透视宇宙的眼睛——“硬X射线调制望远镜”

中国“硬X射线调制望远镜”（Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope,简称HXMT）天文卫星将是国际上已知计划中唯一一台既可以实现宽波段、高灵敏度X射线巡天成像,又能够研究黑洞、中子星等高能天体的短时标光变和宽波段能谱的空间X射线天文观测设备。作为我国第1颗天文卫星,HXMT已被明确列入国家《“十一五”空间科学发展规划》和《航天发展“十一五”规划》。HXMT上天后,不仅将使我国的高能天体物理观测研究达到国际先进水平,还可为提升我国在深空探测等方面的能力作出重要贡献。     

太阳耀斑显著的热和非热事件的统计特征

本文利用GOES卫星和SMM卫星软、硬X射线耀斑观测资料,分析耀斑中软、硬X射线辐射流量的分布,发现太阳耀斑存在着显著的热事件(PT事件)和显著的非热事件(PNT事件),它们主要特征是:(1)PT事件为缓变型耀斑,PNT事件为脉冲型耀斑;(2)PT事件的硬X射线谱较软,PNT事件能谱较硬;(3)PNT事件非热能量释放速率比PT事件快3—10倍;(4)耀斑发展趋缓慢,PT事件中软X射线峰值流量越大;(5)耀斑中PNT事件约占60％,PT事件约占40％.最后定性讨论了产生PT和PNT事件的可能机制.      

脉冲星导航试验卫星科学观测数据分析

脉冲星导航试验卫星是我国发射的一颗专用试验卫星.经过4个多月的在轨观测,该卫星已成功获取了大量观测数据.介绍利用该卫星搭载的掠入射聚焦型X射线探测器在近4个月中对PSR B0531+21获得的观测数据第一批处理结果.本文详细阐述掠入射聚焦型X射线探测器的观测模式,给出脉冲星观测数据的处理方法以及脉冲星参数的拟合过程,利用基于第一手观测数据的脉冲星精化参数验证掠入射聚焦型探测器在轨工作性能,得以回答使用国产X射线探测器是否能够“看得见”脉冲星问题.     

美国X射线偏振测量天文台特点分析

1 任务背景 对于黑洞和中子星等天体的周围区域,直接成像是不可能的,但研究发现,从其周围环境发射的X射线的偏振可以揭示这些天体的一些物理细节.基于这样的科学探测需求,人类在X射线天文观测中专门开辟了X射线偏振探测,但由于X射线偏振探测技术不成熟等原因,此前只开展了非常有限的探测, 1975年发射的美国轨道太阳天文台-8...     

日本天文-H卫星升空后不久失联

1 项目背景 日本自20世纪70年代中期开始,就以日本宇宙航空研究开发机构下属的宇宙科学研究所(ISAS,原文部省宇宙科学研究所)为核心开始研发和应用以X射线天文卫星为主的天文卫星.1976-2005年,日本共发射了7颗X射线天文卫星,其中5颗发射成功,按预定计划执行了一系列观测任务,取得了不斐的成绩.如:利用天文-D于1993年4月5日成功捕获到了刚发现的M81银河系的超新星SN1993放射出的X射线;利用2005年发射的天文-E2卫星配备的软X射线望远镜(SXT)所进行的一系列观测活动,不仅大幅拓展了观测范围(从原来的软X射线拓展到软γ射线),而且发现了距地球较近(8000万光年)处的黑洞,对人类了解宇宙结构、掌握宇宙全貌、厘清宇宙进化发挥了重要作用.     

X射线耀斑的分析及其与Ha耀斑的比较

本文利用SMM卫星的X射线资料,以及云南天文台的光学观测资料,分析了1980年7月14日的3B级耀斑.求得X射线耀斑能谱随时间的变化;计算了耀斑爆发时加速的电子总数和电子的平均能量;并测量和比较了Hα耀斑和X射线爆源的位置.结果表明:(1)硬X射线爆由高能非热电子束引起;(2)软X射线爆基本上由高温等离子体的热韧致辐射所产生,但必须考虑非热电子轫致辐射的贡献;(3)确定X射线爆源的高度,有赖于耀斑模型及活动区磁场位形.所得结果支持耀斑过程的新浮磁流模型(EMF模型).     

NASA整合太阳物理卫星任务数据研究地球磁层亚暴

正2018年1月30日,中国首颗X射线天文卫星慧眼正式交付,投入使用。慧眼卫星工程是研究黑洞、中子星等致密天体前沿问题的自主创新重大空间科学项目,该星的投入使用使中国高能天文研究进入空间观测的新阶段,对提高中国在空间科学领域的国际地位和影响力具有重要意义。慧眼于2017年6月15日在酒泉卫星发射中心成功发射。卫星在轨运行期间,圆满完成卫星平台、有     

X射线天文卫星观测需求分析与控制总体设计

对X射线天文卫星观测需求进行了分析,提炼了观测任务对观测模式、源的高精度定位与对准、轨道、热控、测控数传等多项需求与约束;针对X射线观测的多需求、多约束难点,设计了集巡天观测、定点观测与小天区扫描观测于一体的观测模式,解决了一颗卫星同时实现全天扫描、银道面深度扫描、重要惯性区域扫描、重要及机遇目标深度观测以及伽马暴全天监测的多种观测需求的难题,该技术已在我国硬X射线调制望远镜卫星上得到应用.     

太阳质子耀斑X射线辐射特征及质子事件警报

太阳质子耀斑X射线辐射特征的研究, 为太阳质子事件的警报提供一个重要的途径和方法。本文分析了第21周太阳活动峰年(1977—1986)期间质子耀斑和相应的GOES和SMM卫星观测的X射线辐射资料, 结果表明:大部分质子耀斑的硬X射线峰值流量F_HX≥104s/c;积分流量F₀≥106counts;硬X射线辐射到达峰值时间T_R≥100s;持续时间T_D≥103s;X光子最高能量E_x≥300keV;平均能谱指数√r≤3.5;高能时延T_L≥10s。利用这些X射线暴的特征参数, 对第21周峰年大质子事件作警报检验, 结果是:报准率为94％, 虚报率为40％。      

日本发射“天文”H等卫星

正2月17日,日本H-2A-202型运载火箭在种子岛航天中心发射了名为"瞳"的"天文"H天文卫星,并搭载发射了3颗微小卫星。"天文"H又称"新X射线望远镜"(Ne XT),为日本下一代X射线天文卫星,配备4台观测仪器和2台望远镜,设有孔径10米的大型展开式天线,重约2700千克,设计寿命3年,采用高575千米、倾角31度轨道,用于开展软X射线、硬X射线和伽马射线观测,通过研究黑洞、超新星遗迹和     

Exosat observations of the galactic bulge X-ray source GX17+2

We have measured the X-ray flux of the bright galactic bulge source GX17+2 in the energy range 1–20 keV using the EXOSAT ME experiment. During 8 hours of continuous observation an X-ray flare was observed (lasting ～1 hr) followed by an intensity increase. The data show intensity dips with a quasiperiod of ～1.4 hours and quasi-periodic oscillations on time scale of 200–500 sec, which are possibly connected with oscillations of an accretion disc. The spectrum can be fitted by two blackbody spectra with kT₁～1keV, and kT₂～2keV, respectively, and an iron line at 6.3 ± 0.3 keV having 130 eV equivalent width. While the low energy component is rather stable, the 2keV-component shows considerable intensity variations. We suggest that the latter component represents emission from the inner part of the accretion disc while the soft spectrum is blackbody emission from the surface of the neutron star.     

Hard X-ray astronomy from balloons

The region of the electromagnetic spectrum between 15 keV and 300 keV is the first high energy photon band available to the astronomer at balloon altitudes. It also represents the point at which a change in experimental technique is required since grazing incidence X-ray mirrors, and, apart from the use of xenon, gas proportional counters become impracticable Thin, actively shielded sodium iodide detectors form the mainstream X-ray detection units. Directionality is achieved by means of honeycomb and modulation collimators. However as suitable position sensitive planes are developed it is possible to anticipate the increasing usage of the coded aperture mask as the key element for fine angular imaging. Balloon-borne hard X-ray telescopes tend to deploy larger sensitive areas than their satellite cousins, and for this reason, with suitably fast timing of the data, may be used to study the classes of objects which exhibit rapid temporal X-ray intensity variations. Spectral studies are also of great astrophysical importance in this range. Apart from the interest in neutron star line emissions, observations in the soft X-ray region have invariably left doubts as to the true nature of the local production mechanisms for specific objects, this is due to the lack of precise definition of the spectral shape of the emissions, particularly at higher photon energies experimental techniques. The usage of balloons and related astrophysical problems are reviewed.     

Rapid short-term pulse-period variations in Vela X-1 (4U 0900-40)

Results are presented of an analysis of 83 days of 2–12 keV X-ray observations of Vela X-1 (4U 0900-40) obtained during three separate pointings with the ESA COS-B satellite. The pulsation period is shown to undergo very rapid intrinsic changes, at a rate of up to during intervals of a few days. The lower values of which were previously observed over longer intervals, appear to result from an averaging-out of these rapid changes. It is argued, that the transfer of angular momentum to the neutron star by the accreting matter is very unlikely to be sufficient to explain these pulsation-period changes. An alternative explanation is suggested.     

X-ray synchrotron nebulae and the origin of neutron stars

“With all reserve, we advance the view that a supernova represents the transition of an ordinary star into a neutron star.”This conclusion, reached just 50 years ago in a classic paper by Walter Baade and Fritz Zwicky (1934), was published three decades before the first direct observational evidence for the existence of neutron stars was uncovered. It still informs the standard picture of neutron star production in the Galaxy. We examine herein some recent evidence bearing on this question which has been derived from Observatory X-ray observations of supernova remnants and radio pulsars. In particular, the discovery that X-ray synchrotron nebulae are found surrounding most young ( 10⁶ yr) pulsars observed to date is discussed. We explore the implications of the lack of such nebulae in the majority of supernova remnants (SNR) for the properties and frequency of neutron star formation in supernova events.     

Cyg X-2 — An accreting neutron star

HAKUCHO observation of Cyg X-2 over 40 days did not show a correlation between the hardness ratio and the intensity predicted for dwarf X-ray sources. The energy spectrum in the range 0.3 – 20 keV was found to deviate from the thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum below 2 keV. The X-ray spectrum can be accounted for in terms of the comptonization of blackbody radiation emitted from teh neutron star surface and the accretion disk.     

中子星吸积柱中荷电粒子密度的分布及电场的形成

本文从刘维定理出发,通过相空间求平均,建立了中子星吸积柱中粒子流连续方程和动量迁移方程。并在静力学平衡下求出其解;建立了吸积柱中的荷电粒子分布;引出了某些有趣的新结果。      

Measurement of neutron star parameters: A review of methods for low-mass X-ray binaries

Measurement of at least three independent parameters, for example, mass, radius and spin frequency, of a neutron star is probably the only way to understand the nature of its supranuclear core matter. Such a measurement is extremely difficult because of various systematic uncertainties. The lack of knowledge of several system parameter values gives rise to such systematics. Low mass X-ray binaries, which contain neutron stars, provide a number of methods to constrain the stellar parameters. Joint application of these methods has a great potential to significantly reduce the systematic uncertainties, and hence to measure three independent neutron star parameters accurately. Here, we review the methods based on: (1) thermonuclear X-ray bursts; (2) accretion-powered millisecond-period pulsations; (3) kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations; (4) broad relativistic iron lines; (5) quiescent emissions; and (6) binary orbital motions.     

Observational evidence for the binary model of X-ray bursters

Most, but not all, theoretical models of X-ray bursters require a binary system consisting of a mass donating star and a neutron star. The observational evidence in support of this model, however, is both indirect and meager. We have detected absorption dips in the X-ray spectrum of the Burster MXB 1916-05 with the IPC and the MPC on the Einstein Observatory which occur with a binary period of 2985 seconds. These dips are shown to be the result of a gas stream emanating from a companion star and hence this data represents the first direct evidence of the binary nature of X-ray bursters. Detailed models of the interaction of the gas stream with the accretion disk are presented. A 22nd mag. optical candidate for the system has been found.     

Self-similar problems of the time-dependant discs accretion and the nature of the temporary X-ray sources

Self-similar solutions, obtained by means of non-linear hydrodynamic equations, describing the picture of the time-dependant discs accretion. Some of the solutions describe the evolution of the accumulating disc, which is created around the neutron star with a strong magnetic field. Others give the time evolution of the initial narrow material ring, thrown at a certain distance around the gravitation centre. Practically all problems of the time-dependant disc accretion, asymptotically come to the above mentioned solutions.It is shown that the time-dependant disc accretion of the gas of the neutron star from the accumulating disc cause recurrent X-ray outbursts. The fall of the X-ray luminosity at the maximum stage depends of the time to a certain degree; is near the ones which are observed in the time-dependant X-ray sources. The model of the time-dependant X-ray sources is explained in the framework of the time-dependant disc accretion of magnetized neutron star with a strong magnetic field.     

XMM-Newton observations of low luminosity Be/X-ray candidates

A small number of early Be stars exhibit X-ray luminosities intermediate between those typical of early type stars and those radiated by Be/X-ray binaries in the quiescent state. We report on XMM-Newton observations of two such Be stars, HD 161103 and SAO 49725 which were originally discovered in a systematic cross-correlation between the ROSAT all-sky survey and SIMBAD. The new observations confirm the X-ray luminosity detected by ROSAT (L_X  10³² erg s⁻¹) and the hardness of their X-ray spectra (thin thermal with kT  8–10 keV or power law with photon index of 1.7) which are both unusual for normal early type stars. We discuss the possible origin of this excess X-ray emission in the light of the models proposed for γ-Cas, magnetic disc-star interaction or accretion onto a compact companion object, neutron star or white dwarf, and compare the properties of these two sources with those of the new massive systems discovered in the XMM- Newton/SSC survey of the Galactic plane.