Engineering topics

Worrall, Diana M.

Publications and source records attributed to Worrall, Diana M..

8 records

NASA NTRS2000

Beamed and Unbeamed X-Ray Emission in FR1 Radio Galaxies

The research exploited ROSAT's sensitivity, together with its spatial and spectral resolution, to separate X-ray emission components in the sources. Prior to ROSAT, the dominant X-ray emission mechanism in radio galaxies as a class was unclear, with correlations between the X-ray and radio emission used on one hand to argue for a nuclear origin for the X-rays, and on the other hand for a thermal origin. Our observations (normally between 10 and 25 ks in length) routinely detected the target sources, and demonstrated that both resolved (thermal) and unresolved X-ray emission are typically present. Highlights of our work included two of the first detections of high-power radio galaxies at high redshift, 3C 280 and 3C 220.1. When combined with the work of two other groups, we find that of the 38 radio galaxies at z > 0.6 in the 3CRR sample, 12 were observed in ROSAT pointed observations and 9 were detected with the four most significant detections exhibiting source extent, including 3C 280 and 3C 220.1. Moreover, we discovered extended emission around five 3CRR quasars at redshift greater than about 0.4, one of which is at z > 0.6. Unification predicts that the X-ray environments of powerful radio galaxies and quasars should be similar, and our results show that powerful radio sources are finding some of the highest-redshift X-ray clusters known to date, pointing to deep gravitational potential wells early in the Universe.

Worrall, Diana M.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Beamed and Unbeamed X-ray Emission in FR1 Radio Galaxies

There is good evidence for X-ray emission associated with AGN jets which are relativistically boosted towards the observer. But to what jet radius does such X-ray emission persist? To attempt to answer this question one can look at radio galaxies; their cores are sufficiently X-ray faint that any unbeamed X-ray emission in the vicinity of the central engine must be obscured. The jets of such sources are at unfavourable angles for relativistic boosting, and so their relatively weak X-ray emission must be carefully separated from the plateau of resolved X-ray emission from a hot interstellar, intragroup, or intracluster medium on which they are expected to sit. This paper presents results arguing that jet X-ray emission is generally detected in radio galaxies, even those of low intrinsic power without hot spots. The levels of emission suggest an extrapolated radio to soft X-ray spectral index, alpha(sub tao x) of about 0.85 at parsec to perhaps kiloparsec distances from the cores.

Worrall, Diana M.↗

NASA NTRS1996

ROSAT Results for Radio Galaxies

Simple conclusions concerning the origin of X-ray emission in radio galaxies from pre-ROSAT correlations (e.g., X-ray versus core-radio luminosity) are not to be trusted. Radio galaxies are complex and diverse X-ray emitters. Current answers to key questions are presented.

Worrall, Diana M.↗

NASA NTRS1996

X-Ray Properties of Radio Jets

ROSAT observations of the atmospheres of a number of radio galaxies containing prominent jets are described. The imaging and spectroscopic results obtained by the PSPC are used to obtain fluxes for the non-thermal core sources and structures for the atmospheres of the host galaxies or their groups. The implications for the environments of the radio jets and for the radio cores are discussed.

Birkinshaw, M.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The BL LAC phenomenon: X-ray observations of transition objects and determination of the x-ray spectrum of a complete sample of flat-spectrum radio sources

This report summarizes the activities related to two ROSAT investigations: (1) x-ray properties of radio galaxies thought to contain BL Lac type nuclei; and (2) x-ray spectra of a complete sample of flat-spectrum radio sources. The following papers describing the research are provided as attachments: Multiple X-ray Emission Components in Low Power Radio Galaxies; New X-ray Results on Radio Galaxies; Analysis Techniques for a Multiwavelength Study of Radio Galaxies; Separation of X-ray Emission Components in Radio Galaxies; X-ray Emission in Powerful Radio Galaxies and Quasars; Extended and Compact X-ray Emission in Powerful Radio Galaxies; and X-ray Spectra of a Complete Sample of Extragalactic Core-dominated Radio Sources.

Worrall, Diana M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Astronomical data analysis software and systems I; Proceedings of the 1st Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ, Nov. 6-8, 1991

Consideration is given to a definition of a distribution format for X-ray data, the Einstein on-line system, the NASA/IPAC extragalactic database, COBE astronomical databases, Cosmic Background Explorer astronomical databases, the ADAM software environment, the Groningen Image Processing System, search for a common data model for astronomical data analysis systems, deconvolution for real and synthetic apertures, pitfalls in image reconstruction, a direct method for spectral and image restoration, and a discription of a Poisson imagery super resolution algorithm. Also discussed are multivariate statistics on HI and IRAS images, a faint object classification using neural networks, a matched filter for improving SNR of radio maps, automated aperture photometry of CCD images, interactive graphics interpreter, the ROSAT extreme ultra-violet sky survey, a quantitative study of optimal extraction, an automated analysis of spectra, applications of synthetic photometry, an algorithm for extra-solar planet system detection and data reduction facilities for the William Herschel telescope.

Worrall, Diana M.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Superluminal radio sources - What does X-ray emission tell us?

In a study on superluminal radio sources, statistical relationships between X-ray, optical, and radio luminosities among different categories of active galactic nuclei are compared to search for common energy mechanisms. The X-ray versus optical and X-ray versus radio correlations of radio-loud QSOs and superluminal radio sources are found to be similar, arguing against a model in which the emission in only one or two of the three wave bands is relativistically boosted. A regression analysis shows that highly polarized QSOs and optically violently variable QSOs are more similar to other flat-spectrum, radio-loud QSOs than to BL Lac objects, and it is reasonable to assume that self-Compton emission dominates the X-ray emission from at least half of the sources in this class. The X-ray versus radio correlation for BL Lac objects is poor, and there is support for the hypothesis that their X-ray emission is dominated by an isotropic component which is not directly related to relativistically boosted radio emission.

Worrall, Diana M.↗

NASA NTRS1986

BL Lac objects and relativistic beaming

General arguments for relativistic beaming in BL Lac objects are reviewed. These include overproduction of X-rays and fast time variability. Comments are made about the relationship of the X-ray continuum to that at lower frequencies, and observational evidence for and against continuum radiation being relativistically beamed is discussed. Finally, there is discussion of the influence of geometrical effects on predictions for time variability as a function of frequency in the context of inhomogeneous synchrotron self-Compton jet models.

Worrall, Diana M.↗