Supernova Remnants: the X-Ray Perspective
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Exploring Pulsars
High-energy astrophysics Explore the PUL SAR menagerie Astronomers are discovering many strange properties of compact stellar objects called pulsars. Here’s how they fit together. by Victoria M. Kaspi f you browse through an astronomy book published 25 years ago, you’d likely assume that astronomers understood extremely dense objects called neutron stars fairly well. The spectacular Crab Nebula’s central body has been a “poster child” for these objects for years. This specific neutron star is a pulsar that I rotates roughly 30 times per second, emitting regular appar- ent pulsations in Earth’s direction through a sort of “light- house” effect as the star rotates. While these textbook descriptions aren’t incorrect, research over roughly the past decade has shown that the picture they portray is fundamentally incomplete. Astrono- mers know that the simple scenario where neutron stars are all born “Crab-like” is not true. Experts in the field could not have imagined the variety of neutron stars they’ve recently observed. We’ve found that bizarre objects repre- sent a significant fraction of the neutron star population. With names like magnetars, anomalous X-ray pulsars, soft gamma repeaters, rotating radio transients, and compact Long the pulsar poster child, central objects, these bodies bear properties radically differ- the Crab Nebula’s central object is a fast-spinning neutron star ent from those of the Crab pulsar. Just how large a fraction that emits jets of radiation at its they represent is still hotly debated, but it’s at least 10 per- magnetic axis. Astronomers cent and maybe even the majority. -
Uncovering the Putative B-Star Binary Companion of the Sn 1993J Progenitor
The Astrophysical Journal, 790:17 (13pp), 2014 July 20 doi:10.1088/0004-637X/790/1/17 C 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. UNCOVERING THE PUTATIVE B-STAR BINARY COMPANION OF THE SN 1993J PROGENITOR Ori D. Fox1, K. Azalee Bostroem2, Schuyler D. Van Dyk3, Alexei V. Filippenko1, Claes Fransson4, Thomas Matheson5, S. Bradley Cenko1,6, Poonam Chandra7, Vikram Dwarkadas8, Weidong Li1,10, Alex H. Parker1, and Nathan Smith9 1 Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USA; [email protected]. 2 Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA 3 Caltech, Mailcode 314-6, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA 4 Department of Astronomy, Oskar Klein Centre, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden 5 National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-4933, USA 6 Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Mail Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA 7 National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, India 8 Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 9 Steward Observatory, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA Received 2014 February 9; accepted 2014 May 23; published 2014 June 27 ABSTRACT The Type IIb supernova (SN) 1993J is one of only a few stripped-envelope SNe with a progenitor star identified in pre-explosion images. SN IIb models typically invoke H envelope stripping by mass transfer in a binary system. For the case of SN 1993J, the models suggest that the companion grew to 22 M and became a source of ultraviolet (UV) excess. -
FY08 Technical Papers by GSMTPO Staff
AURA/NOAO ANNUAL REPORT FY 2008 Submitted to the National Science Foundation July 23, 2008 Revised as Complete and Submitted December 23, 2008 NGC 660, ~13 Mpc from the Earth, is a peculiar, polar ring galaxy that resulted from two galaxies colliding. It consists of a nearly edge-on disk and a strongly warped outer disk. Image Credit: T.A. Rector/University of Alaska, Anchorage NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY NOAO ANNUAL REPORT FY 2008 Submitted to the National Science Foundation December 23, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES AND FINDINGS ..................................................................................... 2 1.1 Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory...................................................................................... 2 The Once and Future Supernova η Carinae...................................................................................................... 2 A Stellar Merger and a Missing White Dwarf.................................................................................................. 3 Imaging the COSMOS...................................................................................................................................... 3 The Hubble Constant from a Gravitational Lens.............................................................................................. 4 A New Dwarf Nova in the Period Gap............................................................................................................ -
BRAS Newsletter August 2013
www.brastro.org August 2013 Next meeting Aug 12th 7:00PM at the HRPO Dark Site Observing Dates: Primary on Aug. 3rd, Secondary on Aug. 10th Photo credit: Saturn taken on 20” OGS + Orion Starshoot - Ben Toman 1 What's in this issue: PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE....................................................................................................................3 NOTES FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT ............................................................................................4 MESSAGE FROM THE HRPO …....................................................................................................5 MONTHLY OBSERVING NOTES ....................................................................................................6 OUTREACH CHAIRPERSON’S NOTES .........................................................................................13 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION .......................................................................................................14 2 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Hi Everyone, I hope you’ve been having a great Summer so far and had luck beating the heat as much as possible. The weather sure hasn’t been cooperative for observing, though! First I have a pretty cool announcement. Thanks to the efforts of club member Walt Cooney, there are 5 newly named asteroids in the sky. (53256) Sinitiere - Named for former BRAS Treasurer Bob Sinitiere (74439) Brenden - Named for founding member Craig Brenden (85878) Guzik - Named for LSU professor T. Greg Guzik (101722) Pursell - Named for founding member Wally Pursell -
Discovery of a Pulsar Wind Nebula Candidate in the Cygnus Loop
Discovery of a Pulsar Wind Nebula Candidate in the Cygnus Loop 2 3 S Satoru Katsuda" Hiroshi Tsunemi , Koji Mori , Hiroyuki Uchida" Robert Petre , Shin'ya 1 Yamada , and Thru Tamagawa' ABSTRACT We report on a discovery of a diffuse nebula containing a pointlike source in the southern blowout region of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant, based on Suzaku and XMM-Newton observations. The X-ray spectra from the nebula and the pointlike source are well represented by an absorbed power-law model with photon indices of 2.2±0.1 and 1.6±0.2, respectively. The photon indices as well as the flux ratio of F nebula/ F po;.,li" ~ 4 lead us to propose that the system is a pulsar wind nebula, although pulsations have not yet been detected. If we attribute its origin to the Cygnus Loop supernova, then the 0.5- 8 keY luminosity of the nebula is computed to be 2.1xlo"' (d/MOpc)2ergss-" where d is the distance to the Loop. This implies a spin-down loss-energy E ~ 2.6 X 1035 (d/MOpc)2ergss-'. The location of the neutron star candidate, ~2° away from the geometric center of the Loop, implies a high transverse velocity of ~ 1850(8/2D ) (d/540pc) (t/lOkyr)- ' kms-" assuming the currently accepted age of the Cygnus Loop. Subject headings: ISM: individual objects (Cygnus Loop) - ISM: supernova remnants - pulsars: general - stars: neutron - stars: winds, outflows - X-rays: ISM 'RlKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Sailama 351-0198 2Department of EaTth and Space Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Thyonaka, Osaka, 60-0043, Japan SDepartment of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuen Klbana-dai Nishi, Miyazaki, 889-2192, Japan ' Department of PhysiCS, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake-clto, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8502, J apan 'NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 662, Greenbelt MD 20771 - 2 - 1. -
XMM-Newton Observation of the Northeastern Limb of the Cygnus Loop Supernova Remnant
XMM-Newton Observation of the Northeastern Limb of the Cygnus Loop Supernova Remnant Norbert Nemes Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan 04 February 2005 Osaka University Abstract We have observed the northeastern limb of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant with the XMM-Newton observatory, as part of a 7-pointing campaign to map the remnant across its diameter. We performed medium sensitivity spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy on the data in the 0.3-3.0 keV energy range, and for the first time we have detected C emission lines in our spectra. The background subtracted spectra were fitted with a single temperature absorbed non-equilibrium (VNEI) model. We created color maps and plotted the radial variation of the different parameters. We found that the heavy element abundances were depleted, but increase toward the edge of the remnant, exhibiting a jump structure near the northeastern edge of the field of view. The depletion suggests that the plasma in this region represents the shock heated ISM rather than the ejecta, while the radial increase of the elemental abundances seems to support the cavity explosion origin. The temperature decreases in the radial direction from 0:3keV to about 0:2keV , however, this ∼ ∼ decrease is not monotonic. There is a low temperature region in the part of the field of view closest to the center of the remnant, which is characterized by low abundances and high NH values. Another low temperature region characterized by low NH values but where the heavy element abundances suddenly jump to high values was found at the northeastern edge of the field of view. -
Ioptron AZ Mount Pro Altazimuth Mount Instruction
® iOptron® AZ Mount ProTM Altazimuth Mount Instruction Manual Product #8900, #8903 and #8920 This product is a precision instrument. Please read the included QSG before assembling the mount. Please read the entire Instruction Manual before operating the mount. If you have any questions please contact us at [email protected] WARNING! NEVER USE A TELESCOPE TO LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT A PROPER FILTER! Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye. Children should always have adult supervision while observing. 2 Table of Content Table of Content ......................................................................................................................................... 3 1. AZ Mount ProTM Altazimuth Mount Overview...................................................................................... 5 2. AZ Mount ProTM Mount Assembly ........................................................................................................ 6 2.1. Parts List .......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2. Identification of Parts ....................................................................................................................... 7 2.3. Go2Nova® 8407 Hand Controller .................................................................................................... 8 2.3.1. Key Description ....................................................................................................................... -
Naming the Extrasolar Planets
Naming the extrasolar planets W. Lyra Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K¨onigstuhl 17, 69177, Heidelberg, Germany [email protected] Abstract and OGLE-TR-182 b, which does not help educators convey the message that these planets are quite similar to Jupiter. Extrasolar planets are not named and are referred to only In stark contrast, the sentence“planet Apollo is a gas giant by their assigned scientific designation. The reason given like Jupiter” is heavily - yet invisibly - coated with Coper- by the IAU to not name the planets is that it is consid- nicanism. ered impractical as planets are expected to be common. I One reason given by the IAU for not considering naming advance some reasons as to why this logic is flawed, and sug- the extrasolar planets is that it is a task deemed impractical. gest names for the 403 extrasolar planet candidates known One source is quoted as having said “if planets are found to as of Oct 2009. The names follow a scheme of association occur very frequently in the Universe, a system of individual with the constellation that the host star pertains to, and names for planets might well rapidly be found equally im- therefore are mostly drawn from Roman-Greek mythology. practicable as it is for stars, as planet discoveries progress.” Other mythologies may also be used given that a suitable 1. This leads to a second argument. It is indeed impractical association is established. to name all stars. But some stars are named nonetheless. In fact, all other classes of astronomical bodies are named. -
Curriculum Vitae Thomas Matheson
Curriculum Vitae Thomas Matheson Address: NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory Community Science and Data Center 950 North Cherry Avenue Tucson, AZ 85719, USA Telephone: (520) 318{8517 Fax: (520) 318{8360 e-mail: [email protected] WWW: http://www.noao.edu/noao/staff/matheson/ Education: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Department of Astronomy Ph.D. received June 2000 M.A. received June 1992 PhD Thesis Topic: The Spectral Characteristics of Stripped-Envelope Supernovae Thesis Advisor: Professor Alexei V. Filippenko Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics A.B. magna cum laude, received June 1989 Senior Thesis Topic: Transients in the Solar Transition Region Thesis Advisor: Professor Robert W. Noyes Employment: NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (The Former National Optical Astronomy Observatory) Community Science and Data Center Head of Time-Domain Services 2017 { present Astronomer 2018 { present Associate Astronomer 2009 { 2018 (Tenure, 2011) Assistant Astronomer 2004 { 2009 Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Optical and Infrared Division Post-doctoral fellow 2000 { 2004 University of California, Berkeley Department of Astronomy Research Assistant 1991 { 2000 Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Solar and Stellar Physics Division Research Assistant 1989 { 1990 Thomas Matheson|Curriculum Vitae Teaching: Harvard University, Department of Astronomy, Teaching Assistant 2001, 2003 University of California, Berkeley, -
Hubble Revisits the Veil Nebula 2 April 2021
Image: Hubble revisits the Veil Nebula 2 April 2021 this stellar violence, the shockwaves and debris from the supernova sculpted the Veil Nebula's delicate tracery of ionized gas—creating a scene of surprising astronomical beauty. The Veil Nebula is also featured in Hubble's Caldwell Catalog, a collection of astronomical objects that have been imaged by Hubble and are visible to amateur astronomers in the night sky. Provided by NASA Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Z. Levay This image taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope revisits the Veil Nebula, which was featured in a previous Hubble image release. In this image, new processing techniques have been applied, bringing out fine details of the nebula's delicate threads and filaments of ionized gas. To create this colorful image, observations were taken by Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 instrument using five different filters. The new post-processing methods have further enhanced details of emissions from doubly ionized oxygen (seen here in blues), ionized hydrogen, and ionized nitrogen (seen here in reds). The Veil Nebula lies around 2,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus (the Swan), making it a relatively close neighbor in astronomical terms. Only a small portion of the nebula was captured in this image. The Veil Nebula is the visible portion of the nearby Cygnus Loop, a supernova remnant formed roughly 10,000 years ago by the death of a massive star. That star—which was 20 times the mass of the Sun—lived fast and died young, ending its life in a cataclysmic release of energy. -
Reconsidering the Identification of M101 Hypernova Remnant
Reconsidering the Identification of M101 Hypernova Remnant Candidates S. L. Snowden1,2, K. Mukai1,3, and W. Pence4 Code 662, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 and K. D. Kuntz5 Joint Center for Astrophysics, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, 21250 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 1038 − 1039 ergs s−1 range. -
Abstracts Connecting to the Boston University Network
20th Cambridge Workshop: Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun July 29 - Aug 3, 2018 Boston / Cambridge, USA Abstracts Connecting to the Boston University Network 1. Select network ”BU Guest (unencrypted)” 2. Once connected, open a web browser and try to navigate to a website. You should be redirected to https://safeconnect.bu.edu:9443 for registration. If the page does not automatically redirect, go to bu.edu to be brought to the login page. 3. Enter the login information: Guest Username: CoolStars20 Password: CoolStars20 Click to accept the conditions then log in. ii Foreword Our story starts on January 31, 1980 when a small group of about 50 astronomers came to- gether, organized by Andrea Dupree, to discuss the results from the new high-energy satel- lites IUE and Einstein. Called “Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun,” the meeting empha- sized the solar stellar connection and focused discussion on “several topics … in which the similarity is manifest: the structures of chromospheres and coronae, stellar activity, and the phenomena of mass loss,” according to the preface of the resulting, “Special Report of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.” We could easily have chosen the same topics for this meeting. Over the summer of 1980, the group met again in Bonas, France and then back in Cambridge in 1981. Nearly 40 years on, I am comfortable saying these workshops have evolved to be the premier conference series for cool star research. Cool Stars has been held largely biennially, alternating between North America and Europe. Over that time, the field of stellar astro- physics has been upended several times, first by results from Hubble, then ROSAT, then Keck and other large aperture ground-based adaptive optics telescopes.