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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Discovery of the third transient X-ray binary in the galactic globular cluster Terzan 5

We report and study the outburst of a new transient X-ray binary (XRB) in Terzan 5, the third detected in this globular cluster, Swift J174805.3-244637 or Terzan 5 X-3. We find clear spectral hardening in Swift/XRT data during the outburst rise to the hard state, thanks to our early coverage (starting at L{sub X} ∼ 4 × 10{sup 34} erg s{sup –1}) of the outburst. This hardening appears to be due to the decline in relative strength of a soft thermal component from the surface of the neutron star (NS) during the rise. We identify a Type I X-ray burst in Swift/XRT data with a long (16 s) decay time, indicative of hydrogen burning on the surface of the NS. We use Swift/BAT, MAXI/GSC, Chandra/ACIS, and Swift/XRT data to study the spectral changes during the outburst, identifying a clear hard-to-soft state transition. We use a Chandra/ACIS observation during outburst to identify the transient's position. Seven archival Chandra/ACIS observations show evidence for variations in Terzan 5 X-3's nonthermal component but not the thermal component during quiescence. The inferred long-term time-averaged mass accretion rate, from the quiescent thermal luminosity, suggests that if this outburst is typical and only slow cooling processes are active in the NS core, such outbursts should recur every ∼10 yr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Statistical searches for microlensing events in large, non-uniformly sampled time-domain surveys: A test using palomar transient factory data

Many photometric time-domain surveys are driven by specific goals, such as searches for supernovae or transiting exoplanets, which set the cadence with which fields are re-imaged. In the case of the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), several sub-surveys are conducted in parallel, leading to non-uniform sampling over its ∼20,000 deg{sup 2} footprint. While the median 7.26 deg{sup 2} PTF field has been imaged ∼40 times in the R band, ∼2300 deg{sup 2} have been observed >100 times. We use PTF data to study the trade off between searching for microlensing events in a survey whose footprint is much larger than that of typical microlensing searches, but with far-from-optimal time sampling. To examine the probability that microlensing events can be recovered in these data, we test statistics used on uniformly sampled data to identify variables and transients. We find that the von Neumann ratio performs best for identifying simulated microlensing events in our data. We develop a selection method using this statistic and apply it to data from fields with >10 R-band observations, 1.1 × 10{sup 9} light curves, uncovering three candidate microlensing events. We lack simultaneous, multi-color photometry to confirm these as microlensing events. However, their number is consistent with predictions for the event rate in the PTF footprint over the survey's three years of operations, as estimated from near-field microlensing models. This work can help constrain all-sky event rate predictions and tests microlensing signal recovery in large data sets, which will be useful to future time-domain surveys, such as that planned with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

NuSTAR J163433-4738.7: A fast X-ray transient in the galactic plane

During hard X-ray observations of the Norma spiral arm region by the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) in 2013 February, a new transient source, NuSTAR J163433-4738.7, was detected at a significance level of 8σ in the 3-10 keV bandpass. The source is consistent with having a constant NuSTAR count rate over a period of 40 ks and is also detected simultaneously by Swift at lower significance. The source is not significantly detected by NuSTAR, Swift, or Chandra in the days before or weeks after the discovery of the transient, indicating that the strong X-ray activity lasted between ∼0.5 and 1.5 days. Near-infrared imaging observations were carried out before and after the X-ray activity, but we are not able to identify the counterpart. The combined NuSTAR and Swift energy spectrum is consistent with a power law with a photon index of Γ=4.1{sub −1.0}{sup +1.5} (90% confidence errors), a blackbody with kT = 1.2 ± 0.3 keV, or a Bremsstrahlung model with kT=3.0{sub −1.2}{sup +2.1} keV. The reduced-χ{sup 2} values for the three models are not significantly different, ranging from 1.23 to 1.44 for 8 degrees of freedom. The spectrum is strongly absorbed with N{sub H}=(2.8{sub −1.4}{sup +2.3})×10{sup 23} cm{sup –2}, (9{sub −7}{sup +15})×10{sup 22} cm{sup –2}, and (1.7{sub −0.9}{sup +1.7})×10{sup 23} cm{sup –2}, for the power-law, blackbody, and Bremsstrahlung models, respectively. Although the high column density could be due to material local to the source, it is consistent with absorption from interstellar material along the line of sight at a distance of 11 kpc, which would indicate an X-ray luminosity >10{sup 34} erg s{sup –1}. Although we do not reach a definitive determination of the nature of NuSTAR J163433-4738.7, we suggest that it may be an unusually bright active binary or a magnetar.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A transient supergiant X-ray binary in IC 10: An extragalactic SFXT?

We report the discovery of a large amplitude (factor of ∼100) X-ray transient (IC 10 X-2, CXOU J002020.99+591758.6) in the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy IC 10 during our Chandra monitoring project. Based on the X-ray timing and spectral properties, and an optical counterpart observed with Gemini, the system is a high-mass X-ray binary consisting of a luminous blue supergiant and a neutron star. The highest measured luminosity of the source was 1.8 × 10{sup 37} erg s{sup –1}during an outburst in 2003. Observations before, during, and after a second outburst in 2010 constrain the outburst duration to be less than 3 months (with no lower limit). The X-ray spectrum is a hard power law (Γ = 0.3) with fitted column density (N{sub H} = 6.3 × 10{sup 21} atom cm{sup –2}), consistent with the established absorption to sources in IC 10. The optical spectrum shows hydrogen Balmer lines strongly in emission at the correct blueshift (-340 km s{sup –1}) for IC 10. The N III triplet emission feature is seen, accompanied by He II [4686] weakly in emission. Together these features classify the star as a luminous blue supergiant of the OBN subclass, characterized by enhanced nitrogen abundance. Emission lines of He I are seen, at similar strength to Hβ. A complex of Fe II permitted and forbidden emission lines are seen, as in B[e] stars. The system closely resembles galactic supergiant fast X-ray transients, in terms of its hard spectrum, variability amplitude, and blue supergiant primary.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A LUMINOUS, FAST RISING UV-TRANSIENT DISCOVERED BY ROTSE: A TIDAL DISRUPTION EVENT?

We present follow-up observations of an optical transient (OT) discovered by ROTSE on 2009 January 21. Photometric monitoring was carried out with ROTSE-IIIb in the optical and Swift in the UV up to +70 days after discovery. The light curve showed a fast rise time of ∼10 days followed by a steep decline over the next 60 days, which was much faster than that implied by {sup 56}Ni—{sup 56}Co radioactive decay. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 10 database contains a faint, red object at the position of the OT, which appears slightly extended. This and other lines of evidence suggest that the OT is of extragalactic origin, and this faint object is likely the host galaxy. A sequence of optical spectra obtained with the 9.2 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope between +8 and +45 days after discovery revealed a hot, blue continuum with no visible spectral features. A few weak features that appeared after +30 days probably originated from the underlying host. Fitting synthetic templates to the observed spectrum of the host galaxy revealed a redshift of z = 0.19. At this redshift, the peak magnitude of the OT is close to –22.5, similar to the brightest super-luminous supernovae; however, the lack of identifiable spectral features makes the massive stellar death hypothesis less likely. A more plausible explanation appears to be the tidal disruption of a Sun-like star by the central supermassive black hole. We argue that this transient likely belongs to a class of super-Eddington tidal disruption events.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

SLOW-SPEED SUPERNOVAE FROM THE PALOMAR TRANSIENT FACTORY: TWO CHANNELS

Since the discovery of the unusual prototype SN 2002cx, the eponymous class of Type I (hydrogen-poor) supernovae with low ejecta speeds has grown to include approximately two dozen members identified from several heterogeneous surveys, in some cases ambiguously. Here we present the results of a systematic study of 1077 Type I supernovae discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory, leading to nine new members of this peculiar class. Moreover, we find there are two distinct subclasses based on their spectroscopic, photometric, and host galaxy properties: ''SN 2002cx-like'' supernovae tend to be in later-type or more irregular hosts, have more varied and generally dimmer luminosities, have longer rise times, and lack a Ti II trough when compared to ''SN 2002es-like'' supernovae. None of our objects show helium, and we counter a previous claim of two such events. We also find that the occurrence rate of these transients relative to Type Ia supernovae is 5.6{sub −3.8}{sup +22}% (90% confidence), lower compared to earlier estimates. Combining our objects with the literature sample, we propose that these subclasses have two distinct physical origins.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

SELECTION OF BURST-LIKE TRANSIENTS AND STOCHASTIC VARIABLES USING MULTI-BAND IMAGE DIFFERENCING IN THE PAN-STARRS1 MEDIUM-DEEP SURVEY

We present a novel method for the light-curve characterization of Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey (PS1 MDS) extragalactic sources into stochastic variables (SVs) and burst-like (BL) transients, using multi-band image-differencing time-series data. We select detections in difference images associated with galaxy hosts using a star/galaxy catalog extracted from the deep PS1 MDS stacked images, and adopt a maximum a posteriori formulation to model their difference-flux time-series in four Pan-STARRS1 photometric bands g {sub P1}, r {sub P1}, i {sub P1}, and z {sub P1}. We use three deterministic light-curve models to fit BL transients; a Gaussian, a Gamma distribution, and an analytic supernova (SN) model, and one stochastic light-curve model, the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, in order to fit variability that is characteristic of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We assess the quality of fit of the models band-wise and source-wise, using their estimated leave-out-one cross-validation likelihoods and corrected Akaike information criteria. We then apply a K-means clustering algorithm on these statistics, to determine the source classification in each band. The final source classification is derived as a combination of the individual filter classifications, resulting in two measures of classification quality, from the averages across the photometric filters of (1) the classifications determined from the closest K-means cluster centers, and (2) the square distances from the clustering centers in the K-means clustering spaces. For a verification set of AGNs and SNe, we show that SV and BL occupy distinct regions in the plane constituted by these measures. We use our clustering method to characterize 4361 extragalactic image difference detected sources, in the first 2.5 yr of the PS1 MDS, into 1529 BL, and 2262 SV, with a purity of 95.00% for AGNs, and 90.97% for SN based on our verification sets. We combine our light-curve classifications with their nuclear or off-nuclear host galaxy offsets, to define a robust photometric sample of 1233 AGNs and 812 SNe. With these two samples, we characterize their variability and host galaxy properties, and identify simple photometric priors that would enable their real-time identification in future wide-field synoptic surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

X-RAY OUTBURSTS OF LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARY TRANSIENTS OBSERVED IN THE RXTE ERA

We have performed a statistical study of the properties of 110 bright X-ray outbursts in 36 low-mass X-ray binary transients (LMXBTs) seen with the All-Sky Monitor (2–12 keV) on board the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in 1996–2011. We have measured a number of outburst properties, including peak X-ray luminosity, rate of change of luminosity on a daily timescale, e-folding rise and decay timescales, outburst duration, and total radiated energy. We found that the average properties, such as peak X-ray luminosity, rise and decay timescales, outburst duration, and total radiated energy of black hole LMXBTs, are at least two times larger than those of neutron star LMXBTs, implying that the measurements of these properties may provide preliminary clues to the nature of the compact object of a newly discovered LMXBT. We also found that the outburst peak X-ray luminosity is correlated with the rate of change of X-ray luminosity in both the rise and decay phases, which is consistent with our previous studies. Positive correlations between total radiated energy and peak X-ray luminosity, and between total radiated energy and the e-folding rise or decay timescale, are also found in the outbursts. These correlations suggest that the mass stored in the disk before an outburst is the primary initial condition that sets up the outburst properties seen later. We also found that the outbursts of two transient stellar-mass ultraluminous X-ray sources in M31 also roughly follow the correlations, which indicate that the same outburst mechanism works for the brighter outbursts of these two sources in M31 that reached the Eddington luminosity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE NEEDLE IN THE 100 deg{sup 2} HAYSTACK: UNCOVERING AFTERGLOWS OF FERMI GRBs WITH THE PALOMAR TRANSIENT FACTORY

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has greatly expanded the number and energy window of observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). However, the coarse localizations of tens to a hundred square degrees provided by the Fermi GRB Monitor instrument have posed a formidable obstacle to locating the bursts’ host galaxies, measuring their redshifts, and tracking their panchromatic afterglows. We have built a target-of-opportunity mode for the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory in order to perform targeted searches for Fermi afterglows. Here, we present the results of one year of this program: 8 afterglow discoveries out of 35 searches. Two of the bursts with detected afterglows (GRBs 130702A and 140606B) were at low redshift (z = 0.145 and 0.384, respectively) and had spectroscopically confirmed broad-line Type Ic supernovae. We present our broadband follow-up including spectroscopy as well as X-ray, UV, optical, millimeter, and radio observations. We study possible selection effects in the context of the total Fermi and Swift GRB samples. We identify one new outlier on the Amati relation. We find that two bursts are consistent with a mildly relativistic shock breaking out from the progenitor star rather than the ultra-relativistic internal shock mechanism that powers standard cosmological bursts. Finally, in the context of the Zwicky Transient Facility, we discuss how we will continue to expand this effort to find optical counterparts of binary neutron star mergers that may soon be detected by Advanced LIGO and Virgo.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

MULTI-MESSENGER ASTRONOMY OF GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE SOURCES WITH FLEXIBLE WIDE-AREA RADIO TRANSIENT SURVEYS

We explore opportunities for multi-messenger astronomy using gravitational waves (GWs) and prompt, transient low-frequency radio emission to study highly energetic astrophysical events. We review the literature on possible sources of correlated emission of GWs and radio transients, highlighting proposed mechanisms that lead to a short-duration, high-flux radio pulse originating from the merger of two neutron stars or from a superconducting cosmic string cusp. We discuss the detection prospects for each of these mechanisms by low-frequency dipole array instruments such as LWA1, the Low Frequency Array and the Murchison Widefield Array. We find that a broad range of models may be tested by searching for radio pulses that, when de-dispersed, are temporally and spatially coincident with a LIGO/Virgo GW trigger within a ∼30 s time window and ∼200–500 deg{sup 2} sky region. We consider various possible observing strategies and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Uniquely, for low-frequency radio arrays, dispersion can delay the radio pulse until after low-latency GW data analysis has identified and reported an event candidate, enabling a prompt radio signal to be captured by a deliberately targeted beam. If neutron star mergers do have detectable prompt radio emissions, a coincident search with the GW detector network and low-frequency radio arrays could increase the LIGO/Virgo effective search volume by up to a factor of ∼2. For some models, we also map the parameter space that may be constrained by non-detections.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

EVOLUTION OF TRANSIENT LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES TO REDBACK MILLISECOND PULSARS

Redback millisecond pulsars (MSPs; hereafter redbacks) are a subpopulation of eclipsing MSPs in close binaries. The formation processes of these systems are not clear. The three pulsars showing transitions between rotation- and accretion-powered states belong to both redbacks and transient low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), suggesting a possible evolutionary link between them. Through binary evolution calculations, we show that the accretion disks in almost all LMXBs are subject to the thermal-viscous instability during certain evolutionary stages, and the parameter space for the disk instability covers the distribution of known redbacks in the orbital period—companion mass plane. We accordingly suggest that the abrupt reduction of the mass accretion rate during quiescence of transient LMXBs provides a plausible way to switch on the pulsar activity, leading to the formation of redbacks, if the neutron star has been spun up to be an energetic MSP. We investigate the evolution of redbacks, taking into account the evaporation feedback, and discuss its possible influence on the formation of black widow MSPs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

A transient site balance model for atomic layer etching

We present a transient site balance model of plasma-assisted atomic layer etching of silicon (Si) with alternating exposure to chlorine gas (Cl 2 ) and argon ions (Ar + ). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results are used to provide parameters for the model. The model couples the dynamics of a top monolayer surface region ('top layer') and a perfectly mixed subsurface region ('mixed layer'). The differential equations describing the rates of change of the Cl coverage in the two layers are transient mass balances. Model predictions include Cl coverages and rates of etching of various species from the surface as a function of Cl 2 or Ar + fluence. The simplified phenomenological model reproduces the MD simulation results well over a range of conditions. Comparing model predictions directly to experimental optical emission spectroscopy data, as reported in a previous paper, provides further evidence of the accuracy of the model.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Transients from initial conditions based on Lagrangian perturbation theory in N-body simulations II: the effect of the transverse mode

We study the initial conditions for cosmological N-body simulations for precision cosmology. In general, Zel'dovich approximation has been applied for the initial conditions of N-body simulations for a long time. These initial conditions provide incorrect higher-order growth. These error caused by setting up the initial conditions by perturbation theory is called transients. We investigated the impact of transient on non-Gaussianity of density field by performing cosmological N-body simulations with initial conditions based on first-, second-, and third-order Lagrangian perturbation theory in previous paper. In this paper, we evaluates the effect of the transverse mode in the third-order Lagrangian perturbation theory for several statistical quantities such as power spectrum and non-Gaussianty. Then we clarified that the effect of the transverse mode in the third-order Lagrangian perturbation theory is quite small.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF THE HEAT RELEASE IN THE OUTER CRUST OF THE TRANSIENTLY ACCRETING NEUTRON STAR XTE J1709-267

The heating and cooling of transiently accreting neutron stars provides a powerful probe of the structure and composition of their crust. Observations of superbursts and cooling of accretion-heated neutron stars require more heat release than is accounted for in current models. Obtaining firm constraints on the depth and magnitude of this extra heat is challenging and therefore its origin remains uncertain. We report on Swift and XMM-Newton observations of the transient neutron star low-mass X-ray binary XTE J1709-267, which were made in 2012 September-October when it transitioned to quiescence after a {approx_equal}10 week long accretion outburst. The source is detected with XMM-Newton at a 0.5-10 keV luminosity of L{sub X} {approx_equal} 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 34}(D/8.5 kpc){sup 2} erg s{sup -1}. The X-ray spectrum consists of a thermal component that fits to a neutron star atmosphere model and a non-thermal emission tail, each of which contribute {approx_equal}50% to the total flux. The neutron star temperature decreases from {approx_equal}158 to {approx_equal}152 eV during the {approx_equal}8 hr long observation. This can be interpreted as cooling of a crustal layer located at a column density of y {approx_equal} 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 12} g cm{sup -2} ({approx_equal}50 m inside the neutron star), which is just below the ignition depth of superbursts. The required heat generation in the layers on top would be {approx_equal}0.06-0.13 MeV per accreted nucleon. The magnitude and depth rule out electron captures and nuclear fusion reactions as the heat source, but it may be accounted for by chemical separation of light and heavy nuclei. Low-level accretion offers an alternative explanation for the observed variability.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

NuSTAR DISCOVERY OF A 3.76 s TRANSIENT MAGNETAR NEAR SAGITTARIUS A*

We report the discovery of 3.76 s pulsations from a new burst source near Sgr A* observed by the NuSTAR observatory. The strong signal from SGR J1745-29 presents a complex pulse profile modulated with pulsed fraction 27% {+-} 3% in the 3-10 keV band. Two observations spaced nine days apart yield a spin-down rate of P-dot =(6.5 {+-} 1.4) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -12}. This implies a magnetic field B = 1.6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} G, spin-down power E-dot =5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 33} erg s{sup -1}, and characteristic age P/2 P-dot =9 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 3} yr for the rotating dipole model. However, the current P-dot may be erratic, especially during outburst. The flux and modulation remained steady during the observations and the 3-79 keV spectrum is well fitted by a combined blackbody plus power-law model with temperature kT{sub BB} = 0.96 {+-} 0.02 keV and photon index {Gamma} = 1.5 {+-} 0.4. The neutral hydrogen column density (N{sub H} {approx} 1.4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 23} cm{sup -2}) measured by NuSTAR and Swift suggests that SGR J1745-29 is located at or near the Galactic center. The lack of an X-ray counterpart in the published Chandra survey catalog sets a quiescent 2-8 keV luminosity limit of L{sub x} {approx}< 10{sup 32} erg s{sup -1}. The bursting, timing, and spectral properties indicate a transient magnetar undergoing an outburst with 2-79 keV luminosity up to 3.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 35} erg s{sup -1} for a distance of 8 kpc. SGR J1745-29 joins a growing subclass of transient magnetars, indicating that many magnetars in quiescence remain undetected in the X-ray band or have been detected as high-B radio pulsars. The peculiar location of SGR J1745-29 has important implications for the formation and dynamics of neutron stars in the Galactic center region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

PROGENITOR MODELS OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSIENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORT GAMMA RAY BURST 130603B

An electromagnetic transient powered by the radioactive decay of r-process elements, a so-called kilonova/macronova, is one of the possible observable consequences of compact binary mergers including at least one neutron star. Recent observations strongly suggest the discovery of the first electromagnetic transient, which is associated with the short gamma ray burst 130603B. We explore a possible progenitor of this event by combining numerical-relativity simulations and radiative transfer simulations of the dynamical ejecta of binary neutron star and black hole-neutron star mergers. We show that the ejecta models within a realistic parameter range consistently reproduce the observed near-infrared excess. We also show that the soft equation-of-state models for binary neutron star mergers and the stiff equation-of-state models for black hole-neutron star mergers are suitable for reproducing the observed luminosity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

DISCOVERY OF THE TRANSIENT MAGNETAR 3XMM J185246.6+003317 NEAR SUPERNOVA REMNANT KESTEVEN 79 WITH XMM-NEWTON

We report the serendipitous discovery with XMM-Newton that 3XMM J185246.6+003317 is an 11.56 s X-ray pulsar located 1' away from the southern boundary of supernova remnant Kes 79. The spin-down rate of 3XMM J185246.6+003317 is <1.1 × 10{sup –13} s s{sup –1}, which, together with the long period P = 11.5587126(4) s, indicates a dipolar surface magnetic field of <3.6 × 10{sup 13} G, a characteristic age of >1.7 Myr, and a spin-down luminosity of <2.8 × 10{sup 30} erg s{sup –1}. Its X-ray spectrum is best-fitted with a resonant Compton scattering model and also can be adequately described by a blackbody model. The observations covering a seven-month span from 2008 to 2009 show variations in the spectral properties of the source, with the luminosity decreasing from 2.7 × 10{sup 34} erg s{sup –1} to 4.6 × 10{sup 33} erg s{sup –1}, along with a decrease of the blackbody temperature from kT ≈ 0.8 keV to ≈0.6 keV. The X-ray luminosity of the source is higher than its spin-down luminosity, ruling out rotation as a power source. The combined timing and spectral properties, the non-detection of any optical or infrared counterpart, together with the lack of detection of the source in archival X-ray data prior to the 2008 XMM-Newton observation, point to 3XMM J185246.6+003317 being a newly discovered transient low-B magnetar undergoing an outburst decay during the XMM-Newton observations. The non-detection by Chandra in 2001 sets an upper limit of 4 × 10{sup 32} erg s{sup –1} to the quiescent luminosity of 3XMM J185246.6+003317. Its period is the longest among currently known transient magnetars. The foreground absorption toward 3XMM J185246.6+003317 is similar to that of Kes 79, suggesting a similar distance of ∼7.1 kpc.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

X-RAY TRANSIENTS: HYPER- OR HYPO-LUMINOUS?

The disk instability picture gives a plausible explanation for the behavior of soft X-ray transient systems if self-irradiation of the disk is included. We show that there is a simple relation between the peak luminosity (at the start of an outburst) and the decay timescale. We use this relation to place constraints on systems assumed to undergo disk instabilities. The observable X-ray populations of elliptical galaxies must largely consist of long-lived transients, as deduced on different grounds by Piro and Bildsten (2002). The strongly varying X-ray source HLX-1 in the galaxy ESO 243-49 can be modeled as disk instability of a highly super-Eddington stellar-mass binary similar to SS 433. A fit to the disk instability picture is not possible with an intermediate-mass black hole model for HLX-1. Other recently identified super-Eddington ULXs might be subject to disk instability.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗