2–10 KeV spectra of Crab-like SNR's as observed by EXOSAT

The EXOSAT ME observations of 3C58 and G21.5-0.9 are presented. The data for these objects is considered in conjunction with the data available from EXOSAT for the Crab-like SNR's Crab and Vela X. The objects have single power law spectra with a range of spectral indices of 0.6 to 1.5, 3C58 and Vela X being similar to the Crab whilst G21.5-0.9 and the source associated with the Vela pulsar have significantly flatter spectra. The derived column density for G21.5-0.9 is consistent with a distance of 5 kpc. The X-ray luminosities and overall electromagnetic spectra of these objects are investigated as age indicators and compared to current model predictions.     

Present status of very high energy gamma ray observations

Recent results from observations of the southern sky objects are summarized. The unpulsed, persistent very high energy (VHE) emission from the gamma ray pulsars, the Crab and PSR1706-44, is discussed. A process of energetic electrons ejection may take place from a variety of other objects such as from X-ray binaries, similarly to the pulsars. Such an effect may be seen also in pair halos around extragalactic VHE gamma ray emitters, the observational study of which is still in a preliminary stage in the southern hemisphere.     

Cooling of neutron stars and X-ray observations

Cooling of neutron stars is calculated using an exact stellar evolution code. The full general relativistic version of the stellar structure equations are solved, with the best physical input currently available. For neutron stars with a stiff equation of state, we find that the deviation from the isothermality in the interior is significant and that it takes at least a few thousand years to reach the isothermal state. By comparing the most recent theoretical and observational results, we conclude that for Cas A, SN1006, and probably Tycho, standard cooling is inconsistent with the results from the Einstein Observatory, if neutron stars are assumed to be present in these objects. On the other hand, the detection points for RCW103 and the Crab are consistent with these theoretical results.On leave from Department of Physics, Ibaraki University, Japan     

The modulation collimator in x-ray astronomy

Modulation collimators have been used in recently reported work to determine the angular sizes and celestial positions of the X-ray sources Sco X-1 and Taurus XR-1 (Crab Nebula) with precisions of 15 to 30. The measurements were made by means of four-grid collimators, star photography and optical imaging of the collimators. In the present paper we discuss (1) the principles and uses of various forms of the modulation collimators as they pertain to X-ray astronomy, (2) several methods for determining the celestial positions of X-ray sources with these collimators, (3) the techniques for the alignment and calibration of these detection systems, (4) an image-forming collimator, and finally, (5) some of the optical properties of these grid systems. The modulation collimator is quite versatile and is particularly suited for measurements from spacecraft with relatively poor pointing capability. Thus it should be a useful tool in X-ray astronomy for some years to come.This work was supported in part by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under contracts NASw-1284 and NASw-1535 and grant NSG-386 and in part by the United States Atomic Energy Commission under contract AT (30-1)2098. In addition, certain portions were carried out at California Institute of Technology under National Aeronautics and Space Administration grant NSG-426 and at the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Sciences, Tokyo.     

Techniques in balloon X-ray astronomy

The first balloon observation of a cosmic X-ray source, the Crab Nebula, was made in 1965, only three years after the initial discovery of such sources by rocket observations. Since then balloon data has provided much information on the positions, spectra, time variability and pulsed nature of localized sources, and on the spectrum and isotropy of diffuse galactic and universal components. Measurements are limited to energies above about 20 keV by atmospheric attenuation at 2–3 g cm ^–2 depth and to below several hundred keV by detector sensitivity. Detectors usually consist of large area NaI or CsI scintillation counters with anticoincidence collimators for rejection of charged particles and scattered X-rays. Proportional counters are occasionally used at lower energies and solid state detectors are used where extreme energy resolution is important. The instruments require a pointing capability on the order of 1.0 to 0.1°, depending on the collimator aperture. Digital data is either recorded on board or telemetered using a PCM technique. Exploratory work in the 0.2–10 MeV -ray range is starting now, and balloon observations may be expected to make important contributions in the near future.     

Pulsars as gamma ray sources: Nebular shocks and magnetospheric gaps

I summarize the results of recent research on the structure and particle acceleration properties of relativistic shock waves in which the magnetic field is transverse to the flow direction in the upstream medium, and whose composition is primarily electrons and positrons with an admixture of heavy ions. Shocks which contain heavy ions that are a minority constituent by number but which carry most of the energy density in the upstream medium put 20% of the flow energy into a nonthermal population of pairs downstream, whose distribution in energy space is N(E) E ^-2, where N(E)dE is the number of particles with energy between E and E+dE. Synchrotron maser activity in the shock front, stimulated by the quasi-coherent gyration of the whole particle population as the plasma flowing into the shock reflects from the magnetic field in the shock front, provides the mechanism of thermalization and non-thermal particle acceleration. The maximum energy achievable by the pairs is _± m _± c ² = m _i c ² ₁/Z _i, where ₁ is the Lorentz factor of the upstream flow and Z _i is the atomic number of the ions. The shock's spatial structure contains a series of overshoots in the magnetic field, regions where the gyrating heavy ions compress the magnetic field to levels in excess of the eventual downstream value. These overshoots provide a new interpretation of the structure of the inner regions of the Crab Nebula, in particular of the wisps, surface brightness enhancements near the pulsar. The wisps appear brighter because the small Larmor radius pairs are compressed and radiate more efficiently in the regions of more intense magnetic field. This interpretation suggests that the structure of the shock terminating the pulsar's wind in the Crab Nebula is spatially resolved, and allows one to measure ₁ 4 × 10⁶, the upstream magnetic field B ₁ to be 3 × 10^-5 Gauss, as well as to show that the total ion flow is 3 × 10³⁴ elementary charges/sec, in good agreement with the total current flow predicted by the early Goldreich and Julian (1969) model. The total pair outflow is shown to be about 5 × 10³⁷ pairs per second, in good agreement with the particle flux required to explain the nebular X—ray source.The energetics of particle acceleration within the magnetospheres of rotation powered pulsars and the consequences for pulsed gamma ray emission are also briefly discussed. The gamma ray luminosity above 100 MeV is shown to scale in proportion to _R ^1/2 , as is in accord with some of the simplest ideas about polar cap models. Models based on acceleration in the outer magnetosphere are also briefly discussed.     

The atmospheric Cherenkov technique in Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

The role of the atmospheric Cherenkov technique in the development of Very High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy is described; it is shown that the Crab Nebula has played a critical role in this development. The ability of a TeV telescope to see a 5 sigma signal from a source in an hour of observation is now a reality. Sources as weak as 1/20th the strength of the Crab are detectable in principle now at TeV energies.     

COS-B views on the diffuse galactic gamma-ray emission and some point sources

The correlation between diffuse galactic gamma rays and gas tracers is studied using the final COS-B database and H i and CO surveys covering the entire galactic plane. A good quantitative fit to the gamma rays is obtained, with a small galacto-centric gradient in the gamma-ray emissivity per hydrogen atom. The average ratio of H₂ column density to integrated CO temperature is determined, the best estimate being (2.3 ± 0.3) × 10² molecules cm^–2 (K km s^–1)^–1. Strictly taken, this value is an upper limit. The corresponding mass of molecular hydrogen in the inner galaxy, derived using both 1st and 4th quadrants, is 1.0 × 10⁹ M .The softer gamma-ray spectrum towards the inner galaxy found in previous work can be attributed to a steeper emissivity gradient at low energies and/or to a softer gamma-ray spectrum of the emission distributed like molecular gas. A steeper emissivity gradient at low energies could be related to cosmic-ray spectral variations in the Galaxy, to different distributions of cosmic-ray electrons and nuclei, or to a contribution from discrete sources. A softer spectrum for the emission associated with molecular clouds may be physically related to the clouds themselves (i.e., cosmic-ray spectral variations) or to an associated discrete source distribution.New results on the temporal and spectral characteristics of the high-energy (50 MeV to 5 GeV) gammaray emission from the Vela pulsar are presented. The whole pulsed flux is found to exhibit long-term variability. Five discrete emission regions within the pulsar lightcurve have been identified, with the spectral characteristics and long-term behaviour being different. These characteristics differ significantly from those reported earlier for the Crab pulsar. However, geometrical pulsar models have been proposed (e.g., Morini, 1983; Smith, 1986) which could explain many of these features.     

Frequency steering of spaceborne clocks based on XPNAV-1 observations

Due to high stable rotations, timing of pulsars provides a natural tool to correct the frequency deviation of spaceborne atomic clocks. Based on processing the observational data about a year of Crab pulsar given by XPNAV-1 satellite, we study the possibility of correcting the frequency deviation of spaceborne atomic clocks using pulsar timing. According to the observational data in X-ray band and the timing model parameters from radio observations, the pre-fit timing residuals with a level of 6...     

Inverse-compton gamma rays from plerions

Young pulsars surrounded by supernova remnants can power synchrotron nebulae through the injection of relativistic particles. Inverse Compton scattering by the high-energy electrons and positrons can produce TeV gamma-ray emission strong enough to be detectable by ground-based telescopes. The Crab nebula is the archetypical example of a gamma-ray plerion and was the first detected TeV source. The observed spectrum is consistent with predictions of synchrotron-self Compton models. This paper will review such models for the Crab and other plerions. Inverse-Compton scattering on other soft photon sources, particularly the 2.7K microwave background, may also be detectable in older remnants.     

Concerning the interpretation of the ultraviolet radiation from B stars

Measurements of the shape of the ultraviolet spectrum from B stars are compared with the theoretical spectra predicted from a homogeneous series of eight model atmospheres which are known to be close to a state of radiative equilibrium and to give a good representation of the ordinarily observed spectral region. The broad-band photometer measurements of Byram, Chubb, and Friedman in the region 1314 indicate that the stars become brighter in the ultraviolet as their temperature increases. The theoretical spectra reproduce this trend. However, the theoretical spectra are about three times as bright at 1314 relative to their brightness at 5560 as is observed.The spectral observations at 50Å resolution of Stecher and Milligan of six absorption-line stars are compared in detail with theoretical spectra. The observed shape of the spectrum is reproduced well by the models from 2600 to longer wavelengths. At wavelengths shorter than 2600 Å, the observed fluxes from B stars are less than the predicted fluxes. At 2000 the deficiency is between a factor two and a factor four. The spectrum of Canis Majoris is observed to have a different shape from that found for four other early-type stars. In the case of Canis Majoris the deficiency at 2000 is about a factor 13.The proper manner in which to compare theory and observation is discussed and some astrophysical terminology is explained. Theoretical fluxes, , are given in Table 1 for eight early B type model atmospheres at wavelengths between the Lyman limit and 6251. These fluxes have been computed without consideration of the opacity due to line blanketing. It is shown that line blanketing can probably account for the differences noted between predicted and observed ultra-violet spectra of B stars. It is not necessary at present to invoke unusual sources of opacity in the stellar atmosphere or in the space between the star and the earth in order to explain the observations. Spectra of B stars in the 2000 region at sufficient resolution to show the line spectrum would clarify the problem.     

Anomalous Cosmic Rays and Solar Modulation

We review aspects of anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) that bear on the solar modulation of energetic particles in the heliosphere. We show that the latitudinal and radial gradients of these particles exhibit a 22-year periodicity in concert with the reversal of the Sun's magnetic field. The power-law index of the low energy portion of the energy spectrum of ACRs at the shock in 1996 appears to be -1.3, suggesting that the strength of the solar wind termination shock at the helioequatorial plane is relatively weak, with s 2.8. The rigidity dependence of the perpendicular interplanetary mean free path in the outer heliosphere for particles with rigidities between 0.2 and 0.7 GV varies approximately as R2, where R is particle rigidity. There is evidence that ACR oxygen is primarily multiply charged above 20 MeV/nuc and primarily singly-charged below 16 MeV/nuc. The location of the termination shock was at 65 AU in 1987 and 85 AU in 1994.     

Laboratory experiments directed toward the investigation of magnetospheric phenomena

The penetration of fast electrons ( 5 keV) into an artificial magnetosphere and their precipitation on the terrella surface is investigated. These fast electrons act as radioactive tracers allowing the experimental determination of the global picture of plasma flow around the magnetosphere and its intrusion into the latter. Two different zones of precipitation are observed, distinctly separated on the day-side and merging into each other on the night-side. The high latitude penetration region on the day-side is not localized around the neutral points, but is stretched in longitude forming polar cusps toward dusk and dawn. The lower latitude precipitation zone, embracing the whole terrella is due to the particle precipitation from a radiation belt formed in this experiment. The source of these belt particles seems to be located in the plasmasheet on the night side. Besides the polar cusps, a plasma intrusion from the sides of the magnetosphere in the equatorial region is observed. This equatorial gap, originating on the day-side, is gradually transformed into the plasmasheet in the magnetospheric tail. On the basis of these experimental data a model of the magnetosphere is discussed.     

Ariel-6 medium energy spectral observations of active galaxies

X-ray spectra of the BL Lac type object Mkn 421 and several Seyfert type 1 galaxies; IIIZw2, MCG8-11-11 and NGC 4151, have been obtained using the Leicester University instrument on board the Ariel-6 satellite. The Mkn 421 spectrum is best represented by two powerlaw components, the soft component having 3.4 whilst the hard flux has 1.0. In MCG8-11-11 there is clear evidence for spectral variability between our observation in late 1979 and that of HEAO-1/A2 in 1977. The Ariel-6 spectrum of MCG8-11-11 can be fitted by a powerlaw of index 2.1 together with an iron line at 6.2 keV with an equivalent width of 1.6 keV. The first X-ray spectrum of IIIZw2 is also presented, fitting with a powerlaw we find an index of 1.7. With the exception of NGC 4151 there is no evidence for a significant column of cool material along the line of sight.     

Some results of ionospheric investigations by means of coherent radiowaves emitted by satellites

In this paper we discuss theoretical expressions, determining the difference of Doppler shifts of various coherent radiowave frequencies emitted by a radiator moving in the ionosphere or interplanetary medium. The rotating Doppler effect (Faraday effect) caused by the Doppler shifts ±H of the ordinary and extraordinary waves is also considered. In a three-dimensional inhomogeneous ionosphere, stationary in time (N/t = 0), is determined in the general case, by an equation with three variables. The equation for proper depends only on the local value of the electron concentration N _c around the radiator and on integral values, determining, by means of additional calculations, the angle of refraction or its components, the horizontal gradients of electron concentration N/x and N/y, and in some cases, the integral electron concentration ₀ ^zcN dz. We describe the analysis of the measurements, made with the satellites Cosmos I, II and partially XI, assuming that N/t = N/y = 0, with a two variables equation. The expected errors are considered. The results coincide well for different points (Moscow, The Crimea, Sverdlovsk) and thus agree with the measurements of _H and with height-frequency ionospheric characteristics. The curve giving electron concentration versus height N (z) in the outer ionosphere (above the maximum of F2), shows a new maximum higher than the main maximum of the ionosphere N _MF2 at 120–140 km. At this maximum the value of N (z) is (0.9–0.95) N _MF2. The new data on the large-scale horizontal inhomogeneities of the ionosphere, exceed the previous ones by about a factor 10. By means of the irregular variations of the spectrum W() of the inhomogenous formation is determined. Three unknown constant maxima with values 16 to 18 km, 28 to 32 km and 100 to 120 km are found. The spectrum W () mainly characterizes the local properties of the ionosphere along the orbit of the satellite.     

The magnetogram inversion technique: Applications to the problem of magnetospheric substorms

The magnetogram inversion technique (MIT) is based upon recordings of geomagnetic variations at the worldwide network of ground-based magnetometers. MIT ensures a calculation of a global spatial distribution of the electric field, currents and Joule heating in the ionosphere. Variant MIT-2 provides, additionally, continuous monitoring of the following parameters: Poynting vector flux from the solar wind into the magnetosphere (); power, both dissipated and accumulated in the magnetosphere; magnetic flux in the open tail; and the magnetotail length (l _T) (distance between the dayside and nightside neutral points in the Dungey model). Using MIT-2 and data of direct measurements in the solar wind, an analysis is made of a number of substorms, and a new scenario of substorms is suggested. The scenario includes the convection model, the model with a neutral line and the model of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling (outside the current sheet), i.e., the three known models. A brief review is given of these and some other substorms models. A new element in the scenario is the strong positive feedback in the primary generator circuit, which ensures growth of the ratio = / _Aby an order of magnitude or more during the substorms. Here _Ais the Pointing vector flux in the Akasofu-Perrault approximation, i.e., without the feedback taken into account. The growth of during the substorm is caused only by the feedback effect. It is assumed that the feedback arises due to an elongation of the magnetotail, i.e., a growth of l _Tby a factor of (23) during the substorm.In the active phase of substorm, a part (the first active phase) has been identified, where the principal role in the energetics is played by the feedback mechanism and the external energy source (although the internal source plus reconnection inside the plasma sheet make a marked contribution). In the second active phase (expansion) the external generator (solar wind) is switched off, and the main role is now played by the internal energy source (the tail magnetic field and ionospheric wind energy).Models of DP-2 DP-1 transitions are also considered, as well as the magnetospheric substorm-solar flare analogy.     

Characteristics and interpretation of the photometric variability of eta carinae and its nebula

A short review is given on the history of the peculiar variable object Car and on a number of relevant references describing and discussing its physical characteristics and behaviour, based on different types of observational techniques. The star is known to be variable since the 17th century. The excessive mass loss to which it was subject during the 19th century is now visible as an ellipsoidal reflection nebula of 15 diameter: the so-called homunculus. The remainder of the paper is spent on different kinds of problems partly based on the results of a decade of photometric monitoring in the VBLUW photometric system of Walraven. Foreground reddening and reddening by dust in the homunculus are determined and amount to E(B - V) _J = 0 50 and < 6, respectively. Scanning of the homunculus revealed an estimate for the photometric characteristics of the central object, which presumably consists of a massive hot star surrounded by a cooler gas envelope. The total luminosity is derived using fluxes of various sources in the wavelength region 0.15 < < 175 n resulting in M _bol = - 12 3 ± 0 2. The total observed flux corrected for foreground extinction corresponds to a star with R 96 R if T _eff 30 000 K. The mass may be near 150 M . The excess luminosity in 1843, when the star was presumably bolometrically at least 2 5 brighter than at present, may have been caused by envelope-energized pulsations when the star's luminosity was close to its Eddington limit. The temperature should then have been 50 000 K. The mass loss rate, during the excess luminosity phase lasting 30 yr, is estimated to amount to M 4 × 10^-3 M yr^-1. At present the mass loss may be M 10^-4M yr^-1. Since the homunculus is mainly built up from material expelled in the 30 yr interval (from 1830 to 1860), its total mass amounts to M _hom 0.15 M . The historical observations of the colours of Car and a comparison with the characteristics of S Dor type stars, suggest that Car was subject to a number of S Dor type phases similar to those of P Cyg (in the 17th century), S Dor and others. A satisfactory explanation is found for the complete historical light curve. The decrease in light after the 1843 maximum by 9 ^m , presumably consists of a fading of the luminosity excess and the S Dor effect by 2 5 and 3^m, respectively, and a 3 5 extinction by circumstellar dust. The small amplitude light variations which Car showed during the last decade, were studied with the aid of the variations of the Balmer jump. They are presumably caused by temperature variations of the central star.Percy and Welch (1983) (Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 95, 491) have observed P Cyg on a number of nights in 1982 and found for the photometric variations a time scale of 30 to 50 days and an amplitude of 0 _. ^m 15.Based partly on observations collected at the ESO, La Silla, Chile.     

Electron coronal density irregularity\overline {n^2 } /(\bar n)^2 from measurements of K-coronal and lyman lines brightnesses

We propose a technique to derive the coronal density irregularity factor , wheren is the electron density. The absolute photometric comparison between the intensity of UV lines and the white-light K-coronal polarized brightness (pB) provides an unique constraint on the inhomogeneity of the corona. The ratio of the measured H I Lyman (Ly-) line intensity to the resonant-scattering dominated H I Lyman (Ly-) intensity can be used to extract the collisonal component of the Ly-. This component yields an estimate of . The quantity is then obtained from white-light K-coronal measurements. The use of lines of the same atomic species minimizes the effects due to outflow velocities (i.e., Doppler dimming), and reduces the errors introduced by the uncertainties in the ionization balance, the atomic parameters, and the solar abundances. The UVCS/SOHO unique capability of performing cotemporal and cospatial measurements of the Ly- and Ly- lines, and ofpB makes this instrument ideal for implementing this technique.     

Observed Densities in the Universe

Baryons observed in Ly absorbers contribute to the density parameter 0 by bar 0.06 in close agreement with the value of 0.06 from primordial nucleosynthesis (H0=55 km s-1 Mpc-1, = 0 assumed throughout). A number of methods are known to measure 0 from density fluctuations; bound structures tend to yield lower values (m 0.2-0.4), field galaxies over large scales higher, but still undercritical values (m 0.6 ± 0.2). The best compromise value is 0 0.5, but the present methods are blind to diffusely distributed, exotic matter which still could make 0 = 1. A satisfactory solution of 0 (and ) will only come from a fundamental cosmological test (e.g. the Hubble diagram of [evolution-corrected] supernovae type Ia) in combination with the CMB fluctuation spectrum.     

Optical identification of X-ray sources in the Einstein observatory medium and deep surveys

Methods are discussed for establishing the optical identification of X ray sources in the medium and deep X-ray surveys of the Einstein Observatory. Of the 63 X-ray sources with a statistical significance of 5 in the medium survey (Maccacaro et al. 1981), optical identification work is summarized for 51, of which identifications have been made with 30 active galactic nuclei. The optical properties of some of these X-ray selected objects are briefly discussed.The Einstein deep survey of Pavo (Griffiths et al. 1981) is used to illustrate the problems and methods used for securing optical identifications for X-ray sources in the deep survey fields. Identifications have been made with 4 QSOs at the bright end of the optical candidate distribution (together with 3 G stars) and it is shown that a further 7 fainter objects are also likely to be QSOs.