Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 1201.3533

Constraints on the non-thermal emission from Eta Carinae's blast wave of 1843

J. L. Skilton·W. Domainko·J. A. Hinton·D. I. Jones·S. Ohm·J. S. Urquhart
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Non-thermal hard X-ray and high-energy (HE; 1 MeV < E < 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission in the direction of Eta Carinae has been recently detected using the INTEGRAL, AGILE and Fermi satellites. This emission has been interpreted either in the framework of particle acceleration in the colliding wind region between the two massive stars or in the very fast moving blast wave which originates in the historical 1843 "Great Eruption". Archival Chandra data has been reanalysed to search for signatures of particle acceleration in Eta Carinae's blast wave. No shell-like structure could be detected in hard X-rays and a limit has been placed on the non-thermal X-ray emission from the shell. The time dependence of the target radiation field of the Homunculus is used to develop a single zone model for the blast wave. Attempting to reconcile the X-ray limit with the HE -ray emission using this model leads to a very hard electron injection spectrum dN/dE ~ E^-Gamma with Gamma < 1.8, harder than the canonical value expected from diffusive shock acceleration.

Explore related subjects

astro-ph.HE

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

J. L. Skilton, W. Domainko, J. A. Hinton, D. I. Jones, S. Ohm, J. S. Urquhart. 2012-01-17. Constraints on the non-thermal emission from Eta Carinae's blast wave of 1843. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%2F201118434

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

ExTraSS: a Domain Decomposed 3D NLTE Radiative Transfer spectral synthesis code for nebular phase transients

In the nebular phase, supernovae are powered by radioactive decay and continuously fade, while their densities have decreased enough such that the expanding nebula becomes (largely) optically thin and the entire structure contributes to the emission. Models for the nebular phase need to take Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) effects into account, while at the same time radiative transfer effects often cannot be ignored. To account for the asymmetric morphologies of SNe, 3D input ejecta models must be used. In this work, we present the $\texttt{ExTraSS}$ (EXplosive TRAnsient Spectral Simulator) code, which has been upgraded to be fully capable of 3D NLTE radiative transfer calculations in order to generate synthetic spectra for explosive transients in the nebular phase, with a focus on supernovae. We solve a long-standing difficulty of 3D NLTE radiative transfer -- to manage generation and storage of millions of photoexcitation rates over $\gtrsim10^{5}$ of cells -- by developing a new Domain Decomposition algorithm. We describe this new methodology and general code operations in detail, and analyse convergence and accuracy for $\texttt{ExTraSS}$.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2026

Searching for Black Hole Candidates in Quiescence by Using Multi-band Observations in Globular Cluster M22 (NGC 6656)

We present a multi-wavelength investigation of radio sources in the globular cluster M22 (NGC 6656) using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope. By cross-matching the radio and X-ray source catalogs, we identify eight radio/X-ray counterparts, of which VLA22 is the most promising stellar-mass black hole (BH) candidate. Its radio and X-ray luminosities are consistent with the established $L_{\rm X}-L_{\rm R}$ correlation for BH low-mass X-ray binaries. The observed X-ray variability supports an accreting nature. One possible optical counterpart ($M_{\mathrm{814}} \approx 16.695 \pm 0.011$ mag) is identified. Based on its inferred stellar parameters, the estimated orbital period of $P_{\rm orb} \sim 16 \pm 6~{\rm h}$ places the proposed counterpart predominantly in the BH region rather than in the NS region in the $L_{\rm X}-P_{\rm orb}$ plane. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of joint radio, X-ray, and optical observations in identifying quiescent BH candidates in globular clusters.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2026

Tidal Disruption of Blanets by Supermassive Black Holes: From Test Particles to Planetary-Mass Bodies in Kerr Spacetime

Planetary-mass bodies formed in active galactic nucleus (AGN) discs, termed "blanets", may undergo tidal disruption by the central supermassive black hole (SMBH). We analyse this process in Kerr spacetime using Mino-time geodesics and the Marck tidal tensor in a parallel-transported tetrad, treating the blanet as a test particle with finite size entering through the disruption criterion. For a blanet of $100 M_{\oplus}$ and $6 R_{\oplus}$ around a $10^7 M_{\odot}$ SMBH, the tidal radius is 0.82 AU, or 8.3 gravitational radii, requiring a non-perturbative relativistic treatment. The Hills mass depends on bulk density as $M_{\rm Hills}\proptoρ_p^{-1/2}$ and is independent of blanet mass at fixed density. Rocky compositions yield a lower Hills mass than a Sun-like star, while volatile-rich compositions yield a higher value, suggesting a potential composition diagnostic. The frozen-in fallback model gives a peak time of about 15 yr and a peak luminosity of $3.7\times10^{40}$ erg/s, about $3\times10^{-5}$ of the Eddington luminosity, predicting a faint, ultraviolet-peaked transient lasting roughly a century. Scalar resonant relaxation in the surrounding nuclear star cluster may deliver blanets to disruptive orbits over $10^8$ to $10^9$ yr, implying an estimated per-AGN event rate of $10^{-7}$ to $10^{-6}$ per year. Gravitational waves from sub-Earth-mass debris fragments remain approximately nine orders of magnitude below Laser Interferometer Space Antenna sensitivity.

astro-ph.HE↗