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1.
About one year ago, it was speculated that decaying or annihilating light dark matter (LDM) particles could explain the flux and extension of the 511-keV line emission in the Galactic Centre. Here, we present a thorough comparison between theoretical expectations of the Galactic positron distribution within the LDM scenario and observational data from INTEGRAL /SPI. Unlike previous analyses, there is now enough statistical evidence to put tight constraints on the shape of the dark matter (DM) halo of our Galaxy, if the Galactic positrons originate from DM. For annihilating candidates, the best fit to the observed 511-keV emission is provided by a radial density profile with inner logarithmic slope  γ= 1.03 ± 0.04  . In contrast, decaying DM requires a much steeper density profile,  γ > 1.5  , rather disfavoured by both observations and numerical simulations. Within the annihilating LDM scenario, a velocity-independent cross-section would be consistent with the observational data while a cross-section purely proportional to v 2 can be rejected at a high confidence level. Assuming the most simplistic model where the Galactic positrons are produced as primaries, we show that the LDM candidate should be a scalar rather than a spin-1/2 particle and obtain a very stringent constraint on the value of the positron production cross-section to explain the 511-keV emission. One consequence is that the value of the fine structure constant α should differ from that recommended in the CODATA (Committee on Data for Science and Technology). This is a very strong test for the LDM scenario and an additional motivation in favour of experiments measuring α directly. Our results finally indicate that an accurate measurement of the shape of the dark halo profile could have a tremendous impact on the determination of the origin of the 511-keV line and vice versa.  相似文献   

2.
The population of faint transients in the Galactic Centre   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  
BeppoSAX has detected a population of faint transient X-ray sources in the Galactic Centre. I show that a simple irradiated disc picture gives a consistent fit to the properties of this population, and that it probably consists of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) that have evolved beyond their minimum orbital periods of ∼80 min. Since all post-minimum systems are transient, and neutron star LMXBs are more common than black hole LMXBs in the Galaxy, the majority of these systems should contain neutron stars, as observed. This picture predicts that the Galactic Centre transients should have orbital periods in the range ∼80–120 min, and that most of them should repeat in the next few years. In this case, the total number of post-minimum transients in the Galaxy would be considerably smaller than the usual estimates of its total LMXB population. I discuss possible reasons for this.  相似文献   

3.
We present a radio survey of X-ray sources in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds with the Australia Telescope Compact Array at 6.3 and 3.5 cm. Specifically, we have observed the fields of five LMC and two SMC supersoft X-ray sources, the X-ray binaries LMC X-1, X-2, X-3 and X-4, the X-ray transient Nova SMC 1992, and the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 0525-66. None of the targets are detected as point sources at their catalogued positions. In particular, the proposed supersoft jet source RXJ 0513-69 is not detected, placing constraints on its radio luminosity compared to Galactic jet sources. Limits on emission from the black hole candidate systems LMC X-1 and X-3 are consistent with the radio behaviour of persistent Galactic black hole X-ray binaries, and a previous possible radio detection of LMC X-1 is found to be almost certainly a result of nearby field sources. The SNR N49 in the field of SGR 0525-66 is mapped at higher resolution than it has been previously, but there is still no evidence for any enhanced emission or disruption of the SNR at the location of the X-ray source.  相似文献   

4.
Observations of electron-positron annihilation radiation from the Galactic Center region with the SPI instrument aboard INTEGRAL are summarized. The measured width of the 511 keV line and inferred fraction of positrons annihilating through positronium formation are consistent with the annihilation taking place in the warm ISM phase, although combinations of several ISM phases are also allowed by the data. The spatial distribution of 511 keV emission suggests that positron sources are concentrated toward the Galactic bulge and avoid the Galactic disk.  相似文献   

5.
Observations of the diffuse emission in the 8–22 keV energy range, elongated parallel to the Galactic plane, and detection of the strong 6.4-keV fluorescent line with ∼ 1 keV equivalent width from some giant molecular clouds (e.g. Sgr B2) in the Galactic Centre region suggest that the neutral matter of these clouds is (or was) illuminated by powerful X-ray radiation, which gave rise to the reprocessed radiation. The source of this radiation remains unknown. A transient source close to the Sgr B2 cloud, or a short outburst of the X-ray emission from a supermassive black hole at the Galactic Centre are the two prime candidates under consideration. We argue that a new generation of X-ray telescopes combining very high sensitivity and excellent energy and angular resolutions would be able to discriminate between these two possibilities when studying time-dependent changes of the morphology of the surface brightness distribution, the equivalent width and the shape of the fluorescent line in Sgr B2 and other molecular clouds in the region. We note also that detection of broad and complex structures near the 6.4-keV line in the spectra of distant AGNs, which are X-ray weak now, may prove the presence of violent activity in the central engines of these objects in the past. Accurate measurements of the line shape may provide information on the time elapsed since the outburst. Proper motion (super- or subluminal) of the fluorescent radiation wave front can give additional information on the location of the source. Observations of the described effects can provide unique information on the matter distribution inside Sgr B2 and other giant molecular clouds.  相似文献   

6.
We consider essential mechanisms for orbit shrinkage or 'hardening' of compact binaries in globular clusters (GCs) to the point of Roche lobe contact and X-ray emission phase, focusing on the process of collisional hardening due to encounters between binaries and single stars in the cluster core. The interplay between this kind of hardening and that due to emission of gravitational radiation produces a characteristic scaling of the orbit-shrinkage time with the single-star binary encounter rate γ in the cluster which we introduce, clarify and explore. We investigate possible effects of this scaling on populations of X-ray binaries in GCs within the framework of a simple 'toy' scheme for describing the evolution of pre-X-ray binaries in GCs. We find the expected qualitative trends sufficiently supported by data on X-ray binaries in Galactic GCs to encourage us towards a more quantitative study.  相似文献   

7.
We have performed simultaneous X-ray and radio observations of 13 Galactic Centre low-mass X-ray binaries in 1998 April using the Wide Field Cameras on board BeppoSAX and the Australia Telescope Compact Array, the latter simultaneously at 4.8 and 8.64 GHz. We detect two Z sources, GX 17+2 and GX 5−1, and the unusual 'hybrid' source GX 13+1. Upper limits, which are significantly deeper than previous non-detections, are placed on the radio emission from two more Z sources and seven atoll sources. Hardness–intensity diagrams constructed from the Wide Field Camera data reveal GX 17+2 and GX 5−1 to have been on the lower part of the horizontal branch and/or the upper part of the normal branch at the time of the observations, and the two non-detected Z sources, GX 340+0 and GX 349+2, to have been on the lower part of the normal branch. This is consistent with the previous empirically determined relation between radio and X-ray emission from Z sources, in which radio emission is strongest on the horizontal branch and weakest on the flaring branch. For the first time we have information on the X-ray state of atoll sources, which are clearly radio-quiet relative to the Z sources, during periods of observed radio upper limits. We place limits on the linear polarization from the three detected sources, and use accurate radio astrometry of GX 17+2 to confirm that it is probably not associated with the optical star NP Ser. Additionally we place strong upper limits on the radio emission from the X-ray binary 2S 0921−630, disagreeing with suggestions that it is a Z-source viewed edge-on.  相似文献   

8.
We have observed a sample of 64 small-diameter sources towards the central  −6° < l < 6°, −2° < b < 2°  of the Galaxy with the aim of studying the Faraday rotation measure near the Galactic Centre region. All the sources were observed at 6- and 3.6-cm wavelengths using the ATCA and the VLA. 59 of these sources are inferred to be extragalactic. The observations presented here constitute the first systematic study of the radio polarization properties of the background sources towards this direction and increase the number of known extragalactic radio sources in this part of the sky by almost an order of magnitude. Based on the morphology, spectral indices and lack of polarized emission, we identify four Galactic H  ii regions in the sample.  相似文献   

9.
The Spin-X wide-field X-ray monitor of the Spectrum-X-Gamma astrophysical observatory, which is based on the principle of a coded-aperture telescope, is designed to detect and localize cosmic gammaray-burst (GRB) sources; to survey large areas of the sky in search of new transients; and to carry out long-term observations of bright Galactic sources, including X-ray bursters. The monitor consists of two noncoaxial identical modules, Spin-X1 and Spin-X2, which together cover 6.8% of the sky. The high-apogee, four-day orbit of the Spectrum-XG satellite allows the instrument to be in observing mode more than 50% of the time. Having simulated the rate of GRB detection by Spin-X, we show that extrapolating BATSE 50–300-keV average data on the number of GRBs, their duration, and their mean energy spectrum to the X-ray energy band leads to disagreement with the observed detection rate of GRBs in the X-ray band. The number of GRBs that can be detected and localized with an accuracy r≤3′ (3σ) (the error-circle radius) by Spin-X is estimated to be ten bursts per year. We present data on the Spin-X sensitivity achievable during long-term observations of persistent and transient sources and on its sensitivity to X-ray bursts from Galactic sources in the 2–30-keV energy band.  相似文献   

10.
The landscape of Galactic X‐ray sources made of accreting binaries, isolated objects and active stellar coronae has been significantly modified by the advent of the Chandra, XMM‐Newton and INTEGRAL satellites. New types of relatively low X‐ray luminosity X‐ray binaries have been unveiled in the Galactic disc, while deep observations of the central regions have revealed large numbers of X‐ray binaries of so far poorly constrained nature. Because of the high spatial resolution needed and faint X‐ray luminosities generally emitted, studying the dependency of the X‐ray source composition with parent stellar population, Galactic disc, bulge, nuclear bulge, etc., is only practicable in our Galaxy. The evolutionary links between low LX X‐ray binaries and classical X‐ray luminous accreting systems are still open in many cases. In addition, the important question of the nature of the compact sources contributing to the Galactic ridge hard X‐ray emission remains unresolved. We review the most important results gathered by XMM‐Newton over the last years in this domain and show how future observations could be instrumental in addressing several of these issues. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)  相似文献   

11.
We study the origin of unresolved X-ray emission from the bulge of M31 based on archival Chandra and XMM–Newton observations. We demonstrate that three different components are present. (i) Broad-band emission from a large number of faint sources – mainly accreting white dwarfs and active binaries, associated with the old stellar population, similar to the Galactic ridge X-ray emission of the Milky Way. The X-ray to K -band luminosity ratios are compatible with those for the Milky Way and for M32; in the 2–10 keV band, the ratio is  (3.6 ± 0.2) × 1027 erg s−1 L−1⊙  . (ii) Soft emission from ionized gas with a temperature of about ∼300 eV and a mass of  ∼2 × 106 M⊙  . The gas distribution is significantly extended along the minor axis of the galaxy, suggesting that it may be outflowing in the direction perpendicular to the galactic disc. The mass and energy supply from evolved stars and Type Ia supernovae is sufficient to sustain the outflow. We also detect a shadow cast on the gas emission by spiral arms and the 10-kpc star-forming ring, confirming significant extent of the gas in the 'vertical' direction. (iii) Hard extended emission from spiral arms, most likely associated with young stellar objects and young stars located in the star-forming regions. The   L X/SFR  (star formation rate) ratio equals  ∼9 × 1038 (erg s−1)(M⊙ yr−1)−1  , which is about ∼1/3 of the high-mass X-ray binary contribution, determined earlier from Chandra observations of other nearby galaxies.  相似文献   

12.
The High-Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) has detected intense diffuse TeV emission correlated with the distribution of molecular gas along the Galactic ridge at the centre of our Galaxy. Earlier HESS observations of this region had already revealed the presence of several point sources at these energies, one of them (HESS J1745−290) coincident with the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. It is still not entirely clear what the origin of the TeV emission is, nor even whether it is due to hadronic or leptonic interactions. It is reasonable to suppose, however, that at least for the diffuse emission, the tight correlation of the intensity distribution with the molecular gas indicates a pionic-decay process involving relativistic protons. In this paper, we explore the possible source(s) of energetic hadrons at the Galactic Centre, and their propagation through a turbulent medium. We conclude that though Sagittarius A* itself may be the source of cosmic rays producing the emission in HESS J1745−290, it cannot be responsible for the diffuse emission farther out. A distribution of point sources, such as pulsar wind nebulae dispersed along the Galactic plane, similarly do not produce a TeV emission profile consistent with the HESS map. We conclude that only a relativistic proton distribution accelerated throughout the intercloud medium can account for the TeV emission profile measured with HESS.  相似文献   

13.
We investigate the optical counterparts of recently discovered Be/X-ray binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). In total four sources, SXP101, SXP700, SXP348 and SXP65.8 were detected during the Chandra survey of the wing of the SMC. SXP700 and SXP65.8 were previously unknown. Many optical ground-based telescopes have been utilized in the optical follow-up, providing coverage in both the red and blue bands. This has led to the classification of all of the counterparts as Be stars and confirms that three lie within the Galactic spectral distribution of known Be/X-ray binaries. SXP101 lies outside this distribution and is the latest spectral type known. Monitoring of the Hα emission line suggests that all the sources barring SXP700 have highly variable circumstellar discs, possibly a result of their comparatively short orbital periods. Phase-resolved X-ray spectroscopy has also been performed on SXP65.8, revealing that the emission is indeed harder during the passage of the X-ray beam through the line of sight.  相似文献   

14.
We investigate whether the recently observed population of high-velocity white dwarfs can be derived from a population of binaries residing initially within the thin disc of the Galaxy. In particular, we consider binaries where the primary is sufficiently massive to explode as a Type II supernova. A large fraction of such binaries are broken up when the primary then explodes as a supernova, owing to the combined effects of the mass loss from the primary and the kick received by the neutron star on its formation. For binaries where the primary evolves to fill its Roche lobe, mass transfer from the primary leads to the onset of a common envelope phase during which the secondary and the core of the primary spiral together as the envelope is ejected. Such binaries are the progenitors of X-ray binaries if they are not broken up when the primary explodes. For those systems that are broken up, a large number of the secondaries receive kick velocities ∼100–200 km s−1 and subsequently evolve into white dwarfs. We compute trajectories within the Galactic potential for this population of stars and relate the birth rate of these stars over the entire Galaxy to those seen locally with high velocities relative to the local standard of rest (LSR) . We show that for a reasonable set of assumptions concerning the Galactic supernova rate and the binary population, our model produces a local number density of high-velocity white dwarfs compatible with that inferred from observations. We therefore propose that a population of white dwarfs originating in the thin disc may make a significant contribution to the observed population of high-velocity white dwarfs.  相似文献   

15.
The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory observatory has been (re-)discovering new X-ray sources since the beginning of nominal operations in early 2003. These sources include X-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei, cataclysmic variables, etc. Amongst the X-ray binaries, the true nature of many of these sources has remained largely elusive, though they seem to make up a population of highly absorbed high-mass X-ray binaries. One of these new sources, IGR J19140+0951, was serendipitously discovered on 2003 March 6 during an observation of the galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105. We observed IGR J19140+0951 with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope in order to identify the infrared counterpart. Here we present the H - and K -band spectra. We determined that the companion is a B0.5-type bright supergiant in a wind-fed system, at a distance ≲5 kpc.  相似文献   

16.
We study annihilation radiation of neutralinos in the Galactic Centre, assuming the existence of a 'spike' in the dark matter density profile, caused by adiabatic accretion on to the massive black hole lying at the Galactic Centre. Under this assumption we find that it is possible to reproduce the observed SgrA* emission at radio and gamma-ray frequencies in a consistent scenario with a magnetic field close to the equipartition strength and with values of γ (the density profile power-law index) around 0.1.  相似文献   

17.
In regions of very high dark matter density such as the Galactic Centre, the capture and annihilation of WIMP dark matter by stars has the potential to significantly alter their evolution. We describe the dark stellar evolution code D ark S tars , and present a series of detailed grids of WIMP-influenced stellar models for main-sequence stars. We describe the changes in stellar structure and main-sequence evolution which occur as a function of the rate of energy injection by WIMPs, for masses of  0.3–2.0 M⊙  and metallicities   Z = 0.0003–0.02  . We show what rates of energy injection can be obtained using realistic orbital parameters for stars at the Galactic Centre, including detailed consideration of the velocity and density profiles of dark matter. Capture and annihilation rates are strongly boosted when stars follow elliptical rather than circular orbits. If there is a spike of dark matter induced by the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Centre, single solar mass stars following orbits with periods as long as 50 yr and eccentricities as low as 0.9 could be significantly affected. Binary systems with similar periods about the Galactic Centre could be affected on even less eccentric orbits. The most striking observational effect of this scenario would be the existence of a binary consisting of a low-mass protostar and a higher mass evolved star. The observation of low-mass stars and/or binaries on such orbits would either provide a detection of WIMP dark matter, or place stringent limits on the combination of the WIMP mass, spin-dependent nuclear-scattering cross-section, halo density and velocity distribution near the Galactic Centre. In some cases, the derived limits on the WIMP mass and spin-dependent nuclear-scattering cross-section would be of comparable sensitivity to current direct-detection experiments.  相似文献   

18.
Diffuse gamma-rays in the Galactic Centre region have been studied. We propose that there exists a population of millisecond pulsars in the Galactic Centre, which emit GeV gamma-rays through synchrotron-curvature radiation as predicted by outer gap models. These GeV gamma-rays from unresolved millisecond pulsars probably contribute to the diffuse gamma-ray spectrum detected by EGRET which displays a break at a few GeV. We have used a Monte Carlo method to obtain simulated samples of millisecond pulsars in the Galactic Centre region covered by EGRET  (∼ 15)  according to the different period and magnetic field distributions from observed millisecond pulsars in the Galactic field and globular clusters, and superposed their synchrotron-curvature spectra to derive the total GeV flux. Our simulated results suggest that there probably exist about 6000 unresolved millisecond pulsars in the region of angular resolution of EGRET, the emissions of which could contribute significantly to the observed diffuse gamma-rays in the Galactic Centre.  相似文献   

19.
We consider the destructive effects of encounters between binaries and red giant stars in the Galactic Centre. Such encounters may explain the observed depletion of luminous red giants within the central 0.2 pc of the galaxy. We consider encounters involving 2- and 8-M⊙ red giants, and thus span the range of stellar masses contributing to the most luminous red giants observed in the Galactic Centre. To explore the phase space of encounters thoroughly, we simulate 18 × 103 encounters using a modified four-body code in which the red giant core and components of the binary are treated as point masses, and where the envelope configuration is assumed to remain static throughout the encounter. We then rerun a small number of encounters with a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to confirm the reliability of conclusions drawn from the four-body runs. We see two possible pathways to red giant destruction. A large fraction of encounters lead to the formation of common-envelope systems, where two compact objects (drawn from the red giant core and the components of the original binary) form a binary within a common gaseous envelope, whilst the third body is ejected. The destruction of the red giant will then follow when the envelope is ejected as the binary hardens. In a smaller number of encounters, the intruding binary passes through the star and ejects the red giant core from the envelope. The red giant envelope will then disperse on short time-scales. We compute the time-scales for both of these processes to occur in the Galactic Centre for a variety of binary populations.  相似文献   

20.
Jet models for the high-energy emission of Galactic X-ray binary sources have regained significant interest with detailed spectral and timing studies of the X-ray emission from microquasars, the recent detection by the HESS collaboration of very-high-energy γ-rays from the microquasar LS 5039, and the earlier suggestion of jet models for ultraluminous X-ray sources observed in many nearby galaxies. Here we study the synchrotron and Compton signatures of time-dependent electron injection and acceleration, and adiabatic and radiative cooling in the jets of Galactic microquasars.  相似文献   

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