No Arabic abstract
We present our $AstroSat$ soft X-ray observations of a compact binary system, AR Sco, and analysis of its X-ray observations with $Chandra$ that were taken only about a week before the $AstroSat$ observations. An analysis of the soft X-ray ($0.3-2.0$ keV) data limits the modulation of the spin, orbital, or beat periods to less than 0.03 counts s$^{-1}$ or $<$10% of the average count rate. The X-ray flux obtained from both observatories is found to be almost identical (within a few percent) in flux, and about 30% lower than reported from the nine months older observations with $XMM-Newton$. A two-temperature thermal plasma model with the same spectral parameters fit $Chandra$ and $AstroSat$ data very well, and requires very little absorption in the line of sight to the source. The low-temperature component has the same temperature ($sim$1 keV) as reported earlier, but the high-temperature component has a lower temperature of 5.0$^{+0.8}_{-0.7}$ keV as compared to 8.0 keV measured earlier, however, the difference is not statistically significant.
We present observations of four bright stars observed with the AstroSat Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT). Visible light from bright stars like these can leak through the very thin filter in front of the CCD in the focal plane CCD camera of the SXT and thus making the extraction of X-ray events difficult. Here, we show how to extract the X-ray events without contamination by the visible light. The procedure applied to four bright stars here demonstrates how reliable X-ray information can be derived in such cases. The sample of bright stars studied here consists of two A spectral types (HIP 19265, HIP 88580), one G/K Giant (Capella), and a nearby M-type dwarf (HIP 23309). No X-ray emission is observed from the A-type stars, as expected. X-ray spectra of Capella and HIP 23309 are derived and modeled here, and compared with the previous X-ray observations of these stars to show the reliability of the method used. We find that optical light can start to leak in the very soft energy bands below 0.5 keV for stars with V=8 mag. In the process, we present the first X-ray spectrum of HIP 23309.
The Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) aboard the $AstroSat$ satellite is the first Indian X-ray telescope in space. It is a modest size X-ray telescope with a charge coupled device (CCD) camera in the focal plane, which provides X-ray images in the $sim 0.3-8.0$ keV band. A forte of SXT is in providing undistorted spectra of relatively bright X-ray sources, in which it excels some current large CCD-based X-ray telescopes. Here, we highlight some of the published spectral and timing results obtained using the SXT data to demonstrate the capabilities and overall performance of this telescope.
Two long AstroSat Soft X-ray Telescope observations were taken of the third recorded outburst of the Symbiotic Recurrent Nova, V3890 Sgr. The first observing run, 8.1-9.9 days after the outburst, initially showed a stable intensity level with a hard X-ray spectrum that we attribute to shocks between the nova ejecta and the pre-existing stellar companion. On day 8.57, the first, weak, signs appeared of Super Soft Source (SSS) emission powered by residual burning on the surface of the White Dwarf. The SSS emission was observed to be highly variable on time scales of hours. After day 8.9, the SSS component was more stable and brighter. In the second observing run, on days 15.9-19.6 after the outburst, the SSS component was even brighter but still highly variable. The SSS emission was observed to fade significantly during days 16.8-17.8 followed by re-brightening. Meanwhile the shock component was stable leading to increase in hardness ratio during the period of fading. AstroSat and XMM-Newton observations have been used to study the spectral properties of V3890 Sgr to draw quantitative conclusions even if their drawback is model-dependence. We used the xspec to fit spectral models of plasma emission, and the best fits are consistent with the elemental abundances being lower during the second observing run compared to the first for spectra >1 keV. The SSS emission is well fit by non-local thermal equilibrium model atmosphere used for white dwarfs. The resulting spectral parameters, however, are subject to systematic uncertainties such as completeness of atomic data.
AR Scorpii is unique amongst known white dwarf binaries in showing powerful pulsations extending to radio frequencies. Here we aim to investigate the multi-frequency radio emission of AR Sco in detail, in order to constrain its origin and emission mechanisms. We present interferometric radio frequency imaging of AR Sco at 1.5, 5 and 9 GHz, analysing the total flux and polarization behaviour of this source at high time resolution (10, 3 and 3 s), across a full 3.6 hr orbital period in each band. We find strong modulation of the radio flux on the orbital period and the orbital sideband of the white dwarfs spin period (also known as the beat period). This indicates that, like the optical flux, the radio flux arises predominantly from on or near the inner surface of the M-dwarf companion star. The beat-phase pulsations of AR Sco decrease in strength with decreasing frequency. They are strongest at 9 GHz and at an orbital phase ~0.5. Unlike the optical emission from this source, radio emission from AR Sco shows weak linear polarization but very strong circular polarization, reaching ~30% at an orbital phase ~0.8. We infer the probable existence of a non-relativistic cyclotron emission component, which dominates at low radio frequencies. Given the required magnetic fields, this also likely arises from on or near the M-dwarf.
We present the results obtained from analysis of two AstroSat observations of the high mass X-ray binary pulsar OAO 1657-415. The observations covered 0.681-0.818 and 0.808-0.968 phases of the $sim$10.4 day orbital period of the system, in March and July 2019, respectively. Despite being outside the eclipsing regime, the power density spectrum from the first observation lacks any signature of pulsation or quasi-periodic oscillations. However, during July observation, X-ray pulsations at a period of 37.0375 s were clearly detected in the light curves. The pulse profiles from the second observation consist of a broad single peak with a dip-like structure in the middle across the observed energy range. We explored evolution of the pulse profile in narrow time and energy segments. We detected pulsations in the light curves obtained from 0.808--0.92 orbital phase range, which is absent in the remaining part of the observation. The spectrum of OAO 1657-415 can be described by an absorbed power-law model along with an iron fluorescent emission line and a blackbody component for out-of-eclipse phase of the observation. Our findings are discussed in the frame of stellar wind accretion and accretion wake at late orbital phases of the binary.