Professor Rob Fender

Abstract:

Abstract Accreting systems can launch powerful outflows which interact with the surrounding medium. We combine new radio observations of the accreting neutron star X-ray binary (XRB) Circinus X-1 (Cir X-1) with archival radio observations going back 24 years. The ∼3 pc scale wide-angle radio and X-ray emitting caps found around Cir X-1 are identified as synchrotron emitting shocks with significant proper motion and morphological evolution on decade timescales. Proper motion measurements of the shocks reveal they are mildly relativistic and decelerating, with apparent velocity of 0.14c ± 0.03c at a propagation distance of 2 pc. We demonstrate that these shocks are likely powered by a hidden relativistic (≳ 0.3c) wide-angle conical outflow launched in 1972 ± 3, in stark contrast to known structures around other XRBs formed by collimated jets over 1000s of years. The minimum time-averaged power of the outflow required to produce the observed synchrotron emission is ∼0.1LEdd, while the time-averaged power required for the kinetic energy of the shocks is $\sim 40 \left(\frac{n}{10^{-2} \textrm{cm}^{-3}}\right)L_\textrm{Edd}$, where n is the average ambient medium number density. This reveals the outflow powering the shocks is likely significantly super-Eddington. We measure significant linear polarisation up to 52 ± 6% in the shocks demonstrating the presence of an ordered magnetic field of strength ∼200 μG. We show that the shocks are potential PeVatrons, capable of accelerating electrons to ∼0.7 PeV and protons to ∼20 PeV, and we estimate the injection and energetic efficiencies of electron acceleration in the shocks. Finally, we predict that next generation gamma-ray facilities may be able to detect hadronic signatures from the shocks.

Abstract:

Abstract We present the longest and the densest quasi-simultaneous radio, X-ray and optical campaign of the black hole low mass X-ray binary GX 339–4, covering five years of weekly GX 339–4 monitoring with MeerKAT, Swift/XRT and MeerLICHT, respectively. Complementary high frequency radio data with the Australia Telescope Compact Array are presented to track in more detail the evolution of GX 339–4 and its transient ejecta. During the five years, GX 339–4 has been through two ‘hard-only’ outbursts and two ‘full’ outbursts, allowing us to densely sample the rise, quenching and re-activation of the compact jets. Strong radio flares were also observed close to the transition between the hard and the soft states. Following the radio flare, a transient optically thin ejection was spatially resolved during the 2020 outburst, and was observed for a month. We also discuss the radio/X-ray correlation of GX 339–4 during this five year period, which covers several states in detail from the rising phase to the quiescent state. This campaign allowed us to follow ejection events and provide information on the jet proper motion and its intrinsic velocity. With this work we publicly release the weekly MeerKAT L-band radio maps from data taken between September 2018 and October 2023.