Bright X-ray Sources Research Articles

The restless population of bright X-ray sources of NGC 3621

We report on the multi-year evolution of the population of X-ray sources in the nuclear region of NGC 3621 based on and observations. Among these, two sources, X1 and X5, after their first detection in 2008, seem to have faded below the detectability threshold, a most interesting fact as X1 is associated with the active galactic nucleus (AGN) of the galaxy. Two other sources, X3 and X6, are presented for the first time, the former showing a peculiar short-term variability in the latest available dataset, suggesting an egress from eclipse, and hence belonging to the handful of known eclipsing ultra-luminous X-ray sources. One source, X4, previously known for its heartbeat (i.e. a characteristic modulation in its signal with a period of $ h), shows a steady behaviour in the latest observation. Finally, the brightest X-ray source in NGC 3621, here labelled X2, shows steady levels of flux across all the available datasets, but a change in its spectral shape, reminiscent of the behaviours of Galactic disc-fed X-ray binaries.

High-flux bright x-ray source from femtosecond laser-irradiated microtapes

Betatron x-ray sources from laser-plasma interaction are characterized by compactness, ultrashort duration, broadband spectrum and micron source size. However, high-quality measurements with good statistics, especially in a single shot, require fluxes and energies beyond the current capabilities. Here, we propose a method to enhance the flux and brightness of the betatron sources without increasing the laser energy. By irradiating an edge of a microtape target with a femtosecond laser, a strong surface plasma wave (SPW) is excited at the edge and travels along the lateral plasma-vacuum interfaces. Tens of nC of electrons are peeled off and accelerated to superponderomotive energies by the longitudinal field of the SPW, whilst undergoing transverse betatron oscillations, leading to emission of hard x-rays. Via three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we demonstrate that a tabletop 100 TW class femtosecond laser can produce an ultrabright hard x-ray pulse with flux up to 107 photons eV−1 and brilliance about 1023 photons s−1 mm−2 mrad−2 0.1%BW−1, paving the way for single-shot x-ray measurements in ultrafast science and high-energy-density physics.

EROSITA studies of the Carina nebula

Context. During the first four all-sky surveys eRASS:4, which was carried out from December 2019 to 2021, the extended Roentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) on board the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (Spektr-RG, SRG) observed the Galactic H II region, the Carina nebula. Aims. We analysed the eRASS:4 data to study the distribution and spectral properties of the hot interstellar plasma and the bright stellar sources in the Carina nebula. Methods. The spectral extraction regions of the diffuse emission were defined based on the X-ray spectral morphology and multi-wavelength data. The spectra were fit with a combination of thermal and non-thermal emission models. The X-ray bright point sources in the Carina nebula are the colliding wind binary η Car, several O stars, and Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars. We extracted the spectra of the brightest stellar sources, which can be well fit with a multi-component thermal plasma model. Results. The spectra of the diffuse emission in the brighter parts of the Carina nebula are well reproduced by two thermal models, a lower-temperature component (~0.2 keV) and a higher-temperature component (0.6–0.8 keV). An additional non-thermal component dominates the emission above ~1 keV in the Central region around η Car and the other massive stars. Significant orbital variation in the X-ray flux was measured for η Car, WR 22, and WR 25. η Car requires an additional time-variable thermal component in the spectral model, which is associated with the wind-wind collision zone. Conclusions. Properties such as temperature, pressure, and luminosity of the X-ray emitting plasma in the Carina nebula derived from the eROSITA data are consistent with theoretical calculations of emission from superbubbles. This confirms that the X-ray emission is caused by the hot plasma inside the Carina nebula that has been shocked-heated by the stellar winds of the massive stars, in particular, of η Car.

In-orbit Background and Sky Survey Simulation Study of POLAR-2/LPD

The Low-Energy X-ray Polarization Detector (LPD) is one of the payloads in the POLAR-2 experiment, designed as an external payload for the China Space Station deployment in early 2026. LPD is specifically designed to observe the polarization of gamma-ray burst (GRB) prompt emission in the energy range of 2–10 keV, with a wide field of view (FoV) of 90° in preliminary design. This observation is achieved using an array of X-ray photoelectric polarimeters based on gas pixel detectors. Due to the wide FoV configuration, the in-orbit background count rate in the soft X-ray range is high, while GRBs themselves also exhibit high flux in this energy band. In order to assess the contribution of various background components to the total count rate, we conducted detailed simulations using the GEANT4 C++ package. Our simulations encompassed the main interactions within the instrument materials and provided insights into various background components within the wide-FoV scheme. The simulation results reveal that among the background components, the primary contributors are the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) and bright X-ray sources. The total background count rate of LPD, after applying the charged particle background rejection algorithm, is approximately 0.55 counts cm–2 s–1 on average, and it varies with the detector’s orbit and pointing direction. Furthermore, we performed comprehensive simulations and comparative analyses of the CXB and X-ray bright sources under different FoVs and detector pointings. These analyses provide valuable insights into the background characteristics for soft X-ray polarimeter with wide FoV.

Exploration of faint X-ray and radio sources in the massive globular cluster M14: a UV-bright counterpart to Nova Ophiuchus 1938

ABSTRACT Using a 12 ks archival Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS-S observation on the massive globular cluster (GC) M14, we detect a total of 7 faint X-ray sources within its half-light radius at a $0.5{\small --}7\, \mathrm{keV}$ depth of $2.5\times 10^{31}\, \mathrm{erg s^{-1}}$. We cross-match the X-ray source positions with a catalogue of the Very Large Array radio point sources and a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UV/optical/near-IR photometry catalogue, revealing radio counterparts to 2 and HST counterparts to 6 of the X-ray sources. In addition, we also identify a radio source with the recently discovered millisecond pulsar PSR 1737−0314A. The brightest X-ray source, CX1, appears to be consistent with the nominal position of the classic nova Ophiuchi 1938 (Oph 1938), and both Oph 1938 and CX1 are consistent with a UV-bright variable HST counterpart, which we argue to be the source of the nova eruption in 1938. This makes Oph 1938 the second classic nova recovered in a Galactic GC since Nova T Scorpii in M80. CX2 is consistent with the steep-spectrum radio source VLA8, which unambiguously matches a faint blue source; the steepness of VLA8 is suggestive of a pulsar nature, possibly a transitional millisecond pulsar with a late K dwarf companion, though an active galactic nucleus (AGN) cannot be ruled out. The other counterparts to the X-ray sources are all suggestive of chromospherically active binaries or background AGNs, so their nature requires further membership information.

Sintering in seconds, elucidated by millisecond in situ diffraction

Materials, when sintered at high temperatures, undergo structural changes on multiple, hierarchical length scales but getting realtime information on these changes is difficult. To address this challenge, we developed a custom-built sample environment that allows us to investigate the structural evolution of materials during sintering using high-energy two-dimensional synchrotron X-ray diffraction (2D-XRD). Changes in the structure of SrFe12O19 ceramic magnet at multiple length scales were tracked in situ and modelled with millisecond time-resolution. In addition, we also demonstrated the ability to perform quantitative texture analysis from individual 2D-XRD images with a time resolution of 4 ms each. Owing to the high brightness X-ray source and advanced X-ray detectors, the evolution of crystallographic texture could be followed during sintering. This in situ approach can aid understanding of the synthesis–structure–property relationships in sintered materials, enabling the development of improved functional materials.

The X-ray point source population hosted by globular clusters in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4261

ABSTRACT Utilizing archival Chandra X-ray Observatory data and Hubble Space Telescope globular cluster catalogues, we probe the time-domain properties of the low mass X-ray binary population in the elliptical galaxy NGC 4261. Of the 98 unique X-ray sources identified in this study, 62 sources are within the optical field of view and, of those, 33 per cent are aligned with an optical cluster counterpart. We find twenty X-ray sources coincident with globular clusters; two are previously discovered ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs) and eighteen are low mass X-ray binaries (GCLMXBs) with LX < 1039 erg s−1. ULXs are a heterogeneous class of extremely bright X-ray binaries (LX > 1039 erg s−1) and ULXs located in globular clusters (GCULXs) and may be indicators of black holes. Identifying these unusually X-ray bright sources and measuring their optical properties can provide valuable constraints on the progenitors of gravitational wave sources. We compare observations of these sources to the twenty previously studied GCULXs from five other early-type galaxies, and find that GCULXs in NGC 4261 are of similar colour and luminosity and do not significantly deviate from the rest of the sample in terms of distance from the galaxy centre or X-ray luminosity. Both the GCULX and GCLMXB populations of NGC 4261 show long-term variability; the former may have implications for fast radio bursts originating in globular clusters and the latter will likely introduce additional scatter into the low mass end of GCLMXB X-ray luminosity functions.

Faint Galaxy Number Counts in the Durham and SDSS Catalogues

Galaxy number counts in the K-, H-, I-, R-, B- and U-bands from the Durham Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology catalogue could be well-fitted over their whole range using luminosity function (LF) parameters derived from the SDSS at the bright region and required only modest luminosity evolution with the steepening of the LF slope (α), except for a sudden steep increase in the B-band and a less steep increase in the U-band at faint magnitudes that required a starburst evolutionary model to account for the excess faint number counts. A cosmological model treating Hubble expansion as an Einstein curvature required less correction at faint magnitudes than a standard ΛCDM model, without requiring dark matter or dark energy. Data from DR17 of the SDSS in the g, i, r, u and z bands over two areas of the sky centred on the North Galactic Cap (NGC) and above the South Galactic Cap (SGC), with areas of 5954 and 859 sq. deg., respectively, and a combined count of 622,121 galaxies, were used to construct bright galaxy number counts and galaxy redshift/density plots within the limits of redshift ≤0.4 and mag ≤20. Their comparative densities confirmed an extensive void in the Southern sky with a deficit of 26% out to a redshift z ≤ 0.15. Although not included in the number count data set because of its incompleteness at fainter magnitudes, extending the SDSS redshift-number count survey to fainter and more distant galaxies with redshift ≤ 1.20 showed a secondary peak in the number counts with many QSOs, bright X-ray and radio sources, and evolving irregular galaxies with rapid star formation rates. This sub-population at redshifts of 0.45–0.65 may account for the excess counts observed in the B-band. Recent observations from the HST and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have also begun to reveal a high density of massive galaxies at high redshifts (z>7) with high UV and X-ray emissions, and future observations by the JWST may reveal the assembly of galaxies in the early universe going back to the first light in the universe.

Bubble in the Whale: Identifying the Optical Counterparts and Extended Nebula for the Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources in NGC 4631

We present a deep optical imaging campaign on the starburst galaxy NGC 4631 with CFHT/MegaCam. By supplementing the HST/ACS and Chandra/ACIS archival data, we search for the optical counterpart candidates of the five brightest X-ray sources in this galaxy, four of which are identified as ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). The stellar environments of the X-ray sources are analyzed using the extinction-corrected color–magnitude diagrams and the isochrone models. We discover a highly asymmetric bubble nebula around X4 that exhibits different morphology in the Hα and [O iii] images. The [O iii]/Hα ratio map shows that the Hα-bright bubble may be formed mainly via the shock ionization by the one-sided jet/outflow, while the more compact [O iii] structure is photoionized by the ULX. We constrain the bubble expansion velocity and interstellar medium density with the MAPPINGS V code and hence estimate the mechanical power injected into the bubble as P w ∼ 5 × 1040 erg s−1 and the corresponding bubble age as ∼7 × 105 yr. Relativistic jets are needed to provide such a level of mechanical power with a mass-loss rate of ∼10−7 M ⊙ yr−1. Besides the accretion, the black hole spin is likely an additional energy source for the super-Eddington jet power.

The Improved X-ray Detector (iXRD) on Sharjah-Sat-1, design principles, tests and ground calibration

The iXRD is the primary science payload on Sharjah-Sat-1, a 3U CubeSat expected to be launched in Q4, 2022. Its main scientific goal is monitoring bright hard X-ray sources and transients in 20 - 200 keV band. The iXRD consists of a CdZnTe crystal (6.45 cm2 area, 5 mm thickness), a Tungsten collimator with square holes with an opening angle of 4.26∘, readout and control electronics and power supply circuitry, a back-shield and mechanical structures. Some of the design elements of iXRD have been inherited from the XRD on BeEagleSat with significant improvements in terms of collecting area, X-ray background and electronic noise. In this article, the design of the iXRD is discussed in detail taking into account mechanical, electronic, control software and data handling aspects. Its expected performance is determined after ground calibration. Depending on the pixel size, the energy resolution is 4 - 7 keV at 60 keV and the minimum detectable energy is 19 - 23 keV.

Multiwavelength study of NGC 1365: The obscured active nucleus and off-nuclear compact X-ray sources

ABSTRACTWe present a multiwavelength study of the active nucleus and the off-nuclear X-ray sources in the nearby spiral galaxy, NGC 1365 using three simultaneous UV/X-ray observations by AstroSat over a two months period and archival IR observations performed with Spitzer and Herschel. Utilizing the data from the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) onboard AstroSat, we find spectral variability mainly caused by the variation in the X-ray column density, (NH ∼ 1022–1023 cm−2). With the accurate spatial resolution of the UVIT onboard AstroSat, we separate the intrinsic AGN flux from the host galaxy emission and then correct for the Galactic and the internal reddening. We detect no significant variation in the NUV emission over the observation period. The AGN in FUV band is undetectable due to heavy intrinsic extinction. Further, the multiwavelength IR/UV/X-ray AGN SED reveals that the AGN is in a low-luminosity phase with accretion rate ∼0.01 LEdd. The steady UV emission and strong X-ray absorption variability suggest that the obscuring clouds are likely compact and affect the compact X-ray source only and do not possibly cover the extended UV emitting region. In addition, the UVIT is able to resolve two bright spots at a radius of 7 arcsec (∼6.3 Kpc) from the central nucleus in the South-West (SW) direction. In the UVIT image of the entire galaxy, we identify UV counterparts to four Chandra identified bright X-ray sources. One well-known ultra-luminous X-ray source (ULX) NGC 1365 X2 is identified with its UV counterpart at 86 arcsec from the nucleus in the North-East (NE) direction from the active nucleus.

XMM-Newton Detection of X-Ray Emission from the Metal-polluted White Dwarf G 29-38

A recent analysis of Chandra X-ray data of the metal-polluted white dwarf G 29-38 has revealed X-ray emission that can be attributed to the accretion of debris from a planetary body. In the light of this detection we revisit here archival XMM-Newton observations of G 29-38 from which only an upper limit was derived in the past due to the presence of a relatively bright nearby X-ray source. An analysis of these data in multiple energy bands allows disentangling of the X-ray emission at the location of G 29-38 from that of the nearby source. The similar spectral properties of the source in the XMM-Newton and Chandra observations and their spatial shift, consistent with the proper motion of G 29-38 between these observations, strengthen the origin of the X-ray emission from G 29-38. The X-ray luminosities from both observations are consistent within the 1σ uncertainties, so too are the best-fit plasma temperatures. Although the count number is small, there is tantalizing evidence for line emission in the 0.7–0.8 keV energy band from an optically thin hot plasma. The most likely candidate for this line emission would be the Fe complex at 16 Å.

High-flux and bright betatron X-ray source generated from femtosecond laser pulse interaction with sub-critical density plasma.

Recent progress on betatron X-ray source enables the exploration of new physics in fundamental science; however, the application range is still limited by the source flux and brightness. In this Letter, we show the generation of more than 1 × 1012 photons (energy > 1 keV) with a peak brightness of 7.8 × 1022 photons/(s mm2 mrad2) at 0.1% bandwidth (BW) at 10 keV, driven by a femtosecond laser pulse of ≈5.5 J and a sub-critical density plasma (SCDP). The source flux is more than two orders of magnitude higher than that from typical laser wakefield electron acceleration. This method to produce high-flux and bright X-ray source would open a wide range of applications.

A simulation study for the expected performance of Sharjah-Sat-1 payload improved X-Ray Detector (iXRD) in the orbital background radiation

Sharjah-Sat-1 is a 3U cubesat with a CdZnTe based hard X-ray detector, called iXRD (improved X-ray Detector) as a scientific payload with the primary objective of monitoring bright X-ray sources in the galaxy. We investigated the effects of the in-orbit background radiation on the iXRD based on Geant4 simulations. Several background components were included in the simulations such as the cosmic diffuse gamma-rays, galactic cosmic rays (protons and alpha particles), trapped protons and electrons, and albedo radiation arising from the upper layer of the atmosphere. The most dominant component is the albedo photon radiation which contributes at low and high energies alike in the instrument energy range of 20 keV - 200 keV. On the other hand, the cosmic diffuse gamma-ray contribution is the strongest between 20 keV and 60 keV in which most of the astrophysics source flux is expected. The third effective component is the galactic cosmic protons. The radiation due to the trapped particles, the albedo neutrons, and the cosmic alpha particles are negligible when the polar regions and the South Atlantic Anomaly region are excluded in the analysis. The total background count rates are ~0.36 and ~0.85 counts/s for the energy bands of 20 - 60 keV and 20 - 200 keV, respectively. We performed charge transportation simulations to determine the spectral response of the iXRD and used it in sensitivity calculations as well. The simulation framework was validated with experimental studies. The estimated sensitivity of 180 mCrab between the energy band of 20 keV - 100 keV indicates that the iXRD could achieve its scientific goals.

Development of a bright MeV photon source with compound parabolic concentrator targets on the National Ignition Facility Advanced Radiographic Capability (NIF-ARC) laser

Compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) targets are utilized at the National Ignition Facility Advanced Radiographic Capability (NIF-ARC) laser to enhance the acceleration of electrons and production of high energy photons, for laser durations of 10 ps and energies up to 2.4 kJ. A large enhancement of mean electron energy (>2 ×) and photon brightness (>10×) is found with CPC targets compared to flat targets. Using multiple diagnostic techniques at different spatial locations and scaling by gold activation spatial data, photon spectra are characterized for Ephoton=0.5–30 MeV. Beam width and pointing variations are given. The efficient production of MeV photons at Ilaser≈2×1018 W/cm2 with CPCs is observed, with doses of >10 rad in air at 1 m for Ephoton>0.5 MeV; these exceed those previously reported with laser-driven sources. Using this source, sub-mm resolution radiographs are generated through large areal density radiograph objects. These results are promising for the development of bright MeV x-ray and particle sources on Petawatt class laser systems.

Identifying the 3FHL Catalog. VI. Swift Observations of 3FHL Unassociated Objects with Source Classification via Machine Learning

The Third Catalog of Hard Fermi Large Area Telescope Sources (3FHL) reports the detection of 1556 objects at E > 10 GeV. However, 177 sources remain unassociated and 23 are associated with a ROSAT X-ray detection of unknown origin. Pointed X-ray observations were conducted on 30 of these unassociated and unknown sources with Swift−XRT. A bright X-ray source counterpart was detected in 21 out of 30 fields. In five of these 21 fields, we detected more than one X-ray counterpart, totaling 26 X-ray sources analyzed. Multiwavelength data was compiled for each X-ray source detected. We find that 21 out of the 26 X-ray sources detected display the multiwavelength properties of blazars, while one X-ray source displays the characteristics of a Galactic source. Using trained decision tree, random forest, and support vector machine models, we predict all 21 blazar counterpart candidates to be BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs). This is in agreement with BL Lacs being the most populous source class in the 3FHL.

Microfluidic devices for quasi-phase-matching in high-order harmonic generation

The development of bright eXtreme UltraViolet (XUV) and soft x-ray sources based on high-order harmonic generation is boosting advances toward understanding the behavior of matter on the attosecond timescale. Here, we report a novel approach for efficient XUV generation consisting of the use of microfluidic integrated systems fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining of glass. Our microfluidic approach allows one to control and manipulate the gas density on a micrometer scale with unprecedented accuracy and micro-structural flexibility. By propagating ultrashort laser pulses inside the microfluidic devices, we demonstrate high photon fluxes and broadband harmonics spectra, up to 200 eV, from tailored gas media.

Probable dormant neutron star in a short-period binary system

ABSTRACT We have identified 2XMM J125556.57+565846.4, at a distance of 600 pc, as a binary system consisting of a normal star and a probable dormant neutron star. Optical spectra exhibit a slightly evolved F-type single star, displaying periodic Doppler shifts with a 2.76-d Keplerian circular orbit, with no indication of light from a secondary component. Optical and UV photometry reveal ellipsoidal modulation with half the orbital period, due to the tidal deformation of the F-star. The mass of the unseen companion is constrained to the range of 1.1–$2.1\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ at 3σ confidence, with the median of the mass distribution at $1.4\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$, the typical mass of known neutron stars. A main-sequence star cannot masquerade as the dark companion. The distribution of possible companion masses still allows for the possibility of a very massive white dwarf. The companion itself could also be a close pair consisting of a white dwarf and an M star, or two white dwarfs, although the binary evolution that would lead to such a close triple system is unlikely. Similar ambiguities regarding the certain identification of a dormant neutron star are bound to affect most future discoveries of this type of non-interacting system. If the system indeed contains a dormant neutron star, it will become, in the future, a bright X-ray source and afterwards might even host a millisecond pulsar.

Development of a multi-keV shadowgraphy of indirectly driven plasmas using sub-TW laser pulses

Bright x-ray sources play a key role in high-energy density physics experiments. Such sources, when acting as backlighting sources, may shed more light on the dynamics of various high-energy time depended processes. This work describes a shadowgraphy experiment of a dynamic shock-wave propagating inside a silica foam using a Ti foil as a backlighter source, that supports the theoretical simulations. This was carried out using a relatively low (38 J) laser beam for backlighting, providing a 50 µm spot size, a 94 ps pulse duration, and 0.01-0.05 conversion efficiency from laser energy to 4.7 keV x-ray photons. The lateral resolution values of a Ti foil and a narrow Ti wire were measured to be 50 µm and 12 µm, accordingly. The shock front was observed about 200 µm from initial reference point, with a good agreement to theory. Its detection throughout an opaque halfraum was possible using dedicated viewing slits. This work describes the preliminary experiments of the backlighting implementation for future experiments.

The X-ray emission of Be+stripped star binaries★

ABSTRACT Using observations from Chandra, Swift, and XMM-Newton, we investigate the high-energy properties of all known (18) Be+sdO systems as well as seven additional Be binaries suspected to harbour stripped stars. The observed X-ray properties are found to be similar to those observed for other Be samples. The vast majority of these systems (15 out of 25) display very faint (and soft) X-ray emission, and six others are certainly not bright X-ray sources. Only two systems display γ Cas characteristics (i.e. bright and hard X-rays), and one of them is a new detection: HD 37202 (ζ Tau). It presents an extremely hard spectrum due to a combination of high temperature and high absorption (possibly due to its high inclination). In parallel, it may be noted that the previously reported cyclic behaviour of this Be star has disappeared in recent years. Instead, shorter cycles and symmetric line profiles are observed for the Hα line. It had been recently suggested that the peculiar X-ray emissions observed in γ Cas stars could arise from a collision between the disc of a Be star and the wind of its hot, stripped-star companion. The small fraction of γ Cas analogues in this sample, as well as the properties of the known companions of the γ Cas cases (low mass or not extremely hot, contrary to predictions), combined to the actual stripped-star and colliding-wind empirical knowledge, make the disc-wind collision an unlikely scenario to explain the γ Cas phenomenon.