Variability Of Cygnus Research Articles

Stellar-wind variability in Cygnus X-1 from high-resolution excess variance spectroscopy with Chandra

Context. Stellar winds of massive stars are known to be driven by line absorption of UV photons, a mechanism that is prone to instabilities, causing the wind to be clumpy. The clumpy structure hampers wind mass-loss estimates, limiting our understanding of massive star evolution. The wind structure also impacts accretion in high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) systems. Aims. We aim to analyse the wavelength-dependent variability of X-ray absorption in the wind to study its structure. Such an approach is possible in HMXBs, where the compact object serves as an X-ray backlight. We probe different parts of the wind by analysing data taken at superior and inferior conjunctions. Methods. We applied excess variance spectroscopy to study the wavelength-dependent soft (2–14 Å) X-ray variability of the HMXB Cygnus X-1 in the hard spectral state. Excess variance spectroscopy quantifies the variability of an object above the statistical noise as a function of wavelength, which allows us to study the variability of individual spectral lines. This technique was applied to high-resolution gratings spectra provided by Chandra, accounting for various systematic effects. The frequency dependence is investigated by changing the time binning. Results. The strong orbital phase dependence we observe in the excess variance is consistent with column-density variations predicted by a simple model for a clumpy wind. We identify spikes of increased variability with spectral features found by previous spectroscopic analyses of the same data set, most notably from silicon in over-dense clumps in the wind. In the silicon line region, the variability power is redistributed towards lower frequencies, hinting at increased line variability in large clumps. In prospect of the microcalorimetry missions that are scheduled to launch within the next decade, excess variance spectra present a promising approach to constraining the wind structure, especially if accompanied by models that consider changing ionisation.

Understanding the general feature of microvariability in Kepler blazar W2R 1926+42

Abstract We analyze the Kepler monitoring light curve of a blazar W2R 1926+42 to examine features of microvariability by means of the “shot analysis” technique. We select 195 intra-day, flare-like variations (shots) for the continuous light curve of Quarter 14 with a duration of 100 d. In the application of the shot analysis, an averaged profile of variations is assumed to converge with a universal profile which reflects a physical mechanism generating the microvariability in a blazar jet, although light-variation profiles of selected shots show a variety. A mean profile, which is obtained by aligning the peaks of the 195 shots, is composed of a spiky-shaped shot component at ± 0.1 d (with respect to the time of the peak), and two slow varying components ranging from −0.50 d to −0.15 d and from 0.10 d to 0.45 d of the peak time. The former spiky feature is well represented by an exponential rise of 0.043 ± 0.001 d and an exponential decay of 0.061 ± 0.002 d. These timescales are consistent with that corresponding to a break frequency of a power spectrum density calculated from the obtained light curve. After verification with the Monte Carlo method, the exponential shape, but not the observed asymmetry, of the shot component can be explained by noise variation. The asymmetry is difficult to explain through a geometrical effect (i.e., changes of the geometry of the emitting region), but is more likely to be caused by the production and dissipation of high-energy accelerated particles in the jet. Additionally, the durations of the detected shots show a systematic variation with a dispersion caused by a statistical randomness. A comparison with the variability of Cygnus X-1 is also briefly discussed.

Long term variability of Cygnus X-1

Long term variability of Cygnus X-1

Very fast X-ray spectral variability in Cygnus X-1: origin of the hard- and soft-state emission components

The way in which the X-ray photon index, {\Gamma}, varies as a function of count rate is a strong diagnostic of the emission processes and emission geometry around accreting compact objects. Here we present the results from a study using a new, and simple, method designed to improve sensitivity to the measurement of the variability of {\Gamma} on very short time-scales. We have measured {\Gamma} in ~2 million spectra, extracted from observations with a variety of different accretion rates and spectral states, on time-scales as short as 16 ms for the high mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-1, and have cross-correlated these measurements with the source count rate. In the soft-state cross-correlation functions (CCFs) we find a positive peak at zero lag, stronger and narrower in the softer observations. Assuming that the X-rays are produced by Compton scattering of soft seed photons by high energy electrons in a corona, these results are consistent with Compton cooling of the corona by seed photons from the inner edge of the accretion disc, the truncation radius of which increases with increasing hardness ratio. The CCFs produced from the hard-state observations, however, show an anti-correlation which is most easily explained by variation in the energy of the electrons in the corona rather than in variation of the seed photon flux. The hard-state CCFs can be decomposed into a narrow anti-correlation at zero lag, which we tentatively associate with the effects of self-Comptonisation of cyclo-synchrotron seed photons in either a hot, optically thin accretion flow or the base of the jet, and a second, asymmetric component which we suggest is produced as a consequence of a lag between the soft and hard X-ray emission. The lag may be caused by a radial temperature/energy gradient in the Comptonising electrons combined with the inward propagation of accretion rate perturbations.

Gamma‐Ray Spectra and Variability of Cygnus X‐1 Observed by BATSE

We present new BATSE earth occultation observations of the 25 keV-1.8 MeV spectrum and variability of Cygnus X-1 made between August 1993 and May 1994. We observed that the normal soft gamma ray spectrum (gamma2) of Cygnus X-1 has two components: a Comptonized part seen below 300 keV, and a high-energy tail in the 0.3 - 2 MeV range. We interpret it in terms of a two-layer region, consisting of a high-energy core (with an equivalent electron temperature of approximately 210-250 keV) near the event horizon, embedded in an about 50 keV corona. In this scenario, the observed 25-300 keV photons were produced by Compton scattering of soft photons (about 0.5 keV) by the hot electrons in the outer corona. These same hard x rays were further up-scattered by a population of energetic electrons in the inner core, producing the spectral tail above 300 keV. Cygnus X-1 went through an extended sequence of transitions between August 1993 and May 1994, when the 45-140 keV flux first decreased steadily from approximately gamma2 to roughly one-quarter of its intensity over a period of about 140 days. The flux remained at this low level for about 40 days before returning, swiftly (approximately 20 days) to approximately the initial gamma2 level. During the transition, the spectrum evolved to a shape consistent with either a power law with photon index of about 2.6 or a single temperature Compton model with electron temperature kT = 110 +/- 11 keV, and optical depth t = 0.40 +/- 0.06, and then returned essentially to the original gamma2 spectrum at the end of the active period. The overall cooling of the system during the low flux period may be due to an increase in the soft photon population which effectively quenched the hot electrons in these regions through Compton scattering.

A self-consistent model for the long-term gamma-ray spectral variability of Cygnus X-1

The long-term transitions of the black hole candidate Cygnus X-1 (between the states gamma_1, gamma_2, and gamma_3) include the occasional appearance of a strong ~ MeV bump (gamma_1), whose strength appears to be anti-correlated with the continuum flux (~ 400 keV) due to the Compton upscattering of cold disk photons by the inner, hot corona. We develop a self-consistent disk picture that accounts naturally for these transitions and their corresponding spectral variations. We argue that the bump is due to the self-Comptonization of bremsstrahlung photons emitted predominantly near the plane of the corona itself. Our results suggest that a decrease by a factor of approx 2 in the viscosity parameter alpha is responsible for quenching this bump and driving the system to the gamma_2 state, whereas a transition from gamma_2 to gamma_3 appears to be induced by an increase of about 25 % in the accretion rate Mdot. In view of the fact that most of the transitions observed in this source seem to be of the gamma_2 to gamma_3 variety, we conclude that much of the long term gamma-ray spectral variability in Cygnus X-1 is due to these small fluctuations in Mdot. The unusual appearance of the gamma_1 state apparently reflects a change in the dissipative processes within the disk.

Detection of infrared variability in Cygnus X-1

Near-infrared measurements of Cygnus X-1 in the J and K bands, carried out with the 1.5-m telescope a the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, show significant variability with an amplitude of 0.3 mag in the J and K bands. The observations indicate the presence of two maxima at 5.6-d orbital phases 0.25 and 0.70. The variability in the infrared emission is suggested to be produced by the accretion disc which is responsible for the X-ray emission from the Cygnus X-1 system

Study of rapid variability in Cygnus X-1

The EXOSAT Medium Energy instrument has been used with the new HER6 mode to study the rapid variability of Cygnus X-1. It was found that the fluctuations in the higher energy band (5–14 keV) lagged behind those in the lower band (2–5 keV) by about 6 milliseconds. This confirms predictions of the inverse Compton model and gives an upper limit to the scale-size of the hot gas clouds.

Data Compression Techniques for a Sounding Rocket PCM Telemetry System

The standard pulse-code modulation (PCM) telemetry system for a Skylark sounding rocket provided insufficient bandwidth for the high data rate expected from a new, exceptionally large, X-ray astronomy experiment. Several methods of data compression were used to cope with the erratic variability of the chosen source to maximize the returned information. A computer program simulation was used to optimize the variable parameters included in the electronic design to the expected variability of Cygnus X-1 the target X-ray source. The system performed exactly as intended during the actual flight.