Search

The detection of gravitational waves from a binary neutron star merger by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (GW170817), along with the discovery of the electromagnetic counterparts of this gravitational wave event, ushered in a new era of multimessenger astronomy, providing the first direct evidence that BNS mergers are progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Such events may also produce very-high-energy (VHE, > 100GeV) photons which have yet to be detected in coincidence with a gravitational wave signal. The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a next-generation VHE observatory which aims to be indispensable in this search, with an unparalleled sensitivity and ability to slew anywhere on the sky within a few tens of seconds. New observing modes and follow-up strategies are being developed for CTA to rapidly cover localization areas of gravitational wave events that are typically larger than the CTA field of view. This work will evaluate and provide estimations on the expected number of of gravitational wave events that will be observable with CTA, considering both on- and off-axis emission. In addition, we will present and discuss the prospects of potential follow-up strategies with CTA., Comment: Presented at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2023), 2023 (arXiv:2309.08219)

GRB 221009A is the brightest gamma-ray burst ever detected since the discovery of this kind of energetic explosions. However, an accurate measurement of the prompt emission properties of this burst is very challenging due to its exceptional brightness. With joint observations of \textit{Insight}-HXMT and GECAM-C, we made an unprecedentedly accurate measurement of the emission during the first $\sim$1800 s of GRB 221009A, including its precursor, main emission (ME, which dominates the burst in flux), flaring emission and early afterglow, in the hard X-ray to soft gamma-ray band from $\sim$ 10 keV to $\sim$ 6 MeV. Based on the GECAM-C unsaturated data of the ME, we measure a record-breaking isotropic equivalent energy ($E_{\rm iso}$) of $\bf \sim 1.5 \times 10^{55}$ erg, which is about eight times the total rest-mass energy of the Sun. The early afterglow data require a significant jet break between 650 s and 1100 s, most likely at $\sim950$ s from the afterglow starting time $T_{AG}$, which corresponds to a jet opening angle of $\sim {0.7^\circ} \ (\eta_\gamma n)^{1/8}$, where $n$ is the ambient medium density in units of $\rm cm^{-3}$ and $\eta_\gamma$ is the ratio between $\gamma$-ray energy and afterglow kinetic energy. The beaming-corrected total $\gamma$-ray energy $E_{\gamma}$ is $\sim 1.15 \times10^{51} \ (\eta_\gamma n)^{1/4}$ erg, which is typical for long GRBs. These results suggest that this GRB may have a special central engine, which could launch and collimate a very narrowly beamed jet with an ordinary energy budget, leading to exceptionally luminous gamma-ray radiation per unit solid angle. Alternatively, more GRBs might have such a narrow and bright beam, which are missed by an unfavorable viewing angle or have been detected without distance measurement., Comment: Submitted to National Science Review. This paper is under press embargo, contact the corresponding author for details

Hard X-/soft gamma-ray astronomy is a crucial field for transient, nuclear and multimessenger astrophysics. However, the spatial localization, imaging capabilities and sensitivity of the measurements are strongly limited for the energy range > 70 keV. To overcome these limitations, we have proposed a mission concept, ASTENA, submitted to ESA for its program Voyage 2050. We will report on a pathfinder of ASTENA, that we intend to propose to ASI as an Italian mission with international participation. It will be based on one of the two instruments aboard ASTENA: a Laue lens with 20 m focal length, able to focus hard X-rays in the 50-700 keV passband into a 3-d position sensitive focal plane spectrometer. The combination of the focussing properties of the lens and of the localization properties of the detector will provide unparalleled imaging and spectroscopic capabilities, thus enabling studies of phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts afterglows, supernova explosions, positron annihilation lines and many more., Comment: To be published in 'Il Nuovo Cimento' as a selected communication of the 'SIF National Congress 2022'

We have performed phase-resolved spectral analysis of the accreting pulsar 1A~0535+262 based on observations of Insight-HXMT during the 2020 Type-II outburst of the source. We focus on the two-dimensional dependence of the cyclotron resonance scattering features (CRSFs) along the outburst time and at different phases. The fundamental CRSF line (f-CRSF) shows different time- and phase-dependent behaviors. At higher luminosity, the phase profile of the f-CRSF energy changes from a single peak to double peaks, with the transition occurring at MJD 59185. On the contrary, the first harmonic CRSF (1-st CRSF) at $\sim$ 100 keV is only detected within a narrow phase range (0.8$-$1.0) accompanied by a shallow f-CRSF line. Based on these results, we speculate that when the source enters the supercritical regime, the higher accretion column can significantly enhance the harmonic line at a narrow phase through an "anti-pencil" beam at a higher energy band. At the same time, it will also affect the behavior of the fundamental line.

GX 301-2 provides a rare opportunity to study both disk and wind accretion in a same target. We report Insight-HXMT observations of the spin-up event of GX 301-2 happened in 2019 and compare with those of wind-fed state. The pulse profiles of the initial rapid spin-up period are dominated by one main peak, while those of the later slow spin-up period are composed of two similar peaks, as those of wind-fed state. These behaviors are confirmed by Fermi/GBM data, which also show that during the rapid spin-up period, the main peak increases with luminosity up to $8\times10^{37}$ erg s$^{-1}$, but the faint peak keeps almost constant. The absorption column densities during the spin-up period are $\sim1.5\times10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$, much less than those of wind-fed state at similar luminosity ($\sim9\times10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$), supporting the scenario that most of material is condensed into a disk during the spin-up period. We discuss possible differences between disk and wind accretion that may explain the observed different trend of pulse profiles., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figs, to appear in MNRAS

The response of the X and Gamma Imaging Spectrometer (XGIS) instrument onboard the Transient High Energy Sky and Early Universe Surveyor (THESEUS) mission, selected by ESA for an assessment phase in the framework of the Cosmic Vision M5 launch opportunity, has been extensively modeled with a Monte Carlo Geant-4 based software. In this paper, the expected sources of background in the Low Earth Orbit foreseen for THESEUS are described (e.g. diffuse photon backgrounds, cosmic-ray populations, Earth albedo emission) and the simulated on-board background environment and its effects on the instrumental performance is shown., Comment: Proceedings of the SPIE 2020, paper 11444-275. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2101.03017

Within the scientific goals of the THESEUS ESA/M5 candidate mission, a critical item is a fast (within a few s) and accurate (<15 arcmin) Gamma-Ray Burst and high-energy transient location from a few keV up to hard X-ray energy band. For that purpose, the signal multiplexing based on coded masks is the selected option to achieve this goal. This contribution is implemented by the XGIS Imaging System, based on that technique. The XGIS Imaging System has the heritage of previous payload developments: LEGRI/Minisat-01, INTEGRAL, UFFO/Lomonosov and ASIM/ISS. In particular the XGIS Imaging System is an upgrade of the ASIM system in operation since 2018 on the International Space Station. The scientific goal is similar: to detect a gamma-ray transient. But while ASIM focuses on Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes, THESEUS aims for the GRBs. For each of the two XGIS Cameras, the coded mask is located at 630 mm from the detector layer. The coding pattern is implemented in a Tungsten plate (1 mm thickness) providing a good multiplexing capability up to 150 keV. In that way both XGIS detector layers (based on Si and CsI detectors) have imaging capabilities at the medium - hard X-ray domain. This is an improvement achieved during the current THESEUS Phase-A. The mask is mounted on top of a collimator that provides the mechanical assembly support, as well as good cosmic X-ray background shielding. The XGIS Imaging System preliminary structural and thermal design, and the corresponding analyses, are included in this contribution, as it is a preliminary performance evaluation., Comment: Proceedings of the SPIE 2020, paper 11444-278

THESEUS is one of the three missions selected by ESA as fifth medium class mission (M5) candidates in its Cosmic Vision science program, currently under assessment in a phase A study with a planned launch date in 2032. THESEUS is designed to carry on-board two wide and deep sky monitoring instruments for X/gamma-ray transients detection: a wide-field soft X-ray monitor with imaging capability (Soft X-ray Imager, SXI, 0.3 - 5 keV), a hard X-ray, partially-imaging spectroscopic instrument (X and Gamma Imaging Spectrometer, XGIS, 2 keV - 10 MeV), and an optical/near-IR telescope with both imaging and spectroscopic capability (InfraRed Telescope, IRT, 0.7 - 1.8 $\mu$m). The spacecraft will be capable of performing fast repointing of the IRT to the error region provided by the monitors, thus allowing it to detect and localize the transient sources down to a few arcsec accuracy, for immediate identification and redshift determination. The prime goal of the XGIS will be to detect transient sources, with monitoring timescales down to milliseconds, both independently of, or following, up SXI detections, and identify the sources performing localisation at < 15 arcmin and characterize them over a broad energy band, thus providing also unique clues to their emission physics. The XGIS system consists of two independent but identical coded mask cameras, arranged to cover 2 steradians . The XGIS will exploit an innovative technology coupling Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD) with crystal scintillator bars and a very low-noise distributed front-end electronics (ORION ASICs), which will produce a position sensitive detection plane, with a large effective area over a huge energy band (from soft X-rays to soft gamma-rays) with timing resolution down to a few $\mu$s.Here is presented an overview of the XGIS instrument design, its configuration, and capabilities., Comment: Proceedings of the SPIE 2020, paper 11444-303

In this paper we present the science potential of the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission for studies of strongly magnetized objects. We will focus on the physics and astrophysics of strongly magnetized objects, namely magnetars, accreting X-ray pulsars, and rotation powered pulsars. We also discuss the science potential of eXTP for QED studies. Developed by an international Consortium led by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the eXTP mission is expected to be launched in the mid 2020s., Comment: Accepted for publication on Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. (2019)

In this White Paper we present the potential of the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission for studies related to Observatory Science targets. These include flaring stars, supernova remnants, accreting white dwarfs, low and high mass X-ray binaries, radio quiet and radio loud active galactic nuclei, tidal disruption events, and gamma-ray bursts. eXTP will be excellently suited to study one common aspect of these objects: their often transient nature. Developed by an international Consortium led by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science, the eXTP mission is expected to be launched in the mid 2020s., Comment: Accepted for publication on Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. (2019)

We have carried out a study of temperature evolution during thermonuclear bursts in LMXBs using broad band data from two instruments onboard BeppoSAX, the MECS and the PDS. However, instead of applying the standard technique of time resolved spectroscopy, we have determined the temperature in small time intervals using the ratio of count rates in the two instruments assuming a blackbody nature of burst emission and different interstellar absorption for different sources. Data from a total of twelve observations of six sources were analysed during which 22 bursts were detected. We have obtained temperatures as high as ~3.0 keV, even when there is no evidence of photospheric radius expansion. These high temperatures were observed in the sources within different broadband spectral states (soft and hard)., Comment: To appear in New Astronomy

The Supermodel provides an accurate description of the thermal contribution by the hot intracluster plasma which is crucial for the analysis of the hard excess. In this paper the thermal emissivity in the Coma cluster is derived starting from the intracluster gas temperature and density profiles obtained by the Supermodel analysis of X-ray observables: the XMM-Newton temperature profile and the Rosat brightness distribution. The Supermodel analysis of the BeppoSAX/PDS hard X-ray spectrum confirms our previous results, namely an excess at the c.l. of ~4.8sigma and a nonthermal flux of 1.30+-0.40x 10^-11 erg cm^-2 s^-1 in the energy range 20-80 keV. A recent joint XMM-Newton/Suzaku analysis reports an upper limit of ~6x10^-12 erg cm^-2 s^-1 in the energy range 20-80 keV for the nonthermal flux with an average gas temperature of 8.45+-0.06 keV, and an excess of nonthermal radiation at a confidence level above 4sigma, without including systematic effects, for an average XMM-Newton temperature of 8.2 keV in the Suzaku/HXD-PIN FOV, in agreement with our earlier PDS analysis. Here we present a further evidence of the compatibility between the Suzaku and BeppoSAX spectra, obtained by our Supermodel analysis of the PDS data, when the smaller size of the HXD-PIN FOV and the two different average temperatures derived by XMM-Newton and by the joint XMM-Newton/Suzaku analysis are taken into account. The consistency of the PDS and HXD-PIN spectra reaffirms the presence of a nonthermal component in the hard X-ray spectrum of the Coma cluster. The Supermodel analysis of the PDS data reports an excess at c.l. above 4sigma also for the higher average temperature of 8.45 keV thanks to the PDS FOV considerably greater than the HXD-PIN FOV., Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

The transient 500 s X-ray pulsar MAXI J1409-619 was discovered by the slit cameras aboard MAXI on October 17, 2010, and soon after accurately localized by Swift. We found that the source position was serendipitously observed in 2000 during BeppoSAX observations of the Galactic plane. Two sources are clearly detected in the MECS: one is consistent with the position of IGR J14043-6148 and the other one with that of MAXI J1409-619. We report on the analysis of this archival BeppoSAX/MECS observation integrated with newly analyzed observation from ASCA and a set of high-energy observations obtained from the offset fields of the BeppoSAX/PDS instrument. For the ON-source observation, the 1.8-100 keV spectrum is fit by an absorbed power law with a photon index Gamma = 0.87_{-0.19}^{+0.29}, corresponding to 2-10 and 15-100 keV unabsorbed fluxes of 2.7E-12 and 4E-11 erg/cm2/s, respectively, and a 2-10 keV luminosity of 7E+34 erg/s for a 15 kpc distance. For a PDS offset field observation, performed about one year later and showing a 15-100 keV flux of 7E-11 erg/cm2/s, we clearly pinpoint three spectral absorption features at 44, 73, and 128 keV, resolved both in the spectral fit and in the Crab ratio. We interpret these not harmonically spaced features as due to cyclotron resonances. The fundamental energy of 44 +/- 3 keV corresponds to a magnetic field strength at the neutron star surface of 3.8E12 (1+z) G, where z is the gravitational redshift. We discuss the nature of the source in the light of its possible counterpart., Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures. Expanded and revised version accepted for publication in ApJ Main Journal

Comments to the review "Nonthermal Phenomena in Clusters of Galaxies" by Y.Rephaeli et al. (arXiv:0801.0982 [astro-ph]) that regard the presence of a hard X-ray excess in the Coma cluster, A2199, A2163 and the Bullet cluster., Comment: 3 pages

A short replay to the comment of Rossetti & Molendi (astro-ph/0702417) in answer to the paper of Fusco-Femiano, Landi & Orlandini 2007 regarding the presence of a nonthermal component in the Coma Cluster spectrum., Comment: 4 pages

The detection of a nonthermal excess in the Coma cluster spectrum by two BeppoSAX observations analyzed with the XAS package (Fusco-Femiano et al.) has been disavowed by an analysis (Rossetti & Molendi) performed with a different software package (SAXDAS) for the extraction of the spectrum. To resolve this discrepancy we reanalyze the PDS data considering the same software used by Rossetti & Molendi. A correct selection of the data and the exclusion of contaminating sources in the background determination show that also the SAXDAS analysis reports a nonthermal excess with respect to the thermal emission at about the same confidence level of that obtained with the XAS package (~4.8sigma). Besides, we report the lack of the systematic errors investigated by Rossetti & Molendi and Nevalainen et al. taking into account the whole sample of the PDS observations off the Galactic plane, as already shown in our data analysis of Abell 2256 (Fusco-Femiano, Landi & Orlandini). All this eliminates any ambiguity and confirms the presence of a hard tail in the spectrum of the Coma cluster., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

We report on an accurate measurement of the CXB in the 15-50 keV range performed with the Phoswich Detection System (PDS) instrument aboard the BeppoSAX satellite. We establish that the most likely CXB intensity level at its emission peak (26-28 keV) is ~40 keV/cm2/s/sr, a value consistent with that derived from the best available CXB measurement obtained over 25 years ago with the first High Energy Astronomical Observatory satellite mission (HEAO-1; Gruber et al. 1999), whose intensity, lying well below the extrapolation of some lower energy measurements performed with focusing telescopes, was questioned in the recent years. We find that 90% of the acceptable solutions of our best fit model to the PDS data give a 20-50 keV CXB flux lower than 6.5E-08 erg/cm2/s/sr, which is 12% higher than that quoted by Gruber et al. (1999) when we use our best calibration scale. This scale gives a 20-50 keV flux of the Crab Nebula of 9.22E-09 erg/cm2/s, which is in excellent agreement with the most recent Crab Nebula measurements and 6% smaller than that assumed by Gruber et al. (1999). In combination with the CXB synthesis models we infer that about 25% of the intensity at ~30 keV arises from extremely obscured, Compton thick AGNs (absorbing column density N_H > 1.0E+24 H/cm2), while a much larger population would be implied by the highest intensity estimates. We also infer a mass density of supermassive BHs of ~3.0E+05 Msol/Mpc3. The summed contribution of resolved sources (Moretti et al. 2003) in the 2-10 keV band exceeds our best fit CXB intensity extrapolated to lower energies, but it is within our upper limit, so that any significant contribution to the CXB from sources other than AGNs, such as star forming galaxies and diffuse Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM), is expected to be mainly confined below a few keV., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Main: 30 pages, 3 Tables, 8 Figures. Many revisions due to the change of the Journal

Broad-band spectra of accreting X-ray binary pulsars can be fit by a phenomenological model composed by a power law with a high energy rollover above 10 keV, plus a blackbody component with a temperature of few hundred eV. While, at least qualitatively, the hard tail can be explained in terms of (inverse) Compton scattering, the origin of the soft component cannot find a unique explanation. Recently a qualitative picture able to explain the overall broad band-spectrum of luminous X-ray pulsars was carried out by taking into account the effect of bulk Comptonization in the accretion column. After a review on these recent theoretical developments, I will present a case study of how different modelization of the continuum affect broad features, in particular the cyclotron resonance features in Vela X-1., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; to appear in the Proceedings of COSPAR Colloquium "Spectra & Timing of Compact X-ray Binaries," January 17-20, 2005, Mumbai, India

We report on a puzzling event occurred during a long BeppoSAX observation of the slow-rotating binary pulsar GX 1+4. During this event, lasting about 1 day, the source X-ray flux was over a factor 10 lower than normal. The low-energy pulsations disappeared while at higher energies they were shifted in phase. The spectrum taken outside this low-intensity event was well fitted by an absorbed cut-off power law, and exhibited a broad iron line at ~6.5 keV probably due to the blending of the neutral (6.4 keV) and ionised (6.7 keV) K_alpha iron lines. The spectrum during the event was Compton reflection dominated and it showed two narrow iron lines at ~6.4 keV and ~7.0 keV, the latter never revealed before in this source. We also present a possible model for this event in which a variation of the accretion rate thickens a torus-like accretion disc which hides for a while the direct neutron star emission from our line of sight. In this scenario the Compton reflected emission observed during the event is well explained in terms of emission reflected by the side of the torus facing our line of sight., Comment: 10 pages; to be published in MNRAS

After confirmation of the presence of a nonthermal hard X-ray excess with respect to the thermal emission in the Coma cluster from two independent observations, obtained using the Phoswich Detection System onboard BeppoSAX, we present in this Letter also for Abell 2256 the results of two observations performed with a time interval of about 2.5 yr. In both spectra a nonthermal excess is present at a confidence level of ~3.3sigma and ~3.7sigma, respectively. The combined spectrum obtained by adding up the two spectra allows to measure an excess at the level of ~4.8sigma in the 20-80 keV energy range. The nonthermal X-ray flux is in agreement with the published value of the first observation (Fusco-Femiano et al. 2000) and with that measured by a Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer observation (Rephaeli & Gruber 2003)., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, 1 table - ApJL, in press

The study of the hard (E>10 keV) energy spectra of X-ray binary pulsars can give a wealth of information on the physical processes that occur close to the neutron star surface. Extreme matter regimes are probed, and precious information on how matter and radiation behave and interact in critical conditions can be obtained. We will give an overview on the most recent results obtained by RXTE and BeppoSAX on this class of objects, in order to pass the baton onto just launched experiments, like INTEGRAL, or soon to be launched, like AGILE and ASTRO-E2., Comment: 10 Pages, 5 figures. Conference proceedings 4th AGILE Science Workshop "X-ray and Gamma-ray Astrophysics of Galactic Sources", Rome 11-13 June 2003

We report the hard X-ray spectrum of the Coma cluster obtained using the PDS data of two independent BeppoSAX observations performed with a time interval of about three years. In both the spectra a non thermal excess with respect to the thermal emission is present at a confidence level of ~ 3.4 sigma. The combined spectrum obtained by adding up the two spectra allows a measurement of the excess at the level of ~ 4.8 sigma at energies above 20 keV. The analysis of the full BeppoSAX data set provides a revised non-thermal X-ray flux which is slightly lower than that previously estimated (Fusco-Femiano et al. 1999) and in agreement with that measured by two RXTE observations. The analysis of the offset fields in our Coma observations provides a possible flux determination of the BL Lac object 1ES 1255+244., Comment: 14 Pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication on ApJ Letters

We review the physical processes occurring in the magnetosphere of accreting X-ray pulsars, with emphasis on those processes that give rise to observable effects in their high (E>10 keV) energy spectra. In the second part we compare the empirical spectral laws used to fit the observed spectra with theoretical models, at the light of the BeppoSAX results on the broad-band characterization of the X-ray pulsar continuum, and the discovery of new (multiple) cyclotron resonance features., Comment: Review talk given at the "X-ray Astronomy '99" Conference

The systematic search for the presence of cyclotron lines in the spectra of accreting X-ray pulsars is being carried on with the BeppoSAX satellite since the beginning of the mission. These highly successful observations allowed the detection of cyclotron lines in many of the accreting X-ray pulsars observed. Some correlations between the different measured parameters were found. We present these correlations and discuss them in the framework of the current theoretical scenario for the X-ray emission from these sources., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, uses aipproc.sty, to appear in Proceeding of Fifth Compton Symposium

A phenomenological model of accretion which is applied to the wind-fed X-ray binary pulsar GX 301 - 2 is developed, assuming that the accretion onto the neutron star does not occur from a continuous flux of plasma, but from blobs of matter which are threaded by the magnetic field lines onto the magnetic polar caps of the neutron star. These 'lumps' are produced at the magnetospheric limit by magnetohydrodynamical instability, introducing a 'noise' in the accretion process, due to the discontinuity in the flux of matter onto the neutron star. This model is able to describe the change of slope observed in the continuum component of the power spectra of the X-ray binary pulsar GX 301 - 2, in the frequency range 0.01 - 0.1 Hz. The physical properties of the infalling blobs derived in the model are in agreement with the constraints imposed by observations.