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Register a new userCoordinated multi-wavelength observations of Sgr A*
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Mohammad Zamaninasab
Publication date
2008
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
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We report on recent near-infrared (NIR) and X-ray observations of Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the electromagnetic manifestation of the ~4x10^6 solar masses super-massive black hole (SMBH) at the Galactic Center. The goal of these coordinated multi-wavelength observations is to investigate the variable emission from Sgr A* in order to obtain a better understanding of the underlying physical processes in the accretion flow/outflow. The observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope (July 2005, May 2007) and the ACIS-I instrument aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory (July 2005). We report on a polarized NIR flare synchronous to a 8x1033 erg/s X-ray flare in July 2005, and a further flare in May 2007 that shows the highest sub-flare to flare contrast observed until now. The observations can be interpreted in the framework of a model involving a temporary disk with a short jet. In the disk component flux density variations can be explained due to hot spots on relativistic orbits around the central SMBH. The variations of the sub-structures of the May 2007 flare are interpreted as a variation of the hot spot structure due to differential rotation within the disk.
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We present and analyze ALMA submillimeter observations from a multi-wavelength campaign of Sgr A* during 18 July 2019. In addition to the submillimeter, we utilize concurrent mid-IR (Spitzer) and X-ray (Chandra) observations. The submillimeter emission lags $delta t=21.48^{+3.44}_{-3.57}$ minutes behind the mid-IR data. The entire submillimeter flare was not observed, raising the possibility that the time delay is a consequence of incomplete sampling of the light curve. The decay of the submillimeter emission is not consistent with synchrotron cooling. Therefore, we analyze these data adopting an adiabatically expanding synchrotron source that is initially optically thick or thin in the submillimeter, yielding time-delayed or synchronous flaring with the IR, respectively. The time-delayed model is consistent with a plasma blob of radius $0.8~R_{text{S}}$ (Schwarzschild radius), electron power-law index $p=3.5$ ($N(E)propto E^{-p}$), equipartition magnetic field of $B_{text{eq}}approx90$ Gauss, and expansion velocity $v_{text{exp}}approx0.004c$. The simultaneous emission is fit by a plasma blob of radius $2~R_{text{S}}$, $p=2.5$, $B_{text{eq}}approx27$ Gauss, and $v_{text{exp}}approx0.014c$. Since the submillimeter time delay is not completely unambiguous, we cannot definitely conclude which model better represents the data. This observation presents the best evidence for a unified flaring mechanism between submillimeter and X-ray wavelengths and places significant constraints on the source size and magnetic field strength. We show that concurrent observations at lower frequencies would be able to determine if the flaring emission is initially optically thick or thin in the submillimeter.
We report the detection of variable emission from Sgr A* in almost all wavelength bands (i.e. centimeter, millimeter, submillimeter, near-IR and X-rays) during a multi-wavelength observing campaign. Three new moderate flares are detected simultaneously in both near-IR and X-ray bands. The ratio of X-ray to near-IR flux in the flares is consistent with inverse Compton scattering of near-IR photons by submillimeter emitting relativistic particles which follow scaling relations obtained from size measurements of Sgr A*. We also find that the flare statistics in near-IR wavelengths is consistent with the probability of flare emission being inversely proportional to the flux. At millimeter wavelengths, the presence of flare emission at 43 GHz (7mm) using VLBA with milli-arcsecond spatial resolution indicates the first direct evidence that hourly time scale flares are localized within the inner 30$times$70 Schwarzschild radii of Sgr A*. We also show several cross correlation plots between near-IR, millimeter and submillimeter light curves that collectively demonstrate the presence of time delays between the peaks of emission up to three hours. The evidence for time delays at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths are consistent with the source of emission being optically thick initially followed by a transition to an optically thin regime. In particular, there is an intriguing correlation between the optically thin near-IR and X-ray flare and optically thick radio flare at 43 GHz that occurred on 2007 April 4. This would be the first evidence of a radio flare emission at 43 GHz delayed with respect to the near-IR and X-ray flare emission.
High-resolution spectroscopic observations (UV HST/STIS and optical) are used to characterize the physical state and velocity structure of the multiphase interstellar medium seen towards the nearby (170 pc) star HD102065, located behind the tail of a cometary-shaped, infrared cirrus-cloud, in the area of interaction between the Sco-Cen OB association and the Local Bubble. We analyze interstellar components present along the line of sight by fitting multiple transitions from CO, CH, CH+, C I, S I, Fe I, Mg I, Mg II, Mn II, P II, Ni II, C II, N I, O I, Si III, C IV, and Si IV. The absorption spectra are complemented by H I, CO and C II emission-line spectra, H$_2$ column-densities derived from FUSE spectra, and IRAS images. Gas components of a wide range of temperatures and ionization states are detected along the line of sight. Most of the hydrogen column-density is in cold, diffuse, molecular gas at low LSR velocity. This gas is mixed with traces of warmer molecular gas traced by H2 in the J>2 levels, in which the observed CH+ must be formed. We also identify three distinct components of warm gas at negative velocities down to -20 km/s. The temperature and gas excitation are shown to increase with increasing velocity shift from the bulk of the gas. Hot gas at temperatures of several 10^5 K is detected in the most negative velocity component in the highly-ionized species. This hot gas is also detected in very strong lines of less-ionized species (Mg II, Si II* and C II*) for which the bulk of the gas is cooler. We relate the observational results to evidence for dynamical impact of the Sco-Cen stellar association on the nearby ISM. We propose a scenario where the cirrus cloud has been hit a few 10^5 yr ago by a supernova blast wave originating from the Lower Centaurus Crux group of the Sco-Cen association.
Magnetars are a promising candidate for the origin of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). The detection of an extremely luminous radio burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154 on 2020 April 28 added credence to this hypothesis. We report on simultaneous and non-simultaneous observing campaigns using the Arecibo, Effelsberg, LOFAR, MeerKAT, MK2 and Northern Cross radio telescopes and the MeerLICHT optical telescope in the days and months after the April 28 event. We did not detect any significant single radio pulses down to fluence limits between 25 mJy ms and 18 Jy ms. Some observing epochs overlapped with times when X-ray bursts were detected. Radio images made on four days using the MeerKAT telescope revealed no point-like persistent or transient emission at the location of the magnetar. No transient or persistent optical emission was detected over seven days. Using the multi-colour MeerLICHT images combined with relations between DM, NH and reddening we constrain the distance to SGR J1935+2154, to be between 1.5 and 6.5 kpc. The upper limit is consistent with some other distance indicators and suggests that the April 28 burst is closer to two orders of magnitude less energetic than the least energetic FRBs. The lack of single-pulse radio detections shows that the single pulses detected over a range of fluences are either rare, or highly clustered, or both. It may also indicate that the magnetar lies somewhere between being radio-quiet and radio-loud in terms of its ability to produce radio emission efficiently.
Multi-messenger astronomy is becoming the key to understanding the Universe from a comprehensive perspective. In most cases, the data and the technology are already in place, therefore it is important to provide an easily-accessible package that combines datasets from multiple telescopes at different wavelengths. In order to achieve this, we are working to produce a data analysis pipeline that allows the data reduction from different instruments without needing detailed knowledge of each observation. Ideally, the specifics of each observation are automatically dealt with, while the necessary information on how to handle the data in each case is provided by a tutorial that is included in the program. We first focus our project on the study of pulsars and their wind nebulae (PWNe) at radio and gamma-ray frequencies. In this way, we aim to combine time-domain and imaging datasets at two extremes of the electromagnetic spectrum. In addition, the emission has the same non-thermal origin in pulsars at radio and gamma-ray frequencies, and the population of electrons is believed to be the same at these energies in PWNe. The final goal of the project will be to unveil the properties of these objects by tracking their behaviour using all of the available multi-wavelength data.
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