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Register a new userX-ray emission from the stellar population in M32
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Using Chandra observations, we study the X-ray emission of the stellar population in the compact dwarf elliptical galaxy M32. The proximity of M32 allows one to resolve all bright point sources with luminosities higher than 8e33 erg/s in the 0.5--7 keV band. The remaining (unresolved) emission closely follows the galaxys optical light and is characterized by an emissivity per unit stellar mass of ~4.3e27 erg/s/M_sun in the 2--10 keV energy band. The spectrum of the unresolved emission above a few keV smoothly joins the X-ray spectrum of the Milky Ways ridge measured with RXTE and INTEGRAL. These results strongly suggest that weak discrete X-ray sources (accreting white dwarfs and active binary stars) provide the bulk of the ``diffuse emission of this gas-poor galaxy. Within the uncertainties, the average X-ray properties of the M32 stars are consistent with those of the old stellar population in the Milky Way. The inferred cumulative soft X-ray (0.5--2 keV) emissivity is however smaller than is measured in the immediate Solar vicinity in our Galaxy. This difference is probably linked to the contribution of young (age <1Gyr) stars, which are abundant in the Solar neighborhood but practically absent in M32. Combining Chandra, RXTE and INTEGRAL data, we obtain a broad-band (0.5--60 keV) X-ray spectrum of the old stellar population in galaxies.
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We have analysed archival {it ROSAT} PSPC data for M32 in order to study the x-ray emission from this nearest elliptical galaxy. We fit spectra from three long exposures with Raymond-Smith, thermal bremsstrahlung, and power-law models. All models give excellent fits. The thermal fits have kT$approx$4 keV, the Raymond-Smith iron abundance is $0.4^{+0.7}_{-0.3}$ Solar, the power-law fit has $alpha$=1.6$pm$0.1, and all fits have $N_H$ consistent with the Galactic column. The source is centered on M32 to an accuracy of 9$$, and unresolved at 27$$ FWHM ($sim$90 pc). M32 is x-ray variable by a factor of 3--5 on timescales of a decade down to minutes, with evidence for a possible period of $sim$1.3 days. There are two plausible interpretations for these results: 1) Emission due to low-mass x-ray binaries; 2) Emission due to accretion onto a massive central black hole. Both of these possibilities are supported by arguments based on previous studies of M32 and other old stellar systems; the {it ROSAT} PSPC data do not allow us to unambiguously choose between them. Observations with the {it ROSAT} HRI and with {it ASCA} are required to determine which of these two very different physical models is correct.
We present Two-Dimensional Spectroscopy of the 9x12 arcsec^2 central region of M32 obtained with the 2D_FIS fibre spectrograph installed at the William Herschel Telescope. From these spectra line strength maps have been reconstructed for about 20 absorption lines, mostly belonging to the Lick system. We find good agreement with long-slit line strength profiles in the literature. In contrast with previous studies, indices were azimuthally averaged along continuum isophotes of M32. A remarkable result is that no gradients are presented in the spectral indices. So, we have fitted the mean values of each spectral index and central colours to the models of Vazdekis et al. (1996) and Worthey (1994), finding that an intermediate age (~4 Gyr) and metallicity similar to solar (Z=0.02) are the best fitted values for the innermost region of M32.
Gamma-ray loud X-ray binaries are binary systems that show non-thermal broadband emission from radio to gamma rays. If the system comprises a massive star and a young non-accreting pulsar, their winds will collide producing broadband non-thermal emission, most likely originated in the shocked pulsar wind. Thermal X-ray emission is expected from the shocked stellar wind, but until now it has neither been detected nor studied in the context of gamma-ray binaries. We present a semi-analytic model of the thermal X-ray emission from the shocked stellar wind in pulsar gamma-ray binaries, and find that the thermal X-ray emission increases monotonically with the pulsar spin-down luminosity, reaching luminosities of the order of 10^33 erg/s. The lack of thermal features in the X-ray spectrum of gamma-ray binaries can then be used to constrain the properties of the pulsar and stellar winds. By fitting the observed X-ray spectra of gamma-ray binaries with a source model composed of an absorbed non-thermal power law and the computed thermal X-ray emission, we are able to derive upper limits on the spin-down luminosity of the putative pulsar. We applied this method to LS 5039, the only gamma-ray binary with a radial, powerful wind, and obtain an upper limit on the pulsar spin-down luminosity of ~6x10^36 erg/s. Given the energetic constraints from its high-energy gamma-ray emission, a non-thermal to spin-down luminosity ratio very close to unity may be required.
The X-ray emission from a simulated massive stellar cluster is investigated. The emission is calculated from a 3D hydrodynamical model which incorporates the mechanical feedback from the stellar winds of 3 O-stars embedded in a giant molecular cloud clump containing 3240 M$_{odot}$ of molecular material within a 4 pc radius. A simple prescription for the evolution of the stars is used, with the first supernova explosion at t=4.4 Myrs. We find that the presence of the GMC clump causes short-lived attenuation effects on the X-ray emission of the cluster. However, once most of the material has been ablated away by the winds the remaining dense clumps do not have a noticable effect on the attenuation compared with the assumed interstellar medium column. We determine the evolution of the cluster X-ray luminosity, L$_X$, and spectra, and generate synthetic images. The intrinsic X-ray luminosity drops from nearly 10$^{34}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ while the winds are `bottled up, to a near constant value of 1.7$times 10^{32}rm ergs s^{-1}$ between t=1-4 Myrs. L$_X$ reduces slightly during each stars red supergiant stage due to the depressurization of the hot gas. However, L$_X$ increases to $approx 10^{34}rm,ergs s^{-1}$ during each stars Wolf-Rayet stage. The X-ray luminosity is enhanced by 2-3 orders of magnitude to $sim 10^{37}rm ergs s^{-1}$ for at least 4600 yrs after each supernova, at which time the blast wave leaves the grid and the X-ray luminosity drops. The X-ray luminosity of our simulation is generally considerably fainter than predicted from spherically-symmetric bubble models, due to the leakage of hot gas material through gaps in the outer shell. This process reduces the pressure within our simulation and thus the X-ray emission. However, the X-ray luminosities and temperatures which we obtain are comparable to similarly powerful massive young clusters.
We report the first unambiguous detection of X-ray emission originating from Saturn with a Chandra observation, duration 65.5 ksec with ACIS-S3. Beyond the pure detection we analyze the spatial distribution of X-rays on the planetary surface, the light curve, and some spectral properties. The detection is based on 162 cts extracted from the ACIS-S3 chip within the optical disk of Saturn. We found no evidence for smaller or larger angular extent. The expected background level is 56 cts, i.e., the count rate is (1.6 +- 0.2) 10^-3 cts/s. The extracted photons are rather concentrated towards the equator of the apparent disk, while both polar caps have a relative photon deficit. The inclination angle of Saturn during the observation was -27 degrees, so that the northern hemisphere was not visible during the complete observation. In addition, it was occulted by the ring system. We found a small but significant photon excess at one edge of the ring system. The light curve shows a small dip twice at identical phases, but rotational modulation cannot be claimed at a significant level. Spectral modeling results in a number of statistically, but not necessarily physically, acceptable models. The X-ray flux level we calculate from the best-fit spectral models is 6.8 10^-15 erg/cm^2/s (in the energy interval 0.1-2keV), which corresponds to an X-ray luminosity of 8.7 10^14 erg/s. A combination of scatter processes of solar X-rays requires a relatively high albedo favoring internal processes, but a definitive explanation remains an open issue.
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