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First X-Ray Polarization Measurement Confirms the Low Black Hole Spin in LMC X-3
Full text linkX-ray polarization is a powerful tool to investigate the geometry of accreting material around black holes, allowing independent measurements of the black hole spin and orientation of the innermost parts of the accretion disk. We perform X-ray spectropolarimetric analysis of an X-ray binary system in the Large Magellanic Cloud, LMC X-3, that hosts a stellar-mass black hole, known to be persistently accreting since its discovery. We report the first detection of the X-ray polarization in LMC X-3 with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, and find the average polarization degree (PD) of 3.2% ± 0.6% and a constant polarization angle of -42° ± 6° over the 2-8 keV range. Using accompanying spectroscopic observations by NICER, NuSTAR, and the Neil Gehrels Swift observatories, we confirm previous measurements of the black hole spin via the X-ray continuum method, a ≈ 0.2. From polarization analysis only, we found consistent results with low black hole spin, with an upper limit of a < 0.7 at a 90% confidence level. A slight increase in the PD with energy, similar to other black hole X-ray binaries in the soft state, is suggested from the data but with a low statistical significance
Parameter Estimation for Open Clusters using an Artificial Neural Network with a QuadTree-based Feature Extractor
Full text linkWith the unprecedented increase in the number of known star clusters, quick and modern tools are needed for their analysis. In this work, we develop an artificial neural network (ANN) trained on synthetic clusters to estimate the age, metallicity, extinction, and distance of Gaia open clusters. We implement a novel technique to extract features from the color-magnitude diagram of clusters by means of the QuadTree tool, and we adopt a multiband approach. We obtain reliable parameters for ∼5400 clusters. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our methodology in accurately determining crucial parameters of Gaia open clusters by performing a comprehensive scientific validation. In particular, with our analysis we have been able to reproduce the Galactic metallicity gradient as it is observed by high-resolution spectroscopic surveys. This demonstrates that our method reliably extracts information on metallicity from color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of stellar clusters. For the sample of clusters studied, we find an intriguing systematic older age compared to previous analyses present in the literature. This work introduces a novel approach to feature extraction using a QuadTree algorithm, effectively tracing sequences in CMDs despite photometric errors and outliers. The adoption of ANNs, rather than convolutional neural networks, maintains the full positional information and improves performance, while also demonstrating the potential for deriving cluster parameters from simultaneous analysis of multiple photometric bands, beneficial for upcoming telescopes like the Vera Rubin Observatory. The implementation of ANN tools with robust isochrone fit techniques could provide further improvements in the quest for open cluster parameters
The detection of polarized X-ray emission from the magnetar 1E 2259+586
Full text linkWe report on IXPE, NICER, and XMM-Newton observations of the magnetar 1E 2259+586. We find that the source is significantly polarized at about or above 20 per cent for all phases except for the secondary peak where it is more weakly polarized. The polarization degree is strongest during the primary minimum which is also the phase where an absorption feature has been identified previously. The polarization angle of the photons are consistent with a rotating vector model with a mode switch between the primary minimum and the rest of the rotation of the neutron star. We propose a scenario in which the emission at the source is weakly polarized (as in a condensed surface) and, as the radiation passes through a plasma arch, resonant cyclotron scattering off of protons produces the observed polarized radiation. This confirms the magnetar nature of the source with a surface field greater than about 1015 G
The Proper Motion of the High Galactic Latitude Pulsar Calvera
Full text linkCalvera (1RXS J141256.0+792204) is a pulsar of characteristic age 285 kyr at a high Galactic latitude of b = +37°, detected only in soft thermal X-rays. We measure a new and precise proper motion for Calvera using Chandra High Resolution Camera observations obtained 10 yr apart. We also derive a new phase-connected ephemeris using 6 yr of NICER data, including the astrometric position and proper motion as fixed parameters in the timing solution. Calvera is located near the center of a faint, circular radio ring that was recently discovered by LOFAR and confirmed as a supernova remnant (SNR) by the detection of γ-ray emission with Fermi Large Area Telescope. The proper motion of 78.5 ± 2.9 mas yr−1 at position angle 241fdg3 ± 2fdg2 (in Galactic coordinates) points away from the center of the ring, a result which differs markedly from a previous low-significance measurement, and greatly simplifies the interpretation of the SNR/pulsar association. It argues that the supernova indeed birthed Calvera <10 kyr ago, with an initial spin period close to its present value of 59 ms. The tangential velocity of the pulsar depends on its uncertain distance, vt = (372 ± 14)d1 kpc km s−1, but is probably dominated by the supernova kick, while its progenitor could have been a runaway O or B star from the Galactic disk
Radio outburst from a massive (proto)star: III. Unveiling the bipolarity of the radio jet from S255IR NIRS 3
Full text linkWe report new Very Large Array high-resolution observations of the radio jet from the outbursting high-mass star S255IR NIRS 3. The images at 6, 10, and 22.2 GHz confirm the existence of a new lobe emerging to the SW and expanding at a mean speed of ~285 km s-1, about half as fast as the NE lobe. The new data allow us to reproduce both the morphology and the continuum spectrum of the two lobes with the model already adopted in our previous studies. We conclude that in all likelihood both lobes are powered by the same accretion outburst. We also find that the jet is currently fading down, recollimating, and recombining
Density distributions, magnetic field structures, and fragmentation in high-mass star formation
Full text linkContext. The fragmentation of high-mass star-forming regions depends on a variety of physical parameters, including density, the magnetic field, and turbulent gas properties. Aims: We evaluate the importance of the density and magnetic field structures in relation to the fragmentation properties during high-mass star formation. Methods: Observing the large parsec-scale Stokes I millimeter dust continuum emission with the IRAM 30 m telescope and the intermediate-scale ( Results: Based on the IRAM 30 m data, we infer density distributions n ∝ r−p of the regions with typical power-law slopes p around ~1.5. There is no obvious correlation between the power-law slopes of the density structures on larger clump scales (~1 pc) and the number of fragments on smaller core scales (I−0.62. We estimate magnetic field strengths between ~0.2 and ~4.5 mG, and we find no clear correlation between magnetic field strength and the fragmentation level of the regions. A comparison of the turbulent to magnetic energies shows that they are of roughly equal importance in this sample. The mass-to-flux ratios range between ~2 and ~7, consistent with collapsing star-forming regions. Conclusions: Finding no clear correlations between the present-day large-scale density structure, the magnetic field strength, and the smaller-scale fragmentation properties of the regions, indicates that the fragmentation of high-mass star-forming regions may not be affected strongly by the initial density profiles and magnetic field properties. However, considering the limited evolutionary range and spatial scales of the presented CORE analysis, future research directions should include density structure analysis of younger regions that better resemble the initial conditions, as well as connecting the observed intermediate-scale magnetic field structure with the larger-scale magnetic fields of the parental molecular clouds. Reduced images are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/682/A81..
The nature of compact radio-loud AGN: a systematic look at the LOFAR AGN population
Full text linkWe investigate the nature of low-luminosity radio-loud active galactic nuclei (RLAGN) selected from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) first data release (DR1). Using optical, mid-infrared, and radio data, we have conservatively selected 55 radiative AGN candidates from DR1 within the redshift range 0.03 1-3 kpc, 42 are compact at the limiting resolution of 0.35 arcsec (taking an upper limit on the projected physical size, this corresponds to less than 1 kpc), and three are undetected. The extended objects display a wide range of radio morphologies: two-jet (5), one-jet (4), and double-lobed (1). We present the radio spectra of all detected radio sources which range from steep to flat/inverted and span the range seen for other compact radio sources such as compact symmetric objects (CSOs), compact steep spectrum (CSS) sources, and gigahertz peaked-spectrum (GPS) sources. Assuming synchrotron self-absorption (SSA) for flat/inverted radio spectrum sources, we predict small physical sizes for compact objects to range between 2 and 53 pc. Alternatively, using free-free absorption (FFA) models, we have estimated the free electron column depth for all compact objects, assuming a homogeneous absorber. We find that these objects do not occupy a special position on the power/linear size (P - D) diagram but some share a region with radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) and the so-called 'FR0' sources in terms of radio luminosity and linear size
MINDS: The DR Tau disk: II. Probing the hot and cold H<inf>2</inf>O reservoirs in the JWST-MIRI spectrum
Full text linkContext. The Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) of the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) gives insights into the chemical richness and complexity of the inner regions of planet-forming disks. Several disks that are compact in the millimetre dust emission have been found by Spitzer to be particularly bright in H2O, which is thought to be caused by the inward drift of icy pebbles. Here, we analyse the H2O-rich spectrum of the compact disk DR Tau using high-quality JWST-MIRI observations. Aims. We infer the H2O column densities (in cm.2) using methods presented in previous works, as well as introducing a new method to fully characterise the pure rotational spectrum. We aim to further characterise the abundances of H2O in the inner regions of this disk and its abundance relative to CO. We also search for emission of other molecular species, such as CH4, NH3, CS, H2, SO2, and larger hydrocarbons; commonly detected species, such as CO, CO2, HCN, and C2H2, have been investigated in our previous paper. Methods. We first use 0D local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) slab models to investigate the excitation properties observed in different wavelength regions across the entire spectrum, probing both the ro-vibrational and rotational transitions. To further analyse the pure rotational spectrum (≥10 μm), we use the spectrum of a large, structured disk (CI Tau) as a template to search for differences with our compact disk. Finally, we fit multiple components to characterise the radial (and vertical) temperature gradient(s) present in the spectrum of DR Tau. Results. The 0D slab models indicate a radial gradient in the disk, as the excitation temperature (emitting radius) decreases (increases) with increasing wavelength, which is confirmed by the analysis involving the large disk template. To explain the derived emitting radii, we need a larger inclination for the inner disk (i ~ 10-23°), agreeing with our previous analysis on CO. From our multi-component fit, we find that at least three temperature components (T1 ~800 K, T2 ~470 K, and T3 ~180 K) are required to reproduce the observed rotational spectrum of H2O arising from the inner Rem ~0.3.8 au. By comparing line ratios, we derived an upper limit on the column densities (in cm.2) for the first two components of log10(N) ≤18.4 within ~1.2 au. We note that the models with a pure temperature gradient provide as robust results as the more complex models, which include spatial line shielding. No robust detection of the isotopologue H2 18O can be made and upper limits are provided for other molecular species. Conclusions. Our analysis confirms the presence of a pure radial temperature gradient present in the inner disk of DR Tau, which can be described by at least three components. This gradient scales roughly as ~R.0.5 em in the emitting layers, in the inner 2 au. As the observed H2O is mainly optically thick, a lower limit on the abundance ratio of H2O/CO~0.17 is derived, suggesting a potential depletion of H2O. Similarly to previous work, we detect a cold H2O component (T ~ 180 K) originating from near the snowline, now with a multi-component analysis. Yet, we cannot conclude whether an enhancement of the H2O reservoir is observed following radial drift. A consistent analysis of a larger sample is necessary to study the importance of drift in enhancing the H2O abundances
CHEX-MATE: Turbulence in the intra-cluster medium from X-ray surface brightness fluctuations
Full text linkThe intra-cluster medium is prone to turbulent motion that will contribute to the non-thermal heating of the gas, complicating the use of galaxy clusters as cosmological probes. Indirect approaches can estimate the intensity and structure of turbulent motions by studying the associated fluctuations in gas density and X-ray surface brightness. In this work, we aim to constrain the gas density fluctuations occurring in the CHEX-MATE sample to obtain a detailed view of their properties in a large population of clusters. To do so, we use a simulation-based approach to constrain the parameters of the power spectrum of density fluctuations, assuming a Kolmogorov-like spectrum and including the stochastic nature of the fluctuation-related observables in the error budget. Using a machine-learning approach, we learn an approximate likelihood for each cluster. This method requires clusters not to be too disturbed, as fluctuations can originate from dynamic processes such as merging. Accordingly, we removed the less relaxed clusters (centroid shift w > 0.02) from our sample, resulting in a sample of 64 clusters. We defined different subsets of CHEX-MATE to determine properties of density fluctuations as a function of dynamical state, mass, and redshift, and we investigated the correlation with the presence or not of a radio halo. We found a positive correlation between the dynamical state and density fluctuation variance, a non-trivial behaviour with mass, and no specific trend with redshift or the presence of a radio halo. The injection scale is mostly constrained by the core region. The slope in the inertial range is consistent with the Kolmogorov theory. When interpreted as originating from turbulent motion, the density fluctuations in R500 yield an average Mach number of ℳ3D ≃ 0.4 ± 0.2, an associated non-thermal pressure support of Pturb/Ptot ≃ (9 ± 6)%, or a hydrostatic mass bias bturb ≃ 0.09 ± 0.06. These findings align with expectations from existing literature
Studying geometry of the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124 using X-ray and optical polarimetry
Full text linkDiscovery of pulsations from a number of ultra-luminous X-ray (ULX) sources proved that accretion onto neutron stars can produce luminosities exceeding the Eddington limit by several orders of magnitude. The conditions necessary to achieve such high luminosities as well as the exact geometry of the accretion flow in the neutron star vicinity are, however, a matter of debate. The pulse phase-resolved polarization measurements that became possible with the launch of the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) can be used to determine the pulsar geometry and its orientation relative to the orbital plane. They provide an avenue to test different theoretical models of ULX pulsars. In this paper we present the results of three IXPE observations of the first Galactic ULX pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124 during its 2023 outburst. We find strong variations in the polarization characteristics with the pulsar phase. The average polarization degree increases from about 5% to 15% as the flux dropped by a factor of three in the course of the outburst. The polarization angle (PA) as a function of the pulsar phase shows two peaks in the first two observations, but changes to a characteristic sawtooth pattern in the remaining data set. This is not consistent with a simple rotating vector model. Assuming the existence of an additional constant polarized component, we were able to fit the three observations with a common rotating vector model and obtain constraints on the pulsar geometry. In particular, we find the pulsar angular momentum inclination with respect to the line of sight of ip = 15°–40°, the magnetic obliquity of θp = 60°–80°, and the pulsar spin position angle of χp ≈ ‑50°, which significantly differs from the constant component PA of about 10°. Combining these X-ray measurements with the optical PA, we find evidence for at least a 30° misalignment between the pulsar angular momentum and the binary orbital axis