Search Publications

Strong horizontal photospheric magnetic field in a surface dynamo simulation
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20078998 Bibcode: 2008A&A...481L...5S

Schüssler, M.; Vögler, A.

Context: Observations with the Hinode spectro-polarimeter have revealed strong horizontal internetwork magnetic fields in the quiet solar photosphere.
Aims: We aim to interpret the observations with results from numerical simulations.
Methods: Radiative MHD simulations of dynamo action by near-surface convection are analyzed with respect t…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
Hinode 115
High variability in Vela X-1: giant flares and off states
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:200809956 Bibcode: 2008A&A...492..511K

Santangelo, A.; Wilms, J.; Ferrigno, C. +6 more

Aims: We investigate the spectral and temporal behavior of the high mass X-ray binary Vela X-1 during a phase of high activity, with special focus on the observed giant flares and off states.
Methods: INTEGRAL observed Vela X-1 in a long almost uninterrupted observation for two weeks in 2003 Nov/Dec. The data were analyzed with OSA 7.0 and FTO…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
INTEGRAL 114
Transient horizontal magnetic fields in solar plage regions
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20079022 Bibcode: 2008A&A...481L..25I

Lites, B. W.; Ichimoto, K.; Ishikawa, R. +9 more

Aims:We report the discovery of isolated, small-scale emerging magnetic fields in a plage region with the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode.
Methods: Spectro-polarimetric observations were carried out with a cadence of 34 s for the plage region located near disc center. The vector magnetic fields are inferred by Milne-Eddington inversion. …

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
Hinode 113
X-ray spectral evolution of TeV BL Lacertae objects: eleven years of observations with BeppoSAX, XMM-Newton and Swift satellites
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20078639 Bibcode: 2008A&A...478..395M

Tramacere, A.; Giommi, P.; Perri, M. +2 more

Context: Many of the extragalactic sources detected in γ rays at TeV energies are BL Lac objects. In particular, they belong to the subclass of “high frequency peaked BL Lacs” (HBLs), as their spectral energy distributions exhibit a first peak in the X-ray band. At a closer look, their X-ray spectra appear to be generally curved into a log-parabol…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
XMM-Newton 111
The intensity contrast of solar granulation: comparing Hinode SP results with MHD simulations
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:200809857 Bibcode: 2008A&A...484L..17D

Solanki, S. K.; Lagg, A.; Tsuneta, S. +5 more

Context: The contrast of granulation is an important quantity characterizing solar surface convection.
Aims: We compare the intensity contrast at 630 nm, observed using the Spectro-Polarimeter (SP) aboard the Hinode satellite, with the 3D radiative MHD simulations of Vögler & Schüssler (2007, A&A, 465, L43).
Methods: A synthetic im…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
Hinode 110
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy. VI. A multi-observatory identification campaign
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20079332 Bibcode: 2008A&A...482..113M

Palazzi, E.; Minniti, D.; Masetti, N. +18 more

Using 8 telescopes in the northern and southern hemispheres, plus archival data from two on-line sky surveys, we performed a systematic optical spectroscopic study of 39 putative counterparts of unidentified or poorly studied INTEGRAL sources in order to determine or at least better assess their nature. This was implemented within the framework of…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
INTEGRAL XMM-Newton 109
On the detectability of Lyα emission in star forming galaxies. The role of dust
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:200809527 Bibcode: 2008A&A...488..491A

Östlin, G.; Hayes, M.; Mas-Hesse, J. M. +2 more

Context: Lyman-alpha (Lyα) radiation is now widely used to investigate the galaxy formation and evolution in the high redshift universe. However, without a rigorous understanding of the processes regulating the Lyα escape fraction, physical interpretations of high-z observations remain questionable.
Aims: We examine six nearby star forming gal…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
eHST 109
On the kinematic evolution of young local associations and the Scorpius-Centaurus complex
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20077720 Bibcode: 2008A&A...480..735F

Figueras, F.; Torra, J.; Fernández, D.

Context: Over the last decade, several groups of young (mainly low-mass) stars have been discovered in the solar neighbourhood (closer than ~100 pc), thanks to cross-correlation between X-ray, optical spectroscopy and kinematic data. These young local associations - including an important fraction whose members are Hipparcos stars - offer insights…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
Hipparcos 107
Metal-rich multi-phase gas in M 87. AGN-driven metal transport, magnetic-field supported multi-temperature gas, and constraints on non-thermal emission observed with XMM-Newton
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20078749 Bibcode: 2008A&A...482...97S

Finoguenov, A.; Böhringer, H.; Simionescu, A. +2 more

We use deep (~120 ks) XMM-Newton data of the M 87 halo to analyze its spatially resolved temperature structure and chemical composition. We focus particularly on the regions of enhanced X-ray brightness associated with the inner radio lobes, which are known not to be described very well by single-temperature spectral models. Compared to a simple t…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
XMM-Newton 106
New observations of the extended hydrogen exosphere of the extrasolar planet HD 209458b
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:200809460 Bibcode: 2008A&A...483..933E

Ehrenreich, D.; Ferlet, R.; Vidal-Madjar, A. +6 more

Context: Atomic hydrogen escaping from the planet HD 209458b provides the largest observational signature ever detected for an extrasolar planet atmosphere. However, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) used in previous observational studies is no longer available, whereas additional observations are still needed to b…

2008 Astronomy and Astrophysics
eHST 106