Intense Flaring Activity Research Articles

A New X‐Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with theXMM‐NewtonPhoton Imaging Cameras

Sgr A*, the compact radio source, believed to be the counterpart of the massive black hole at the galactic nucleus, was observed to undergo rapid and intense flaring activity in X-rays with Chandra in October 2000. We report here the detection with XMM-Newton EPIC cameras of the early phase of a similar X-ray flare from this source, which occurred on September 4, 2001. The source 2-10 keV luminosity increased by a factor about 20 to reach a level of 4 10^{34} erg s^{-1} in a time interval of about 900 s, just before the end of the observation. The data indicate that the source spectrum was hard during the flare. This XMM-Newton observation confirms the results obtained by Chandra and suggests that, in Sgr A*, rapid and intense X-ray flaring is not a rare event. This can constrain the emission mechanism models proposed for this source, and also implies that the crucial multiwavelength observation programs planned to explore the behaviour of the radio/sub-mm and hard X-ray/gamma-ray emissions during the X-ray flares, have a good chance of success.

The First High‐Resolution X‐Ray Spectrum of Cygnus X‐1: Soft X‐Ray Ionization and Absorption

We observed the black hole candidate Cyg X-1 for 15 ks with the High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer aboard the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The source was observed during a period of intense flaring activity, so it was about a factor of 2.5 brighter than usual, with a 0.5-10 keV (1-24 ?) luminosity of 1.6 ? 1037 ergs s-1 (at a distance of 2.5 kpc). The spectrum of the source shows prominent absorption edges, some of which have a complicated substructure. We use the most recent results from laboratory measurements and calculations to model the observed substructure of the edges. From the model, we derive a total absorption column of (6.21 ? 0.22) ? 1021 cm-2. Furthermore, the results indicate that there are ~ 10%-25% abundance variations relative to solar values for neon, oxygen, and iron. The X-ray continuum is well described by a two-component model that is often adopted for black hole candidates: a soft multicolor disk component (with kT = 203 eV) and a hard power-law component (with a photon index of ~2). Comparing the fit results to those of the hard and soft states, we conclude that the source was in a transitional state. Finally, the spectrum also shows the presence of faint emission lines, which could be attributed to highly ionized species.

Unusual radio and plasma wave phenomena observed in March 1991

During the intense solar flare activity in March 1991 a number of unusual radio emission and Langmuir wave phenomena were observed by the radio and plasma wave (URAP) experiment on the Ulysses spacecraft. These phenomena were associated with unusual conditions in the interplanetary medium (IPM) presumably resulting from intense solar activity. Some of these URAP observations cannot be explained by mechanisms usually attributed to interplanetary (IP) radio emissions and Langmuir wave activity and require other interpretations.

On the puzzling nature of the X-ray binary Circinus X-1

During 1989 March 30 to April 2, Circinus X-1 was monitored at 5 GHz by one or other of a pair of two-element Australia Telescope interferometers and the Hartebeesthoek antenna, South Africa, and by the Ginga satellite in the 1-37 keV energy range. The observations show that Cir X-1 now has a very low level of radio emission, unlike the late 1970s and early 1980s during which intense flare activity often occurred near zero orbital phase. Also, the X-ray behaviour is strange in that it does not show the usual spectral states seen in low-mass X-ray binaries, yet exceeds the Eddington limit during flaring episodes

The extraordinary 1989 December 14/15 optical flare events on V711 Tauri

Photometry in B and V taken with the Vanderbilt Tennessee State 16 inch (41 cm) robotic telescope confirms the intense broad-band optical continuum flare activity reported by Chinese observers on the active chromosphere binary V711 Tau on December 14/15, 1989. Twelve hours after the flare reported from China, there occurred a separate and more intense flare with B and V amplitudes of 0.69 and 0.42 mag, respectively. These amplitudes correspond to peak flare luminosities of approximately 2 x 10 to the 33rd ergs/s in B and 1 x 10 to the 33rd ergs/s in V. The observed color of its excess light implies that the flaring region covered approximately 8 percent of the surface of the K1 subgiant star on which it erupted. Although the shape of the light curve was unchanged after the flare, the mean brightness of the star was enhanced by 3 percent in B, and it required nearly three months to decay to its preflare mean brightness. This is the first confirmed and, by far, the brightest example of broad-band optical flaring activity on an evolved, magnetically active star more luminous than the sun.

X-Ray Emission from Flare Stars

Flare stars are a group of mostly dMe stars, which show intense flaring activity in the optical as well as in the radio and X-ray bands. These stars are characterized by the presence of chromospheric emission lines like % and Call H and K which are present even during the quiescent state. The presence of transition regions and coronae have been inferred from the detection of UV emission lines like NV, CIV, SiIV etc. with IUE and X-ray observations made with the Einstein Observatory. We report here X-ray observations of flare stars made with Einstein to measure their coronal X-ray emission during the quiescent state.