Pulsars, transients and relativistic astrophysics

Abstract:

We present the results of the analysis of two Chandra observations of Circinus X-1 performed in 2007, for a total exposure time of ~50 ks. The source was observed with the High Resolution Camera during a long X-ray low-flux state of the source. Cir X-1 is an accreting neutron star binary system that exhibits ultra-relativistic arcsec-scale radio jets and an extended arcmin-scale radio nebula. Furthermore, a recent paper has shown an X-ray excess on arcmin-scale prominent on the side of the receding radio jet. In our images, we clearly detect X-ray structures on both the side of the receding and the approaching radio jet. The X-ray emission is consistent with a synchrotron origin. Our detection is consistent with neutron star binaries being as efficient as black hole binaries in producing X-ray outflows, despite their shallower gravitational potential. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 RAS.

Abstract:

We present the first polarization measurements of the radio emission from RRAT J1819-1458. Our observations, conducted in parallel to regular timing sessions, have yielded a small number of bright and polarized pulses. The polarization characteristics and integrated profile resemble those of normal pulsars with average spin-down energy Ė: moderate to low linear polarization in the integrated profile despite relatively high polarization in the individual pulses. On average, a small degree of circular polarization is also observed. The polarization position angle (PA) executes a remarkably smooth, steep S-shaped curve, interrupted by two orthogonal jumps. Based on the shape of the PA swing, we place some constraints on the emission geometry. We compare these polarization properties to those of other radio-emitting neutron star populations, including young pulsars, pulsars with a high surface magnetic field and radio-emitting magnetars. From the polarization measurements, the Faraday rotation measure of this rotating radio transient is derived. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 RAS.

Abstract:

Roughly perpendicular to SS433's famous precessing jets is an outflowing "ruff" of radio-emitting plasma, revealed by direct imaging on milli-arcsecond scales. Over the last decade, images of the ruff reveal that its orientation changes over time with respect to a fixed sky co-ordinate grid. For example, during two months of daily observations with the VLBA by Mioduszewski et al. (2004), a steady rotation through ~10 degrees is observed whilst the jet angle changes by ~20 degrees. The ruff reorientation is not coupled with the well-known precession of SS433's radio jets, as the ruff orientation varies across a range of 69 degrees whilst the jet angle varies across 40 degrees, and on greatly differing and non-commensurate timescales. It has been proposed that the ruff is fed by SS433's circumbinary disk, discovered by a sequence of optical spectroscopy by Blundell et al. (2008), and so we present the results of 3D numerical simulations of circumbinary orbits. These simulations show precession in the longitude of the ascending node of all inclined circumbinary orbits - an effect which would be manifested as the observed ruff reorientation. Matching the rate of ruff precession is possible if circumbinary components are sufficiently close to the binary system, but only if the binary mass fraction is close to equality and the binary eccentricity is non-zero.

Abstract:

We present the first polarization measurements of the radio emission from RRAT J1819$-$1458. Our observations, conducted in parallel to regular timing sessions, have yielded a small number of bright and polarized pulses. The polarization characteristics and integrated profile resemble those of normal pulsars with average spin-down energy (Edot): moderate to low linear polarization in the integrated profile despite relatively high polarization in the individual pulses. On average, a small degree of circular polarization is also observed. The polarization position angle executes a remarkably smooth, steep S-shaped curve, interrupted by two orthogonal jumps. Based on the shape of the PA swing, we place some constraints on the emission geometry. We compare these polarization properties to those of other radio emitting neutron star populations, including young pulsars, pulsars with a high surface magnetic field and radio emitting magnetars. From the polarization measurements, the Faraday rotation measure of this RRAT is derived.