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The Vela supernova remnant complex is a region containing at least three supernova remnants: Vela, Puppis A, and Vela Jr. With the launch of the spectro-imaging X-ray telescope eROSITA on board the Spectrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) mission, it became possible to observe the one degree wide Vela Jr in its entirety. Although several previous pointed Chandra and XMM-Newton observations are available, it is only the second time after the ROSAT all-sky survey that the whole remnant was observed in X-rays with homogeneous sensitivity. Vela Jr is one of the few remnants emitting in the TeV band, making it an important object in shock acceleration studies. However, the age and distance determination using X-ray emission is largely hampered by the presence of the Vela SNR along the same line. With the eROSITA data set our aim is to characterize the emission of Vela Jr and distinguish it from Vela emission, and also to characterize the spectral emission of the inner remnant. We processed the eROSITA data dividing the whole remnant into seven different regions. In addition, images of the whole remnant were employed to pinpoint the position of the geometric center and constrain the proper motion of the CCO. We also employed archival XMM-Newton pointed observations of the NW rim to determine the cutoff energy of the electrons and the expansion velocity. We find the magnetic field can vary between 2 $\mu$G and 16 $\mu$G in the NW rim. We also find that the remnant spectrum is uniformly featureless in most regions, except for two inner regions where an extra thermal model component improves the fit. We obtain new coordinates for the geometric remnant center, resulting in a separation of only 35.2 $\pm$ 15.8" from the position of the CCO. As a result, we reinforce the association between the CCO and a proposed faint optical/IR counterpart., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A

T. H. Reiprich et al., arXiv:2012.08491v1, [Context]: Inferences about dark matter, dark energy, and the missing baryons all depend on the accuracy of our model of large-scale structure evolution. In particular, with cosmological simulations in our model of the Universe, we trace the growth of structure, and visualize the build-up of bigger structures from smaller ones and of gaseous filaments connecting galaxy clusters., [Aims]: Here we aim to reveal the complexity of the large-scale structure assembly process in great detail and on scales from tens of kiloparsecs up to more than 10 Mpc with new sensitive large-scale observations from the latest generation of instruments. We also aim to compare our findings with expectations from our cosmological model., [Methods]: We used dedicated SRG/eROSITA performance verification (PV) X-ray, ASKAP/EMU Early Science radio, and DECam optical observations of a ~15 deg2 region around the nearby interacting galaxy cluster system A3391/95 to study the warm-hot gas in cluster outskirts and filaments, the surrounding large-scale structure and its formation process, the morphological complexity in the inner parts of the clusters, and the (re-)acceleration of plasma. We also used complementary Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect data from the Planck survey and custom-made Galactic total (neutral plus molecular) hydrogen column density maps based on the HI4PI and IRAS surveys. We relate the observations to expectations from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations from the Magneticum suite., [Results]: We trace the irregular morphology of warm and hot gas of the main clusters from their centers out to well beyond their characteristic radii, r200. Between the two main cluster systems, we observe an emission bridge on large scale and with good spatial resolution. This bridge includes a known galaxy group but this can only partially explain the emission. Most gas in the bridge appears hot, but thanks to eROSITA’s unique soft response and large field of view, we discover some tantalizing hints for warm, truly primordial filamentary gas connecting the clusters. Several matter clumps physically surrounding the system are detected. For the “Northern Clump,” we provide evidence that it is falling towards A3391 from the X-ray hot gas morphology and radio lobe structure of its central AGN. Moreover, the shapes of these X-ray and radio structures appear to be formed by gas well beyond the virial radius, r100, of A3391, thereby providing an indirect way of probing the gas in this elusive environment. Many of the extended sources in the field detected by eROSITA are also known clusters or new clusters in the background, including a known SZ cluster at redshift z = 1. We find roughly an order of magnitude more cluster candidates than the SPT and ACT surveys together in the same area. We discover an emission filament north of the virial radius of A3391 connecting to the Northern Clump. Furthermore, the absorption-corrected eROSITA surface brightness map shows that this emission filament extends south of A3395 and beyond an extended X-ray-emitting object (the “Little Southern Clump”) towards another galaxy cluster, all at the same redshift. The total projected length of this continuous warm-hot emission filament is 15 Mpc, running almost 4 degrees across the entire eROSITA PV observation field. The Northern and Southern Filament are each detected at >4σ. The Planck SZ map additionally appears to support the presence of both new filaments. Furthermore, the DECam galaxy density map shows galaxy overdensities in the same regions. Overall, the new datasets provide impressive confirmation of the theoretically expected structure formation processes on the individual system level, including the surrounding warm-hot intergalactic medium distribution; the similarities of features found in a similar system in the Magneticum simulation are striking. Our spatially resolved findings show that baryons indeed reside in large-scale warm-hot gas filaments with a clumpy structure., N.O. acknowledges support by a Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 16KK0101). K.D. acknowledges support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy – EXC-2094 – 3907833. V.B. acknowledges support by the DFG project nr. 415510302 (BI 1699/2-1). Partial support for LR comes from US National Science Foundation grant AST17-14205 to the University of Minnesota.

During its performance verification phase, the soft X-ray instrument eROSITA aboard the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma(SRG) spacecraft observed large regions in the Magellanic Clouds, where almost 40 known high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs, including candidates) are located. We looked for new HMXBs in the eROSITA data, searched for pulsations in HMXB candidates and investigated the long-term behaviour of the full sample using archival X-ray and optical data. For sources sufficiently bright, a detailed spectral and temporal analysis of their eROSITA data was performed. A source detection analysis of the eROSITA images in different energy bands provided count rates and upper limits for the remaining sources. We report the discovery of a new Be/X-ray binary in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The transient SRGEt J052829.5-690345 was detected with a 0.2-8.0 keV luminosity of ~10^35 erg/s and exhibits a hard X-ray spectrum, typical for this class of HMXBs. The OGLE I-band light curve of the V~15.7 mag counterpart shows large variations by up to 0.75 mag, which occur quasi periodically with ~511 days. The eROSITA observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud covered 16 Be/X-ray binary pulsars, five of them were bright enough to accurately determine their current pulse period. The pulse periods for SXP 726 and SXP 1323 measured from eROSITA data are ~800 s and ~1006 s, respectively, far away from their discovery periods. Including archival XMM-Newton observations we update the spin-period history of the two long-period pulsars which show nearly linear trends in their period evolution since more than 15 years. The corresponding average spin-down rate for SXP 726 is 4.3 s/yr while SXP 1323 shows spin-up with a rate of -23.2 s/yr. We discuss the spin evolution of the two pulsars in the framework of quasi-spherical accretion., 21 pages, 28 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, First science highlights from SRG/eROSITA

Aims. We present the results of the analysis of five observations of the globular clutser 47 Tucanae (47 Tuc) with the extended Roentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) on board the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (Spektr-RG, SRG). We study the X-ray population in the field of one of the most massive globular clusters in our Milky Way. We focused on the classification of point-like sources in the field of 47 Tuc. The unresolved dense core of 47 Tuc (1.7 radius) and also sources that show extended emission are excluded from this study. Methods. We applied different methods of X-ray spectral and timing analysis together with multi-wavelength studies to classify the X-rays sources in the field of 47 Tuc. Results. We detected 888 point-like sources in the energy range of 0.2–5.0 keV. We identified 126 background active galactic nuclei and 25 foreground stars. One of the foreground stars is classified as a variable M dwarf. We also classified 14 X-ray sources as members of 47 Tuc, including one symbiotic star, two quiescent low-mass X-ray binaries, and four cataclysmic variables. There are also five X-ray sources that can either be a cataclysmic variable or a contact binary, and also one X-ray source can be an active binary (type RS CVn). We identified one X-ray binary that belongs to the Small Magellanic Cloud. Moreover, we calculated the X-ray luminosity function of 47 Tuc. No significant population that seems to belong to the globular cluster is observed in the energy range of 0.5–2.0 keV using eROSITA observations.

In the first observation of Mars with XMM-Newton, on 20-21 November 2003, this planet is clearly detected as an X-ray source. High resolution X-ray spectroscopy with the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) confirms that the X-ray radiation from Mars is composed of two different components: one due to fluorescent scattering of solar X-rays in its upper atmosphere and the other one due to solar wind charge exchange in its exosphere. Close to Mars, the RGS spectrum is dominated by two pronounced CO 2 fluorescence lines at 23.5 A and 23.7 A. Fluorescence from N 2 at 31.5 A is also observed. With increasing distance from Mars, these lines fade, while numerous (∼12) emission lines become prominent at the positions expected for de-excitation of highly ionized C, N, O, and Ne atoms, strongly resembling a cometary X-ray spectrum. The He-like O 6+ multiplet is resolved and is dominated by the spin-forbidden magnetic dipole transition 2 3 S 1 → 1 1 S 0 , confirming charge exchange as the origin of the emission, while the resonance line 2 1 P 1 → 1 1 S 0 increases in intensity closer to Mars, where the density of the exosphere is higher. The high spectral dispersion and throughput of XMM-Newton/RGS make it possible to produce X-ray images of the Martian exosphere in individual emission lines, free from fluorescent radiation. They show extended emission out to ∼8 Mars radii, with morphological differences between individual ions and ionization states. This is the first definite detection of charge exchange induced X-ray emission from the exosphere of another planet, providing a direct link to cometary X-ray emission.

The volume intensity of the cometary X-ray emission is enhanced behind the bow shock by a factor of up to three. This effect offers the opportunity to identify the bow shock by a tomographic method in X-ray images of comets. By an analysis of the X-ray data obtained by XMM-Newton from Comet C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) we obtain information on the position, the shape and the structure of the bow shock of this comet. In particular, we get for the first time a global image of the subsolar part of the bow shock, which up to now has not been visited by spacecrafts. The shock is not a sharp discontinuous jump but rather a gradual transition in a region of about 40 000 km width. An asymmetry can well be explained by the inclination of the interplanetary magnetic field. Our results are consistent with theoretical expectations as well as with results from spacecraft observations.

X-ray emission from comets is generated by charge exchange of heavy solar wind ions in a high ionization state with the neutral particles of the cometary coma. We use model calculations and theoretical considerations to study the morphology of the emission. The emission is located in a bowl-shaped region on the subsolar side of the nucleus. We derive several length scales. By comparison with hydrodynamic scales we find that the maximum emission comes from inside the bow shock. The size of the emission region depends on the size of the cometary coma, i.e., mainly on the gas production, while the intensity depends mainly on the energy content of the heavy ions in the solar wind flow. This dependence allows a determination of the gas production of the comet and the heavy ion energy flux from a statistical study of the observed spatial distribution of X-ray photons. Here we apply this procedure to X-ray observations from comets C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake), C/1990 K1 (Levy), 2P/Encke and C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR). The gas production rates determined by our method agree very well with those obtained by other methods. The variability of the emission documented in several recorded outbursts correlates with the solar wind proton density.

The European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) consortium has provided the focal plane instruments for the three X-ray mirror systems on XMM-Newton. Two cameras with a reflecting grating spectrometer in the optical path are equipped with MOS type CCDs as focal plane detectors (Turner 2001), the telescope with the full photon flux operates the novel pn-CCD as an imaging X-ray spectrometer. The pn-CCD camera system was developed under the leadership of the Max-Planck-Institut fur extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Garching. The concept of the pn-CCD is described as well as the dierent operational modes of the camera system. The electrical, mechanical and thermal design of the focal plane and camera is briefly treated. The in-orbit performance is described in terms of energy resolution, quantum eciency, time resolution, long term stability and charged particle background. Special emphasis is given to the radiation hardening of the devices and the measured and expected degradation due to radiation damage of ionizing particles in the rst 9 months of in orbit operation.

We present the first results on the hard X-ray continuum image (up to 15 keV) of the supernova remnant Cas A measured with the EPIC cameras onboard XMM-Newton. The data indicate that the hard X-ray tail, observed previously, that extends to energies above 100 keV does not originate in localised regions, like the bright X-ray knots and filaments or the primary blast wave, but is spread over the whole remnant with a rather flat hardness ratio of the 8-10 and 10-15 keV energy bands. This result does not support an interpretation of the hard X-radiation as synchrotron emission produced in the primary shock, in which case a limb brightened shell of hard X-ray emission close to the primary shock front is expected. In fact a weak rim of emission near the primary shock front is discernable in the hardest X-ray image but it contains only a few percent of the hard X-ray emissivity. The equivalent width of the Fe-K line blend varies by more than an order of magnitude over the remnant, it is hard to explain this as Fe-emission from the reverse shock heated ejecta given the ejecta temperature and the age of the remnant. The uniquely high wavelength-dispersive RGS-spectrometer has allowed, for the first time, to extract monochromatic images in several highly ionised element species with high spectral resolution. We present here a preliminary result on the measurement of the O VIII Ly-alpha and Ly-beta brightness distribution and brightness ratios. The large observed decrease of the Ly-alpha/Ly-beta ratio going from the N to the SE can be explained by small-scale (10 arcsec) variations in the N_H column over the remnant and the potential presence of resonance scattering of the O VIII Ly-alpha photons in the limb brightened shell., 5 pages, 6 figures. accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, letters (XMM issue)