and visibility images were generated by processing non-uniform moire movie with our specially designed phase measurement algorithm. A brief discussion on the feasibility of phase scanner with scanning setup approach including X-ray phase imaging performance is reported. The successful results suggest a breakthrough for scanning objects those are moving continuously on conveyor belt system non-destructively using the scheme of X-ray phase imaging.

HDE 245059: A WEAK-LINED T TAURI BINARY REVEALED BY CHANDRA AND KECK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldovin-Saavedra, C.; Audard, M.; Duchene, G.; Guedel, M.; Skinner, S.L.; Paerels, F. B. S.; Ghez, A.; McCabe, C.

2009-01-01

We present the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer and Keck observations of HDE 245059, a young weak-lined T Tauri star (WTTS), member of the pre-main-sequence group in the λ Orionis Cluster. Our high spatial resolution, near-infrared observations with Keck reveal that HDE 245059 is in fact a binary separated by 0.''87, probably composed of two WTTS based on their color indices. Based on this new information we have obtained an estimate of the masses of the binary components; ∼3 M sun and ∼2.5 M sun for the north and south components, respectively. We have also estimated the age of the system to be ∼2-3 Myr. We detect both components of the binary in the zeroth-order Chandra image and in the grating spectra. The light curves show X-ray variability of both sources and in particular a flaring event in the weaker southern component. The spectra of both stars show similar features: a combination of cool and hot plasma as demonstrated by several iron lines from Fe XVII to Fe XXV and a strong bremsstrahlung continuum at short wavelengths. We have fitted the combined grating and zeroth-order spectrum (considering the contribution of both stars) in XSPEC. The coronal abundances and emission measure distribution for the binary have been obtained using different methods, including a continuous emission measure distribution and a multi-temperature approximation. In all cases we have found that the emission is dominated by plasma between ∼8 and ∼15 MK a soft component at ∼4 MK and a hard component at ∼50 MK are also detected. The value of the hydrogen column density was low, N H ∼ 8 x 10 19 cm -2 , likely due to the clearing of the inner region of the λ Orionis cloud, where HDE 245059 is located. The abundance pattern shows an inverse first ionization potential effect for all elements from O to Fe, the only exception being Ca. To obtain the properties of the binary components, a 3-T model was fitted to the individual zeroth-order spectra

Formation and Evolution of X-ray Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Fragkos, Anastasios

X-ray binaries - mass-transferring binary stellar systems with compact object accretors - are unique astrophysical laboratories. They carry information about many complex physical processes such as star formation, compact object formation, and evolution of interacting binaries. My thesis work involves the study of the formation and evolution of Galactic and extra-galacticX-ray binaries using both detailed and realistic simulation tools, and population synthesis techniques. I applied an innovative analysis method that allows the reconstruction of the full evolutionary history of known black hole X-ray binaries back to the time of compact object formation. This analysis takes into account all the available observationally determined properties of a system, and models in detail four of its evolutionary evolutionary phases: mass transfer through the ongoing X-ray phase, tidal evolution before the onset of Roche-lobe overflow, motion through the Galactic potential after the formation of the black hole, and binary orbital dynamics at the time of core collapse. Motivated by deep extra-galactic Chandra survey observations, I worked on population synthesis models of low-mass X-ray binaries in the two elliptical galaxies NGC3379 and NGC4278. These simulations were targeted at understanding the origin of the shape and normalization of the observed X-ray luminosity functions. In a follow up study, I proposed a physically motivated prescription for the modeling of transient neutron star low-mass X-ray binary properties, such as duty cycle, outburst duration and recurrence time. This prescription enabled the direct comparison of transient low-mass X-ray binary population synthesis models to the Chandra X-ray survey of the two ellipticals NGC3379 and NGC4278. Finally, I worked on population synthesismodels of black holeX-ray binaries in the MilkyWay. This work was motivated by recent developments in observational techniques for the measurement of black hole spin magnitudes in

IMPLICATIONS OF X-RAY LINE VARIATIONS FOR 4U1822-371

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, L.; Schulz, N. S.; Nowak, M. A.; Canizares, C. R.

2011-01-01

4U 1822-371 is one of the prototype accretion disk coronal sources with an orbital period of about 5.6 hr. The binary is viewed almost edge-on at a high inclination angle of 83 deg., which makes it a unique candidate to study binary orbital and accretion disk dynamics in high powered X-ray sources. We observed the X-ray source in 4U 1822-371 with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer for almost nine binary orbits. X-ray eclipse times provide an update of the orbital ephemeris. We find that our result follows the quadratic function implied by previous observations; however, it suggests a flatter trend. From the orbital line dynamics, we confirm the previous suggestion that recombination emission is located at the impact bulge of the accretion stream. Our observations show that the recombining plasma is confined to this region, and prove that it has to be a very thin layer on top of the accretion disk. Fe XXVI emission is detected at all phases and likely originates from the hot central corona which has optical depth <<1. The implied ionization parameters from both regions strongly suggest that the illuminating source is obscured with respect to the observer and is orders of magnitude brighter than what is actually observed. This is independently confirmed by the best fit of a flat power law with a high-energy cutoff and partial covering absorption with a covering fraction of about 50%. We discuss the implications of our findings with respect to the photoionized line emission and the spectral continuum on basic properties of the X-ray source.

Chandra Discovers Cosmic Cannonball

Science.gov (United States)

2007-11-01

One of the fastest moving stars ever seen has been discovered with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This cosmic cannonball is challenging theories to explain its blistering speed. Astronomers used Chandra to observe a neutron star, known as RX J0822-4300, over a period of about five years. During that span, three Chandra observations clearly show the neutron star moving away from the center of the Puppis A supernova remnant. This remnant is the stellar debris field created during the same explosion in which the neutron star was created about 3700 years ago. Chandra X-ray Image of RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A Chandra X-ray Image of RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A By combining how far it has moved across the sky with its distance from Earth, astronomers determined the neutron star is moving at over 3 million miles per hour. At this rate, RX J0822-4300 is destined to escape from the Milky Way after millions of years, even though it has only traveled about 20 light years so far. "This star is moving at 3 million miles an hour, but it's so far away that the apparent motion we see in five years is less than the height of the numerals in the date on a penny, seen from the length of a football field," said Frank Winkler of Middlebury College in Vermont. "It's remarkable, and a real testament to the power of Chandra, that such a tiny motion can be measured." Labeled Image of RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A Labeled Image of RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A "Just after it was born, this neutron star got a one-way ticket out of the Galaxy," said co-author Robert Petre of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Astronomers have seen other stars being flung out of the Milky Way, but few as fast as this." So-called hypervelocity stars have been previously discovered shooting out of the Milky Way with speeds around one million miles per hour. One key difference between RX J0822-4300 and these other reported galactic escapees is the source of their speed. The hypervelocity stars are

XAssist: A System for the Automation of X-ray Astrophysics Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ptak, A.

2004-08-01

XAssist is a NASA AISR-funded project for the automation of X-ray astrophysics. It is capable of data reprocessing, source detection, and preliminary spatial, temporal and spectral analysis for each source with sufficient counts. The bulk of the system is written in Python, which in turn drives underlying software (CIAO for Chandra data, etc.). Future work will include a GUI (mainly for beginners and status monitoring) and the exposure of at least some functionality as web services. The latter will help XAssist to eventually become part of the VO, making advanced queries possible, such as determining the X-ray fluxes of counterparts to HST or SDSS sources (including the use of unpublished X-ray data), and add the ability of ``on-the-fly'' X-ray processing. Pipelines are running on Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of galaxies to demonstrate XAssist's capabilities, and the results are available online (in real time) at http://www.xassist.org. XAssist itself as well as various associated projects are available for download.

X-RAY AND RADIO EMISSION FROM TYPE IIn SUPERNOVA SN 2010jl

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandra, Poonam [National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Pune University Campus, Pune 411 007 (India); Chevalier, Roger A. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4325 (United States); Chugai, Nikolai [Institute of Astronomy of Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyatnitskaya St. 48, 109017 Moscow (Russian Federation); Fransson, Claes [Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Soderberg, Alicia M., E-mail: poonam@ncra.tifr.res.in [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden St., MS-20, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2015-09-01

We present all X-ray and radio observations of the Type IIn supernova SN 2010jl. The X-ray observations cover a period up to day 1500 with Chandra, XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and Swift-X-ray Telescope (XRT). The Chandra observations after 2012 June, the XMM-Newton observation in 2013 November, and most of the Swift-XRT observations until 2014 December are presented for the first time. All the spectra can be fitted by an absorbed hot thermal model except for Chandra spectra on 2011 October and 2012 June when an additional component is needed. Although the origin of this component is uncertain, it is spatially coincident with the supernova and occurs when there are changes to the supernova spectrum in the energy range close to that of the extra component, indicating that the emission is related to the supernova. The X-ray light curve shows an initial plateau followed by a steep drop starting at day ∼300. We attribute the drop to a decrease in the circumstellar density. The column density to the X-ray emission drops rapidly with time, showing that the absorption is in the vicinity of the supernova. We also present Very Large Array radio observations of SN 2010jl. Radio emission was detected from SN 2010jl from day 570 onwards. The radio light curves and spectra suggest that the radio luminosity was close to its maximum at the first detection. The velocity of the shocked ejecta derived assuming synchrotron self-absorption is much less than that estimated from the optical and X-ray observations, suggesting that free–free absorption dominates.

High efficiency spectro graphs for the EUV and soft x-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cash, W.

1983-01-01

A basic need of modern UV and x-ray astronomy is the capability to perform high resolution spectroscopy of faint stars. The use of modern grazing incidence optics can be coupled to high blaze angle reflection gratings used in the conical diffraction mount to offer a versatile, efficient approach to the design problem. The authors discuss two designs of interest: an echelle spectrograph for use longward of 100 A, and an Objective Reflection Grating Spectrograph for use in the soft x-rays. General design considerations and measurements of grating efficiencies are also presented

Comment on ‘A new method for fusion, denoising and enhancement of x-ray images retrieved from Talbot–Lau grating interferometry’

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholkmann, Felix; Revol, Vincent; Kaufmann, Rolf; Kottler, Christian

2015-01-01

In a recent paper (Scholkamm et al 2014 Phys. Med. Biol. 59 1425–40) we presented a new image denoising, fusion and enhancement framework for combining and optimal visualization of x-ray attenuation contrast, differential phase contrast and dark-field contrast images retrieved from x-ray Talbot–Lau grating interferometry. In this comment we give additional information and report about the application of our framework to breast cancer tissue which we presented in our paper as an example. The applied procedure is suitable for a qualitative comparison of different algorithms. For a quantitative juxtaposition original data would however be needed as an input. (comment and reply)

A CHANDRA OBSERVATION OF THE ECLIPSING WOLF-RAYET BINARY CQ Cep

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skinner, Stephen L. [CASA, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0389 (United States); Zhekov, Svetozar A. [Space Research and Technology Institute, Akad. G. Bonchev Str., Sofia, 1113 (Bulgaria); Güdel, Manuel [Dept. of Astrophysics, Univ. of Vienna, Türkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria); Schmutz, Werner, E-mail: stephen.skinner@colorado.edu, E-mail: szhekov@space.bas.bg, E-mail: manuel.guedel@univie.ac.at, E-mail: werner.schmutz@pmodwrc.ch [Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos and World Radiation Center (PMOD/WRC), Dorfstrasse 33, CH-7260 Davos Dorf (Switzerland)

2015-02-01

The short-period (1.64 d) near-contact eclipsing WN6+O9 binary system CQ Cep provides an ideal laboratory for testing the predictions of X-ray colliding wind shock theory at close separation where the winds may not have reached terminal speeds before colliding. We present results of a Chandra X-ray observation of CQ Cep spanning ∼1 day during which a simultaneous Chandra optical light curve was acquired. Our primary objective was to compare the observed X-ray properties with colliding wind shock theory, which predicts that the hottest shock plasma (T ≳ 20 MK) will form on or near the line-of-centers between the stars. The X-ray spectrum is strikingly similar to apparently single WN6 stars such as WR 134 and spectral lines reveal plasma over a broad range of temperatures T ∼ 4-40 MK. A deep optical eclipse was seen as the O star passed in front of the Wolf-Rayet star and we determine an orbital period P {sub orb} = 1.6412400 d. Somewhat surprisingly, no significant X-ray variability was detected. This implies that the hottest X-ray plasma is not confined to the region between the stars, at odds with the colliding wind picture and suggesting that other X-ray production mechanisms may be at work. Hydrodynamic simulations that account for such effects as radiative cooling and orbital motion will be needed to determine if the new Chandra results can be reconciled with the colliding wind picture.

Image Analysis for X-ray Imaging of Food

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einarsdottir, Hildur

for quality and safety evaluation of food products. In this effort the fields of statistics, image analysis and statistical learning are combined, to provide analytical tools for determining the aforementioned food traits. The work demonstrated includes a quantitative analysis of heat induced changes......X-ray imaging systems are increasingly used for quality and safety evaluation both within food science and production. They offer non-invasive and nondestructive penetration capabilities to image the inside of food. This thesis presents applications of a novel grating-based X-ray imaging technique...... and defect detection in food. Compared to the complex three dimensional analysis of microstructure, here two dimensional images are considered, making the method applicable for an industrial setting. The advantages obtained by grating-based imaging are compared to conventional X-ray imaging, for both foreign...

CORONA, JET, AND RELATIVISTIC LINE MODELS FOR SUZAKU/RXTE/CHANDRA-HETG OBSERVATIONS OF THE CYGNUS X-1 HARD STATE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowak, Michael A.; Trowbridge, Sarah N.; Davis, John E.; Hanke, Manfred; Wilms, Joern; Markoff, Sera B.; Maitra, Dipankar; Tramper, Frank; Pottschmidt, Katja; Coppi, Paolo

2011-01-01

Using Suzaku and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), we have conducted a series of four simultaneous observations of the galactic black hole candidate Cyg X-1 in what were historically faint and spectrally hard 'low states'. Additionally, all of these observations occurred near superior conjunction with our line of sight to the X-ray source passing through the dense phases of the 'focused wind' from the mass donating secondary. One of our observations was also simultaneous with observations by the Chandra-High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG). These latter spectra are crucial for revealing the ionized absorption due to the secondary's focused wind. Such absorption is present and must be accounted for in all four spectra. These simultaneous data give an unprecedented view of the 0.8-300 keV spectrum of Cyg X-1, and hence bear upon both corona and X-ray emitting jet models of black hole hard states. Three models fit the spectra well: coronae with thermal or mixed thermal/non-thermal electron populations and jets. All three models require a soft component that we fit with a low temperature disk spectrum with an inner radius of only a few tens of GM/c 2 . All three models also agree that the known spectral break at 10 keV is not solely due to the presence of reflection, but each gives a different underlying explanation for the augmentation of this break. Thus, whereas all three models require that there is a relativistically broadened Fe line, the strength and inner radius of such a line is dependent upon the specific model, thus making premature line-based estimates of the black hole spin in the Cyg X-1 system. We look at the relativistic line in detail, accounting for the narrow Fe emission and ionized absorption detected by HETG. Although the specific relativistic parameters of the line are continuum dependent, none of the broad line fits allow for an inner disk radius that is >40 GM/c 2 .

X-ray optics developments at ESA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bavdaz, M.; Wille, E.; Wallace, K.

2013-01-01

Future high energy astrophysics missions will require high performance novel X-ray optics to explore the Universe beyond the limits of the currently operating Chandra and Newton observatories. Innovative optics technologies are therefore being developed and matured by the European Space Agency (ESA......) in collaboration with research institutions and industry, enabling leading-edge future science missions. Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) [1 to 21] and Slumped Glass Optics (SGO) [22 to 29] are lightweight high performance X-ray optics technologies being developed in Europe, driven by applications in observatory class...... reflective coatings [30 to 35]. In addition, the progress with the X-ray test facilities and associated beam-lines is discussed [36]. © (2013) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only....

X-ray grating spectrometer for opacity measurements in the 50 eV to 250 eV spectral range at the LULI 2000 laser facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Reverdin, Charles; Thais, Frédéric; Loisel, Guillaume; Busquet, M; Bastiani-Ceccotti, S; Blenski, T; Caillaud, T; Ducret, J E; Foelsner, W; Gilles, D; Gilleron, F; Pain, J C; Poirier, M; Serres, F; Silvert, V; Soullie, G; Turck-Chieze, S; Villette, B

2012-10-01

An x-ray grating spectrometer was built in order to measure opacities in the 50 eV to 250 eV spectral range with an average spectral resolution ∼ 50. It has been used at the LULI-2000 laser facility at École Polytechnique (France) to measure the Δn = 0, n = 3 transitions of several elements with neighboring atomic number: Cr, Fe, Ni, and Cu in the same experimental conditions. Hence a spectrometer with a wide spectral range is required. This spectrometer features one line of sight looking through a heated sample at backlighter emission. It is outfitted with one toroidal condensing mirror and several flat mirrors cutting off higher energy photons. The spectral dispersion is obtained with a flatfield grating. Detection consists of a streak camera sensitive to soft x-ray radiation. Some experimental results showing the performance of this spectrometer are presented.

X-ray grating spectrometer for opacity measurements in the 50 eV to 250 eV spectral range at the LULI 2000 laser facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reverdin, Charles; Caillaud, T.; Gilleron, F.; Pain, J. C.; Silvert, V.; Soullie, G.; Villette, B.; Thais, Frédéric; Loisel, Guillaume; Blenski, T.; Poirier, M.; Busquet, M.; Bastiani-Ceccotti, S.; Serres, F.; Ducret, J. E.; Foelsner, W.; Gilles, D.; Turck-Chieze, S.

2012-01-01

An x-ray grating spectrometer was built in order to measure opacities in the 50 eV to 250 eV spectral range with an average spectral resolution ∼ 50. It has been used at the LULI-2000 laser facility at École Polytechnique (France) to measure the Δn = 0, n = 3 transitions of several elements with neighboring atomic number: Cr, Fe, Ni, and Cu in the same experimental conditions. Hence a spectrometer with a wide spectral range is required. This spectrometer features one line of sight looking through a heated sample at backlighter emission. It is outfitted with one toroidal condensing mirror and several flat mirrors cutting off higher energy photons. The spectral dispersion is obtained with a flatfield grating. Detection consists of a streak camera sensitive to soft x-ray radiation. Some experimental results showing the performance of this spectrometer are presented.

X-ray grating spectrometer for opacity measurements in the 50 eV to 250 eV spectral range at the LULI 2000 laser facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reverdin, Charles; Caillaud, T.; Gilleron, F.; Pain, J. C.; Silvert, V.; Soullie, G.; Villette, B. [CEA, DAM, DIF, 91297 Arpajon (France); Thais, Frederic; Loisel, Guillaume; Blenski, T.; Poirier, M. [CEA, DSM, IRAMIS, Service Photons, Atomes et Molecules, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Busquet, M. [ARTEP Inc, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042 (United States); Bastiani-Ceccotti, S.; Serres, F. [LULI, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau (France); Ducret, J. E. [CELIA, UMR5107, CEA, CNRS, Universite de Bordeaux, 33400 Talence (France); Foelsner, W. [Max Planck Instituet fuer Quantum Optik, 85748 Garching (Germany); Gilles, D.; Turck-Chieze, S. [CEA, DSM, IRFU, Service d' astrophysique, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

2012-10-15

An x-ray grating spectrometer was built in order to measure opacities in the 50 eV to 250 eV spectral range with an average spectral resolution {approx} 50. It has been used at the LULI-2000 laser facility at Ecole Polytechnique (France) to measure the {Delta}n = 0, n = 3 transitions of several elements with neighboring atomic number: Cr, Fe, Ni, and Cu in the same experimental conditions. Hence a spectrometer with a wide spectral range is required. This spectrometer features one line of sight looking through a heated sample at backlighter emission. It is outfitted with one toroidal condensing mirror and several flat mirrors cutting off higher energy photons. The spectral dispersion is obtained with a flatfield grating. Detection consists of a streak camera sensitive to soft x-ray radiation. Some experimental results showing the performance of this spectrometer are presented.

X-ray counterpart candidates for six new γ-ray pulsars

Science.gov (United States)

Zyuzin, Dmitry A.; Karpova, Anna V.; Shibanov, Yuriy A.

2018-05-01

Using archival X-ray data, we have found point-like X-ray counterpart candidates positionally coincident with six γ-ray pulsars discovered recently in the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope data by the Einstein@Home project. The candidates for PSRs J0002+6216, J0554+3107, J1844-0346, and J1105-6037 are detected with Swift, and those for PSRs J0359+5414 and J2017+3625 are detected with Chandra. Despite a low count statistics for some candidates, assuming plausible constraints on the absorbing column density towards the pulsars, we show that X-ray spectral properties for all of them are consistent with those observed for other pulsars. J0359+5414 is the most reliably identified object. We detect a nebula around it, whose spectrum and extent suggest that this is a pulsar wind nebula powered by the pulsar. Associations of J0002+6216 and J1844-0346 with supernova remnants CTB 1 and G28.6-0.1 are proposed.

X-ray pulsars in nearby irregular galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jun

2018-01-01

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Irregular Galaxy IC 10 are valuable laboratories to study the physical, temporal and statistical properties of the X-ray pulsar population with multi-satellite observations, in order to probe fundamental physics. The known distance of these galaxies can help us easily categorize the luminosity of the pulsars and their age difference can be helpful for for studying the origin and evolution of compact objects. Therefore, a complete archive of 116 XMM-Newton PN, 151 Chandra (Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer) ACIS, and 952 RXTE PCA observations for the pulsars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) were collected and analyzed, along with 42 XMM-Newton and 30 Chandra observations for the Large Magellanic Cloud, spanning 1997-2014. From a sample of 67 SMC pulsars we generate a suite of products for each pulsar detection: spin period, flux, event list, high time-resolution light-curve, pulse-profile, periodogram, and X-ray spectrum. Combining all three satellites, I generated complete histories of the spin periods, pulse amplitudes, pulsed fractions and X-ray luminosities. Many of the pulsars show variations in pulse period due to the combination of orbital motion and accretion torques. Long-term spin-up/down trends are seen in 28/25 pulsars respectively, pointing to sustained transfer of mass and angular momentum to the neutron star on decadal timescales. The distributions of pulse detection and flux as functions of spin period provide interesting findings: mapping boundaries of accretion-driven X-ray luminosity, and showing that fast pulsars (P<10 s) are rarely detected, which yet are more prone to giant outbursts. In parallel we compare the observed pulse profiles to our general relativity (GR) model of X-ray emission in order to constrain the physical parameters of the pulsars.In addition, we conduct a search for optical counterparts to X-ray sources in the local dwarf galaxy IC 10 to form a comparison

Characterizing Intermediate-Mass, Pre-Main-Sequence Stars via X-Ray Emision

Science.gov (United States)

Haze Nunez, Evan; Povich, Matthew Samuel; Binder, Breanna Arlene; Broos, Patrick; Townsley, Leisa K.

2018-01-01

The X-ray emission from intermediate-mass, pre-main-sequence stars (IMPS) can provide useful constraints on the ages of very young (${getting power from the gravitational contraction of the star. Main-sequence late-B and A-type stars are not expected to be strong X-ray emitters, because they lack the both strong winds of more massive stars and the magneto-coronal activity of lower-mass stars. There is, however, mounting evidence that IMPS are powerful intrinsic x-ray emitters during their convection-dominated early evolution, before the development and rapid growth of a radiation zone. We present our prime candidates for intrinsic, coronal X-ray emission from IMPS identified in the Chandra Carina Complex Project. The Carina massive star-forming complex is of special interest due to the wide variation of star formation stages within the region. Candidate IMPS were identified using infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) models. X-ray properties, including thermal plasma temperatures and absorption-corrected fluxes, were derived from XSPEC fits performed using absorption ($N_{H}$) constrained by the extinction values returned by the infrared SED fits. We find that IMPS have systematically higher X-ray luminosities compared to their lower-mass cousins, the TTauri stars.This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant CAREER-1454334 and by NASA through Chandra Award 18200040.

An X-ray and infrared survey of the Lynds 1228 cloud core

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skinner, Stephen L. [CASA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0389 (United States); Rebull, Luisa [Spitzer Science Center/Caltech, M/S 220-6, 1200 East California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Güdel, Manuel, E-mail: stephen.skinner@colorado.edu, E-mail: rebull@ipac.caltech.edu, E-mail: manuel.guedel@univie.ac.at [Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Türkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria)

2014-04-01

The nearby Lynds 1228 (L1228) dark cloud at a distance of ∼200 pc is known to harbor several young stars including the driving sources of the giant HH 199 and HH 200 Herbig-Haro (HH) outflows. L1228 has previously been studied at optical, infrared, and radio wavelengths but not in X-rays. We present results of a sensitive 37 ks Chandra ACIS-I X-ray observation of the L1228 core region. Chandra detected 60 X-ray sources, most of which are faint (<40 counts) and non-variable. Infrared counterparts were identified for 53 of the 60 X-ray sources using archival data from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. Object classes were assigned using mid-IR colors for those objects with complete photometry, most of which were found to have colors consistent with extragalactic background sources. Seven young stellar object candidates were identified including the class I protostar HH 200-IRS which was detected as a faint hard X-ray source. No X-ray emission was detected from the luminous protostar HH 199-IRS. We summarize the X-ray and infrared properties of the detected sources and provide IR spectral energy distribution modeling of high-interest objects including the protostars driving the HH outflows.

Chandra Survey of Nearby Galaxies: The Catalog

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

She, Rui; Feng, Hua [Department of Engineering Physics and Center for Astrophysics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Ho, Luis C. [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing 100087 (China)

2017-02-01

We searched the public archive of the Chandra X-ray Observatory as of 2016 March and assembled a sample of 719 galaxies within 50 Mpc with available Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer observations. By cross-correlation with the optical or near-infrared nuclei of these galaxies, 314 of them are identified to have an X-ray active galactic nucleus (AGN). The majority of them are low-luminosity AGNs and are unlikely X-ray binaries based upon their spatial distribution and luminosity functions. The AGN fraction is around 60% for elliptical galaxies and early-type spirals, but drops to roughly 20% for Sc and later types, consistent with previous findings in the optical. However, the X-ray survey is more powerful in finding weak AGNs, especially from regions with active star formation that may mask the optical AGN signature. For example, 31% of the H ii nuclei are found to harbor an X-ray AGN. For most objects, a single power-law model subject to interstellar absorption is adequate to fit the spectrum, and the typical photon index is found to be around 1.8. For galaxies with a non-detection, their stacked Chandra image shows an X-ray excess with a luminosity of a few times 10{sup 37} erg s{sup −1} on average around the nuclear region, possibly composed of faint X-ray binaries. This paper reports on the technique and results of the survey; in-depth analysis and discussion of the results will be reported in forthcoming papers.

STATISTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CHANDRA SOURCE CATALOG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Primini, Francis A.; Evans, Ian N.; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Anderson, Craig S.; Bonaventura, Nina R.; Chen, Judy C.; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Galle, Elizabeth C.; Gibbs, Danny G.; Grier, John D.; Hain, Roger M.; Harbo, Peter N.; He Xiangqun; Karovska, Margarita; Houck, John C.; Davis, John E.; Nowak, Michael A.; Hall, Diane M.

2011-01-01

The first release of the Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) contains ∼95,000 X-ray sources in a total area of 0.75% of the entire sky, using data from ∼3900 separate ACIS observations of a multitude of different types of X-ray sources. In order to maximize the scientific benefit of such a large, heterogeneous data set, careful characterization of the statistical properties of the catalog, i.e., completeness, sensitivity, false source rate, and accuracy of source properties, is required. Characterization efforts of other large Chandra catalogs, such as the ChaMP Point Source Catalog or the 2 Mega-second Deep Field Surveys, while informative, cannot serve this purpose, since the CSC analysis procedures are significantly different and the range of allowable data is much less restrictive. We describe here the characterization process for the CSC. This process includes both a comparison of real CSC results with those of other, deeper Chandra catalogs of the same targets and extensive simulations of blank-sky and point-source populations.

SERENDIPITOUS DETECTION OF X-RAY EMISSION FROM THE HOT BORN-AGAIN CENTRAL STAR OF THE PLANETARY NEBULA K 1-16

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montez, Rodolfo Jr. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Kastner, Joel H., E-mail: rodolfo.montez.jr@gmail.com, E-mail: jhk@cis.rit.edu [Center for Imaging Science and Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States)

2013-03-20

We report the serendipitous detection of point-like X-ray emission from the hot, PG1159-type central star of the planetary nebula (CSPN) K 1-16 by the XMM-Newton and Chandra X-Ray Observatories. The CSPN lies superimposed on a galaxy cluster that includes an X-ray-bright quasar, but we have successfully isolated the CSPN X-ray emission from the strong diffuse background contributed by the quasar and intracluster gas. We have modeled the XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray data, taking advantage of the contrasting detection efficiencies of the two observatories to better constrain the low-energy spectral response of Chandra's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer. We find that the CSPN X-ray spectrum is well characterized by the combination of a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium model atmosphere with T{sub *} {approx} 135 kK and a carbon-rich, optically thin thermal plasma with T{sub X} {approx} 1 MK. These results for X-ray emission from the K 1-16 CSPN, combined with those obtained for other PG1159-type objects, lend support to the 'born-again' scenario for Wolf-Rayet and PG1159 CSPNe, wherein a late helium shell flash dredges up carbon-rich intershell material and ejects this material into the circumstellar environment.

New Insights Into The X-ray Properties Of NGC 1672

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Leigh; Roberts, T.; Brandt, N.; Colbert, E.; Levan, A.; Zezas, A.; Ward, M.

2006-09-01

We present the first results of new Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations of the barred spiral galaxy NGC1672. Previously classified as a Seyfert galaxy, the new combined X-ray imaging and spectral information provides evidence that the nucleus of the galaxy may be almost entirely starburst in nature, presumably triggered and sustained by gas and dust driven to the central region along the galactic bar.

Initial Performance of the Attitude Control and Aspect Determination Subsystems on the Chandra Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, R.; Aldcroft, T.; Podgorski, W. A.; Freeman, M. D.

2000-01-01

The aspect determination system of the Chandra X-ray Observatory plays a key role in realizing the full potential of Chandra's X-ray optics and detectors. We review the performance of the spacecraft hardware components and sub-systems, which provide information for both real time control of the attitude and attitude stability of the Chandra Observatory and also for more accurate post-facto attitude reconstruction. These flight components are comprised of the aspect camera (star tracker) and inertial reference units (gyros), plus the fiducial lights and fiducial transfer optics which provide an alignment null reference system for the science instruments and X-ray optics, together with associated thermal and structural components. Key performance measures will be presented for aspect camera focal plane data, gyro performance both during stable pointing and during maneuvers, alignment stability and mechanism repeatability.

Soft X-Ray amplification in laser plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louis-Jacquet, M.

1988-01-01

The principles, experiments and theoretical models of soft x-ray, amplification, produced in laser plasmas, are studied. In the discussion of the principles, the laser plasma medium, the definition of the gain, the population inversions, saturation and superradiance are described. The results concerning recombination and collisional excitation experiments, as well as experimental devices are shown. A complete physical simulation to design and interpret x-ray laser experiments is given. Applications of x-ray lasers in grating production techniques, in contact microscopy and holography are considered

Soft X-ray spectrographs for solar observations

Science.gov (United States)

Bruner, M. E.

1988-01-01

Recent advances in soft X-ray spectrometery are reviewed, with emphasis on techniques for studying the windowless region from roughly 1-100 A. Recent technological developments considered include multilayer mirrors, large-format CCD detectors which are sensitive to X-rays, position-sensitive photon counting detectors, new kinds of X-ray films, and optical systems based on gratings with nonuniform ruling spacings. Improvements in the extent and accuracy of the atomic physics data sets on which the analysis of spectroscopic observatons depend are also discussed.

Chandra Source Catalog: Background Determination and Source Detection

Science.gov (United States)

McCollough, Michael L.; Rots, A. H.; Primini, F. A.; Evans, I. N.; Glotfelty, K. J.; Hain, R.; Anderson, C. S.; Bonaventura, N. R.; Chen, J. C.; Davis, J. E.; Doe, S. M.; Evans, J. D.; Fabbiano, G.; Galle, E.; Gibbs, D. G.; Grier, J. D.; Hall, D. M.; Harbo, P. N.; He, X.; Houck, J. C.; Karovska, M.; Lauer, J.; McDowell, J. C.; Miller, J. B.; Mitschang, A. W.; Morgan, D. L.; Nichols, J. S.; Nowak, M. A.; Plummer, D. A.; Refsdal, B. L.; Siemiginowska, A. L.; Sundheim, B. A.; Tibbetts, M. S.; Van Stone, D. W.; Winkelman, S. L.; Zografou, P.

2009-01-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is a major project in which all of the pointed imaging observations taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory will used to generate the most extensive X-ray source catalog produced to date. Early in the development of the CSC it was recognized that the ability to estimate local background levels in an automated fashion would be critical for essential CSC tasks such as source detection, photometry, sensitivity estimates, and source characterization. We present a discussion of how such background maps are created directly from the Chandra data and how they are used in source detection. The general background for Chandra observations is rather smoothly varying, containing only low spatial frequency components. However, in the case of ACIS data, a high spatial frequency component is added that is due to the readout streaks of the CCD chips. We discuss how these components can be estimated reliably using the Chandra data and what limitations and caveats should be considered in their use. We will discuss the source detection algorithm used for the CSC and the effects of the background images on the detection results. We will also touch on some the Catalog Inclusion and Quality Assurance criteria applied to the source detection results. This work is supported by NASA contract NAS8-03060 (CXC).

Si K EDGE STRUCTURE AND VARIABILITY IN GALACTIC X-RAY BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulz, Norbert S.; Corrales, Lia; Canizares, Claude R. [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2016-08-10

We survey the Si K edge structure in various absorbed Galactic low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) to study states of silicon in the inter- and circum-stellar medium. The bulk of these LMXBs lie toward the Galactic bulge region and all have column densities above 10{sup 22} cm{sup −2}. The observations were performed using the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer. The Si K edge in all sources appears at an energy value of 1844 ± 0.001 eV. The edge exhibits significant substructure that can be described by a near edge absorption feature at 1849 ± 0.002 eV and a far edge absorption feature at 1865 ± 0.002 eV. Both of these absorption features appear variable with equivalent widths up to several mÅ. We can describe the edge structure using several components: multiple edge functions, near edge absorption excesses from silicates in dust form, signatures from X-ray scattering optical depths, and a variable warm absorber from ionized atomic silicon. The measured optical depths of the edges indicate much higher values than expected from atomic silicon cross sections and interstellar medium abundances, and they appear consistent with predictions from silicate X-ray absorption and scattering. A comparison with models also indicates a preference for larger dust grain sizes. In many cases, we identify Si xiii resonance absorption and determine ionization parameters between log ξ = 1.8 and 2.8 and turbulent velocities between 300 and 1000 km s{sup −1}. This places the warm absorber in close vicinity of the X-ray binaries. In some data, we observe a weak edge at 1.840 keV, potentially from a lesser contribution of neutral atomic silicon.

Rejuvenation of the Innocent Bystander: Results from a Pilot X-ray Study of Dwarf Carbon Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzoni, Fernando; Montez, Rodolfo; Green, Paul

2018-01-01

We present the results of a pilot study by the Chandra X-ray Observatory of X-ray emission from dwarf Carbon (dC) stars. Carbon stars were thought to be exclusively AGB stars but main sequence dwarfs showing carbon molecular bands appear to be the dominant variety. The existence of dC stars is surprising since dwarf stars cannot intrinsically produce carbon as an AGB star can. It is hypothesized that dC stars are polluted by an evolved companion star. Evidence of past pollution can appear in X-ray emission where increased coronal activity (“spin-up”) or mass accretion via a disk can be detected. Using the Chandra X-ray Observatory we detected X-ray photons in the vicinity of all the dC stars in our a pilot sample. For each detection we characterized the X-ray emission and compared to the emission expected from potential emission scenarios. Although the process that produces the X-ray emission from dC stars is presently unclear and our pilot sample is small, our results suggest that X-ray emission might be a universal characteristic of dC stars. Further examination of the X-ray emission plus future X-ray and multiwavelength observations will help us better understand the nature of these intriguing stars.

Characterizing the X-ray Emission in Small Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnants

Science.gov (United States)

Man, Nicole; Auchettl, Katie; Lopez, Laura

2018-01-01

The Small Magellanic Cloud is a close, metal-poor galaxy with active star formation, and it has a diverse population of 24 supernova remnants (SNRs) that have been identified at several wavelengths. Past work has characterized the X-ray emission in these sources separately and aimed to constrain their explosive origins from observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton. Three SNRs have possible evidence for Type Ia explosions based on strong Fe-L emission in their X-ray spectra, although the environments and intermediate-mass element abundances are more consistent with those of core-collapse SNe. In this poster, we analyze the archival Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the SMC SNR sample, and we model the sources' X-ray spectra in a systematic way to derive the plasma properties and to constrain the nature of the explosions. In one SNR, we note the presence of an X-ray binary near the source's geometric center, suggesting the compact object was produced in the SN explosion. As one of only three SNRs known in the Local Group to host a binary system, this source is worthy of follow-up investigations to probe explosions of massive stars in binary systems.

An introduction to the water recovery x-ray rocket

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Drew M.; McEntaffer, Randall L.; Schultz, Ted B.; Donovan, Benjamin D.; Tutt, James H.; Yastishock, Daniel; Steiner, Tyler; Hillman, Christopher R.; McCoy, Jake A.; Wages, Mitchell; Hull, Sam; Falcone, Abe; Burrows, David N.; Chattopadhyay, Tanmoy; Anderson, Tyler; McQuaide, Maria

2017-08-01

The Water Recovery X-ray Rocket (WRXR) is a sounding rocket payload that will launch from the Kwajalein Atoll in April 2018 and seeks to be the first astrophysics sounding rocket payload to be water recovered by NASA. WRXR's primary instrument is a grating spectrometer that consists of a mechanical collimator, X-ray reflection gratings, grazing-incidence mirrors, and a hybrid CMOS detector. The instrument will obtain a spectrum of the diffuse soft X-ray emission from the northern part of the Vela supernova remnant and is optimized for 3rd and 4th order OVII emission. Utilizing a field of view of 3.25° × 3.25° and resolving power of λ/δλ ≍40-50 in the lines of interest, the WRXR spectrometer aims to achieve the most highly-resolved spectrum of Vela's diffuse soft X-ray emission. This paper presents introductions to the payload and the science target.

Planetary X-ray studies: past, present and future

Science.gov (United States)

Branduardi-Raymont, Graziella

2016-07-01

Our solar system is a fascinating physics laboratory and X-ray observations are now firmly established as a powerful diagnostic tool of the multiple processes taking place in it. The science that X-rays reveal encompasses solar, space plasma and planetary physics, and the response of bodies in the solar system to the impact of the Sun's activity. This talk will review what we know from past observations and what we expect to learn in the short, medium and long term. Observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton have demonstrated that the origin of Jupiter's bright soft X-ray aurorae lies in the Charge eXchange (CX) process, likely to involve the interaction with atmospheric neutrals of local magnetospheric ions, as well as those carried in the solar wind. At higher energies electron bremsstrahlung is thought to be the X-ray emitting mechanism, while the whole planetary disk acts as a mirror for the solar X-ray flux via Thomson and fluorescent scattering. This 'X-ray mirror' phenomenon is all that is observed from Saturn's disk, which otherwise lacks X-ray auroral features. The Earth's X-ray aurora is bright and variable and mostly due to electron bremsstrahlung and line emission from atmospheric species. Un-magnetised planets, Venus and Mars, do not show X-ray aurorae but display the interesting combination of mirroring the solar X-ray flux and producing X-rays by Solar Wind Charge eXchange (SWCX) in their exospheres. These processes respond to different solar stimulation (photons and solar wind plasma respectively) hence their relative contributions are seen to vary according to the Sun's output. Present and future of planetary X-ray studies are very bright. We are preparing for the arrival of the Juno mission at Jupiter this summer and for coordinated observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton on the approach and later during Juno's orbital phase. These will allow direct correlation of the local plasma conditions with the X-ray emissions and the establishment of the

Single order soft X-ray diffraction with quasi-random radius pinhole array spectroscopic photon sieves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Qiang-Qiang; Wei Lai; Yang Zu-Hua; Qian Feng; Fan Quan-Ping; Zhang Bo; Gu Yu-Qiu; Cao Lei-Feng

2014-01-01

A novel single order diffraction grating in the soft X-ray region, called quasi-random radius pinhole array spectroscopic photon sieves (QRSPS), is proposed in this paper. This new grating is composed of pinholes on a substrate, whose radii are quasi-random, while their centers are regular. Analysis proves that its transmittance function across the grating bar is similar to that of sinusoidal transmission gratings. Simulation results show that the QRSPS can suppress higher-order diffraction effectively. And the QRSPS would still retain its characteristic of single order diffraction when we take the effect of X-ray penetration into account. These properties indicate that the QRSPS can be used in the soft X-ray spectra measurement. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

Laboratory simulation of charge exchange-produced X-ray emission from comets.

Science.gov (United States)

Beiersdorfer, P; Boyce, K R; Brown, G V; Chen, H; Kahn, S M; Kelley, R L; May, M; Olson, R E; Porter, F S; Stahle, C K; Tillotson, W A

2003-06-06

In laboratory experiments using the engineering spare microcalorimeter detector from the ASTRO-E satellite mission, we recorded the x-ray emission of highly charged ions of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, which simulates charge exchange reactions between heavy ions in the solar wind and neutral gases in cometary comae. The spectra are complex and do not readily match predictions. We developed a charge exchange emission model that successfully reproduces the soft x-ray spectrum of comet Linear C/1999 S4, observed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Phase-space evolution of x-ray coherence in phase-sensitive imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xizeng; Liu, Hong

2008-08-01

X-ray coherence evolution in the imaging process plays a key role for x-ray phase-sensitive imaging. In this work we present a phase-space formulation for the phase-sensitive imaging. The theory is reformulated in terms of the cross-spectral density and associated Wigner distribution. The phase-space formulation enables an explicit and quantitative account of partial coherence effects on phase-sensitive imaging. The presented formulas for x-ray spectral density at the detector can be used for performing accurate phase retrieval and optimizing the phase-contrast visibility. The concept of phase-space shearing length derived from this phase-space formulation clarifies the spatial coherence requirement for phase-sensitive imaging with incoherent sources. The theory has been applied to x-ray Talbot interferometric imaging as well. The peak coherence condition derived reveals new insights into three-grating-based Talbot-interferometric imaging and gratings-based x-ray dark-field imaging.

SMART-X: Square Meter, Arcsecond Resolution Telescope for X-rays

Science.gov (United States)

Vikhlinin, Alexey; SMART-X Collaboration

2013-04-01

SMART-X is a concept for a next-generation X-ray observatory with large-area, 0.5" angular resolution grazing incidence adjustable X-ray mirrors, high-throughput critical angle transmission gratings, and X-ray microcalorimeter and CMOS-based imager in the focal plane. High angular resolution is enabled by new technology based on controlling the shape of mirror segments using thin film piezo actuators deposited on the back surface. Science applications include observations of growth of supermassive black holes since redshifts of ~10, ultra-deep surveys over 10's of square degrees, galaxy assembly at z=2-3, as well as new opportunities in the high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy and time domains. We also review the progress in technology development, tests, and mission design over the past year.

X-Ray and optical study of low core density globular clusters NGC6144 and E3

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lan, S.-H.; Kong, A.K.H.; Verbunt, F.W.M.; Lewin, W.H.G.; Bassa, C.G.; Anderson, S.F.; Pooley, D.

2010-01-01

We report on the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of two low coredensity globular clusters, NGC6144 and E3. By comparing the number of X-ray sources inside the half-mass radius to those outside, we found six X-ray sources within the half-mass radius of NGC6144,

A DEEP CHANDRA ACIS STUDY OF NGC 4151. I. THE X-RAY MORPHOLOGY OF THE 3 kpc DIAMETER CIRCUM-NUCLEAR REGION AND RELATION TO THE COLD INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Junfeng; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Risaliti, Guido; Elvis, Martin; Karovska, Margarita; Zezas, Andreas; Mundell, Carole G.; Dumas, Gaelle; Schinnerer, Eva

2011-01-01

We report on the imaging analysis of ∼200 ks sub-arcsecond resolution Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS-S) observations of the nearby Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151. Bright, structured soft X-ray emission is observed to extend from 30 pc to 1.3 kpc in the southwest from the nucleus, much farther than seen in earlier X-ray studies. The terminus of the northeastern X-ray emission is spatially coincident with a CO gas lane, where the outflow likely encounters dense gas in the host galactic disk. X-ray emission is also detected outside the boundaries of the ionization cone, which indicates that the gas there is not completely shielded from the nuclear continuum, as would be the case for a molecular torus collimating the bicone. In the central r 2 emission and dusty spirals we find in an Hubble Space Telescope V - H color image. The agreement between the observed H 2 line flux and the value predicted from X-ray-irradiated molecular cloud models supports photo-excitation by X-rays from the active nucleus as the origin of the H 2 line, although contribution from UV fluorescence or collisional excitation cannot be ruled out with current data. The discrepancy between the mass of cold molecular gas inferred from recent CO and near-infrared H 2 observations may be explained by the anomalous CO abundance in this X-ray-dominated region. The total H 2 mass derived from the X-ray observation agrees with the recent measurement by Storchi-Bergmann et al.

THE CORES OF THE Fe Kα LINES IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: AN EXTENDED CHANDRA HIGH ENERGY GRATING SAMPLE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shu, X. W.; Wang, J. X.; Yaqoob, T.

2010-01-01

We extend the study of the core of the Fe Kα emission line at ∼6.4 keV in Seyfert galaxies reported by Yaqoob and Padmanabhan using a larger sample observed by the Chandra high-energy grating (HEG). The sample consists of 82 observations of 36 unique sources with z H 23 cm -2 ) Seyfert galaxies to date. From an empirical and uniform analysis, we present measurements of the Fe Kα line centroid energy, flux, equivalent width (EW), and intrinsic width (FWHM). The Fe Kα line is detected in 33 sources, and its centroid energy is constrained in 32 sources. In 27 sources, the statistical quality of the data is good enough to yield measurements of the FWHM. We find that the distribution in the line centroid energy is strongly peaked around the value for neutral Fe, with over 80% of the observations giving values in the range 6.38-6.43 keV. Including statistical errors, 30 out of 32 sources (∼94%) have a line centroid energy in the range 6.35-6.47 keV. The mean EW, among the observations in which a non-zero lower limit could be measured, was 53 ± 3 eV. The mean FWHM from the subsample of 27 sources was 2060 ± 230 km s -1 . The mean EW and FWHM are somewhat higher when multiple observations for a given source are averaged. From a comparison with the Hβ optical emission-line widths (or, for one source, Brα), we find that there is no universal location of the Fe Kα line-emitting region relative to the optical broad-line region (BLR). In general, a given source may have contributions to the Fe Kα line flux from parsec-scale distances from the putative black hole, down to matter a factor ∼2 closer to the black hole than the BLR. We confirm the presence of the X-ray Baldwin effect, an anti-correlation between the Fe Kα line EW and X-ray continuum luminosity. The HEG data have enabled isolation of this effect to the narrow core of the Fe Kα line.

THE NATURE OF THE BRIGHT ULX X-2 IN NGC 3921: A CHANDRA POSITION AND HST CANDIDATE COUNTERPART

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jonker, P. G.; Heida, M.; Torres, M. A. P.; Ratti, E. M. [SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Sorbonnelaan 2, 3584 CA Utrecht (Netherlands); Miller-Jones, J. C. A. [International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Fabian, A. C.; Walton, D. J. [Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Miniutti, G. [Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC-INTA), Departamento de Astrofisica, ESA, P.O. Box 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid (Spain); Roberts, T. P., E-mail: p.jonker@sron.nl [Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2012-10-10

We report on Chandra observations of the bright ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) source in NGC 3921. Previous XMM-Newton observations reported in the literature show the presence of a bright ULX at a 0.5-10 keV luminosity of 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 40} erg s{sup -1}. Our Chandra observation finds the source at a lower luminosity of Almost-Equal-To 8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 39} erg s{sup -1}; furthermore, we provide a Chandra position of the ULX accurate to 0.''7 at 90% confidence. The X-ray variability makes it unlikely that the high luminosity is caused by several separate X-ray sources. In three epochs of archival Hubble Space Telescope observations, we find a candidate counterpart to the ULX. There is direct evidence for variability between the two epochs of WFPC2 F814W observations with the observation obtained in 2000 showing a brighter source. Furthermore, converting the 1994 F336W and 2000 F300W WFPC2 and the 2010 F336W WFC3 observations to the Johnson U-band filter assuming a spectral type of O7I, we find evidence for a brightening of the U-band light in 2000. Using the higher resolution WFC3 observations, we resolve the candidate counterpart into two sources of similar color. We discuss the nature of the ULX and the probable association with the optical counterpart(s). Finally, we investigate a potential new explanation for some (bright) ULXs as the decaying stages of flares caused by the tidal disruption of a star by a recoiled supermassive black hole. However, we find that there should be at most only one of such systems within z = 0.08.

An X-ray Expansion and Proper Motion Study of the Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnant J0509-6731 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Roper, Quentin; Filipovi, Miroslav; Allen, Glenn E.; Sano, Hidetoshi; Park, Laurence; Pannuti, Thomas G.; Sasaki, Manami; Haberl, Frank; Kavanagh, Patrick J.; Yamane, Yumiko; Yoshiike, Satoshi; Fujii, Kosuke; Fukui, Yasuo; Seitenzahl, Ivo R.

2018-05-01

Using archival Chandra data consisting of a total of 78.46 ksec over two epochs seven years apart, we have measured the expansion of the young (˜400 years old) type Ia Large Magellanic Cloud supernova remnant (SNR) J0509-6731. In addition, we use radial brightness profile matching to detect proper-motion expansion of this SNR, and estimate an speed of 7 500±1 700 km s-1. This is one of the only proper motion studies of extragalactic SNRs expansion that is able to derive an expansion velocity, and one of only two such studies of an extragalactic SNR to yield positive results in the X-rays. We find that this expansion velocity is consistent with an optical expansion study on this object. In addition, we examine the medium into which the SNR is expanding by examining the CO and neutral H I gas using radio data obtained from Mopra, the Australia Telescope Compact Array and Parkes radio telescopes. We also briefly compare this result with a recent radio survey, and find that our results predict a radio spectral index α of -0.67±0.07. This value is consistent with high frequency radio observations of MCSNR J0509-6731.

When Worlds Collide: Chandra Observes Titanic Merger

Science.gov (United States)

2002-04-01

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has provided the best X-ray image yet of two Milky Way-like galaxies in the midst of a head-on collision. Since all galaxies - including our own - may have undergone mergers, this provides insight into how the universe came to look as it does today. Astronomers believe the mega-merger in the galaxy known as Arp 220 triggered the formation of huge numbers of new stars, sent shock waves rumbling through intergalactic space, and could possibly lead to the formation of a supermassive black hole in the center of the new conglomerate galaxy. The Chandra data also suggest that merger of these two galaxies began only 10 million years ago, a short time in astronomical terms. "The Chandra observations show that things really get messed up when two galaxies run into each other at full speed," said David Clements of the Imperial College, London, one of the team members involved in the study. "The event affects everything from the formation of massive black holes to the dispersal of heavy elements into the universe." Arp 220 is considered to be a prototype for understanding what conditions were like in the early universe, when massive galaxies and supermassive black holes were presumably formed by numerous galaxy collisions. At a relatively nearby distance of about 250 million light years, Arp 220 is the closest example of an "ultra-luminous" galaxy, one that gives off a trillion times as much radiation as our Sun. The Chandra image shows a bright central region at the waist of a glowing, hour-glass-shaped cloud of multimillion-degree gas. Rushing out of the galaxy at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, the super-heated as forms a "superwind," thought to be due to explosive activity generated by the formation of hundreds of millions of new stars. Farther out, spanning a distance of 75,000 light years, are giant lobes of hot gas that could be galactic remnants flung into intergalactic space by the early impact of the collision. Whether the

RADIO-QUIET AND RADIO-LOUD PULSARS: SIMILAR IN GAMMA-RAYS BUT DIFFERENT IN X-RAYS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marelli, M.; Mignani, R. P.; Luca, A. De; Salvetti, D. [INAF—Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica Milano, via E. Bassini 15, I-20133, Milano (Italy); Parkinson, P. M. Saz [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, Department of Physics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Hartog, P. R. Den [Stanford University HEPL/KIPAC, 452 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305-4085 (United States); Wolff, M. T., E-mail: marelli@iasf-milano.inaf.it [Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5352 (United States)

2015-04-01

We present new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of a sample of eight radio-quiet (RQ) γ-ray pulsars detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. For all eight pulsars we identify the X-ray counterpart, based on the X-ray source localization and the best position obtained from γ-ray pulsar timing. For PSR J2030+4415 we found evidence for a ∼10″-long pulsar wind nebula. Our new results consolidate the work from Marelli et al. and confirm that, on average, the γ-ray-to-X-ray flux ratios (F{sub γ}/F{sub X}) of RQ pulsars are higher than for the radio-loud (RL) ones. Furthermore, while the F{sub γ}/F{sub X} distribution features a single peak for the RQ pulsars, the distribution is more dispersed for the RL ones, possibly showing two peaks. We discuss possible implications of these different distributions based on current models for pulsar X-ray emission.

The advantages of soft X-rays and cryogenic spectrometers for measuring chemical speciation by X-ray spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drury, Owen B. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Advanced Detector Group, 7000 East Ave., L-270, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); UC Davis, Biophysics Graduate Group, 1 Shields Ave, CA 95616 (United States); LBNL, Advanced Biological and Environmental X-ray Facility, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 6-2100, Berkeley, CA 92720 (United States); Friedrich, Stephan [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Advanced Detector Group, 7000 East Ave., L-270, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States) and LBNL, Advanced Biological and Environmental X-ray Facility, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 6-2100, Berkeley, CA 92720 (United States)]. E-mail: friedrich1@llnl.gov; George, Simon J. [LBNL, Advanced Biological and Environmental X-ray Facility, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 6-2100, Berkeley, CA 92720 (United States); Cramer, Stephen P. [UC Davis, Biophysics Graduate Group, 1 Shields Ave, CA 95616 (United States); LBNL, Advanced Biological and Environmental X-ray Facility, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 6-2100, Berkeley, CA 92720 (United States)

2006-04-15

We have built a 36-pixel high-resolution superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) soft X-ray spectrometer for chemical analysis of dilute metals by fluorescence-detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Advanced Light Source synchrotron. Soft X-ray absorption edges are preferred over traditional hard X-ray spectroscopy at the K-edges, since they have narrower natural linewidths and exhibit stronger chemical shifts. STJ detectors are preferred in the soft X-ray band over traditional Ge or grating spectrometers, since they have sufficient energy resolution to resolve transition metal L and M lines from light element K emission, and sufficient detection efficiency to measure the weak lines of dilute specimens within an acceptable time. We demonstrate the capabilities of our STJ spectrometer for chemical analysis with soft XAS measurements of molybdenum speciation on the Mo M{sub 4,5}-edges.

THE CHANDRA COSMOS LEGACY SURVEY: OPTICAL/IR IDENTIFICATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchesi, S.; Civano, F.; Urry, C. M.; Elvis, M.; Salvato, M.; Brusa, M.; Lanzuisi, G.; Vignali, C.; Comastri, A.; Gilli, R.; Zamorani, G.; Cappelluti, N.; Hasinger, G.; Miyaji, T.; Treister, E.; Allevato, V.; Finoguenov, A.; Cardamone, C.; Griffiths, R. E.; Karim, A.

2016-01-01

We present the catalog of optical and infrared counterparts of the Chandra  COSMOS-Legacy  Survey, a 4.6 Ms Chandra  program on the 2.2 deg 2 of the COSMOS field, combination of 56 new overlapping observations obtained in Cycle 14 with the previous C-COSMOS survey. In this Paper we report the i, K, and 3.6 μm identifications of the 2273 X-ray point sources detected in the new Cycle 14 observations. We use the likelihood ratio technique to derive the association of optical/infrared (IR) counterparts for 97% of the X-ray sources. We also update the information for the 1743 sources detected in C-COSMOS, using new K and 3.6 μm information not available when the C-COSMOS analysis was performed. The final catalog contains 4016 X-ray sources, 97% of which have an optical/IR counterpart and a photometric redshift, while ≃54% of the sources have a spectroscopic redshift. The full catalog, including spectroscopic and photometric redshifts and optical and X-ray properties described here in detail, is available online. We study several X-ray to optical (X/O) properties: with our large statistics we put better constraints on the X/O flux ratio locus, finding a shift toward faint optical magnitudes in both soft and hard X-ray band. We confirm the existence of a correlation between X/O and the the 2–10 keV luminosity for Type 2 sources. We extend to low luminosities the analysis of the correlation between the fraction of obscured AGNs and the hard band luminosity, finding a different behavior between the optically and X-ray classified obscured fraction

Diagnostics for an XUV/soft x-ray laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kauffman, R.L.; Matthews, D.L.; Ceglio, N.; Medecki, H.

1984-01-01

We have begun investigating the production of an XUV/soft x-ray laser, using our high-powered glass lasers as drivers. A major diagnostic for lasing is the measure of the absolute power produced in the lasing line. I have developed a spectrograph to time-resolved lasing lines in the energy range from 50 eV to greater than 200 eV. the spectrograph combines a transmission grating and x-ray streak camera to produce a flat field instrument. A cylindrical mirror is used in front of the grating to image the source and act as a collecting optic. The efficiency of the components is calibrated so that absolute intensities can be measured. I will compare the performance of this instrument with reflection grating systems. I will also discuss planned improvements to the system which should increase total throughput, image quality, and resolving power

The Origin of the Extra-nuclear X-ray Emission in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 2992

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E. J. M.; Strickland, D. K.; Veilleux, S.; Weaver, K. A.

2004-12-01

We present an analysis of a Chandra ACIS observation of the edge-on Seyfert galaxy NGC 2992. We find extended X-ray emission with Lx(total) in excess of 10**40 erg/s. The brightest nebula is positioned a few 100 pc from the X-ray core, and is spatially coincident with optical line and radio emission. This emission nebula may be energized by the AGN, as opposed to a nuclear starburst. The expected kpc-scale X-ray emission due to a starburst-driven wind is larger than a few 10**39 erg/s, and we present large-scale X-ray emission that may be associated with such an outflow. The extra-nuclear emission has a very soft spectrum. Chandra and XMM spectra of the total nuclear region show a very prominent ``soft excess'' below 2-3 keV. We shall discuss the spectral properties of this soft excess, and will compare with the results from the spatial analysis, and with AGN and starburst models for extranuclear X-ray nebulae.

X-ray Transients in M31

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, A. K. H.; Garcia, M. R.; Primini, F. A.; Murray, S. S.; McClintock, J. E.

2002-06-01

A bright X-ray transient was detected by Chandra on 2002 June 2 with a series of 5 HRC-I snapshots. The new source CXOU J004154.6+405648 (R.A.=00h41m54s.64, Dec.=+40d56m48s.0, +/- 1", J2000) is discovered at a luminosity (0.3-10 keV) of 1.5 x 1038 erg/s (assuming an absorbed power-law model with photon index = 2 and NH = 1021 cm-2 at a distance of 780 kpc).

A high spatial resolution X-ray and Hα study of hot gas in the halos of star-forming disk galaxies -- testing feedback models

Science.gov (United States)

Strickland, D. K.; Heckman, T. M.; Colbert, E. J. M.; Hoopes, C. G.; Weaver, K. A.

2002-12-01

We present arcsecond resolution Chandra X-ray and ground-based optical Hα imaging of a sample of ten edge-on star-forming disk galaxies (seven starburst and three ``normal'' spiral galaxies), a sample which covers the full range of star-formation intensity found in disk galaxies. The X-ray observations make use of the unprecented spatial resolution of the Chandra X-ray observatory to robustly remove X-ray emission from point sources, and hence obtain the X-ray properties of the diffuse thermal emission alone. This data has been combined with existing, comparable-resolution, ground-based Hα imaging. We compare these empirically-derived diffuse X-ray properties with various models for the generation of hot gas in the halos of star-forming galaxies: supernova feedback-based models (starburst-driven winds, galactic fountains), cosmologically-motivated accretion of the IGM and AGN-driven winds. SN feedback models best explain the observed diffuse X-ray emission. We then use the data to test basic, but fundamental, aspects of wind and fountain theories, e.g. the critical energy required for disk "break-out." DKS is supported by NASA through Chandra Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Number PF0-10012.

Chandra Observations of Extended X-Ray Emission in ARP 220

Science.gov (United States)

McDowell, J. C.; Clements, D. L.; Lamb, S. A.; Shaked, S.; Hearn, N. C.; Colina, L.; Mundell, C.; Borne, K.; Baker, A. C.; Arribas, S.

2003-01-01

We resolve the extended X-ray emission from the prototypical ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220. Extended, faint, edge-brightened, soft X-ray lobes outside the optical galaxy are observed to a distance of 1CL 15 kpc on each side of the nuclear region. Bright plumes inside the optical isophotes coincide with the optical line emission and extend 1 1 kpc from end to end across the nucleus. The data for the plumes cannot be fitted by a single-temperature plasma and display a range of temperatures from 0.2 to 1 keV. The plumes emerge from bright, diffuse circumnuclear emission in the inner 3 kpc centered on the Ha peak, which is displaced from the radio nuclei. There is a close morphological correspondence between the Ha and soft X-ray emission on all spatial scales. We interpret the plumes as a starburst-driven superwind and discuss two interpretations of the emission from the lobes in the context of simulations of the merger dynamics of Arp 220.

The Chandra Source Catalog: Background Determination and Source Detection

Science.gov (United States)

McCollough, Michael; Rots, Arnold; Primini, Francis A.; Evans, Ian N.; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Hain, Roger; Anderson, Craig S.; Bonaventura, Nina R.; Chen, Judy C.; Davis, John E.; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Galle, Elizabeth C.; Danny G. Gibbs, II; Grier, John D.; Hall, Diane M.; Harbo, Peter N.; He, Xiang Qun (Helen); Houck, John C.; Karovska, Margarita; Kashyap, Vinay L.; Lauer, Jennifer; McCollough, Michael L.; McDowell, Jonathan C.; Miller, Joseph B.; Mitschang, Arik W.; Morgan, Douglas L.; Mossman, Amy E.; Nichols, Joy S.; Nowak, Michael A.; Plummer, David A.; Refsdal, Brian L.; Siemiginowska, Aneta L.; Sundheim, Beth A.; Tibbetts, Michael S.; van Stone, David W.; Winkelman, Sherry L.; Zografou, Panagoula

2009-09-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is a major project in which all of the pointed imaging observations taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory are used to generate one of the most extensive X-ray source catalog produced to date. Early in the development of the CSC it was recognized that the ability to estimate local background levels in an automated fashion would be critical for essential CSC tasks such as source detection, photometry, sensitivity estimates, and source characterization. We present a discussion of how such background maps are created directly from the Chandra data and how they are used in source detection. The general background for Chandra observations is rather smoothly varying, containing only low spatial frequency components. However, in the case of ACIS data, a high spatial frequency component is added that is due to the readout streaks of the CCD chips. We discuss how these components can be estimated reliably using the Chandra data and what limitations and caveats should be considered in their use. We will discuss the source detection algorithm used for the CSC and the effects of the background images on the detection results. We will also touch on some the Catalog Inclusion and Quality Assurance criteria applied to the source detection results. This work is supported by NASA contract NAS8-03060 (CXC).

VARIABILITY OF OPTICAL COUNTERPARTS IN THE CHANDRA GALACTIC BULGE SURVEY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Britt, C. T.; Hynes, R. I.; Johnson, C. B.; Baldwin, A.; Collazzi, A.; Gossen, L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001 (United States); Jonker, P. G.; Torres, M. A. P. [SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Sorbonnelaan 2, 3584 CA Utrecht (Netherlands); Nelemans, G. [Department of Astrophysics, IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Maccarone, T. [Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Box 41051, Science Building, Lubbock, TX 79409-1051 (United States); Steeghs, D.; Greiss, S. [Astronomy and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Heinke, C. [Department of Physics, University of Alberta, CCIS 4-183, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1 (Canada); Bassa, C. G. [Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Villar, A. [Department of Physics, Massachussettes Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 (United States); Gabb, M. [Department of Physics, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991 (United States)

2014-09-01

We present optical light curves of variable stars consistent with the positions of X-ray sources identified with the Chandra X-ray Observatory for the Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey (GBS). Using data from the Mosaic-II instrument on the Blanco 4 m Telescope at CTIO, we gathered time-resolved photometric data on timescales from ∼2 hr to 8 days over the 3/4 of the X-ray survey containing sources from the initial GBS catalog. Among the light curve morphologies we identify are flickering in interacting binaries, eclipsing sources, dwarf nova outbursts, ellipsoidal variations, long period variables, spotted stars, and flare stars. Eighty-seven percent of X-ray sources have at least one potential optical counterpart. Twenty-seven percent of these candidate counterparts are detectably variable; a much greater fraction than expected for randomly selected field stars, which suggests that most of these variables are real counterparts. We discuss individual sources of interest, provide variability information on candidate counterparts, and discuss the characteristics of the variable population.

Some observational aspects of compact galactic X-ray sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heise, J.

1982-01-01

This thesis contains the following observations of compact galactic X-ray sources: i) the X-ray experiments onboard the Astronomical Netherlands Satellite ANS, ii) a rocket-borne ultra soft X-ray experiment and iii) the Objective Grating Spectrometer onboard the EINSTEIN observatory. In Chapter I the various types of compact galactic X-ray sources are reviewed and put into the perspective of earlier and following observations. In Chapter II the author presents some of the observations of high luminosity X-ray sources, made with ANS, including the detection of soft X-rays from the compact X-ray binary Hercules X-1 and the ''return to the high state'' of the black hole candidate Cygnus X-1. Chapter III deals with transient X-ray phenomena. Results on low luminosity galactic X-ray sources are collected in Chapter IV. (Auth.)

Weak Hard X-Ray Emission from Broad Absorption Line Quasars: Evidence for Intrinsic X-Ray Weakness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Alexander, D. M.

2014-01-01

We report NuSTAR observations of a sample of six X-ray weak broad absorption line (BAL) quasars. These targets, at z = 0.148-1.223, are among the optically brightest and most luminous BAL quasars known at z 330 times weaker than...... expected for typical quasars. Our results from a pilot NuSTAR study of two low-redshift BAL quasars, a Chandra stacking analysis of a sample of high-redshift BAL quasars, and a NuSTAR spectral analysis of the local BAL quasar Mrk 231 have already suggested the existence of intrinsically X-ray weak BAL...... quasars, i.e., quasars not emitting X-rays at the level expected from their optical/UV emission. The aim of the current program is to extend the search for such extraordinary objects. Three of the six new targets are weakly detected by NuSTAR with ≲ 45 counts in the 3-24 keV band, and the other three...

Chandra Source Catalog: User Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Bonaventura, Nina; Evans, Ian N.; Rots, Arnold H.; Tibbetts, Michael S.; van Stone, David W.; Zografou, Panagoula; Primini, Francis A.; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Anderson, Craig S.; Chen, Judy C.; Davis, John E.; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Galle, Elizabeth C.; Gibbs, Danny G., II; Grier, John D.; Hain, Roger; Hall, Diane M.; Harbo, Peter N.; He, Helen; Houck, John C.; Karovska, Margarita; Kashyap, Vinay L.; Lauer, Jennifer; McCollough, Michael L.; McDowell, Jonathan C.; Miller, Joseph B.; Mitschang, Arik W.; Morgan, Douglas L.; Mossman, Amy E.; Nichols, Joy S.; Nowak, Michael A.; Plummer, David A.; Refsdal, Brian L.; Siemiginowska, Aneta L.; Sundheim, Beth A.; Winkelman, Sherry L.

2009-09-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is intended to be the definitive catalog of all X-ray sources detected by Chandra. For each source, the CSC provides positions and multi-band fluxes, as well as derived spatial, spectral, and temporal source properties. Full-field and source region data products are also available, including images, photon event lists, light curves, and spectra. The Chandra X-ray Center CSC website (http://cxc.harvard.edu/csc/) is the place to visit for high-level descriptions of each source property and data product included in the catalog, along with other useful information, such as step-by-step catalog tutorials, answers to FAQs, and a thorough summary of the catalog statistical characterization. Eight categories of detailed catalog documents may be accessed from the navigation bar on most of the 50+ CSC pages; these categories are: About the Catalog, Creating the Catalog, Using the Catalog, Catalog Columns, Column Descriptions, Documents, Conferences, and Useful Links. There are also prominent links to CSCview, the CSC data access GUI, and related help documentation, as well as a tutorial for using the new CSC/Google Earth interface. Catalog source properties are presented in seven scientific categories, within two table views: the Master Source and Source Observations tables. Each X-ray source has one ``master source'' entry and one or more ``source observation'' entries, the details of which are documented on the CSC ``Catalog Columns'' pages. The master source properties represent the best estimates of the properties of a source; these are extensively described on the following pages of the website: Position and Position Errors, Source Flags, Source Extent and Errors, Source Fluxes, Source Significance, Spectral Properties, and Source Variability. The eight tutorials (``threads'') available on the website serve as a collective guide for accessing, understanding, and manipulating the source properties and data products provided by the catalog.

Transmission Grating and Optics Technology Development for the Arcus Explorer Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Heilmann, Ralf; Arcus Team

2018-01-01

Arcus is a high-resolution x-ray spectroscopy MIDEX mission selected for a Phase A concept study. It is designed to explore structure formation through measurements of hot baryon distributions, feedback from black holes, and the formation and evolution of stars, disks, and exoplanet atmospheres. The design provides unprecedented sensitivity in the 1.2-5 nm wavelength band with effective area above 450 sqcm and spectral resolution R > 2500. The Arcus technology is based on 12 m-focal length silicon pore optics (SPO) developed for the European Athena mission, and critical-angle transmission (CAT) x-ray diffraction gratings and x-ray CCDs developed at MIT. The modular design consists of four parallel channels, each channel holding an optics petal, followed by a grating petal. CAT gratings are lightweight, alignment insensitive, high-efficiency x-ray transmission gratings that blaze into high diffraction orders, leading to high spectral resolution. Each optics petal represents an azimuthal sub-aperture of a full Wolter optic. The sub-aperturing effect increases spectral resolving power further. Two CCD readout strips receive photons from each channel, including higher-energy photons in 0th order. Each optics petal holds 34 SPO modules. Each grating petal holds 34 grating windows, and each window holds 4-6 grating facets. A grating facet consists of a silicon grating membrane, bonded to a flexure frame that interfaces with the grating window. We report on a sequence of tests with increasing complexity that systematically increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for the combination of CAT gratings and SPOs towards TLR 6. CAT gratings have been evaluated in x rays for diffraction efficiency (> 30% at 2.5 nm) and for resolving power (R> 10,000). A CAT grating/SPO combination was measured at R ~ 3100 at blaze angles smaller than design values, exceeding Arcus requirements. Efficiency and resolving power were not impacted by vibration and thermal testing of gratings. A

Technology Requirements for a Square Meter, Arcsecond Resolution Telescope for X-Rays: The SMART-X Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Daniel A.; Allured, Ryan; Bookbinder, Jay A.; Cotroneo, Vincenzo; Forman, William R.; Freeman, Mark D.; McMuldroch, Stuart; Reid, Paul B.; Tananbaum, Harvey; Vikhlinin, Alexey A.;

The Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Ken; Winebarger, Amy R.; Savage, Sabrina; Champey, Patrick; Cheimets, Peter N.; Hertz, Edward; Bruccoleri, Alexander R.; Golub, Leon; Ramsey, Brian; Ranganathan, Jaganathan; Marquez, Vanessa; Allured, Ryan; Parker, Theodore; Heilmann, Ralf K.; Schattenburg, Mark L.

2017-08-01

The Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS) is a NASA sounding rocket instrument designed to obtain spatially resolved soft X-ray spectra of the solar atmosphere in the 6-24 Å (0.5-2.0 keV) range. The instrument consists of a single shell Wolter Type-I telescope, a slit, and a spectrometer comprising a matched pair of grazing incidence parabolic mirrors and a planar varied-line space diffraction grating. The instrument is designed to achieve a 50 mÅ spectral resolution and 5 arcsecond spatial resolution along a +/-4-arcminute long slit, and launch is planned for 2019. We report on the status and our approaches for fabrication and alignment for this novel optical system. The telescope and spectrometer mirrors are replicated nickel shells, and are currently being fabricated at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The diffraction grating is currently under development by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); because of the strong line spacing variation across the grating, it will be fabricated through e-beam lithography.

Mechanical design and performance evaluation for plane grating monochromator in a soft X-ray microscopy beamline at SSRF.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Xuepeng; Lu, Qipeng

2015-01-01

A new monochromator is designed to develop a high performance soft X-ray microscopy beamline at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). But owing to its high resolving power and high accurate spectrum output, there exist many technical difficulties. In the paper presented, as two primary design targets for the monochromator, theoretical energy resolution and photon flux of the beamline are calculated. For wavelength scanning mechanism, primary factors affecting the rotary angle errors are presented, and the measuring results are 0.15'' and 0.17'' for plane mirror and plane grating, which means that it is possible to provide sufficient scanning precision to specific wavelength. For plane grating switching mechanism, the repeatabilities of roll, yaw and pitch angles are 0.08'', 0.12'' and 0.05'', which can guarantee the high accurate switch of the plane grating effectively. After debugging, the repeatability of light spot drift reaches to 0.7'', which further improves the performance of the monochromator. The commissioning results show that the energy resolving power is higher than 10000 at Ar L-edge, the photon flux is higher than 1 × 108 photons/sec/200 mA, and the spatial resolution is better than 30 nm, demonstrating that the monochromator performs very well and reaches theoretical predictions.

Low Energy X-Ray Diagnostics - 1981.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

41MEAS) Opt. Comm., 9, 246, (1973); also Phys. Rev. A, ( MODELED ) .01 11, 989, (1975). 13. R. Thack, H. Mahr, C. L. Tang, and P. L. Hartman , Phys. Rev...Transmission Gratings: R. Tatchyn and I. Lindau 301 Analysis and Modeling Results Holographic X-Ray Gratings to be Produced at P.L. Csonka and R...orbit. The degree of polarization depends on the Calfonia ad CSR an8 eVstorage ring at Cornell electron energy, wavelength, and vertical viewing Univrsit

TRACING THE LOWEST PROPELLER LINE IN MAGELLANIC HIGH-MASS X-RAY BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christodoulou, Dimitris M.; Laycock, Silas G. T.; Yang, Jun; Fingerman, Samuel, E-mail: dimitris_christodoulou@uml.edu, E-mail: silas_laycock@uml.edu, E-mail: jun_yang@uml.edu, E-mail: fingerman.samuel@gmail.com [Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology, 600 Suffolk Street, Lowell, MA 01854 (United States)

2016-09-20

We have combined the published observations of high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds with a new processing of the complete archival data sets from the XMM-Newton and Chandra observatories in an attempt to trace the lowest propeller line below which accretion to polar caps is inhibited by the centrifugal force and the pulsations from the most weakly magnetized pulsars cease. Previously published data reveal that some of the faster-spinning pulsars with spin periods of P {sub S} < 12 s, detected at relatively low X-ray luminosities L {sub X} , appear to define such a line in the P {sub S} – L {sub X} diagram, characterized by a magnetic moment of μ = 3 × 10{sup 29} G cm{sup 3}. This value implies the presence of surface magnetic fields of B ≥ 3 × 10{sup 11} G in the compact objects of this class. Only a few quiescent HMXBs are found below the propeller line: LXP4.40 and SXP4.78, for which XMM-Newton and Chandra null detections respectively placed firm upper limits on their X-ray fluxes in deep quiescence; and A0538-66, for which many sub-Eddington detections have never measured any pulsations. On the other hand, the data from the XMM-Newton and Chandra archives show clearly that, during routine observation cycles, several sources have been detected below the propeller line in extremely faint, nonpulsating states that can be understood as the result of weak magnetospheric emission when accretion to the poles is centrifugally stalled or severely diminished. We also pay attention to the anomalous X-ray pulsar CXOU J010043.1-721134 that was reported in HMXB surveys. Its pulsations and locations near and above the propeller line indicate that this pulsar could be accreting from a fossil disk.

A SEARCH FOR X-RAY EMISSION FROM COLLIDING MAGNETOSPHERES IN YOUNG ECCENTRIC STELLAR BINARIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Getman, Konstantin V.; Broos, Patrick S. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Kóspál, Ágnes [Konkoly Observatory, Research Center for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 67, 1525 Budapest (Hungary); Salter, Demerese M. [Department of Astronomy and Laboratory for Millimeter-Wave Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Garmire, Gordon P. [Huntingdon Institute for X-ray Astronomy, LLC, 10677 Franks Road, Huntingdon, PA 16652 (United States)

2016-12-01

Among young binary stars whose magnetospheres are expected to collide, only two systems have been observed near periastron in the X-ray band: the low-mass DQ Tau and the older and more massive HD 152404. Both exhibit elevated levels of X-ray emission at periastron. Our goal is to determine whether colliding magnetospheres in young high-eccentricity binaries commonly produce elevated average levels of X-ray activity. This work is based on Chandra snapshots of multiple periastron and non-periastron passages in four nearby young eccentric binaries (Parenago 523, RX J1622.7-2325 Nw, UZ Tau E, and HD 152404). We find that for the merged sample of all four binaries the current X-ray data show an increasing average X-ray flux near periastron (at a ∼2.5-sigma level). Further comparison of these data with the X-ray properties of hundreds of young stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster, produced by the Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project (COUP), indicates that the X-ray emission from the merged sample of our binaries cannot be explained within the framework of the COUP-like X-ray activity. However, due to the inhomogeneities of the merged binary sample and the relatively low statistical significance of the detected flux increase, these findings are regarded as tentative only. More data are needed to prove that the flux increase is real and is related to the processes of colliding magnetospheres.

The kinematics and chemical stratification of the type Ia supernova remnant 0519-69.0 : an XMM-Newton and Chandra study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kosenko, D.; Helder, E.A.; Vink, J.

2010-01-01

We present a detailed analysis of the XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray data of the young type Ia supernova remnant SNR 0519-69.0, which is situated in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We used data from both the Chandra ACIS and XMM-Newton EPIC MOS instruments, and high resolution X-ray spectra obtained with

THE CHANDRA COSMOS LEGACY SURVEY: OPTICAL/IR IDENTIFICATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchesi, S.; Civano, F.; Urry, C. M. [Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, 260 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Elvis, M. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Salvato, M. [Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany); Brusa, M.; Lanzuisi, G.; Vignali, C. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, viale Berti Pichat 6/2, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Comastri, A.; Gilli, R.; Zamorani, G.; Cappelluti, N. [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Hasinger, G. [Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Miyaji, T. [Instituto de Astronomía sede Ensenada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Km. 103, Carret. Tijunana-Ensenada, Ensenada, BC (Mexico); Treister, E. [Universidad de Concepción, Departamento de Astronomía, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Allevato, V.; Finoguenov, A. [Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2a, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland); Cardamone, C. [Department of Science, Wheelock College, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Griffiths, R. E. [Physics and Astronomy Dept., Natural Sciences Division, University of Hawaii at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Karim, A. [Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); and others

2016-01-20

We present the catalog of optical and infrared counterparts of the Chandra  COSMOS-Legacy  Survey, a 4.6 Ms Chandra  program on the 2.2 deg{sup 2} of the COSMOS field, combination of 56 new overlapping observations obtained in Cycle 14 with the previous C-COSMOS survey. In this Paper we report the i, K, and 3.6 μm identifications of the 2273 X-ray point sources detected in the new Cycle 14 observations. We use the likelihood ratio technique to derive the association of optical/infrared (IR) counterparts for 97% of the X-ray sources. We also update the information for the 1743 sources detected in C-COSMOS, using new K and 3.6 μm information not available when the C-COSMOS analysis was performed. The final catalog contains 4016 X-ray sources, 97% of which have an optical/IR counterpart and a photometric redshift, while ≃54% of the sources have a spectroscopic redshift. The full catalog, including spectroscopic and photometric redshifts and optical and X-ray properties described here in detail, is available online. We study several X-ray to optical (X/O) properties: with our large statistics we put better constraints on the X/O flux ratio locus, finding a shift toward faint optical magnitudes in both soft and hard X-ray band. We confirm the existence of a correlation between X/O and the the 2–10 keV luminosity for Type 2 sources. We extend to low luminosities the analysis of the correlation between the fraction of obscured AGNs and the hard band luminosity, finding a different behavior between the optically and X-ray classified obscured fraction.

Pulse-front tilt caused by the use of a grating monochromator and self-seeding of soft X-ray FELs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geloni, Gianluca [European XFEL GmbH, Hamburg (Germany); Kocharyan, Vitali; Saldin, Evgeni [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

2012-03-15

Self-seeding is a promising approach to significantly narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs to produce nearly transform-limited pulses. The development of such schemes in the soft X-ray wavelength range necessarily involves gratings as dispersive elements. These introduce, in general, a pulse-front tilt, which is directly proportional to the angular dispersion. Pulse-front tilt may easily lead to a seed signal decrease by a factor two or more. Suggestions on how to minimize the pulse-front tilt effect in the self-seeding setup are given. (orig.)

Pulse-front tilt caused by the use of a grating monochromator and self-seeding of soft X-ray FELs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geloni, Gianluca; Kocharyan, Vitali; Saldin, Evgeni

2012-03-01

Self-seeding is a promising approach to significantly narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs to produce nearly transform-limited pulses. The development of such schemes in the soft X-ray wavelength range necessarily involves gratings as dispersive elements. These introduce, in general, a pulse-front tilt, which is directly proportional to the angular dispersion. Pulse-front tilt may easily lead to a seed signal decrease by a factor two or more. Suggestions on how to minimize the pulse-front tilt effect in the self-seeding setup are given. (orig.)

News on the X-ray emission from hot subdwarf stars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Palombara Nicola La

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In latest years, the high sensitivity of the instruments on-board the XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites allowed us to explore the properties of the X-ray emission from hot subdwarf stars. The small but growing sample of X-ray detected hot subdwarfs includes binary systems, in which the X-ray emission is due to wind accretion onto a compact companion (white dwarf or neutron star, as well as isolated sdO stars, in which X-rays are probably due to shock instabilities in the wind. X-ray observations of these low-mass stars provide information which can be useful for our understanding of the weak winds of this type of stars and can lead to the discovery of particularly interesting binary systems. Here we report the most recent results we have recently obtained in this research area.

Novelty detection of foreign objects in food using multi-modal X-ray imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einarsdottir, Hildur; Emerson, Monica Jane; Clemmensen, Line Katrine Harder

2016-01-01

In this paper we demonstrate a method for novelty detection of foreign objects in food products using grating-based multimodal X-ray imaging. With this imaging technique three modalities are available with pixel correspondence, enhancing organic materials such as wood chips, insects and soft...... plastics not detectable by conventional X-ray absorption radiography. We conduct experiments, where several food products are imaged with common foreign objects typically found in the food processing industry. To evaluate the benefit from using this multi-contrast X-ray technique over conventional X......-ray absorption imaging, a novelty detection scheme based on well known image- and statistical analysis techniques is proposed. The results show that the presented method gives superior recognition results and highlights the advantage of grating-based imaging....

Technology Requirements For a Square-Meter, Arcsecond-Resolution Telescope for X-Rays: The SMART-X Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Daniel A.; Allured, Ryan; Bookbinder, Jay; Cotroneo, Vincenzo; Forman, William; Freeman, Mark; McMuldroch, Stuart; Reid, Paul; Tananbaum, Harvey; Vikhlinin, Alexey;

High sensitivity phase retrieval method in grating-based x-ray phase contrast imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Zhao; Gao, Kun; Chen, Jian; Wang, Dajiang; Wang, Shenghao; Chen, Heng; Bao, Yuan; Shao, Qigang; Wang, Zhili, E-mail: wangnsrl@ustc.edu.cn [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China); Zhang, Kai [Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhu, Peiping; Wu, Ziyu, E-mail: wuzy@ustc.edu.cn [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China and Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2015-02-15

Purpose: Grating-based x-ray phase contrast imaging is considered as one of the most promising techniques for future medical imaging. Many different methods have been developed to retrieve phase signal, among which the phase stepping (PS) method is widely used. However, further practical implementations are hindered, due to its complex scanning mode and high radiation dose. In contrast, the reverse projection (RP) method is a novel fast and low dose extraction approach. In this contribution, the authors present a quantitative analysis of the noise properties of the refraction signals retrieved by the two methods and compare their sensitivities. Methods: Using the error propagation formula, the authors analyze theoretically the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the refraction images retrieved by the two methods. Then, the sensitivities of the two extraction methods are compared under an identical exposure dose. Numerical experiments are performed to validate the theoretical results and provide some quantitative insight. Results: The SNRs of the two methods are both dependent on the system parameters, but in different ways. Comparison between their sensitivities reveals that for the refraction signal, the RP method possesses a higher sensitivity, especially in the case of high visibility and/or at the edge of the object. Conclusions: Compared with the PS method, the RP method has a superior sensitivity and provides refraction images with a higher SNR. Therefore, one can obtain highly sensitive refraction images in grating-based phase contrast imaging. This is very important for future preclinical and clinical implementations.

High sensitivity phase retrieval method in grating-based x-ray phase contrast imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Zhao; Gao, Kun; Chen, Jian; Wang, Dajiang; Wang, Shenghao; Chen, Heng; Bao, Yuan; Shao, Qigang; Wang, Zhili; Zhang, Kai; Zhu, Peiping; Wu, Ziyu

2015-01-01

Purpose: Grating-based x-ray phase contrast imaging is considered as one of the most promising techniques for future medical imaging. Many different methods have been developed to retrieve phase signal, among which the phase stepping (PS) method is widely used. However, further practical implementations are hindered, due to its complex scanning mode and high radiation dose. In contrast, the reverse projection (RP) method is a novel fast and low dose extraction approach. In this contribution, the authors present a quantitative analysis of the noise properties of the refraction signals retrieved by the two methods and compare their sensitivities. Methods: Using the error propagation formula, the authors analyze theoretically the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the refraction images retrieved by the two methods. Then, the sensitivities of the two extraction methods are compared under an identical exposure dose. Numerical experiments are performed to validate the theoretical results and provide some quantitative insight. Results: The SNRs of the two methods are both dependent on the system parameters, but in different ways. Comparison between their sensitivities reveals that for the refraction signal, the RP method possesses a higher sensitivity, especially in the case of high visibility and/or at the edge of the object. Conclusions: Compared with the PS method, the RP method has a superior sensitivity and provides refraction images with a higher SNR. Therefore, one can obtain highly sensitive refraction images in grating-based phase contrast imaging. This is very important for future preclinical and clinical implementations

Solar and Stellar X-ray Cycles

Science.gov (United States)

Martens, P. C. H.; SADE Team

2004-05-01

Stern et al. have shown that Yohkoh-SXT full disk X-ray irradiance shows an 11 year cycle with an max/min amplitude ratio of a factor 30. Similar cyclic X-ray variation in Sun-like stars observed by ROSAT and its predecessors is observed in only a few cases and limited to a factor two or three. We will show, by means of detailed bandpass comparisons, that this discrepancy cannot be ascribed to the differences in energy response between SXT and the stellar soft X-ray detectors. Is the Sun exceptional? After centuries of geocentric and heliocentric worldviews we find this a difficult proposition to entertain. But perhaps the Sun is a member of a small class of late-type stars with large amplitudes in their X-ray cycles. The stellar X-ray observations listed in the HEASARC catalog are too sparse to verify this hypothesis. To resolve these and related questions we have proposed a small low-cost stellar X-ray spectroscopic imager originally called SADE to obtain regular time series from late and early-type stars and accretion disks. This instrument is complimentary to the much more advanced Chandra and XMM-Newton observatories, and allows them to focus on those sources that require their full spatial and spectral resolution. We will describe the basic design and spectroscopic capability of SADE and show it meets the mission requirements.

ASA's Chandra Neon Discovery Solves Solar Paradox

Science.gov (United States)

2005-07-01

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory survey of nearby sun-like stars suggests there is nearly three times more neon in the sun and local universe than previously believed. If true, this would solve a critical problem with understanding how the sun works. "We use the sun to test how well we understand stars and, to some extent, the rest of the universe," said Jeremy Drake of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. "But in order to understand the sun, we need to know exactly what it is made of," he added. It is not well known how much neon the sun contains. This is critical information for creating theoretical models of the sun. Neon atoms, along with carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, play an important role in how quickly energy flows from nuclear reactions in the sun's core to its edge, where it then radiates into space. Chandra X-ray Spectrum of II Pegasi Chandra X-ray Spectrum of II Pegasi The rate of this energy flow determines the location and size of a crucial stellar region called the convection zone. The zone extends from near the sun's surface inward approximately 125,000 miles. The zone is where the gas undergoes a rolling, convective motion much like the unstable air in a thunderstorm. "This turbulent gas has an extremely important job, because nearly all of the energy emitted at the surface of the sun is transported there by convection," Drake said. The accepted amount of neon in the sun has led to a paradox. The predicted location and size of the solar convection zone disagree with those deduced from solar oscillations. Solar oscillations is a technique astronomers previously relied on to probe the sun's interior. Several scientists have noted the problem could be fixed if the abundance of neon is in fact about three times larger than currently accepted. Attempts to measure the precise amount of neon in the Sun have been frustrated by a quirk of nature; neon atoms in the Sun give off no signatures in visible light. However, in a gas

THE PLERIONIC SUPERNOVA REMNANT G21.5-0.9 POWERED BY PSR J1833-1034: NEW SPECTROSCOPIC AND IMAGING RESULTS REVEALED WITH THE CHANDRA X-RAY OBSERVATORY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matheson, Heather; Safi-Harb, Samar

2010-01-01

In 1999, the Chandra X-ray Observatory revealed a 150'' radius halo surrounding the 40'' radius pulsar wind nebula (PWN) G21.5-0.9. A 2005 imaging study of G21.5-0.9 showed that the halo is limb-brightened and suggested that this feature is a candidate for the long-sought supernova remnant (SNR) shell. We present a spectral analysis of SNR G21.5-0.9, using the longest effective observation to date (578.6 ks with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) and 278.4 ks with the High-Resolution Camera (HRC)) to study unresolved questions about the spectral nature of remnant features, such as the limb brightening of the X-ray halo and the bright knot in the northern part of the halo. The Chandra analysis favors the non-thermal interpretation of the limb. Its spectrum is fit well with a power-law model with a photon index Γ = 2.13 (1.94-2.33) and a luminosity of L x (0.5-8 keV) = (2.3 ± 0.6) x 10 33 erg s -1 (at an assumed distance of 5.0 kpc). An srcut model was also used to fit the spectrum between the radio and X-ray energies. While the absence of a shell in the radio still prohibits constraining the spectrum at radio wavelengths, we assume a range of spectral indices to infer the 1 GHz flux density and the rolloff frequency of the synchrotron spectrum in X-rays and find that the maximum energy to which electrons are accelerated at the shock ranges from ∼60 to 130 TeV (B/10 μG) -1/2 , where B is the magnetic field in units of μG. For the northern knot, we constrain previous models and find that a two-component power-law (or srcut) + pshock model provides an adequate fit, with the pshock model requiring a very low ionization timescale and solar abundances for Mg and Si. Our spectroscopic study of PSR J1833-1034, the highly energetic pulsar powering G21.5-0.9, shows that its spectrum is dominated by hard non-thermal X-ray emission with some evidence of a thermal component that represents ∼9% of the observed non-thermal emission and that suggests non

DISCOVERY OF X-RAY EMISSION FROM AND DISTANCE TO THE SUPERNOVA REMNANT G84.2-0.8

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leahy, Denis A.; Green, Kaylie S., E-mail: leahy@ucalgary.ca, E-mail: ksgreen@ucalgary.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4 (Canada)

2012-11-20

We analyze X-ray and radio observations of the supernova remnant G84.2-0.8. 1420 MHz atomic hydrogen (H I) line and radio continuum data yield H I absorption spectra and a new H I absorption distance of 5.8-6.2 kpc. Archival X-ray observations from ROSAT and Chandra which cover the area including G84.2-0.8 are analyzed to show extended X-ray emission from G84.2-0.8. Fits to X-ray spectra from Chandra, with the new H I distance of 5.8-6.2 kpc, are used to determine the Sedov parameters of the supernova remnant. G84.2-0.8 is large (16-18 pc radius), middle aged ({approx}9000 yr), expanding in low-density interstellar medium (0.02 cm{sup -3}), and consistent with a low explosion energy (0.8-6.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 50} erg).

O Star Wind Mass-Loss Rates and Shock Physics from X-ray Line Profiles in Archival XMM RGS Data

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, David

O stars are characterized by their dense, supersonic stellar winds. These winds are the site of X-ray emission from shock-heated plasma. By analyzing high-resolution X-ray spectra of these O stars, we can learn about the wind-shock heating and X-ray production mechanism. But in addition, the X-rays can also be used to measure the mass-loss rate of the stellar wind, which is a key observational quantity whose value affects stellar evolution and energy, momentum, and mass input to the Galactic interstellar medium. We make this X-ray based mass-loss measurement by analyzing the profile shapes of the X-ray emission lines observed at high resolution with the Chandra and XMM-Newton grating spectrometers. One advantage of our method is that it is insensitive to small-scale clumping that affects density-squared diagnostics. We are applying this analysis technique to O stars in the Chandra archive, and are finding mass-loss rates lower than those traditionally assumed for these O stars, and in line with more recent independent determinations that do account for clumping. By extending this analysis to the XMM RGS data archive, we will make significant contributions to the understanding of both X-ray production in O stars and to addressing the issue of the actual mass-loss rates of O stars. The XMM RGS data archive provides several extensions and advantages over the smaller Chandra HETGS archive: (1) there are roughly twice as many O and early B stars in the XMM archive; (2) the longer wavelength response of the RGS provides access to diagnostically important lines of nitrogen and carbon; (3) the very long, multiple exposures of zeta Pup provide the opportunity to study this canonical O supergiant's X-ray spectrum in unprecedented detail, including looking at the time variability of X-ray line profiles. Our research team has developed a sophisticated empirical line profile model as well as a computational infrastructure for fitting the model to high-resolution X-ray spectra

Nustar and Chandra Insight into the Nature of the 3-40 Kev Nuclear Emission in Ngc 253

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmer, Bret D.; Wik, Daniel R.; Hornschemeier, Ann E.; Ptak, Andrew; Antoniu, V.; Argo, M.K.; Bechtol, K.; Boggs, S.; Christensen, F.E.; Craig, W.W.;

Interferogram conditioning for improved Fourier analysis and application to X-ray phase imaging by grating interferometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Montaux-Lambert, Antoine; Mercère, Pascal; Primot, Jérôme

2015-11-02

An interferogram conditioning procedure, for subsequent phase retrieval by Fourier demodulation, is presented here as a fast iterative approach aiming at fulfilling the classical boundary conditions imposed by Fourier transform techniques. Interference fringe patterns with typical edge discontinuities were simulated in order to reveal the edge artifacts that classically appear in traditional Fourier analysis, and were consecutively used to demonstrate the correction efficiency of the proposed conditioning technique. Optimization of the algorithm parameters is also presented and discussed. Finally, the procedure was applied to grating-based interferometric measurements performed in the hard X-ray regime. The proposed algorithm enables nearly edge-artifact-free retrieval of the phase derivatives. A similar enhancement of the retrieved absorption and fringe visibility images is also achieved.

X-rays from stars

Science.gov (United States)

Güdel, Manuel

2004-07-01

Spectroscopic studies available from Chandra and XMM-Newton play a pivotal part in the understanding of the physical processes in stellar (magnetic and non-magnetic) atmospheres. It is now routinely possible to derive densities and to study the influence of ultraviolet radiation fields, both of which can be used to infer the geometry of the radiating sources. Line profiles provide important information on bulk mass motions and attenuation by neutral matter, e.g. in stellar winds. The increased sensitivity has revealed new types of X-ray sources in systems that were thought to be unlikely places for X-rays: flaring brown dwarfs, including rather old, non-accreting objects, and terminal shocks in jets of young stars are important examples. New clues concerning the role of stellar high-energy processes in the modification of the stellar environment (ionization, spallation, etc.) contribute significantly to our understanding of the "astro-ecology" in forming planetary systems. Technological limitations are evident. The spectral resolution has not reached the level where bulk mass motions in cool stars become easily measurable. Higher resolution would also be important to perform X-ray "Doppler imaging" in order to reconstruct the 3-D distribution of the X-ray sources around a rotating star. Higher sensitivity will be required to perform high-resolution spectroscopy of weak sources such as brown dwarfs or embedded pre-main-sequence sources. A new generation of satellites such as Constellation-X or XEUS should pursue these goals.

Active x-ray optics for high resolution space telescopes

Science.gov (United States)

Doel, Peter; Atkins, Carolyn; Brooks, D.; Feldman, Charlotte; Willingale, Richard; Button, Tim; Rodriguez Sanmartin, Daniel; Meggs, Carl; James, Ady; Willis, Graham; Smith, Andy

2017-11-01

The Smart X-ray Optics (SXO) Basic Technology project started in April 2006 and will end in October 2010. The aim is to develop new technologies in the field of X-ray focusing, in particular the application of active and adaptive optics. While very major advances have been made in active/adaptive astronomical optics for visible light, little was previously achieved for X-ray optics where the technological challenges differ because of the much shorter wavelengths involved. The field of X-ray astronomy has been characterized by the development and launch of ever larger observatories with the culmination in the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and NASA's Chandra missions which are currently operational. XMM-Newton uses a multi-nested structure to provide modest angular resolution ( 10 arcsec) but large effective area, while Chandra sacrifices effective area to achieve the optical stability necessary to provide sub-arc second resolution. Currently the European Space Agency (ESA) is engaged in studies of the next generation of X-ray space observatories, with the aim of producing telescopes with increased sensitivity and resolution. To achieve these aims several telescopes have been proposed, for example ESA and NASA's combined International X-ray Observatory (IXO), aimed at spectroscopy, and NASA's Generation-X. In the field of X-ray astronomy sub 0.2 arcsecond resolution with high efficiency would be very exciting. Such resolution is unlikely to be achieved by anything other than an active system. The benefits of a such a high resolution would be important for a range of astrophysics subjects, for example the potential angular resolution offered by active X-ray optics could provide unprecedented structural imaging detail of the Solar Wind bowshock interaction of comets, planets and similar objects and auroral phenomena throughout the Solar system using an observing platform in low Earth orbit. A major aim of the SXO project was to investigate the production of thin

Black Hole Paradox Solved By NASA's Chandra

Science.gov (United States)

2006-06-01

Black holes are lighting up the Universe, and now astronomers may finally know how. New data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show for the first time that powerful magnetic fields are the key to these brilliant and startling light shows. It is estimated that up to a quarter of the total radiation in the Universe emitted since the Big Bang comes from material falling towards supermassive black holes, including those powering quasars, the brightest known objects. For decades, scientists have struggled to understand how black holes, the darkest objects in the Universe, can be responsible for such prodigious amounts of radiation. Animation of a Black Hole Pulling Matter from Companion Star Animation of a Black Hole Pulling Matter from Companion Star New X-ray data from Chandra give the first clear explanation for what drives this process: magnetic fields. Chandra observed a black hole system in our galaxy, known as GRO J1655-40 (J1655, for short), where a black hole was pulling material from a companion star into a disk. "By intergalactic standards J1655 is in our backyard, so we can use it as a scale model to understand how all black holes work, including the monsters found in quasars," said Jon M. Miller of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, whose paper on these results appears in this week's issue of Nature. Gravity alone is not enough to cause gas in a disk around a black hole to lose energy and fall onto the black hole at the rates required by observations. The gas must lose some of its orbital angular momentum, either through friction or a wind, before it can spiral inward. Without such effects, matter could remain in orbit around a black hole for a very long time. Illustration of Magnetic Fields in GRO J1655-40 Illustration of Magnetic Fields in GRO J1655-40 Scientists have long thought that magnetic turbulence could generate friction in a gaseous disk and drive a wind from the disk that carries angular momentum outward allowing the gas to fall inward

A HIGH FIDELITY SAMPLE OF COLD FRONT CLUSTERS FROM THE CHANDRA ARCHIVE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owers, Matt S.; Nulsen, Paul E. J.; Markevitch, Maxim; Couch, Warrick J.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a sample of 'cold front' clusters selected from the Chandra archive. The clusters are selected based purely on the existence of surface brightness edges in their Chandra images which are modeled as density jumps. A combination of the derived density and temperature jumps across the fronts is used to select nine robust examples of cold front clusters: 1ES0657 - 558, Abell 1201, Abell 1758N, MS1455.0+2232, Abell 2069, Abell 2142, Abell 2163, RXJ1720.1+2638, and Abell 3667. This sample is the subject of an ongoing study aimed at relating cold fronts to cluster merger activity, and understanding how the merging environment affects the cluster constituents. Here, temperature maps are presented along with the Chandra X-ray images. A dichotomy is found in the sample in that there exists a subsample of cold front clusters which are clearly mergers based on their X-ray morphologies, and a second subsample of clusters which harbor cold fronts, but have surprisingly relaxed X-ray morphologies, and minimal evidence for merger activity at other wavelengths. For this second subsample, the existence of a cold front provides the sole evidence for merger activity at X-ray wavelengths. We discuss how cold fronts can provide additional information which may be used to constrain merger histories, and also the possibility of using cold fronts to distinguish major and minor mergers.

Absolutely calibrated, time-resolved measurements of soft x rays using transmission grating spectrometers at the Nike Laser Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weaver, J.L.; Feldman, U.; Seely, J.F.; Holland, G.; Serlin, V.; Klapisch, M.; Columbant, D.; Mostovych, A.

2001-01-01

Accurate simulation of pellet implosions for direct drive inertial confinement fusion requires benchmarking the codes with experimental data. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has begun to measure the absolute intensity of radiation from laser irradiated targets to provide critical information for the radiatively preheated pellet designs developed by the Nike laser group. Two main diagnostics for this effort are two spectrometers incorporating three detection systems. While both spectrometers use 2500 lines/mm transmission gratings, one instrument is coupled to a soft x-ray streak camera and the other is coupled to both an absolutely calibrated Si photodiode array and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera. Absolute calibration of spectrometer components has been undertaken at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratories. Currently, the system has been used to measure the spatially integrated soft x-ray flux as a function of target material, laser power, and laser spot size. A comparison between measured and calculated flux for Au and CH targets shows reasonable agreement to one-dimensional modeling for two laser power densities

IDENTIFYING THE LOCATION IN THE HOST GALAXY OF THE SHORT GRB 111117A WITH THE CHANDRA SUBARCSECOND POSITION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakamoto, T.; Troja, E. [Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Aoki, K. [Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 650 North A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Guiriec, S.; Barthelmy, S. D. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Im, M.; Jeon, Y. [Center for the Exploration of the Origin of the Universe (CEOU), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-747 (Korea, Republic of); Leloudas, G.; Malesani, D.; De Ugarte Postigo, A.; Andersen, M. I. [Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen O (Denmark); Melandri, A.; D' Avanzo, P. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, via Bianchi 46, I-23807 Merate (Italy); Urata, Y. [Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan (China); Xu, D. [Department of Particle Physics and Astronomy, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100 (Israel); Gorosabel, J.; Sanchez-Ramirez, R. [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomia s/n, E-18008 Granada (Spain); Bai, J. [Yunnan Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650011 (China); Briggs, M. S. [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States); Foley, S. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); and others

2013-03-20

We present our successful Chandra program designed to identify, with subarcsecond accuracy, the X-ray afterglow of the short GRB 111117A, which was discovered by Swift and Fermi. Thanks to our rapid target of opportunity request, Chandra clearly detected the X-ray afterglow, though no optical afterglow was found in deep optical observations. The host galaxy was clearly detected in the optical and near-infrared band, with the best photometric redshift of z=1.31{sub -0.23}{sup +0.46} (90% confidence), making it one of the highest known short gamma-ray burst (GRB) redshifts. Furthermore, we see an offset of 1.0 {+-} 0.2 arcsec, which corresponds to 8.4 {+-} 1.7 kpc, between the host and the afterglow position. We discuss the importance of using Chandra for obtaining subarcsecond X-ray localizations of short GRB afterglows to study GRB environments.

Chandra "Hears" A Black Hole For The First Time

Science.gov (United States)

2003-09-01

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory detected sound waves, for the first time, from a super-massive black hole. The "note" is the deepest ever detected from an object in the universe. The tremendous amounts of energy carried by these sound waves may solve a longstanding problem in astrophysics. The black hole resides in the Perseus cluster, located 250 million light years from Earth. In 2002, astronomers obtained a deep Chandra observation that shows ripples in the gas filling the cluster. These ripples are evidence for sound waves that have traveled hundreds of thousands of light years away from the cluster's central black hole. perseus animation Illustration of Ripples in Perseus "We have observed the prodigious amounts of light and heat created by black holes, now we have detected the sound," said Andrew Fabian of the Institute of Astronomy (IoA) in Cambridge, England, and leader of the study. In musical terms, the pitch of the sound generated by the black hole translates into the note of B flat. But, a human would have no chance of hearing this cosmic performance, because the note is 57 octaves lower than middle-C (by comparison a typical piano contains only about seven octaves). At a frequency over a million, billion times deeper than the limits of human hearing, this is the deepest note ever detected from an object in the universe. "The Perseus sound waves are much more than just an interesting form of black hole acoustics," said Steve Allen, also of the IoA and a co-investigator in the research. "These sound waves may be the key in figuring out how galaxy clusters, the largest structures in the universe, grow," Allen said. For years astronomers have tried to understand why there is so much hot gas in galaxy clusters and so little cool gas. Hot gas glowing with X-rays should cool, and the dense central gas should cool the fastest. The pressure in this cool central gas should then fall, causing gas further out to sink in towards the galaxy, forming trillions of

Rocket Experiment Demonstration of a Soft X-ray Polarimeter

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Herman

This proposal is the lead proposal. Boston University will submit, via NSPIRES, a Co-I proposal, per instructions for Suborbital proposals for multiple-award. Our scientific goal of the Rocket Experiment Demonstration of a Soft X-ray Polarimeter (REDSoX Polarimeter) is to make the first measurement of the linear X-ray polarization of an extragalactic source in the 0.2-0.8 keV band. The first flight of the REDSoX Polarimeter would target Mk 421, which is commonly modeled as a highly relativistic jet aimed nearly along the line of sight. Such sources are likely to be polarized at a level of 30-60%, so the goal is to obtain a significant detection even if it is as low as 10%. Significant revisions to the models of jets emanating from black holes at the cores of active galaxies would be required if the polarization fraction lower than 10%. We employ multilayer-coated mirrors as Bragg reflectors at the Brewster angle. By matching to the dispersion of a spectrometer, one may take advantage of high multilayer reflectivities and achieve polarization modulation factors over 90%. Using replicated foil mirrors from MSFC and gratings made at MIT, we construct a spectrometer that disperses to three laterally graded multilayer mirrors (LGMLs). The lateral grading changes the wavelength of the Bragg peak for 45 degree reflections linearly across the mirror, matching the dispersion of the spectrometer. By dividing the entrance aperture into six equal sectors, pairs of blazed gratings from opposite sectors are oriented to disperse to the same LGML. The position angles for the LGMLs are 120 degrees to each other. CCD detectors then measure the intensities of the dispersed spectra after reflection and polarizing by the LGMLs, giving the three Stokes parameters needed to determine the source polarization. We will rely on components whose performance has been verified in the laboratory or in space. The CCD detectors are based on Chandra and Suzaku heritage. The mirror fabrication team

Weak hard X-ray emission from broad absorption line quasars: evidence for intrinsic X-ray weakness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Scott, A. E.; Alexander, D. M.; Gandhi, P.; Stern, D.; Teng, S. H.; Arévalo, P.; Bauer, F. E.; Boggs, S. E.; Craig, W. W.; Christensen, F. E.; Comastri, A.; Farrah, D.; Hailey, C. J.; Harrison, F. A.; Koss, M.; Ogle, P.; Puccetti, S.; Saez, C.

2014-01-01

We report NuSTAR observations of a sample of six X-ray weak broad absorption line (BAL) quasars. These targets, at z = 0.148-1.223, are among the optically brightest and most luminous BAL quasars known at z < 1.3. However, their rest-frame ≈2 keV luminosities are 14 to >330 times weaker than expected for typical quasars. Our results from a pilot NuSTAR study of two low-redshift BAL quasars, a Chandra stacking analysis of a sample of high-redshift BAL quasars, and a NuSTAR spectral analysis of the local BAL quasar Mrk 231 have already suggested the existence of intrinsically X-ray weak BAL quasars, i.e., quasars not emitting X-rays at the level expected from their optical/UV emission. The aim of the current program is to extend the search for such extraordinary objects. Three of the six new targets are weakly detected by NuSTAR with ≲ 45 counts in the 3-24 keV band, and the other three are not detected. The hard X-ray (8-24 keV) weakness observed by NuSTAR requires Compton-thick absorption if these objects have nominal underlying X-ray emission. However, a soft stacked effective photon index (Γ eff ≈ 1.8) for this sample disfavors Compton-thick absorption in general. The uniform hard X-ray weakness observed by NuSTAR for this and the pilot samples selected with <10 keV weakness also suggests that the X-ray weakness is intrinsic in at least some of the targets. We conclude that the NuSTAR observations have likely discovered a significant population (≳ 33%) of intrinsically X-ray weak objects among the BAL quasars with significantly weak <10 keV emission. We suggest that intrinsically X-ray weak quasars might be preferentially observed as BAL quasars.

A High Definition View of AGN Feedback: Chandra Imaging of Nearby Seyfert Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, G.; Risaliti, G.; Elvis, M.; Karovska, M.; Zezas, A.; Mundell, C. G.

2010-03-01

To improve the physics of AGN feedback, it is crucial to evaluate the true role of outflows on galaxy evolution observationally. I will present new results from Chandra spectral imaging of nearby Seyfert galaxies, which offer unique opportunities to examine feedback in action in much greater detail than at high redshift. Exploiting Chandra's highest possible resolution, we are able to study structures in NGC 4151 on spatial scales of 0.5 arcsec (30 pc), showing an extended X-ray morphology overall consistent with the optical NLR. We find that most of the NLR clouds in NGC 4151 have [OIII] to soft X-ray ratio consistent with the values observed in NLRs of some Seyfert 2 galaxies, which indicates a uniform ionization parameter even at large radii. We examine various X-ray emission mechanisms of the radio jet and consider thermal emission from interaction between radio outflow and the NLR clouds the most probable origin for the X-ray emission associated with the jet.

On the origin of highly ionized X-ray absorbers detected in the galactic X-ray binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Yang; Fang, Taotao

2014-01-01

X-ray observations of the Galactic X-ray binaries (XRBs) revealed numerous highly ionized metal absorption lines. However, it is unclear whether such lines are produced by the hot interstellar medium (ISM) or the circumstellar medium intrinsic to the binaries. Here we present a Chandra X-ray absorption line study of 28 observations of 12 XRBs, with a focus on the Ne IX and Fe XVII lines. We report the first detections of these lines in a significant amount of observations. We do not find a significant dependence of the line equivalent width on the distance of the XRBs, but we do see a weak dependence on the source X-ray luminosity. We also find 2 out of 12 selected targets show strong temporal variation of the Ne IX absorbers. While the line ratio between the two ion species suggests a temperature consistent with the previous predictions of the ISM, comparing with two theoretical models of the ISM shows the observed column densities are significantly higher than predictions. On the other hand, photoionization by the XRBs provides a reasonably good fit to the data. Our findings suggest that a significant fraction of these X-ray absorbers may originate in the hot gas intrinsic to the XRBs, and that the ISM makes small, if not negligible, contribution. We briefly discuss the implications to the study of the Milky Way hot gas content.

A Multiwavelength Exploration of the Grand Design Spiral M83: Diffuse X-ray Emission

Science.gov (United States)

Kuntz, K. D.; Long, K. S.; Blair, W. P.; Plucinsky, P. P.; Soria, R.; Winkler, P. F.

2013-01-01

We have obtained a series of deep X-ray images of the nearby galaxy M83, with a total exposure 729 ksec with the Chandra ACIS-S array. Since the bulk of the X-ray emitting disk falls within the BI chip, these observations allow a detailed study of the soft diffuse emission in the disk. Most of the diffuse emission is related to star-formation regions and must be powered by supernovae and stellar winds, though the amount of emission due to identifiable SNR is only a few percent. The relation between the spectral shape and surface brightness that was seen in M101 suggests that the properties of the X-ray emission in spiral disks are shaped by the local hot gas production rate (traced by the local star-formation rate) or the disk mid-plane pressure, but it is unclear which physical mechanism dominates. To illuminate this problem, we will compare M83 with the previous Chandra studies of M101 and M33.

EVOLUTION AND HYDRODYNAMICS OF THE VERY BROAD X-RAY LINE EMISSION IN SN 1987A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewey, D.; Canizares, C. R. [MIT Kavli Institute, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Dwarkadas, V. V. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Haberl, F.; Sturm, R., E-mail: dd@space.mit.edu, E-mail: vikram@oddjob.uchicago.edu [Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, Garching D-85748 (Germany)

2012-06-20

Observations of SN 1987A by the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) in 1999 and the XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) in 2003 show very broad (v-b) lines with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of order 10{sup 4} km s{sup -1}; at these times the blast wave (BW) was primarily interacting with the H II region around the progenitor. Since then, the X-ray emission has been increasingly dominated by narrower components as the BW encounters dense equatorial ring (ER) material. Even so, continuing v-b emission is seen in the grating spectra suggesting that the interaction with H II region material is ongoing. Based on the deep HETG 2007 and 2011 data sets, and confirmed by RGS and other HETG observations, the v-b component has a width of 9300 {+-} 2000 km s{sup -1} FWHM and contributes of order 20% of the current 0.5-2 keV flux. Guided by this result, SN 1987A's X-ray spectra are modeled as the weighted sum of the non-equilibrium-ionization emission from two simple one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations; this '2 Multiplication-Sign 1D' model reproduces the observed radii, light curves, and spectra with a minimum of free parameters. The interaction with the H II region ({rho}{sub init} Almost-Equal-To 130 amu cm{sup -3}, {+-} 15 Degree-Sign opening angle) produces the very broad emission lines and most of the 3-10 keV flux. Our ER hydrodynamics, admittedly a crude approximation to the multi-D reality, gives ER densities of {approx}10{sup 4} amu cm{sup -3}, requires dense clumps ( Multiplication-Sign 5.5 density enhancement in {approx}30% of the volume), and predicts that the 0.5-2 keV flux will drop at a rate of {approx}17% per year once no new dense ER material is being shocked.

Deep Chandra Observations of ESO 428-G014. II. Spectral Properties and Morphology of the Large-scale Extended X-Ray Emission

Science.gov (United States)

Fabbiano, G.; Paggi, A.; Karovska, M.; Elvis, M.; Maksym, W. P.; Risaliti, G.; Wang, Junfeng

2018-03-01

We present a deep Chandra spectral and spatial study of the kpc-scale diffuse X-ray emission of the Compton-thick (CT) active galactic nucleus (AGN) ESO 428-G014. The entire spectrum is best fit with composite photoionization + thermal models. The diffuse emission is more extended at lower energies (<3 keV). The smaller extent of the hard continuum and Fe Kα profiles implies that the optically thicker clouds responsible for this scattering may be relatively more prevalent closer to the nucleus. These clouds must not prevent soft ionizing X-rays from the AGN escaping to larger radii, in order to have photoionized ISM at larger radii. This suggests that at smaller radii, there may be a larger population of molecular clouds to scatter the hard X-rays, as in the Milky Way. The diffuse emission is also significantly extended in the cross-cone direction, where the AGN emission would be mostly obscured by the torus in the standard AGN model. Our results suggest that the transmission of the obscuring region in the cross-cone direction is ∼10% of that in the cone direction. In the 0.3–1.5 keV band, the ratio of cross-cone to cone photons increases to ∼84%, suggesting an additional soft diffuse emission component disjoint from the AGN. This could be due to hot ISM trapped in the potential of the galaxy. The luminosity of this component, ∼5 × 1038 erg s‑1, is roughly consistent with the thermal component suggested by the spectral fits in the 170–900 pc annulus.

M Stars in the TW Hydra Association: A Chandra Large Program Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Punzi, Kristina; Kastner, Joel; Principe, David; Stelzer, Beate; Gorti, Uma; Pascucci, Illaria; Argiroffi, Costanza

2018-01-01

We have conducted a Cycle 18 Chandra Large Program survey of very cool members of the $\\sim$ 8 Myr-old TW Hydra Association (TWA) to extend our previous study of the potential connections between M star disks and X-rays (Kastner et al. 2016, AJ, 152, 3) to the extreme low-mass end of the stellar initial mass function. The spectral types of our targets extend down to the M/L borderline. Thus we can further investigate the potential connection between the intense X-ray emission from young, low-mass stars and the lifetimes of their circumstellar planet-forming discs, as well as better constrain the age at which coronal activity declines for stellar masses approaching the H-burning limit of $\\sim$ 0.08 M$_{\\odot}$. We present preliminary results from the Cycle 18 survey, including X-ray detection statistics and measurements of relative X-ray luminosities and coronal (X-ray) temperatures for those TWA stars detected by Chandra. This research is supported by SAO/CXC grant GO7-18002A and NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis program grants NNX12AH37G and NNX16AG13G to RIT.

A multiwavelength study of SXP 1062, the long-period X-ray pulsar associated with a supernova remnant

Science.gov (United States)

González-Galán, A.; Oskinova, L. M.; Popov, S. B.; Haberl, F.; Kühnel, M.; Gallagher, J.; Schurch, M. P. E.; Guerrero, M. A.

2018-04-01

SXP 1062 is a Be X-ray binary (BeXB) located in the Small Magellanic Cloud. It hosts a long-period X-ray pulsar and is likely associated with the supernova remnant MCSNR J0127-7332. In this work we present a multiwavelength view on SXP 1062 in different luminosity regimes. We consider monitoring campaigns in optical (OGLE survey) and X-ray (Swift telescope). During these campaigns a tight coincidence of X-ray and optical outbursts is observed. We interpret this as typical Type I outbursts as often detected in BeXBs at periastron passage of the neutron star (NS). To study different X-ray luminosity regimes in depth, during the source quiescence we observed it with XMM-Newton while Chandra observations followed an X-ray outburst. Nearly simultaneously with Chandra observations in X-rays, in optical the RSS/SALT telescope obtained spectra of SXP 1062. On the basis of our multiwavelength campaign we propose a simple scenario where the disc of the Be star is observed face-on, while the orbit of the NS is inclined with respect to the disc. According to the model of quasi-spherical settling accretion our estimation of the magnetic field of the pulsar in SXP 1062 does not require an extremely strong magnetic field at the present time.

CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF 3C RADIO SOURCES WITH z < 0.3. II. COMPLETING THE SNAPSHOT SURVEY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Massaro, F. [SLAC National Laboratory and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Tremblay, G. R. [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany); Harris, D. E.; O' Dea, C. P. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kharb, P.; Axon, D. [Department of Physics, Rochester Institute of Technology, Carlson Center for Imaging Science 76-3144, 84 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Balmaverde, B.; Capetti, A. [INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Strada Osservatorio 20, I-10025 Pino Torinese (Italy); Baum, S. A. [Carlson Center for Imaging Science 76-3144, 84 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Chiaberge, M.; Macchetto, F. D.; Sparks, W. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martine Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Gilli, R. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Giovannini, G. [INAF-Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna (Italy); Grandi, P.; Torresi, E. [INAF-IASF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e fisica Cosmica di Bologna, Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna (Italy); Risaliti, G. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy)

2012-12-15

We report on the second round of Chandra observations of the 3C snapshot survey developed to observe the complete sample of 3C radio sources with z < 0.3 for 8 ks each. In the first paper, we illustrated the basic data reduction and analysis procedures performed for the 30 sources of the 3C sample observed during Chandra Cycle 9, while here we present the data for the remaining 27 sources observed during Cycle 12. We measured the X-ray intensity of the nuclei and of any radio hot spots and jet features with associated X-ray emission. X-ray fluxes in three energy bands, i.e., soft, medium, and hard, for all the sources analyzed are also reported. For the stronger nuclei, we also applied the standard spectral analysis, which provides the best-fit values of the X-ray spectral index and absorbing column density. In addition, a detailed analysis of bright X-ray nuclei that could be affected by pile-up has been performed. X-ray emission was detected for all the nuclei of the radio sources in our sample except for 3C 319. Among the current sample, there are two compact steep spectrum radio sources, two broad-line radio galaxies, and one wide angle tail radio galaxy, 3C 89, hosted in a cluster of galaxies clearly visible in our Chandra snapshot observation. In addition, we also detected soft X-ray emission arising from the galaxy cluster surrounding 3C 196.1. Finally, X-ray emission from hot spots has been found in three FR II radio sources and, in the case of 3C 459, we also report the detection of X-ray emission associated with the eastern radio lobe as well as X-ray emission cospatial with radio jets in 3C 29 and 3C 402.

NASA's Chandra Reveals Origin of Key Cosmic Explosions

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-01

WASHINGTON -- New findings from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have provided a major advance in understanding a type of supernova critical for studying the dark energy that astronomers think pervades the universe. The results show mergers of two dense stellar remnants are the likely cause of many of the supernovae that have been used to measure the accelerated expansion of the universe. These supernovae, called Type Ia, serve as cosmic mile markers to measure expansion of the universe because they can be seen at large distances, and they follow a reliable pattern of brightness. However, until now, scientists have been unsure what actually causes the explosions. "These are such critical objects in understanding the universe," said Marat Gilfanov of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany and lead author of the study that appears in the Feb. 18 edition of the journal Nature. "It was a major embarrassment that we did not know how they worked. Now we are beginning to understand what lights the fuse of these explosions." Most scientists agree a Type Ia supernova occurs when a white dwarf star -- a collapsed remnant of an elderly star -- exceeds its weight limit, becomes unstable and explodes. Scientists have identified two main possibilities for pushing the white dwarf over the edge: two white dwarfs merging or accretion, a process in which the white dwarf pulls material from a sun-like companion star until it exceeds its weight limit. "Our results suggest the supernovae in the galaxies we studied almost all come from two white dwarfs merging," said co-author Akos Bogdan, also of Max Planck. "This is probably not what many astronomers would expect." The difference between these two scenarios may have implications for how these supernovae can be used as "standard candles" -- objects of a known brightness -- to track vast cosmic distances. Because white dwarfs can come in a range of masses, the merger of two could result in explosions that vary somewhat in

Identification of Hard X-ray Sources in Galactic Globular Clusters: Simbol-X Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Servillat, M.

2009-05-01

Globular clusters harbour an excess of X-ray sources compared to the number of X-ray sources in the Galactic plane. It has been proposed that many of these X-ray sources are cataclysmic variables that have an intermediate magnetic field, i.e. intermediate polars, which remains to be confirmed and understood. We present here several methods to identify intermediate polars in globular clusters from multiwavelength analysis. First, we report on XMM-Newton, Chandra and HST observations of the very dense Galactic globular cluster NGC 2808. By comparing UV and X-ray properties of the cataclysmic variable candidates, the fraction of intermediate polars in this cluster can be estimated. We also present the optical spectra of two cataclysmic variables in the globular cluster M 22. The HeII (4868 Å) emission line in these spectra could be related to the presence of a magnetic field in these objects. Simulations of Simbol-X observations indicate that the angular resolution is sufficient to study X-ray sources in the core of close, less dense globular clusters, such as M 22. The sensitivity of Simbol-X in an extended energy band up to 80 keV will allow us to discriminate between hard X-ray sources (such as magnetic cataclysmic variables) and soft X-ray sources (such as chromospherically active binaries).

Chandra resolves the T Tauri binary system RW Aur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skinner, Stephen L. [CASA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0389 (United States); Güdel, Manuel, E-mail: stephen.skinner@colorado.edu, E-mail: manuel.guedel@univie.ac.at [Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Türkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria)

2014-06-20

RW Aur is a multiple T Tauri system consisting of an early-K type primary (A) and a K5 companion (B) at a separation of 1.''4. RW Aur A drives a bipolar optical jet that is well characterized optically. We present results of a sensitive Chandra observation whose primary objective was to search for evidence of soft extended X-ray emission along the jet, as has been seen for a few other nearby T Tauri stars. The binary is clearly resolved by Chandra and both stars are detected as X-ray sources. The X-ray spectra of both stars reveal evidence for cool and hot plasma. Surprisingly, the X-ray luminosity of the less-massive secondary is at least twice that of the primary and is variable. The disparity is attributed to the primary whose X-ray luminosity is at the low end of the range for classical T Tauri stars of similar mass based on established correlations. Deconvolved soft-band images show evidence for slight outward elongation of the source structure of RW Aur A along the blueshifted jet axis inside the central arcsecond. In addition, a faint X-ray emission peak is present on the redshifted axis at an offset of 1.''2 ± 0.''2 from the star. Deprojected jet speeds determined from previous optical studies are too low to explain this faint emission peak as shock-heated jet plasma. Thus, unless flow speeds in the redshifted jet have been underestimated, other mechanisms such as magnetic jet heating may be involved.

X-ray Discovery Points to Location of Missing Matter

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

Using observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton, astronomers have announced a robust detection of a vast reservoir of intergalactic gas about 400 million light years from Earth. This discovery is the strongest evidence yet that the "missing matter" in the nearby Universe is located in an enormous web of hot, diffuse gas. This missing matter — which is different from dark matter -- is composed of baryons, the particles, such as protons and neutrons, that are found on the Earth, in stars, gas, galaxies, and so on. A variety of measurements of distant gas clouds and galaxies have provided a good estimate of the amount of this "normal matter" present when the universe was only a few billion years old. However, an inventory of the much older, nearby universe has turned up only about half as much normal matter, an embarrassingly large shortfall. The mystery then is where does this missing matter reside in the nearby Universe? This latest work supports predictions that it is mostly found in a web of hot, diffuse gas known as the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM). Scientists think the WHIM is material left over after the formation of galaxies, which was later enriched by elements blown out of galaxies. "Evidence for the WHIM is really difficult to find because this stuff is so diffuse and easy to see right through," said Taotao Fang of the University of California at Irvine and lead author of the latest study. "This differs from many areas of astronomy where we struggle to see through obscuring material." To look for the WHIM, the researchers examined X-ray observations of a rapidly growing supermassive black hole known as an active galactic nucleus, or AGN. This AGN, which is about two billion light years away, generates immense amounts of X-ray light as it pulls matter inwards. Lying along the line of sight to this AGN, at a distance of about 400 million light years, is the so-called Sculptor Wall. This "wall", which is a large diffuse

Chandra Sees Shape of Universe During Formative, Adolescent Years

Science.gov (United States)

2003-03-01

Scientists using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have taken a snapshot of the adolescent universe from about five billion years ago when the familiar web-like structure of galaxy chains and voids first emerged. The observation reveals distant and massive galaxies dotting the sky, clustered together under the gravitational attraction of deep, unseen pockets of dark matter. This provides important clues of how the universe matured from its chaotic beginnings to its elegant structure we see today. These results are presented today in a press conference at the meeting of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society at Mt. Tremblant, Quebec. "Piece by piece, we are assembling a photo album of the universe through the ages," said Yuxuan Yang, a doctorate candidate at the University of Maryland, College Park, who conducted the analysis. "Last month we saw a picture of the infant universe taken with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. Now we can add a snapshot of its adolescence." The Chandra observation traced a patch of sky known as the Lockman Hole in the constellation Ursa Major (containing the Big Dipper). Chandra saw a rich density of active galaxies, seven times denser than what has been detected in previous optical and radio surveys at similar distances. This provides the clearest picture yet at the large-scale structure of the universe at such distances (and age), according to Dr. Richard Mushotzky of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who led the observation. Lockman Hole JPEG, TIFF, PS An image that has been "blurred" to allow better view of the structures outlined by the X-ray sources. The color represents the spectra of the AGN. The red color indicates the sources on average radiates at longer wavelength while green and blue colors indicates the sources radiates at shorter wavelength. The Green and blue regions appear to form a wall, or shows more lumpiness than the "red" sources. If one could capture the

The Chandra Source Catalog: Storage and Interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

van Stone, David; Harbo, Peter N.; Tibbetts, Michael S.; Zografou, Panagoula; Evans, Ian N.; Primini, Francis A.; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Anderson, Craig S.; Bonaventura, Nina R.; Chen, Judy C.; Davis, John E.; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Galle, Elizabeth C.; Gibbs, Danny G., II; Grier, John D.; Hain, Roger; Hall, Diane M.; He, Xiang Qun (Helen); Houck, John C.; Karovska, Margarita; Kashyap, Vinay L.; Lauer, Jennifer; McCollough, Michael L.; McDowell, Jonathan C.; Miller, Joseph B.; Mitschang, Arik W.; Morgan, Douglas L.; Mossman, Amy E.; Nichols, Joy S.; Nowak, Michael A.; Plummer, David A.; Refsdal, Brian L.; Rots, Arnold H.; Siemiginowska, Aneta L.; Sundheim, Beth A.; Winkelman, Sherry L.

2009-09-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is part of the Chandra Data Archive (CDA) at the Chandra X-ray Center. The catalog contains source properties and associated data objects such as images, spectra, and lightcurves. The source properties are stored in relational databases and the data objects are stored in files with their metadata stored in databases. The CDA supports different versions of the catalog: multiple fixed release versions and a live database version. There are several interfaces to the catalog: CSCview, a graphical interface for building and submitting queries and for retrieving data objects; a command-line interface for property and source searches using ADQL; and VO-compliant services discoverable though the VO registry. This poster describes the structure of the catalog and provides an overview of the interfaces.

The restless universe understanding X-ray astronomy in the age of Chandra and Newton

CERN Document Server

Schlegel, Eric M

2002-01-01

This title tells the story of the development and launch of a major space-based telescope, and explains the discoveries of the nature of the universe in the X-ray spectre. The author looks at the brief history of X-ray astronomy to explore what can and has been learnt by using X-ray.

Observations of EUV and X-ray Emission from Comets

Science.gov (United States)

Lisse, C.

The unexpected discovery of x-ray emission from Comet Hyakutake in March 1996 (Lisse et al. 1996) produced a number of questions about the physical mechanism producing the radiation. The original detection and subsequent observations have shown that the very soft (best fit thermal bremsstrahlung model kT0.2 keV) emission is due to an interaction between the solar wind and the comet's atmosphere. Using the results from the more than 15 comets detected to date in x-rays, I report here on the latest results on cometary x-ray emission, including new results from Chandra, and show that charge exchange between highly ionized minor ions in the solar wind and neutral gases in the cometary coma is the most likely operative mechanism. I then use this result to study a number of problems of astrophysical interest: the nature of the cometary coma, other possible sources of x-ray emission in the solar system, the structure of the solar wind in the heliosphere, and the source of the local x-ray background.

X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy: the Potential of Astrophysics-developed Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Elvis, M.; Allen, B.; Hong, J.; Grindlay, J.; Kraft, R.; Binzel, R. P.; Masterton, R.

2012-12-01

X-ray fluorescence from the surface of airless bodies has been studied since the Apollo X-ray fluorescence experiment mapped parts of the lunar surface in 1971-1972. That experiment used a collimated proportional counter with a resolving power of ~1 and a beam size of ~1degree. Filters separated only Mg, Al and SI lines. We review progress in X-ray detectors and imaging for astrophysics and show how these advances enable much more powerful use of X-ray fluorescence for the study of airless bodies. Astrophysics X-ray instrumentation has developed enormously since 1972. Low noise, high quantum efficiency, X-ray CCDs have flown on ASCA, XMM-Newton, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, Swift and Suzaku, and are the workhorses of X-ray astronomy. They normally span 0.5 to ~8 keV with an energy resolution of ~100 eV. New developments in silicon based detectors, especially individual pixel addressable devices, such as CMOS detectors, can withstand many orders of magnitude more radiation than conventional CCDs before degradation. The capability of high read rates provides dynamic range and temporal resolution. Additionally, the rapid read rates minimize shot noise from thermal dark current and optical light. CMOS detectors can therefore run at warmer temperatures and with ultra-thin optical blocking filters. Thin OBFs mean near unity quantum efficiency below 1 keV, thus maximizing response at the C and O lines.such as CMOS detectors, promise advances. X-ray imaging has advanced similarly far. Two types of imager are now available: specular reflection and coded apertures. X-ray mirrors have been flown on the Einstein Observatory, XMM-Newton, Chandra and others. However, as X-ray reflection only occurs at small (~1degree) incidence angles, which then requires long focal lengths (meters), mirrors are not usually practical for planetary missions. Moreover the field of view of X-ray mirrors is comparable to the incident angle, so can only image relatively small regions. More useful

A hybrid concept (segmented plus monolithic fused silica shells) for a high-throughput and high-angular resolution x-ray mission (Lynx/X-Ray Surveyor like)

Science.gov (United States)

Basso, Stefano; Civitani, Marta; Pareschi, Giovanni; Parodi, Giancarlo

2017-09-01

Lynx is a large area and high angular resolution X-ray mission being studied by NASA to be presented to the next Decadal Survey for the implementation in the next decade. It aims to realize an X-ray telescope with the effective area similar to Athena (2 m2 at 1 keV) but with the same angular resolution of Chandra and a much larger Field Of View (up 20 arcmin x 20 arcmin). The science of X-ray Surveyor requires a large-throughput mirror assembly with sub-arcsec angular resolution. These future X-ray mirrors have a set of requirements which, collectively, represents very substantial advances over any currently in operation or planned for missions other than X-ray Surveyor. Of particular importance is achieving low mass per unit collecting area, while maintaining Chandra like angular resolution. Among the possible solutions under study, the direct polishing of both thin monolithic pseudo-cylindrical shells and segments made of fused silica are being considered as viable solutions for the implementation of the mirrors. Fused silica has very good thermomechanical parameters (including a very low CTE), making the material particularly well suited for for the production of the Lynx mirrors. It should be noted that the use of close shells is also very attractive, since the operations for the integration of the shells will be greatly simplified and the area lost due to the vignetting from the interfacing structures minimized even if the management of such big (diameter of 3 m) and thin shells have to be demonstrated. In this paper we will discuss a possible basic layout for a full shell mirror and a hybrid concept (segmented plus monolithic shells made of fused silica) as a second solution, for the Lynx/XRS telescope, discussing preliminary results in terms of optical and mechanical performance.

Monitoring of the Crab Nebula with Chandra and Other Observatories Including HST

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskopf, Martin C.

2014-01-01

Subsequent to the detections AGILE and Fermi/LAT of the gamma-ray flares from the Crab Nebula in the fall of 2010, this team has been monitoring the X-Ray emission from the Crab on a regular basis. X-Ray observations have taken place typically once per month when viewing constraints allow and more recently four times per year. There have been notable exceptions, e.g. in April of 2011 and March 2013 when we initiated a set of Chandra Target of opportunity observations in conjunction with bright gamma-ray flares. For much of the time regular HST observations were made in conjunction with the Chandra observations. The aim of this program to further characterize, in depth, the X-Ray and optical variations that take place in the nebula, and by so doing determine the regions which contribute to the harder X-ray variations and, if possible, determine the precise location within the Nebula of the origin of the gamma-ray flares. As part of this project members of the team have developed Singular Value Decomposition techniques to sequences of images in order to more accurately characterize features. The current status of the project will be presented highlighting studies of the inner knot and possible correlations with the flares.

Computer-aided diagnosis of pulmonary diseases using x-ray darkfield radiography