X-Ray Flashes in Recurrent Novae: M31N 2008-12a and the Implications of the Swift Non-detection
Mariko Kato, Hideyuki Saio, Martin Henze, Jan-Uwe Ness, Julian P. Osborne, Kim L. Page, Matthew J. Darnley, Michael F. Bode, Allen W. Shafter, Margarita Hernanz… 展开作者
Mariko Kato, Hideyuki Saio, Martin Henze, Jan-Uwe Ness, Julian P. Osborne, Kim L. Page, Matthew J. Darnley, Michael F. Bode, Allen W. Shafter, Margarita Hernanz, Neil Gehrels, Jamie Kennea, Izumi Hachisu
Models of nova outbursts suggest that an X-ray flash should occur just after hydrogen ignition. However, this X-ray flash has never been observationally confirmed. We present four theoretical light curves of the X-ray flash for two very massive white dwarfs (WDs) of 1.380 and 1.385 M_sun and for two recurrence periods of 0.5 and 1 years. The duration of the X-ray flash is shorter for a more massive WD and for a longer recurrence period. The shortest duration of 14 hours (0.6 days) among the four cases is obtained for the 1.385 M_sun WD with one year recurrence period. In general, a nova explosion is relatively weak for a very short recurrence period, which results in a rather slow evolution toward the optical peak. This slow timescale and the predictability of very short recurrence period novae give us a chance to observe X-ray flashes of recurrent novae. In this context, we report the first attempt, using the Swift observatory, to detect an X-ray flash of the recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a (0.5 or 1 year recurrence period), which resulted in the non-detection of X-ray emission during the period of 8 days before the optical detection. We discuss the impact of these observations on nova outburst theory. The X-ray flash is one of the last frontiers of nova studies and its detection is essentially important to understand the pre-optical-maximum phase. We encourage further observations.
We searched for precursive soft X-ray flashes (SXFs) associated with optically-discovered classical or recurrent novae in the data of five-years all-sky observations with Gas Slit Camera (GSC) of the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI). We first developed a tool to measure fluxes of point sources by fitting the event distribution with the model that incorporates the point-spread function (PSF-fit) to minimize the potential contamination from nearby sources. Then we applied the PSF-fit tool to 40 classical/recurrent novae that were discovered in optical observations from 2009 August to 2014 A…
Novae have been reported as transients for more than two thousand years. Their bright optical outbursts are the result of explosive nuclear burning of gas accreted from a binary companion onto a white dwarf. Novae containing a white dwarf close to the Chandrasekhar mass limit and accreting at a high rate are potentially the unknown progenitors of the type Ia supernovae used to measure the acceleration of the Universe. Swift X-ray observations have radically transformed our view of novae by providing dense monitoring throughout the outburst, revealing new phenomena in the super-soft X-rays from…
With rapid response capabilities, and a daily planning of its observing schedule, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is ideal for monitoring transient and variable sources. Here we present a sample of the 12 novae with the most detailed ultraviolet (UV) follow-up by Swift -- the first uniform analysis of such UV light-curves. The fading of these specific light-curves can be modelled as power-law decays (plotting magnitude against log time), showing that the same physical processes dominate the UV emission for extended time intervals in individual objects. After the end of the nuclear burning i…
The rapid response capabilities of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, together with the daily planning of its observing schedule, make it an ideal mission for following novae in the X-ray and UV bands, particularly during their early phases of rapid evolution and throughout the supersoft source interval. Many novae, both classical and recurrent, have been extensively monitored by Swift throughout their supersoft phase and later decline. We collect here results from observations of novae with outbursts which occurred between the start of 2006 and the end of 2017.
All novae recur, but only a handful have been observed in eruption more than once. These systems, the recurrent novae (RNe), are among the most extreme examples of novae. RNe have long been thought of as potential type Ia supernova progenitors, and their claim to this 'accolade' has recently been strengthened. In this short review RNe will be presented within the framework of the maximum magnitude-rate of decline (MMRD) phase-space. Recent work integrating He-flashes into nova models, and the subsequent growth of the white dwarf, will be explored. This review also presents an overview of the G…
Swift J1753.5-0127 (J1753) is a candidate black hole low-mass X-ray binary (BH-LMXB) that was discovered in outburst in May 2005. It remained in outburst for $\sim12$ years, exhibiting a wide range of variability on various timescales, before entering quiescence after two short-lived, low-luminosity "mini-outbursts" in April 2017. The unusually long outburst duration in such a short-period ($P_{\rm orb}\approx3.24$ hrs) source, and complex variability observed during this outburst period, challenges the predictions of the widely accepted disc-instability model, which has been shown to broadly …
Symbiotic stars often contain white dwarfs with quasi-steady shell burning on their surfaces. However, in most symbiotics, the origin of this burning is unclear. In symbiotic slow novae, however, it is linked to a past thermonuclear runaway. In June 2015, the symbiotic slow nova AG Peg was seen in only its second optical outburst since 1850. This recent outburst was of much shorter duration and lower amplitude than the earlier eruption, and it contained multiple peaks -- like outbursts in classical symbiotic stars such as Z And. We report Swift X-ray and UV observations of AG Peg made between …
Based on long-term SWIFT, RXTE, and MAXI observations of the X-ray novae H1743-322 (IGR J17464-3213) and GX339-4, we have investigated the morphology and classified the light curves of their X-ray outbursts. In particular, we have confirmed the existence of two radically different types of outbursts, soft (S) and hard (H), in both sources and revealed their varieties, ultrabright (U) and intermediate (I). The properties and origin of the differences in the light curves of these outbursts are discussed in terms of the truncated accretion disk model.
We present 1500 cycles of hydrogen shell flashes on a 1.38 M_sun white dwarf (WD) for a mass accretion rate of 1.6 x 10^{-7} M_sun yr^{-1}, the mass ejection of which is calculated consistently with the optically thick winds. This model mimics the one-year-recurrence-period nova M31N 2008-12a. Through these hydrogen flashes a helium ash layer grows in mass and eventually triggers a helium nova outburst. Each hydrogen flash is almost identical and there is no precursor for the forthcoming He flash either in the outburst or in the quiescent until the next He flash suddenly occurs. Thus, M31N 200…
The current $super-active$ state of the recurrent nova T CrB has been observed with unprecedented detail. Previously published observations provide strong evidence that this state is due to an enhancement of the flow of material through the accretion disk, which increased the optical depth of its most internal region, the boundary layer. $NuSTAR$ and $Swift$ observed T CrB in 2015 September, roughly halfway through the rise to optical maximum. In our analysis of these data, we have found that: $i$) the UV emission, as observed with $Swift$/UVOT in 2015, was already as bright as it became in 20…
The detection of GeV $γ$-ray emission from Galactic novae by $Fermi$-LAT has become routine since 2010, and is generally associated with shocks internal to the nova ejecta. These shocks are also expected to heat plasma to $\sim 10^7$ K, resulting in detectable X-ray emission. In this paper, we investigate 13 $γ$-ray emitting novae observed with the Neil Gehrels $Swift$ Observatory, searching for 1-10 keV X-ray emission concurrent with $γ$-ray detections. We also analyze $γ$-ray observations of novae V407 Lup (2016) and V357 Mus (2018). We find that most novae do eventually show X-ray evidence …
Classification of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) into groups has been intensively studied by various statistical tests in previous years. It has been suggested that there was a distinct group of GRBs, beyond the long and short ones, with intermediate durations. However, such a group is not securely confirmed yet. Strangely, concerning the spectral hardness, the observations from the Swift and RHESSI satellites give different results. For the Swift/BAT database it is found that the intermediate-duration bursts might well be related to so-called X-ray flashes (XRFs). On the other hand, for the RHESSI d…
AT2016dah and AT2017fyp are fairly typical Andromeda Galaxy (M31) classical novae. AT2016dah is an almost text book example of a 'very fast' declining, yet uncommon, Fe II'b' (broad-lined) nova, discovered during the rise to peak optical luminosity, and decaying with a smooth broken power-law light curve. AT2017fyp is classed as a 'fast' nova, unusually for M31, its early decline spectrum simultaneously shows properties of both Fe II and He/N spectral types - a 'hybrid'. Similarly, the light curve of AT2017fyp has a broken power-law decline but exhibits an extended flat-topped maximum. Both no…
The merger of a double neutron star (NS-NS) binary may result in a rapidly rotating massive NS with an extremely strong magnetic field (i.e., a millisecond magnetar). In this case, the magnetic spin-down of the NS remnant provides an additional source of sustained energy injection, which would continuously power the merger ejecta. The thermal emission from the merger ejecta would give rise to a bright optical "magnetar-powered merger-nova". In this work, we carry out a complete search for magnetar-powered merger-nova from Swift short gamma-ray burst (SGRB) sample. We focus on short GRBs with e…
NASA's Swift satellite has completed ten years of amazing discoveries in time domain astronomy. Its primary mission is to chase gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), but due to its scheduling flexibility it has subsequently become a prime discovery machine for new types of behavior. The list of major discoveries in GRBs and other transients includes the long-lived X-ray afterglows and flares from GRBs, the first accurate localization of short GRBs, the discovery of GRBs at high redshift (z>8), supernova shock break-out from SN Ib, a jetted tidal disruption event, an ultra-long class of GRBs, high energy em…
The M 31 nova M31N 2008-12a was recently found to be a recurrent nova (RN) with a recurrence time of about 1 year. This is by far the fastest recurrence time scale of any known RNe. Our optical monitoring programme detected the predicted 2014 outburst of M31N 2008-12a in early October. We immediately initiated an X-ray/UV monitoring campaign with Swift to study the multiwavelength evolution of the outburst. We monitored M31N 2008-12a with daily Swift observations for 20 days after discovery, covering the entire supersoft X-ray source (SSS) phase. We detected SSS emission around day six after o…
We build a comprehensive sample to statistically describe the properties of X-ray flashes (XRFs) and X-ray riches (XRRs) from the latest third Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT3) catalog of Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We obtain 81 XRFs, 540 XRRs, and 394 classical GRBs (C-GRBs). We statistically explore the different properties of the $γ$-ray prompt emission, the X-ray emission, the X-ray lightcurve type, the association with supernovae (SNe), and the host galaxy properties for these sources. We confirm that most XRFs/XRRs are long GRBs with low values of peak energy $E^{obs}_{peak}$ and they are …
Owing to narrow energy band of \textit{Swift}/BAT, several urgent issues are required to pay more attentions but unsolved so far. We systematically study the properties of a refined sample of 283 \textit{Swift}/BAT gamma-ray bursts with well-measured spectral peak energy ($E_{\text p}$) at a high confidence level larger than 3$σ$. It is interestingly found that duration ($T_{90}$) distribution of \textit{Swift} bursts still exhibits an evident bimodality with a more reliable boundary of $T_{90}\simeq$1.06 s instead of 2 s for previously contaminated samples including bursts without well-peaked…
Is the Peculiar Galactic Center Transient Swift J174610.4-290018 A Nova Outburst?
School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University（南京大学天文与空间科学学院）；Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University), Ministry of Education（南京大学现代天文与天体物理教育部重点实验室）；Institute of Science and Technology for Deep Space Exploration, Suzhou Campus, Nanjing University（南京大学苏州校区深空探测科学与技术研究院）
In recent years, several nova explosions have been detected by Fermi/LAT at E>100 MeV, mainly early after the explosion and for a short period of time. The first evidence of particle acceleration in novae was found in the 2006 eruption of RS Oph, to explain the faster than expected deceleration of the blast wave. As a consequence, emission of high-energy gamma-rays mainly from neutral pion decay and inverse Compton scattering is expected. We aim to understand the early shock evolution, when acceleration of particles can take place, in nova explosions. To achieve this goal, we perform a multiwa…
We have performed a systematic study of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), which have various values in the peak energy of the $νF_ν$ spectrum of the prompt emission, $E_{\rm peak}$, observed by \textsl{Swift}/BAT and \textsl{Fermi}/GBM, investigating their prompt and X-ray afterglow emissions. We cataloged the long-lasting GRBs observed by the \textsl{Swift} between 2004 December and 2014 February in 3 categories according to the classification by \citet{2008ApJ...679..570S}: X-Ray Flashes (XRFs), X-Ray Rich GRBs (XRRs), and Classical GRBs (C-GRBs). We then derived $E^{\rm obs}_{\rm peak}$, as well as …
We searched for thermonuclear X-ray bursts from Galactic neutron stars in all event mode data of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory collected until March 31, 2018. In particular, we are interested in the intermediate-duration bursts (shell flashes fueled by thick helium piles) with the ill-understood phenomenon of strong flux fluctuations. Nine such bursts have been discussed in the literature to date. Swift is particularly suitable for finding additional examples. We find and list a total of 134 X-ray bursts; 44 are detected with BAT only, 41 with XRT only, and 49 with both. Twenty-eight burs…
V3890 Sgr is a recurrent nova which has been seen in outburst three times so far, with the most recent eruption occurring on 2019 August 27 UT. This latest outburst was followed in detail by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, from less than a day after the eruption until the nova entered the Sun observing constraint, with a small number of additional observations after the constraint ended. The X-ray light-curve shows initial hard shock emission, followed by an early start of the super-soft source phase around day 8.5, with the soft emission ceasing by day 26. Together with the peak blackbody…
The transition from prompt to the afterglow emission is one of the most exciting and least understood phases in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Correlations among optical, X-ray and gamma-ray emission in GRBs have been explored, to attempt to answer whether the earliest optical emission comes from internal and/or external shocks. We present optical photometric observations of GRB 180325A collected with the TAROT and RATIR ground-based telescopes. These observations show two strong optical flashes with separate peaks at $\sim50\;$s and $\sim120\;$s, followed by a temporally extended optical emission. …
We report on the fast Nova Sgr 2016 N.4 being surprisingly trapped in a long-lasting and bright plateau (Delta I >= 10 mag above quiescence) six years past the nova eruption. Very few other novae experience a similar occurrence. We carried out an intensive observing campaign collecting daily BVRI photometry and monthly high-resolution optical spectroscopy, and observed the nova in ultraviolet and X-rays with Swift satellite at five distinct epochs. The bolometric luminosity radiated during the plateau is ~4200 Lsun (scaled to the distance of the Galactic Bulge), corresponding to stable nuclear…
We report on the Fermi-LAT detection (with ~5.7 sigma significance) as well as the multi-wavelength analysis of the 2017 nova eruption V549 Vel. Unlike the recent shock-powered novae ASASSN-16ma and V906 Car, the optical and gamma-ray light curves of V549 Vel show no correlation, likely implying relatively weak shocks in the eruption. Gaia detected a candidate progenitor of V549 Vel and found a parallax measurement of 1.91+/-0.39 mas, equivalent to a mode distance of d=560 pc (90% credible interval of 380-1050 pc). The progenitor was also observed by the 2MASS and WISE surveys. When adopting t…
We present a detailed study of the 2017 eruption of the classical nova ASASSN-17pf (LMCN 2017-11a), which is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, including data from AAVSO, ASAS-SN, SALT, SMARTS, SOAR, and the Neil Gehrels \textit{Swift} Observatory. The optical light-curve is characterized by multiple maxima (flares) on top of a slowly evolving light-curve (with a decline time, $t_2>$ 100 d). The maxima correlate with the appearance of new absorption line systems in the optical spectra characterized by increasing radial velocities. We suggest that this is evidence of multiple episodes of ma…
We obtained an optical spectrum of a star we identify as the optical counterpart of the M31 Chandra source CXO J004318.8+412016, because of prominent emission lines of the Balmer series, of neutral helium, and a He II line at 4686 Angstrom. The continuum energy distribution and the spectral characteristics demonstrate the presence of a red giant of K or earlier spectral type, so we concluded that the binary is likely to be a symbiotic system. CXO J004318.8+412016 has been observed in X-rays as a luminous supersoft source (SSS) since 1979, with effective temperature exceeding 40 eV and variable…
Shocks in gamma-ray emitting classical novae are expected to produce bright thermal and non-thermal X-rays. We test this prediction with simultaneous NuSTAR and Fermi/LAT observations of nova V906 Car, which exhibited the brightest GeV gamma-ray emission to date. The nova is detected in hard X-rays while it is still gamma-ray bright, but contrary to simple theoretical expectations, the detected 3.5-78 keV emission of V906 Car is much weaker than the simultaneously observed >100 MeV emission. No non-thermal X-ray emission is detected, and our deep limits imply that the gamma-rays are likely had…
Supersoft X-ray sources (SSS) have been identified as white dwarfs accreting from binary companions and undergoing nuclear-burning of the accreted material on their surface. Although expected to be a relatively numerous population from both binary evolution models and their identification as Type Ia supernova progenitor candidates, given the very soft spectrum of SSSs relatively few are known. Here we report on the X-ray and optical properties of 1RXS J050526.3-684628, a previously unidentified accreting nuclear-burning white dwarf located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). XMM-Newton observ…
GRB 080503 is a short gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected by \emph{Swift} and has been classified as a compact-star-merger-origin GRB. The soft extended emission and the simultaneous late re-brightening in both the X-ray and optical afterglow lightcurves raise interesting questions regarding its physical origin. We show that the broad-band data of GRB 080503 can be well explained within the framework of the double neutron star merger model, provided that the merger remnant is a rapidly-rotating massive neutron star with an extremely high magnetic field (i.e. a millisecond magnetar). We show that th…
