0000000000135434
AUTHOR
Jörn Wilms
The unusual multiwavelength properties of the gamma-ray source PMN J1603-4904
We investigate the nature and classification of PMNJ1603-4904, a bright radio source close to the Galactic plane, which is associated with one of the brightest hard-spectrum gamma-ray sources detected by Fermi/LAT. It has previously been classified as a low-peaked BL Lac object based on its broadband emission and the absence of optical emission lines. Optical measurements, however, suffer strongly from extinction and the absence of pronounced short-time gamma-ray variability over years of monitoring is unusual for a blazar. We are combining new and archival multiwavelength data in order to reconsider the classification and nature of this unusual gamma-ray source. For the first time, we stud…
Results from DROXO IV. EXTraS discovery of an X-ray flare from the Class I protostar candidate ISO-Oph 85
X-ray emission from Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) is crucial to understand star formation. A very limited amount of X-ray results is available for the protostellar (ClassI) phase. A systematic search of transient X-ray phenomena combined with a careful evaluation of the evolutionary stage offer a widely unexplored window to our understanding of YSOs X-ray properties. Within the EXTraS project, a search for transients and variability in the whole XMM-Newton archive, we discover transient X-ray emission consistent with ISO-Oph 85, a strongly embedded YSO in the rho Ophiuchi region, not detected in previous time-averaged X-ray studies. We extract an X-ray light curve for the flare and determine…
A 0535+26 in the August/September 2005 outburst observed by RXTE and INTEGRAL
In this Letter we present results from INTEGRAL and RXTE observations of the spectral and timing behavior of the High Mass X-ray Binary A 0535+26 during its August/September 2005 normal (type I) outburst with an average flux F(5-100keV)~400mCrab. The search for cyclotron resonance scattering features (fundamental and harmonic) is one major focus of the paper. Our analysis is based on data from INTEGRAL and RXTE Target of Opportunity Observations performed during the outburst. The pulse period is determined. X-ray pulse profiles in different energy ranges are analyzed. The broad band INTEGRAL and RXTE pulse phase averaged X-ray spectra are studied. The evolution of the fundamental cyclotron …
VLBA polarimetric monitoring of 3C 111
Context. While studies of large samples of jets of active galactic nuclei (AGN) are important in order to establish a global picture, dedicated single-source studies are an invaluable tool for probing crucial processes within jets on parsec scales. These processes involve in particular the formation and geometry of the jet magnetic field as well as the flow itself. Aims. We aim to better understand the dynamics within relativistic magneto-hydrodynamical flows in the extreme environment and close vicinity of supermassive black holes. Methods. We analyze the peculiar radio galaxy 3C 111, for which long-Term polarimetric observations are available. We make use of the high spatial resolution of…
Structural Variability of 3C 111 on Parsec Scales
We discuss the parsec-scale structural variability of the extragalactic jet 3C111 related to a major radio flux density outburst in 2007. The data analyzed were taken within the scope of the MOJAVE, UMRAO, and F-GAMMA programs, which monitor a large sample of the radio brightest compact extragalactic jets with the VLBA, the University of Michigan 26 m, the Effelsberg 100 m, and the IRAM 30m radio telescopes. The analysis of the VLBA data is performed by fitting Gaussian model components in the visibility domain. We associate the ejection of bright features in the radio jet with a major flux-density outburst in 2007. The evolution of these features suggests the formation of a leading compone…
The Wide Field Imager of the International X-ray Observatory
The International X-ray Observatory (IXO) will be a joint X-ray observatory mission by ESA, NASA and JAXA. It will have a large effective area (3 m 2 at 1.25 keV) grazing incidence mirror system with good angular resolution (5 arcsec at 0.1–10 keV) and will feature a comprehensive suite of scientific instruments: an X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer, a High Time Resolution Spectrometer, an X-ray Polarimeter, an X-ray Grating Spectrometer, a Hard X-ray Imager and a Wide-Field Imager. The Wide Field Imager (WFI) has a field-of-view of 18 ft � 18 ft. It will be sensitive between 0.1 and 15 keV, offer the full angular resolution of the mirrors and good energy resolution. The WFI will be imple…
A search for time dependent neutrino emission from microquasars with the ANTARES telescope
[EN] Results are presented on a search for neutrino emission from a sample of six microquasars, based on the data collected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope between 2007 and 2010. By means of appropriate time cuts, the neutrino search has been restricted to the periods when the acceleration of relativistic jets was taking place at the microquasars under study. The time cuts have been chosen using the information from the X-ray telescopes RXTE/ASM and Swift/BAT, and, in one case, the gamma-ray telescope Fermi/LAT. No statistically significant excess has been observed, thus upper limits on the neutrino fluences have been derived and compared to the predictions by models. Constraints have bee…
Extended X-ray emission in PKS 1718-649
PKS 1718$-$649 is one of the closest and most comprehensively studied candidates of a young active galactic nucleus (AGN) that is still embedded in its optical host galaxy. The compact radio structure, with a maximal extent of a few parsecs, makes it a member of the group of compact symmetric objects (CSO). Its environment imposes a turnover of the radio synchrotron spectrum towards lower frequencies, also classifying PKS 1718$-$649 as gigahertz-peaked radio spectrum (GPS) source. Its close proximity has allowed the first detection of extended X-ray emission in a GPS/CSO source with Chandra that is for the most part unrelated to nuclear feedback. However, not much is known about the nature …
The TANAMI Multiwavelength Program: Dynamic spectral energy distributions of southern blazars
We thank the referee for helpful comments. We thank S. Cutini for her useful comments. We thank S. Markoff for helpful discussions. We thank J. Perkins, L. Baldini, and S. Digel for carefully reading the manuscript. We thank M. Buxton for her help with the SMARTS data. We acknowledge support and partial funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant WI 1860-10/1 (TANAMI) and GRK 1147, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt grants 50 OR 1311 and 50 OR 1103, and the Helmholtz Alliance for Astroparticle Physics (HAP). This research was funded in part by NASA through Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNH09ZDA001N, NH10ZDA001N, NNH12ZDA001N, and NNH13ZDA001N-FERMI. This research was suppo…
The Gamma-Ray Emitting Radio-Loud Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy PKS 2004-447 II. The Radio View
Gamma-ray detected radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (g-NLS1) galaxies constitute a small but interesting sample of the gamma-ray loud AGN. The radio-loudest g-NLS1 known, PKS 2004-447, is located in the southern hemisphere and is monitored in the radio regime by the multiwavelength monitoring program TANAMI. We aim for the first detailed study of the radio morphology and long-term radio spectral evolution of PKS 2004-447, which are essential to understand the diversity of the radio properties of g-NLS1s. The TANAMI VLBI monitoring program uses the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) and telescopes in Antarctica, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa to monitor the jets of radio-loud active …
The Large Area Detector of LOFT: the Large Observatory for X-ray Timing
LOFT (Large Observatory for X-ray Timing) is one of the five candidates that were considered by ESA as an M3 mission (with launch in 2022-2024) and has been studied during an extensive assessment phase. It is specifically designed to perform fast X-ray timing and probe the status of the matter near black holes and neutron stars. Its pointed instrument is the Large Area Detector (LAD), a 10 m 2 -class instrument operating in the 2-30keV range, which holds the capability to revolutionise studies of variability from X-ray sources on the millisecond time scales. The LAD instrument has now completed the assessment phase but was not down-selected for launch. However, during the assessment, most o…
Discovery of slow X-ray pulsations in the high-mass X-ray binary 4U 2206+54
Context. The source 4U 2206+54 is one of the most enigmatic high-mass X-ray binaries. In spite of intensive searches, X-ray pul- sations have not been detected in the time range 10−3–103 s. A cyclotron line at ∼30 keV has been suggested by various authors but never detected with significance. The stellar wind of the optical companion is abnormally slow. The orbital period, initially reported to be 9.6 days, disappeared and a new periodicity of 19.25 days emerged. Aims. The main objective of our RXTE monitoring of 4U 2206+54 is to study the X-ray orbital variability of the spectral and timing parameters. The new long and uninterrupted RXTE observations allow us to search for long (∼1 h) puls…
A Highly Magnetized Twin-Jet Base Pinpoints a Supermassive Black Hole
Supermassive black holes (SMBH) are essential for the production of jets in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN). Theoretical models based on Blandford & Znajek extract the rotational energy from a Kerr black hole, which could be the case for NGC1052, to launch these jets. This requires magnetic fields of the order of $10^3\,$G to $10^4\,$G. We imaged the vicinity of the SMBH of the AGN NGC1052 with the Global Millimetre VLBI Array and found a bright and compact central feature, smaller than 1.9 light days (100 Schwarzschild radii) in radius. Interpreting this as a blend of the unresolved jet bases, we derive the magnetic field at 1 Schwarzschild radius to lie between 200 G and ~8000…
The x-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer onboard Athena
Trabajo presentado a la conferencia: "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray" celebrada en Amsterdam (Holanda) el 1 de julio de 2012.-- et al.
Sub-milliarcsecond imaging of a bright flare and ejection event in the extragalactic jet 3C 111
Context. Flares in radio-loud active galactic nuclei are thought to be associated with the injection of fresh plasma into the compact jet base. Such flares are usually strongest and appear earlier at shorter radio wavelengths. Hence, very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) at millimeter(mm)-wavelengths is the best-suited technique for studying the earliest structural changes of compact jets associated with emission flares. Aims. We study the morphological changes of the parsec-scale jet in the nearby (z = 0.049) γ-ray bright radio galaxy 3C 111 following a flare that developed into a major radio outburst in 2007. Methods. We analyse three successive observations of 3C 111 at 86 GHz with th…
The wide-field imager for IXO: status and future activities
The Wide Field Imager (WFI) of the International X-ray Observatory (IXO) is an X-ray imaging spectrometer based on a large monolithic DePFET (Depleted P-channel Field Effect Transistor) Active Pixel Sensor. Filling an area of 10 x 10 cm2 with a format of 1024 x 1024 pixels it will cover a field of view of 18 arcmin. The pixel size of 100 x 100 μm2 corresponds to a fivefold oversampling of the telescope's expected 5 arcsec point spread function. The WFI's basic DePFET structure combines the functionalities of sensor and integrated amplifier with nearly Fano-limited energy resolution and high efficiency from 100 eV to 15 keV. The development of dedicated control and amplifier ASICs allows for…
TANAMI: Tracking Active Galactic Nuclei with Austral Milliarcsecond Interferometry - II. Additional Sources
TANAMI is a multiwavelength program monitoring active galactic nuclei (AGN) south of -30deg declination including high-resolution Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) imaging, radio, optical/UV, X-ray and gamma-ray studies. We have previously published first-epoch 8.4GHz VLBI images of the parsec-scale structure of the initial sample. In this paper, we present images of 39 additional sources. The full sample comprises most of the radio- and gamma-ray brightest AGN in the southern quarter of the sky, overlapping with the region from which high-energy (>100TeV) neutrino events have been found. We characterize the parsec-scale radio properties of the jets and compare with the quasi-simu…
The ANTARES telescope neutrino alert system
The ANTARES telescope has the capability to detect neutrinos produced in astrophysical transient sources. Potential sources include gamma-ray bursts, core collapse supernovae, and flaring active galactic nuclei. To enhance the sensitivity of ANTARES to such sources, a new detection method based on coincident observations of neutrinos and optical signals has been developed. A fast online muon track reconstruction is used to trigger a network of small automatic optical telescopes. Such alerts are generated for special events, such as two or more neutrinos, coincident in time and direction, or single neutrinos of very high energy.
Search for muon neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts with the ANTARES neutrino telescope using 2008 to 2011 data
Aims. We search for muon neutrinos in coincidence with GRBs with the ANTARES neutrino detector using data from the end of 2007 to 2011. Methods. Expected neutrino fluxes were calculated for each burst individually. The most recent numerical calculations of the spectra using the NeuCosmA code were employed, which include Monte Carlo simulations of the full underlying photohadronic interaction processes. The discovery probability for a selection of 296 GRBs in the given period was optimised using an extended maximum-likelihood strategy. Results. No significant excess over background is found in the data, and 90% confidence level upper limits are placed on the total expected flux according to …
The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing
The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) was studied within ESA M3 Cosmic Vision framework and participated in the final down-selection for a launch slot in 2022-2024. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument, LOFT will study the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions, such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions of accretion flows close to black holes and neutron stars, and the supra-nuclear densities in the interior of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, 10 m 2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1 deg collimated field of view) and a WideFi…
First Multi-wavelength Campaign on the Gamma-ray-loud Active Galaxy IC 310
The extragalactic VHE gamma-ray sky is rich in blazars. These are jetted active galactic nuclei viewed at a small angle to the line-of-sight. Only a handful of objects viewed at a larger angle are known so far to emit above 100 GeV. Multi-wavelength studies of such objects up to the highest energies provide new insights into the particle and radiation processes of active galactic nuclei. We report the results from the first multi-wavelength campaign observing the TeV detected nucleus of the active galaxy IC 310, whose jet is observed at a moderate viewing angle of 10 deg - 20 deg. The multi-instrument campaign was conducted between 2012 Nov. and 2013 Jan., and involved observations with MAG…
Development of the wide field imager for Athena
The WFI (Wide Field Imager) instrument is planned to be one of two complementary focal plane cameras on ESA's next X-ray observatory Athena. It combines unprecedented survey power through its large field of view of 40 arcmin x 40 arcmin together with excellent count-rate capability (>= 1 Crab). The energy resolution of the silicon sensor is state-of-the-art in the energy band of interest from 0.2 keV to 15 keV, e.g. the full width at half maximum of a line at 6 keV will be <= 150 eV until the end of the nominal mission phase. This performance is accomplished by using DEPFET active pixel sensors with a pixel size of 130 μm x 130 μm well suited to the on-axis angular resolution of 5 arcsec of…
Measurement of atmospheric neutrino oscillations with the ANTARES neutrino telescope
The data taken with the ANTARES neutrino telescope from 2007 to 2010, a total live time of 863 days, are used to measure the oscillation parameters of atmospheric neutrinos. Muon tracks are reconstructed with energies as low as 20 GeV. Neutrino oscillations will cause a suppression of vertical upgoing muon neutrinos of such energies crossing the Earth. The parameters determining the oscillation of atmospheric neutrinos are extracted by fitting the event rate as a function of the ratio of the estimated neutrino energy and reconstructed flight path through the Earth. Measurement contours of the oscillation parameters in a two-flavour approximation are derived. Assuming maximal mixing, a mass …
The enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission—eXTP
In this paper we present the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission - eXTP. eXTP is a space science mission designed to study fundamental physics under extreme conditions of density, gravity and magnetism. The mission aims at determining the equation of state of matter at supra-nuclear density, measuring effects of QED, and understanding the dynamics of matter in strong-field gravity. In addition to investigating fundamental physics, eXTP will be a very powerful observatory for astrophysics that will provide observations of unprecedented quality on a variety of galactic and extragalactic objects. In particular, its wide field monitoring capabilities will be highly instrumental to det…
Single-Dish Radio Polarimetry in the F-GAMMA Program with the Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope
Studying the variability of polarized AGN jet emission in the radio band is crucial for understanding the dynamics of moving shocks as well as the structure of the underlying magnetic field. The 100-m Effelsberg Telescope is a high-quality instrument for studying the long-term variability of both total and polarized intensity as well as the electric-vector position angle. Since 2007, the F-GAMMA program has been monitoring the linear polarized emission of roughly 60 blazars at 11 frequencies between 2.7 and 43 GHz. Here, we describe the calibration of the polarimetric data at 5 and 10 GHz and the resulting F-GAMMA full-Stokes light curves for the exemplary case of the radio galaxy 3C 111.
INTEGRAL/RXTE Observations of Cygnus X-1
We present first results from contemporaneous observations of Cygnus X-1 with INTEGRAL and RXTE, made during INTEGRAL's performance verification phase in 2002 November and December. Consistent with earlier results, the 3-250 keV data are well described by Comptonization spectra from a Compton corona with a temperature of kT~50-90 keV and an optical depth of tau~1.0-1.3 plus reflection from a cold or mildly ionized slab with a covering factor of Omega/2pi~0.2-0.3. A soft excess below 10 keV, interpreted as emission from the accretion disk, is seen to decrease during the 1.5 months spanned by our observations. Our results indicate a remarkable consistency among the independently calibrated de…
The pre-outburst flare of the A 0535+26 August/September 2005 outburst
We study the spectral and temporal behavior of the High Mass X-ray Binary A 0535+26 during a `pre-outburst flare' which took place ~5 d before the peak of a normal (type I) outburst in August/September 2005. We compare the studied behavior with that observed during the outburst. We analyse RXTE observations that monitored A 0535+26 during the outburst. We complete spectral and timing analyses of the data. We study the evolution of the pulse period, present energy-dependent pulse profiles both at the initial pre-outburst flare and close to outburst maximum, and measure how the cyclotron resonance-scattering feature (hereafter CRSF) evolves. We present three main results: a constant period P=…
Millimeter VLBI of NGC 1052: Dynamics
The LINER galaxy NGC 1052 is an ideal target to study the innermost regions of active galactic nuclei (AGN), given its close distance of about 20 Mpc. The source was observed at 29 epochs from 2005 to 2009 with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 43 GHz. Here, we present a kinematic study of its twin-jet system from a subset of 9 epochs at 43 GHz carried out in 2005 and 2006, finding a bright central feature as the dynamic center. The resulting mean velocities of β = v / c = 0 . 46 ± 0 . 08 and β = 0 . 69 ± 0 . 02 for the western and eastern jet, respectively, give hints towards higher velocities in the eastern jet.
First search for neutrinos in correlation with gamma-ray bursts with the ANTARES neutrino telescope
A search for neutrino-induced muons in correlation with a selection of 40 gamma-ray bursts that occurred in 2007 has been performed with the ANTARES neutrino telescope. During that period, the detector consisted of 5 detection lines. The ANTARES neutrino telescope is sensitive to TeV-PeV neutrinos that are predicted from gamma-ray bursts. No events were found in correlation with the prompt photon emission of the gamma-ray bursts and upper limits have been placed on the flux and fluence of neutrinos for different models.
Black hole lightning due to particle acceleration at subhorizon scales
Supermassive black holes with masses of millions to billions of solar masses are commonly found in the centers of galaxies. Astronomers seek to image jet formation using radio interferometry, but still suffer from insufficient angular resolution. An alternative method to resolve small structures is to measure the time variability of their emission. Here, we report on gamma-ray observations of the radio galaxy IC 310 obtained with the MAGIC telescopes revealing variability with doubling time scales faster than 4.8 min. Causality constrains the size of the emission region to be smaller than 20\% of the gravitational radius of its central black hole. We suggest that the emission is associated …
Coincidence of a high-fluence blazar outburst with a PeV-energy neutrino event
The discovery of extraterrestrial very-high-energy neutrinos by the IceCube collaboration has launched a quest for the identification of their astrophysical sources. Gamma-ray blazars have been predicted to yield a cumulative neutrino signal exceeding the atmospheric background above energies of 100 TeV, assuming that both the neutrinos and the gamma-ray photons are produced by accelerated protons in relativistic jets. Since the background spectrum falls steeply with increasing energy, the individual events with the clearest signature of being of an extraterrestrial origin are those at PeV energies. Inside the large positional-uncertainty fields of the first two PeV neutrinos detected by Ic…
A method for detection of muon induced electromagnetic showers with the ANTARES detector
The primary aim of ANTARES is neutrino astronomy with upward going muons created in charged current muon neutrino interactions in the detector and its surroundings. Downward going muons are background for neutrino searches. These muons are the decay products of cosmic-ray collisions in the Earths atmosphere far above the detector. This paper presents a method to identify and count electromagnetic showers induced along atmospheric muon tracks with the ANTARES detector. The method is applied to both cosmic muon data and simulations and its applicability to the reconstruction of muon event energies is demonstrated. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The gamma-ray emitting radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy PKS 2004-447 I. The X-ray View
As part of the TANAMI multiwavelength progam, we discuss new X-ray observations of the $\gamma$-ray and radio-loud Narrow Line Seyfert galaxy ($\gamma$-NLS1) PKS 2004-447. The active galaxy is a member of a small sample of radio-loud NLS1s detected in $\gamma$-rays by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. It is the radio-loudest and only southern-hemisphere source in this sample. We present results from our X-ray monitoring program comprised of Swift snapshot observations from 2012 through 2014 and two new X-ray observations with XMM-Newton in 2012. We analyze the X-ray spectrum and variability of this peculiar source using supplementary archival data from 2004 and 2011. The (0.5-10) keV spectrum…
TANAMI monitoring of Centaurus A: The complex dynamics in the inner parsec of an extragalactic jet
Centaurus A is the closest radio-loud active galaxy. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) enables us to study the jet-counterjet system on milliarcsecond (mas) scales, providing essential information for jet emission and propagation models. We study the evolution of the central parsec jet structure of Cen A over 3.5 years. The proper motion analysis of individual jet components allows us to constrain jet formation and propagation and to test the proposed correlation of increased high energy flux with jet ejection events. Cen A is an exceptional laboratory for such detailed study as its proximity translates to unrivaled linear resolution, where 1 mas corresponds to 0.018 pc. The first 7 …