Search Publications

Variegate galaxy cluster gas content: Mean fraction, scatter, selection effects, and covariance with X-ray luminosity
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201730722 Bibcode: 2017A&A...606A..24A

Andreon, S.; Moretti, A.; Wang, J. +2 more

We use a cluster sample selected independently of the intracluster medium content with reliable masses to measure the mean gas mass fraction and its scatter, the biases of the X-ray selection on gas mass fraction, and the covariance between the X-ray luminosity and gas mass. The sample is formed by 34 galaxy clusters in the nearby (0.050 < z &l…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
XMM-Newton 21
Multiwavelength variability study and search for periodicity of PKS 1510-089
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201629775 Bibcode: 2017A&A...601A..30C

Tagliaferri, G.; Ghisellini, G.; Pian, E. +14 more

Context. Blazars are the most luminous and variable active galactic nuclei (AGNs). They are thus excellent probes of accretion and emission processes close to the central engine.
Aims: We concentrate here on PKS 1510-089 (z = 0.36), a blazar belonging to the flat-spectrum radio quasar subclass, an extremely powerful gamma-ray source and one o…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
INTEGRAL 21
Looking at A 0535+26 at low luminosities with NuSTAR
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201730845 Bibcode: 2017A&A...608A.105B

Hailey, Charles J.; Fürst, Felix; Kretschmar, Peter +12 more

We report on two NuSTAR observations of the high-mass X-ray binary A 0535+26 taken toward the end of its normal 2015 outburst at very low 3-50 keV luminosities of 1.4 × 1036 erg s-1 and 5 × 1035 erg s-1, which are complemented by nine Swift observations. The data clearly confirm indica…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
Gaia 21
A low upper mass limit for the central black hole in the late-type galaxy NGC 4414
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201629480 Bibcode: 2017A&A...597A..18T

Krajnović, D.; Emsellem, E.; McDermid, R. M. +7 more

We present our mass estimate of the central black hole in the isolated spiral galaxy NGC 4414. Using natural guide star adaptive optics assisted observations with the Gemini Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS) and the natural seeing Gemini Multi-Object Spectrographs-North (GMOS), we derived two-dimensional stellar kinematic maps of NG…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
eHST 21
Quasar spectral variability from the XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201629885 Bibcode: 2017A&A...600A.101S

Middei, R.; Vagnetti, F.; Serafinelli, R.

Context. X-ray spectral variability analyses of active galactic nuclei (AGN) with moderate luminosities and redshifts typically show a "softer when brighter" behaviour. Such a trend has rarely been investigated for high-luminosity AGNs (Lbol ≳ 1044 erg/s), nor for a wider redshift range (e.g. 0 ≲ z ≲ 5).
Aims: We present…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
XMM-Newton 20
Understanding the environment around the intermediate mass black hole candidate ESO 243-49 HLX-1
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201630042 Bibcode: 2017A&A...602A.103W

Maccarone, T. J.; Graham, Alister W.; Combes, F. +12 more


Aims: ESO 243-49 HLX-1, otherwise known as HLX-1, is an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH) candidate located 8'' (3.7 Kpc) from the centre of the edge-on S0 galaxy ESO 243-49. How the black hole came to be associated with this galaxy, and the nature of the environment in which it resides, remain unclear. Using multi-wavelength observations w…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
eHST 20
ALMA high spatial resolution observations of the dense molecular region of NGC 6302
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201629288 Bibcode: 2017A&A...597A..27S

Sánchez Contreras, C.; Alcolea, J.; Corradi, R. L. M. +5 more

Context. The mechanism behind the shaping of bipolar planetary nebulae is still poorly understood. It is becoming increasingly clear that the main agents must operate at their innermost regions, where a significant equatorial density enhancement should be present and related to the collimation of light and jet launching from the central star prefe…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
eHST 20
Vertical magnetic field gradient in the photospheric layers of sunspots
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201527060 Bibcode: 2017A&A...599A..35J

Joshi, Jayant; Lagg, Andreas; Hirzberger, Johann +2 more


Aims: We investigate the vertical gradient of the magnetic field of sunspots in the photospheric layer.
Methods: Independent observations were obtained with the Solar Optical Telescope/Spectropolarimeter (SOT/SP) on board the Hinode spacecraft and with the Tenrife Infrared Polarimeter-2 (TIP-2) mounted at the German Vacuum Tower Telescop…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
Hinode 20
Inversion of the decay of the cyclotron line energy in Hercules X-1
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201731927 Bibcode: 2017A&A...606L..13S

Harrison, F.; Klochkov, D.; Wilms, J. +3 more

Recent observations of Her X-1 with NuSTAR and INTEGRAL in 2016 have provided evidence that the 20-year decay of the cyclotron line energy found between 1996 and 2015 has ended and that an inversion with a new increase, possibly similar to the one observed around 1990-1993, has started. We consider this a strong motivation for further observations…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
INTEGRAL 20
The δ Scuti pulsations of β Pictoris as observed by ASTEP from Antarctica
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201732121 Bibcode: 2017A&A...608L...6M

Christille, J. -M.; Lagrange, A. -M.; Chapellier, E. +13 more


Aims: The Antarctica Search for Transiting Extrasolar Planets (ASTEP), an automatized 400 mm telescope located at Concordia station in Antarctica, monitored β Pictoris continuously to detect any variability linked to the transit of the Hill sphere of its planet β Pictoris b. The long observation sequence, from March to September 2017, combine…

2017 Astronomy and Astrophysics
eHST 20