No Arabic abstract
Using a deep Chandra AO-1 observation of the face-on spiral galaxy M101, we examine three of five previously optically-identified X-ray sources which are spatially correlated with optical supernova remnants (MF54, MF57, and MF83). The X-ray fluxes from these objects, if due to diffuse emission from the remnants, are bright enough to require a new class of objects, with the possible attribution by Wang to diffuse emission from hypernova remnants. Of the three, MF83 was considered the most likely candidate for such an object due to its size, nature, and close positional coincidence. However, we find that MF83 is clearly ruled out as a hypernova remnant by both its temporal variability and spectrum. The bright X-ray sources previously associated with MF54 and MF57 are seen by Chandra to be clearly offset from the optical positions of the supernova remnants by several arc seconds, confirming a result suggested by the previous work. MF54 does have a faint X-ray counterpart, however, with a luminosity and temperature consistent with a normal supernova remnant of its size. The most likely classifications of the sources are as X-ray binaries. Although counting statistics are limited, over the 0.3--5.0 keV spectral band the data are well fit by simple absorbed power laws with luminosities in the 10^38 to 10^39 ergs/s range. The power law indices are softer than those of Milky Way LMXB of similar luminosities, and are more consistent with those of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Both the high luminosity and the soft spectral shape favor these being accreting black hole binaries in high soft states.
We present here the observation of the Cygnus Superbubble (CSB) using the Solid-state slit camera (SSC) aboard the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image. The CSB is a large diffuse structure in the Cygnus region with enhanced soft X-ray emission. By utilizing the CCD spectral resolution of the SSC, we detect Fe, Ne, Mg emission lines from the CSB for the first time. The best fit model implies thin hot plasma of kT ~ 0.3 keV with depleted abundance of 0.26 +/- 0.1 solar. Joint spectrum fitting of the ROSAT PSPC data and MAXI/SSC data enables us to measure precise values of NH and temperature inside the CSB. The results show that all of the regions in the CSB have similar NH and temperature, indicating that the CSB is single unity. The energy budgets calculation suggests that 2-3 Myrs of stellar wind from the Cyg OB2 is enough to power up the CSB, whereas due to its off center position, the origin of the CSB is most likely a Hypernova.
We have conducted a search of a 9 deg$^{2}$ region of the CFHTLS around the Milky Way analog M101 (D$sim$7 Mpc), in order to look for previously unknown low surface brightness galaxies. This search has uncovered 38 new low surface brightness dwarf candidates, and confirmed 11 previously reported galaxies, all with central surface brightness $mu$(g,0)$>$23mag/arcsec$^{2}$, potentially extending the satellite luminosity function for the M101 group by $sim$1.2 magnitudes. The search was conducted using an algorithm that nearly automates the detection of diffuse dwarf galaxies. The candidates small size and low surface brightness means that the faintest of these objects would likely be missed by traditional visual or computer detection techniques. The dwarf galaxy candidates span a range of $-$7.1 $geq$ M$_g$ $geq$ $-$10.2 and half light radii of 118-540 pc at the distance of M101, and they are well fit by simple S{e}rsic surface brightness profiles. These properties are consistent with dwarfs in the Local Group, and to match the Local Group luminosity function $sim$10-20 of these candidates should be satellites of M101. Association with a massive host is supported by the lack of detected star formation and the over density of candidates around M101 compared to the field. The spatial distribution of the dwarf candidates is highly asymmetric, and concentrated to the northeast of M101 and therefore distance measurements will be required to determine if these are genuine members of the M101 group.
The nature of the synchrotron superbubble in the IC 10 galaxy is discussed using the results of our investigation of its ionized gas structure, kinematics, and emission spectrum from observations made with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and based on our analysis of the radio emission of the region. The hypernova explosion is shown to be a more plausible mechanism of the formation of the synchrotron superbubble compared with the earlier proposed model of multiple supernova explosions. A compact remnant of this hypernova may be identified with the well known X-ray binary X-1 -- an accreting black hole.
ROSAT all-sky survey (RASS) data have provided another window to search for supernova remnants (SNRs). In reexamining this data archive, a list of unidentified extended X-ray objects have been suggested as promising SNR candidate. However, most of these targets have not yet been fully explored by the state-of-art X-ray observatories. For selecting a pilot target for a long-term identification campaign, we have observed the brightest candidate, G308.3-1.4, with Chandra X-ray observatory. An incomplete shell-like X-ray structure which well-correlated with the radio shell emission at 843 MHz has been revealed. The X-ray spectrum suggests the presence of a shock-heated plasma. All these evidences confirm G308.3-1.4 as a SNR. The brightest X-ray point source detected in this field-of-view is also the one locates closest to the geometrical center of G308.3-1.4, which has a soft spectrum. The intriguing temporal variability and the identification of optical/infrared counterpart rule out the possibility of an isolated neutron star. On the other hand, the spectral energy distribution from Ks band to R band suggests a late-type star. Together with a putative periodicity of sim1.4 hrs, the interesting excesses in V, B bands and H-alpha suggest this source as a promising candidate of a compact binary survived in a supernova explosion (SN).
We present the analysis of Suzaku observations of the young open cluster Westerlund 2, which is filled with diffuse X-ray emission. We found that the emission consists of three thermal components or two thermal and one non-thermal components. The upper limit of the energy flux of the non-thermal component is smaller than that in the TeV band observed with H.E.S.S. This may indicate that active particle acceleration has stopped in this cluster, and that the accelerated electrons have already cooled. The gamma-ray emission observed with H.E.S.S. is likely to come from high-energy protons, which hardly cool in contrast with electrons. Metal abundances of the diffuse X-ray gas may indicate the explosion of a massive star in the past.