Astrophysics

In recent years, thanks to the continuous surveys performed by INTEGRAL and Swift satellites, our knowledge of the hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray sky has greatly improved. As a result it is now populated with about 2000 sources, both Galactic and extra-galactic, mainly discovered by IBIS and BAT instruments. Many different follow-up campaigns have been successfully performed by using a multi-wavelength approach, shedding light on the nature of a number of these new hard X-ray sources. However, a fraction are still of a unidentified nature. This is mainly due to the lack of lower energy observations, which usually deliver a better constrained position for the sources, and the unavailability of the key observational properties, needed to obtain a proper physical characterization. Here we report on the classification of two poorly studied Galactic X-ray transients IGR J20155+3827 and Swift J1713.4-4219, for which the combination of new and/or archival X-ray and Optical/NIR observations have allowed us to pinpoint their nature. In particular, thanks to XMM\Newton archival data together with new optical spectroscopic and archival Optical/NIR photometric observations, we have been able to classify IGR J20155+3827 as a distant HMXB. The new INTEGRAL and Swift data collected during the 2019 X-ray outburst of Swift J1713.4-4219, in combination with the archival optical/NIR observations, suggest a LMXB classification for this source.

We present VLT-FORS spectropolarimetric observations of the type II supernova (SN) 2012aw taken at seven epochs during the photospheric phase, from 16 to 120d after explosion. We correct for the interstellar polarization by postulating that the SN polarization is naught near the rest wavelength of the strongest lines - this is later confirmed by our modeling. SN2012aw exhibits intrinsic polarization, with strong variations across lines, and with a magnitude that grows in the 7000A line-free region from 0.1% at 16d up to 1.2% at 120d. This behavior is qualitatively similar to observations gathered for other type II SNe. A suitable rotation of Stokes vectors places the bulk of the polarization in q, suggesting the ejecta of SN2012aw is predominantly axisymmetric. Using an upgraded version of our 2D polarized radiative transfer code, we model the wavelength- and time-dependent polarization of SN2012aw. The key observables may be explained by the presence of a confined region of enhanced 56Ni at ~4000km/s, which boosts the electron density in a cone having an opening angle of ~50deg and an observer's inclination of ~70deg to the axis of symmetry. With this fixed asymmetry in time, the observed evolution of the SN2012aw polarization arises from the evolution of the ejecta optical depth, ionization, and the relative importance of multiple versus single scattering. However, the polarization signatures exhibit numerous degeneracies. Cancellation effects at early times imply that a low polarization may occur for ejecta with a large asymmetry. An axisymmetric ejecta with a latitude-dependent explosion energy can also yield similar polarization signatures as an asymmetric 56Ni distribution. Despite these uncertainties, SN2012aw provides additional evidence for the generic asymmetry of type II SN ejecta, of which VLT-FORS spectropolarimetric observations are a decisive and exquisite probe.

Neutron stars (NSs) are extraordinary not only because they are the densest form of matter in the visible Universe but also because they can generate B-fields ten orders of magnitude larger than those currently constructed on Earth. The combination of extreme gravity with the enormous electromagnetic (EM) fields gives rise to spectacular phenomena like those observed on August 2017 with the merger of a binary neutron star (NSNS) system, an event that generated a gravitational wave (GW) signal, a short γ -ray burst (sGRB), and a kilonova. This event serves as the highlight so far of the era of multimessenger astronomy. In this review, we present the current state of our theoretical understanding of compact binary mergers containing NSs as gleaned from the latest general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations. Such mergers can lead to events like the one on August 2017, GW170817, and its EM counterparts, GRB 170817 and AT 2017gfo. In addition to exploring the GW emission from binary black hole-neutron star and NSNS mergers, we also focus on their counterpart EM signals. In particular, we are interested in identifying the conditions under which a relativistic jet can be launched following these mergers. Such a jet is an essential feature of most sGRB models and provides the main conduit of energy from the central object to the outer radiation regions. Jet properties, including their lifetimes and Poynting luminosities, the effects of the initial B-field geometries and spins of the coalescing NSs, as well as their governing equation of state, are discussed. Lastly, we present our current understanding of how the Blandford-Znajek mechanism arises from merger remnants as the trigger for launching jets, if, when and how a horizon is necessary for this mechanism, and the possibility that it can turn on in magnetized neutron ergostars, which contain ergoregions, but no horizons.

An excess of γ rays in the data measured by the Fermi Large Area Telescope in the direction of the Galactic center has been reported in several publications. This excess, labeled as the Galactic center excess (GCE), is detected analyzing the data with different interstellar emission models, point source catalogs and analysis techniques. The characteristics of the GCE, recently measured with unprecedented precision, are all compatible with dark matter particles (DM) annihilating in the main halo of our Galaxy, even if other interpretations are still not excluded. We investigate the DM candidates that fit the observed GCE spectrum and spatial morphology. We assume a simple scenario with DM annihilating into a single channel but we inspect also more complicated models with two and three channels. We perform a search for a γ -ray flux from a list of 48 Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) using state-of-the-art estimation of the DM density in these objects. Since we do not find any significant signal from the dSphs, we put upper limits on the annihilation cross section that result to be compatible with the DM candidate that fits the GCE. However, we find that the GCE DM signal is excluded by the AMS-02 p ¯ flux data for all hadronic and semi-hadronic annihilation channels unless the vertical size of the diffusion halo is smaller than 2 kpc -- which is in tension with radioactive cosmic ray fluxes and radio data. Furthermore, AMS-02 e + data rule out pure or mixed channels with a component of e + e ??. The only DM candidate that fits the GCE spectrum and is compatible with constraints obtained with the combined dSphs analysis and the AMS-02 p ¯ and e + data annihilates purely into μ + μ ??, has a mass of 60 GeV and roughly a thermal cross section.

The electromagnetic radiation that followed the neutron star merger event GW170817 revealed that gamma-ray burst afterglows from jets misaligned with our line of sight exhibit a light curve with slowly rising flux. The slope of the rising light curve depends sensitively on the angle of the observer with respect to the jet axis, which is likely to be perpendicular to the merger plane of the neutron star binary. Therefore, the afterglow emission can be used to constrain the inclination of the merging system. Here, we calculate the gamma-ray burst afterglow emission based on the realistic jet structure derived from general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamical simulations of a black hole torus system for the central engine of the gamma-ray burst. Combined with gravitational wave parameter estimation, we fit the multi-epoch afterglow emission of GW170817. We show that with such a jet model, the observing angle can be tightly constrained by multi messenger observations. The best fit observing angle of GW170817 is θ v =0.38±0.02 rad. With such a constraint, we can break the degeneracy between inclination angle and luminosity distance in gravitational wave parameter estimation, and substantially increase the precision with which the Hubble constant is constrained by the standard siren method. Our estimation of the distance is D L =43.4±1 Mpc and the Hubble constant constraint is 69.5±4 km s −1 Mp c −1 . As a result, multimessenger observations of short-duration gamma-ray bursts, combined with a good theoretical understanding of the jet structure, can be powerful probes of cosmological parameters.

We study the multimessenger signals from the merger of a black hole with a magnetized neutron star using resistive magnetohydrodynamics simulations coupled to full general relativity. We focus on a case with a 5:1 mass ratio, where only a small amount of the neutron star matter remains post-merger, but we nevertheless find that significant electromagnetic radiation can be powered by the interaction of the neutron star's magnetosphere with the black hole. In the lead-up to merger, strong twisting of magnetic field lines from the inspiral leads to plasmoid emission and results in a luminosity in excess of that expected from unipolar induction. We find that the strongest emission occurs shortly after merger during a transitory period in which magnetic loops form and escape the central region. The remaining magnetic field collimates around the spin axis of the remnant black hole before dissipating, an indication that, in more favorable scenarios (higher black hole spin/lower mass ratio) with larger accretion disks, a jet would form.

We present a comprehensive analysis of 20 years worth of multi-color photometric light curves, multi-epoch optical spectra, and X-ray data of an off-nuclear variable object SDSS1133 in Mrk 177 at z=0.0079 . The UV-optical light curves reveal that SDSS1133 experienced three outbursts in 2001, 2014, and 2019. The persistent UV-optical luminosity in the non-outbursting state is ??10 41 erg/s with small-scale flux variations, and peak luminosities during the outbursts reach ??10 42 erg/s. The optical spectra exhibit enduring broad hydrogen Balmer P-Cygni profiles with the absorption minimum at ?��?2,000 km/s, indicating the presence of fast moving ejecta. Chandra detected weak X-ray emission at a 0.3-10 keV luminosity of L X =4? 10 38 erg/s after the 2019 outburst. These lines of evidence strongly suggests that SDSS1133 is an extremely luminous blue variable (LBV) star experiencing multiple giant eruptions with interactions of the ejected shell with different shells and/or circumstellar medium (CSM), and strongly disfavors the recoiling Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) scenario suggested in the literature. We suggest that pulsational pair-instability may provide a viable explanation for the multiple energetic eruptions in SDSS1133. If the current activity of SDSS1133 is a precursor of a supernova explosion, we may be able to observe a few additional giant eruptions and then the terminal supernova explosion in future observations.

The H.E.S.S. Galactic Plane Survey (HGPS) revealed 78 TeV sources among which 47 are not clearly associated with a known object. We present a multiwavelength approach to constrain the origin of the emission from unidentified HGPS sources. We present a generic pipeline that explores a large database of multiwavelength archival data toward any region in the Galactic plane. Along with a visual inspection of the retrieved multiwavelength observations to search for faint and uncataloged counterparts, we derive a radio spectral index that helps disentangle thermal from nonthermal emission and a mean magnetic field through X-ray and TeV data in case of a leptonic scenario. We also search for a spectral connection between the GeV and the TeV regimes with the Fermi-LAT cataloged sources that may be associated with the unidentified HGPS source. We complete the association procedure with catalogs of known objects and with the source catalogs from instruments whose data are retrieved. The method is applied on two unidentified sources, namely HESS J1427 ??608 and HESS J1458 ??608, for which the multiwavelength constraints favor the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) scenario. We model their broadband nonthermal spectra in a leptonic scenario with a magnetic field B??0 μ G, which is consistent with that obtained from ancient PWNe. We place both sources within the context of the TeV PWN population to estimate the spin-down power and the characteristic age of the putative pulsar. We also shed light on two possibly significant γ -ray excesses in the HGPS: the first is located in the south of the unidentified source HESS J1632 ??478 and the second is spatially coincident with the synchrotron-emitting supernova remnant G28.6 ??0.1. The multiwavelength counterparts found toward both γ -ray excesses make these promising candidates for being new very-high energy γ -ray sources.

We carried out a detailed study of the temporal and broadband spectral behaviour of one of the brightest misaligned active galaxies in gamma-rays, NGC 1275 utilising 11 years of Fermi, and available Swift and AstroSat observations. Based on the cumulative flux distribution of the gamma-ray lightcurve, we identified four distinct activity states and noticed an increase in the baseline flux during the first three states. Similar nature of the increase in the average flux was also noticed in X-ray and UV bands. A large flaring activity in gamma-rays was noticed in the fourth state. The source was observed twice by AstroSat for shorter intervals (~days) during the longer observing periods (~years) state 3 and 4. During AstroSat observing periods, the source gamma-ray flux was higher than the average flux observed during longer duration states. The increase in the average baseline flux from state 1 to state 3 can be explained considering a corresponding increase of jet particle normalisation. The inverse Comptonisation of synchrotron photons explained the average X-ray and gamma-ray emission by jet electrons during the first three longer duration states. However, during the shorter duration AstroSat observing periods, a shift of the synchrotron peak frequency was noticed, and the synchrotron emission of jet electrons well explained the observed X-ray flux.

We report the detection of 376.05 Hz (2.66 ms) coherent X-ray pulsations in NICER observations of a transient outburst of the low-mass X-ray binary IGR J17494-3030 in 2020 October/November. The system is an accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar in a 75 minute ultracompact binary. The mass donor is most likely a ??.02 M ??finite-entropy white dwarf composed of He or C/O. The fractional rms pulsed amplitude is 7.4%, and the soft (1-3 keV) X-ray pulse profile contains a significant second harmonic. The pulsed amplitude and pulse phase lag (relative to our mean timing model) are energy-dependent, each having a local maximum at 4 keV and 1.5 keV, respectively. We also recovered the X-ray pulsations in archival 2012 XMM-Newton observations, allowing us to measure a long-term pulsar spin-down rate of ν ? =??.1(7)? 10 ??4 Hz/s and to infer a pulsar surface dipole magnetic field strength of ??10 9 G. We show that the mass transfer in the binary is likely non-conservative, and we discuss various scenarios for mass loss from the system.