Manami Sasaki

eROSITA on SRG

eROSITA (extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) is the core instrument on the Russian/German Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission which is now officially scheduled for launch on March 26, 2016. eROSITA will perform a deep survey of the entire X-ray sky. In the soft band (0.5-2 keV), it will be about 30 times more sensitive than ROSAT, while in the hard band (2-8 keV) it will provide the first ever true imaging survey of the sky. The design driving science is the detection of large samples of galaxy clusters to redshifts z < 1 in order to study the large scale structure in the universe and test cosmological models including Dark Energy. In addition, eROSITA is expected to yield a sample of a few million AGN, including obscured objects, revolutionizing our view of the evolution of supermassive black holes. The survey will also provide new insights into a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including X-ray binaries, active stars and diffuse emission within the Galaxy. eROSITA is currently (June 2014) in its flight model and calibration phase. All seven flight mirror modules (+ 1 spare) have been delivered and measured in X-rays. The first camera including the complete electronics has been extensively tested (vacuum + X-rays). A pre-test of the final end-toend test has been performed already. So far, all subsystems and components are well within their expected performances.

ROSAT HRI catalogue of X-ray sources in the SMC region

During the operational phase of the ROSAT satellite between 1990 and 1998 the X-ray telescope pointed 71 times to the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) for observations with the High Resolution Imager (HRI), covering a eld of 5 5. From these data a cata- logue of 121 discrete X-ray sources was derived. By cross-correlating the source catalogue with the SIMBAD data base and the TYCHO catalogue, the systematic positional error of the HRI source positions could be reduced. In total the X-ray position for 99 HRI sources was corrected yielding positional errors between 1 00 and 16 00 . The HRI catalogue was also cross-correlated with the catalogues derived from the ROSAT Position Sensitive Propotional Counter (PSPC) pointings (Kahabka et al. 1999; Haberl et al. 2000). For 75 HRI sources PSPC counterparts were found and thus hardness ratios are given. With the help of the information obtained from the cross-correlations 56 HRI sources were identied with objects of known or proposed nature. Four foreground stars, six supernova remnants, four supersoft sources, 12 X-ray binaries, and one AGN were detected by the HRI. Based on the existence of a likely optical counterpart or properties like hardness ratio and X-ray to optical flux ratio, further 15 HRI sources were classied into dierent source types.

XMM-Newton observations of High Mass X-ray Binaries in the SMC

Based on XMM-Newton EPIC data of four pointings towards the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), results on timing and spectral analyses of 16 known high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) and HMXB candidates in the SMC are presented. We confirm the pulse periods of four sources which were known to show pulsations. In addition, two new X-ray pulsars are discovered: XMMUJ005605.2-722200 with P p u l s e = 140.1 ′ 0.3 s and RX J0057.8-7207 with P p u l s e = 152.34 ′ 0.05 s. Due to the low Galactic foreground absorption, X-ray binary systems in the Magellanic Clouds are well suited for studies of the soft component in their X-ray spectrum. Spectral analysis reveals soft emission besides a power law component in the spectra of three sources. The existence of emission lines in at least one of them corroborates the thermal nature of this emission with temperatures of 0.2-0.3 keV and heavy element abundances lower than solar. For the HMXB SMC X-2 which was in a low luminosity state, we determine a flux upper limit of 1.5 x 10 - 1 4 erg cm - 2 s - 1 (0.3-10.0 keV). Furthermore, two new sources (XMMUJ005735.7-721932 and XMMU J010030.2-722035) with hard spectrum and emission line objects as likely optical counterparts are proposed as new X-ray binary candidates.

M33 X-7: ChASeM33 reveals the first eclipsing black hole X-ray binary

The first observations conducted as part of the Chandra ACIS survey of M33 (ChASeM33) sampled the eclipsing X-ray binary M33 X-7 over a large part of the 3.45 day orbital period and have resolved eclipse ingress and egress for the first time. The occurrence of the X-ray eclipse allows us to determine an improved ephemeris of mid-eclipse and binary period as HJD (2,453,639.119 ± 0.005) ± N(3.453014 ± 0.000020) and constrain the eclipse half-angle to 26°.5 ± 1°.1. There are indications for a shortening of the orbital period. The X-ray spectrum is best described by a disk blackbody spectrum typical for black hole X-ray binaries in the Galaxy. We find a flat power density spectrum, and no significant regular pulsations were found in the frequency range of 10^(-4) to 0.15 Hz. HST WFPC2 images resolve the optical counterpart, which can be identified as an O6 III star with the help of extinction and color corrections derived from the X-ray absorption. Based on the optical light curve, the mass of the compact object in the system most likely exceeds 9 M_☉. This mass, the shape of the X-ray spectrum, and the short-term X-ray time variability identify M33 X-7 as the first eclipsing black hole high-mass X-ray binary.

The population of X-ray supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present a comprehensive X-ray study of the population of supernova remnants (SNRs) in the LMC. Using primarily XMM-Newton, we conduct a systematic spectral analysis of LMC SNRs to gain new insights on their evolution and the interplay with their host galaxy. We combined all the archival XMM observations of the LMC with those of our Very Large Programme survey. We produced X-ray images and spectra of 51 SNRs, out of a list of 59. Using a careful modelling of the background, we consistently analysed all the X-ray spectra and measure temperatures, luminosities, and chemical compositions. We investigated the spatial distribution of SNRs in the LMC and the connection with their environment, characterised by various SFHs. We tentatively typed all LMC SNRs to constrain the ratio of core-collapse to type Ia SN rates in the LMC. We compared the X-ray-derived column densities to HI maps to probe the three-dimensional structure of the LMC. This work provides the first homogeneous catalogue of X-ray spectral properties of LMC SNRs. It offers a complete census of LMC SNRs exhibiting Fe K lines (13% of the sample), or revealing contribution from hot SN ejecta (39%). Abundances in the LMC ISM are found to be 0.2-0.5 solar, with a lower [

Analyzing X-ray pulsar profiles: geometry and beam pattern of A 0535+26

\alpha

Multifrequency study of SNR J0533-7202, a new supernova remnant in the LMC

/Fe] than in the Milky Way. The ratio of CC/type Ia SN in the LMC is

Four new X-ray-selected supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud

N_{\mathrm{CC}}/N_{\mathrm{Ia}} = 1.35(_{-0.24}^{+0.11})

The Chandra ACIS Survey of M33 (ChASeM33): Transient X-Ray Sources Discovered in M33

, lower than in local SN surveys and galaxy clusters. Comparison of X-ray luminosity functions of SNRs in Local Group galaxies reveals an intriguing excess of bright objects in the LMC. We confirm that 30 Doradus and the LMC Bar are offset from the main disc of the LMC, to the far and near sides, respectively. (abridged)

Far-ultraviolet and X-ray observations of the reverse shock in the small magellanic cloud supernova remnant 1E 0102.2-7219

Aims. We applied a decomposition method to the energy dependent pulse profiles of the accreting binary pulsar A 0535+26, in order to identify the contribution of the two magnetic poles of the neutron star and to obtain constraints on the geometry of the system and on the beam pattern. Methods. We analyzed pulse profiles obtained from RXTE observations in the X-ray regime. Basic assumptions of the method are that the asymmetry observed in the pulse profiles is caused by non-antipodal magnetic poles and that the emission regions have axisymmetric beam patterns. Results. Constraints on the geometry of the pulsar and a possible solution of the beam pattern are given. We interpreted the reconstructed beam pattern in terms of a geometrical model of a hollow column plus a halo of scattered radiation on the neutron star surface, which includes relativistic light deflection.