The X-ray binary, black hole candidate, and microquasar H1743-322 exhibited a series of X-ray outbursts between 2003 and 2008. We took optical/infrared (OIR) observations with the ESO/NTT telescope during 3 of these outbursts (2003, 2004, and 2008),
to study its spectral energy distribution (SED). We detect rapid flares of duration ~5 mn in the high time-resolution IR lightcurve. We identify H and He emission lines in the IR spectra, coming from the accretion disk. The IR SED exhibits the spectral index typically associated with the X-ray high, soft state in our observations taken during the 2003 and 2004 outbursts, while the index changes to one that is typical of the X-ray low, hard state during the 2008 outburst. During this last outburst, we detected a change of slope in the NIR spectrum between the J and Ks bands, where the JH part is characteristic of an optically thick disk emission, while the HKs part is typical of optically thin synchrotron emission. Furthermore, the comparison of our IR data with radio and X-ray data shows that H1743-322 exhibits a faint jet both in radio and NIR domains. Finally, we suggest that the companion star is a late-type main sequence star located in the Galactic bulge. These OIR photometric and spectroscopic observations of the microquasar H1743-322, the first of this source to be published in a broad multiwavelength context, allow us to unambiguously identify two spectra of different origins in the OIR domain, evolving from optically thick thermal emission to optically thin synchrotron emission toward longer wavelengths. Comparing these OIR observations with other black hole candidates suggests that H1743-322 behaves like a radio-quiet and NIR-dim black hole in the low, hard state. This study will be useful when quantitatively comparing the overall contribution of the compact jet and accretion flow in the energy budget of microquasars.
PSR B1259-63 is a gamma-ray binary system composed of a high spindown pulsar and a massive star. Non-thermal emission up to TeV energies is observed near periastron passage, attributed to emission from high energy e+e- pairs accelerated at the shock
with the circumstellar material from the companion star, resulting in a small-scale pulsar wind nebula. Weak gamma-ray emission was detected by the Fermi/LAT at the last periastron passage, unexpectedly followed 30 days later by a strong flare, limited to the GeV band, during which the luminosity nearly reached the spindown power of the pulsar. The origin of this GeV flare remains mysterious. We investigate whether the flare could have been caused by pairs, located in the vicinity of the pulsar, up-scattering X-ray photons from the surrounding pulsar wind nebula rather than UV stellar photons, as usually assumed. Such a model is suggested by the geometry of the interaction region at the time of the flare. We compute the gamma-ray lightcurve for this scenario, based on a simplified description of the interaction region, and compare it to the observations. The GeV lightcurve peaks well after periastron with this geometry. The pairs are inferred to have a Lorentz factor ~500. They also produce an MeV flare with a luminosity ~1e34 erg/s prior to periastron passage. A significant drawback is the very high energy density of target photons required for efficient GeV emission. We propose to associate the GeV-emitting pairs with the Maxwellian expected at shock locations corresponding to high pulsar latitudes, while the rest of the non-thermal emission arises from pairs accelerated in the equatorial region of the pulsar wind termination shock.
Surveys open up unbiased discovery space and generate legacy datasets of long-lasting value. One of the goals of imaging arrays of Cherenkov telescopes like CTA is to survey areas of the sky for faint very high energy gamma-ray (VHE) sources, especia
lly sources that would not have drawn attention were it not for their VHE emission (e.g. the Galactic dark accelerators). More than half the currently known VHE sources are to be found in the Galactic plane. Using standard techniques, CTA can carry out a survey of the region |l|<60 degrees, |b|<2 degrees in 250 hr (1/4th the available time per year at one location) down to a uniform sensitivity of 3 mCrab (a Galactic Plane survey). CTA could also survey 1/4th of the sky down to a sensitivity of 20 mCrab in 370 hr of observing time (an all-sky survey), which complements well the surveys by the Fermi/LAT at lower energies and extended air shower arrays at higher energies. Observations in (non-standard) divergent pointing mode may shorten the all-sky survey time to about 100 hr with no loss in survey sensitivity. We present the scientific rationale for these surveys, their place in the multi-wavelength context, their possible impact and their feasibility. We find that the Galactic Plane survey has the potential to detect hundreds of sources. Implementing such a survey should be a major goal of CTA. Additionally, about a dozen blazars, or counterparts to Fermi/LAT sources, are expected to be detected by the all-sky survey, whose prime motivation is the search for extragalactic dark accelerators.
With frequent flaring activity of its relativistic jets, Cygnus X-3 is one of the most active microquasars and is the only Galactic black hole candidate with confirmed high energy Gamma-ray emission, thanks to detections by Fermi/LAT and AGILE. In 20
11, Cygnus X-3 was observed to transit to a soft X-ray state, which is known to be associated with high-energy Gamma-ray emission. We present the results of a multi-wavelength campaign covering a quenched state, when radio emission from Cygnus X-3 is at its weakest and the X-ray spectrum is very soft. A giant (~ 20 Jy) optically thin radio flare marks the end of the quenched state, accompanied by rising non-thermal hard X-rays. Fermi/LAT observations (E >100 MeV) reveal renewed Gamma-ray activity associated with this giant radio flare, suggesting a common origin for all non-thermal components. In addition, current observations unambiguously show that the Gamma-ray emission is not exclusively related to the rare giant radio flares. A 3-week period of Gamma-ray emission is also detected when Cygnus X-3 was weakly flaring in radio, right before transition to the radio quenched state. No Gamma rays are observed during the ~ one-month long quenched state, when the radio flux is weakest. Our results suggest transitions into and out of the ultrasoft X-ray (radio quenched) state trigger Gamma-ray emission, implying a connection to the accretion process, and also that the Gamma-ray activity is related to the level of radio flux (and possibly shock formation), strengthening the connection to the relativistic jets.
Gamma-ray binaries could be compact pulsar wind nebulae formed when a young pulsar orbits a massive star. The pulsar wind is contained by the stellar wind of the O or Be companion, creating a relativistic comet-like structure accompanying the pulsar
along its orbit. The X-ray and the very high energy (>100 GeV, VHE) gamma-ray emissions from the binary LS 5039 are modulated on the orbital period of the system. Maximum and minimum flux occur at the conjunctions of the orbit, suggesting that the explanation is linked to the orbital geometry. The VHE modulation has been proposed to be due to the combined effect of Compton scattering and pair production on stellar photons, both of which depend on orbital phase. The X-ray modulation could be due to relativistic Doppler boosting in the comet tail where both the X-ray and VHE photons would be emitted. Relativistic aberrations change the seed stellar photon flux in the comoving frame so Doppler boosting affects synchrotron and inverse Compton emission differently. The dependence with orbital phase of relativistic Doppler-boosted (isotropic) synchrotron and (anisotropic) inverse Compton emission is calculated, assuming that the flow is oriented radially away from the star (LS 5039) or tangentially to the orbit (LS I +61 303, PSR B1259-63). Doppler boosting of the synchrotron emission in LS 5039 produces a lightcurve whose shape corresponds to the X-ray modulation. The observations imply an outflow velocity of 0.15-0.33c consistent with the expected flow speed at the pulsar wind termination shock. In LS I +61 303, the calculated Doppler boosted emission peaks in phase with the observed VHE and X-ray maximum. Doppler boosting might provide an explanation for the puzzling phasing of the VHE peak in this system.
High energy gamma-rays have been detected from Cygnus X-3, a system composed of a Wolf-Rayet star and a black hole or neutron star. The gamma-ray emission is linked to the radio emission from the jet launched in the system. The flux is modulated with
the 4.8 hr orbital period, as expected if high energy electrons are upscattering photons emitted by the Wolf-Rayet star to gamma-ray energies. This modulation is computed assuming that high energy electrons are located at some distance along a relativistic jet of arbitrary orientation. Modeling shows that the jet must be inclined and that the gamma ray emitting electrons cannot be located within the system. This is consistent with the idea that the electrons gain energy where the jet is recollimated by the stellar wind pressure and forms a shock. Jet precession should strongly affect the gamma-ray modulation shape at different epochs. The power in non-thermal electrons represents a small fraction of the Eddington luminosity only if the inclination is low i.e. if the compact object is a black hole.
