Pulsars, transients and relativistic astrophysics

Abstract:

Using a new radio sample, 6C* designed to find radio galaxies at z > 4 along with the complete 3CRR and 6CE sample we extend the radio galaxy K - z relation to z - 4.5. The 6C* K - z data significantly improve delineation of the K - z relation for radio galaxies at high redshift (z > 2). Accounting for non-stellar contamination, and for correlations between radio luminosity and estimates of stellar mass, we find little support for previous claims that the underlying scatter in the stellar luminosity of radio galaxies increases significantly at z > 2. This indicates that we are not probing into the formation epoch until at least z greater than or similar to 3.

Abstract:

We report the results of a long-term campaign of radio, soft- and hard- X-ray observations of the galactic black hole candidate GX 339-4. In the Low-Hard X-ray state the system displays a strong 3-way linear correlation between soft-and hard-X-rays and radio emission, implying a coupling between the Comptonising corona and a radio-emitting compact jet. In this state the radio emission is linearly polarised at a level of around 2%, with an almost constant polarisation angle, indicative of a favored axis in this system probably related to the compact jet and/or black hole spin axis. In the Off X-ray state the radio emission declines with the X-ray emission to below detectable levels, suggesting that it is simply a lower-luminosity version of the Low-Hard state. In the High-Soft state both the hard-X-ray and radio emission are suppressed. We also note that the transitions from the Low-Hard state to the High-Soft state (and the reverse) are possibly associated with discrete ejection(s) of expanding relativistic plasma.

Abstract:

We have analyzed in detail a set of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of the galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105 corresponding to times when quasi-periodic oscillations in the infrared have been reported. From time-resolved spectral analysis, we have estimated the mass accretion rate through the (variable) inner edge of the accretion disk. We compare this accretion rate to an estimate of the mass/energy outflow rate in the jet. We discuss the possible implications of these results in terms of disk-instability and jet ejection, and in particular note an apparent anti-correlation between the accretion and ejection rates, implying that the gas expelled in the jet must leave the accretion disk before reaching its innermost radius.

Abstract:

In this paper we present high spatial resolution radio images of the puzzling binary system β Lyrae obtained with MERLIN at 5 GHz. We find a nebula surrounding the binary with a brightness temperature of (11000 ± 700) K approximately 40 AU across. This definitively confirms the thermal origin of the radio emission, which is consistent with emission from the wind of the B6-8 II component (mass loss of order of 10-7 M⊙yr-1), ionized by the radiation field of the hotter companion. This nebula, surrounding the binary, is the proof that β Lyrae evolved in a non-conservative way, i. e. not all the mass lost by the primary is accretted by the secondary, and present measurements indicate that almost 0.015 M⊙ had been lost from the system since the onset of the Roche lobe overflow phase. Moreover, the nebula is aligned with the jet-like structures inferred from recent optical measurements, indicating a possible connection among them.