Engineering topics

Bazzano, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Bazzano, A..

8 records

DOE OSTI2022

IGR J18249−3243: a new GeV-emitting FR II and the emerging population of high-energy radio galaxies

ABSTRACT The advent of new all-sky radio surveys such as the VLA Sky Survey and the Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey, performed with the latest generation radio telescopes, is opening new possibilities on the classification and study of extragalactic γ-ray sources, specially the underrepresented ones like radio galaxies. In particular, the enhanced sensitivity (sub-mJy level) and resolution (a few arcsec) provides a better morphological and spectral classification. In this work, we present the reclassification of a Fermi/Large Area Telescope (LAT) source as a new Fanaroff–Riley II radio galaxy from the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory sample found to emit at GeV energies. Through a broad-band spectral fitting from radio to γ-ray, we find that the commonly invoked jet contribution is not sufficient to account for the observed γ-ray flux. Our modelling suggests that the observed emission could mainly originate in the lobes (rather than in the radio core) by inverse Compton scattering of radio-emitting electrons off the ambient photon fields. In addition, we cross-correlated the latest generation radio surveys with a list of Fermi/LAT candidate misaligned AGN from the literature, finding four new radio galaxies with a double-lobed morphology. Additional four objects could be classified as such thanks to previous studies in the literature, for a total of nine new radio galaxies with GeV emission presented in this work. We foresee that further objects of this class might be found in the near future with the advent of the Square Kilometer Array, populating the GeV sky.

Bruni, G. (ORCID:0000000251826289)↗

NASA NTRS2012

Flat-Spectrum Radio Sources as Likely Counterparts of Unidentified INTEGRAL Sources (Research Note)

Many sources in the fourth INTEGRAL/IBIS catalogue are still unidentified since they lack an optical counterpart. An important tool that can help in identifying and classifying these sources is the cross-correlation with radio catalogues, which are very sensitive and positionally accurate. Moreover, the radio properties of a source, such as the spectrum or morphology, could provide further insight into its nature. In particular, flat-spectrum radio sources at high Galactic latitudes are likely to be AGN, possibly associated to a blazar or to the compact core of a radio galaxy. Here we present a small sample of 6 sources extracted from the fourth INTEGRAL/IBIS catalogue that are still unidentified or unclassified, but which are very likely associated with a bright, flat-spectrum radio object. To confirm the association and to study the source X-ray spectral parameters, we performed X-ray follow-up observations with Swift/XRT of all objects. We report in this note the overall results obtained from this search and discuss the nature of each individual INTEGRAL source. We find that 5 of the 6 radio associations are also detected in X-rays; furthermore, in 3 cases they are the only counterpart found. More specifically, IGR J06073−0024 is a flat-spectrum radio quasar at z = 1.08, IGR J14488−4008 is a newly discovered radio galaxy, while IGR J18129−0649 is an AGN of a still unknown type. The nature of two sources (IGR J07225−3810 and IGR J19386−4653) is less well defined, since in both cases we find another X-ray source in the INTEGRAL error circle; nevertheless, the flat-spectrum radio source, likely to be a radio loud AGN, remains a viable and, in fact, a more convincing association in both cases. Only for the last object (IGR J11544−7618) could we not find any convincing counterpart since the radio association is not an X-ray emitter, while the only X-ray source seen in the field is a G star and therefore unlikely to produce the persistent emission seen by INTEGRAL.

integral↗

NASA NTRS2012

IGR J12319-0749: Evidence for Another Extreme Blazar Found with INTEGRAL

We report on the identification of a new soft gamma-ray source, IGR J12319-0749, detected with the IBIS imager on board the INTEGRAL satellite. The source, which has an observed 20−100 keV flux of approx 8.3 × 10(exp -12) erg/sq. cm/ s, is spatially coincident with an active galactic nucleus (AGN) at redshift z = 3.12. The broad-band continuum, obtained by combining XRT and IBIS data, is flat (Gamma = 1.3) with evidence for a spectral break around 25 keV (100 keV in the source restframe). X-ray observations indicate flux variability, which is also supported by a comparison with a previous ROSAT measurement. IGR J12319-0749 is also a radio-emitting object likely characterised by a flat spectrum and high radio loudness; optically it is a broad-line emitting object with a massive black hole (2.8 × 10(exp 9) solar masses) at its centre. The source spectral energy distribution is similar to another high-redshift blazar, 225155+2217 at z = 3.668: both objects are bright, with a high accretion disk luminosity and a Compton peak located in the hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray band. IGR J12319-0749 is likely the second-most distant blazar detected so far by INTEGRAL.

IGRJ12319-0749↗

NASA NTRS2012

IGR J12319-0749: Evidence for Another Extreme Blazar Found with INTEGRAL

We report on the identification of a new soft gamma-ray source, IGR J12319 C0749, detected with the IBIS imager on board the INTEGRAL satellite. The source, which has an observed 20 C100 keV flux of 8.3 10.12 erg cm.2 s.1, is spatially coincident with an AGN at redshift z = 3.12. The broad-band continuum, obtained by combining XRT and IBIS data, is flat ( =1.3) with evidence for a spectral break around 25 keV (100 keV in the source rest frame). X-ray observations indicate flux variability which is further supported by a comparison with a previous ROSAT measurement. IGR J12319 C0749 is also a radio emitting object likely characterized by a flat spectrum and high radio loudness; optically it is a broad-line emitting object with a massive black hole (2.8 109 solar masses) at its center. The source Spectral Energy Distribution is similar to another high redshift blazar, 225155+2217 at z = 3.668: both objects are bright, with a large accretion disk luminosity and a Compton peak located in the hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray band. IGR J12319 C0749 is likely the second most distant blazar detected so far by INTEGRAL.

Bassani, L.↗

NASA NTRS2007

A Possible Magnetar Nature for IGR J16358-4726

We present detailed spectral and timing analysis of the hard X-ray transient IGR J16358-4726 using multisatellite archival observations. A study of the source flux time history over 6 yr suggests that lower luminosity transient outbursts can be occurring in intervals of at most 1 yr. Joint spectral fits of the higher luminosity outburst using simultaneous Chandra ACIS and INTEGRAL ISGRI data reveal a spectrum well described by an absorbed power-law model with a high-energy cutoff plus an Fe line. We detected the 1.6 hr pulsations initially reported using Chandra ACIS also in the INTEGRAL ISGRI light curve and in subsequent XMM-Newton observations. Using the INTEGRAL data, we identified a spin-up of 94 s (P(sup(.)) = 1.6 x 10(exp -4), which strongly points to a neutron star nature for IGR J16358-4726. Assuming that the spin-up is due to disk accretion, we estimate that the source magnetic field ranges between 10(exp 13) and 10(exp 15) G, depending on its distance, possibly supporting a magnetar nature for IGR J16358-4726.

Patel, S. K.↗

NASA NTRS2005

INTEGRAL/SPI Limits on Electron-Positron Annihilation Radiation from the Galactic Plane

The center of our Galaxy is a known strong source of electron-positron 511- keV annihilation radiation. Thus far, however, there have been no reliable detections of annihilation radiation outside of the central radian of our Galaxy. One of the primary objectives of the INTEGRAL (INTErnational Gamma-RAy Astrophysics Laboratory) mission, launched in Oct. 2002, is the detailed study of this radiation. The Spectrometer on INTEGRAL (SPI) is a high resolution coded-aperture gamma-ray telescope with an unprecedented combination of sensitivity, angular resolution and energy resolution. We report results from the first 10 months of observation. During this period a significant fraction of the observing time was spent in or near the Galactic Plane. No positive annihilation flux was detected outside of the central region (|l| greater than 40 degrees) of our Galaxy. In this paper we describe the observations and data analysis methods and give limits on the 511-keV flux.

Teegarden, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Unveiling the High Energy Obscured Universe: Hunting Collapsed Objects Physics

A large part of energy from space is coming from collapsing stars (SN, Hypernovae) and collapsed stars (black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs). The peak of their energy release is in the hard-X and gamma-ray wavelengths where photons are insensitive to absorption and can travel from the edge the Universe or the central core of the Galaxy without loosing the primordial information of energy, time signature and polarization. The most efficient process to produce energetic photons is gravitational accretion of matter from a "normal" star onto a collapsed companion (L~GxMcollxdMacc/dtx( 1Rdisc)-dMacc/dt x c2), exceeding by far the nuclear reaction capability to generate high energy quanta. Thus our natural laboratory for "in situ" investigations are collapsed objects in which matter and radiation co-exist in extreme conditions of temperature and density due to gravitationally bent geometry and magnetic fields. This is a unique opportunity to study the physics of accretion flows in stellar mass and super-massive Black Holes (SMBHs), plasmoids generated in relativistic jets in galactic microQSOs and AGNs, ionised plasma interacting at the touching point of weakly magnetized NS surface, GRB/Supernovae connection, and the mysterious origins of "dark" GRB and X-ray flash.

Ubertini, P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

SN 1987A - The impact of greater than 50 MeV gamma-ray luminosity limits on theories of particle acceleration

Analysis of the data obtained from two flights of a balloonborne gamma-ray detector to observe SN 1987A was completed. The detector, which included a spark chamber to determine the arrival directions of the photons, was sensitive in the energy range 50-500 MeV. The 95 percent confidence upper limit to the flux on day 55 after the explosion has been established to be 1.1 x 10 exp -5 photons/sq cm/s and on day 407 to be 3.4 x 10 exp -5 photons/sq cm/s. These limits are compared with various theoretical predictions.

Sood, R. K.↗