Fast transient sources observed with INTEGRAL
Fast transient sources observed with INTEGRAL
This thesis presents results on fast transient gamma-ray sources detected and studied with INTEGRAL. Fast transient events occur at unpredictable locations and times and it is very difficult to observe them using traditional narrow field of view (FOV) X-ray instruments. The IBIS instrument onboard INTEGRAL is particularly suited to the detection of fast transient events thanks to its large FOV and good sensitivity.
As result of a detailed study of a 3 year dataset of IBIS observations, designed to search for fast transient sources, this thesis shows that INTEGRAL is playing a key role in unveiling a new class of Supergiant High Mass X-ray Binaries (SGXBs) which have been named as Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients (SFXTs). Most of the time they are undetectable, with quiescent X-ray luminosities ≤1032-1033 erg s-1. Then occasionally they undergo fast X-ray transient activity lasting less than a day, typically a few hours, reaching peak luminosities of ~ 1036-1037 erg s-1. Their outbursts show complex time structures, being characterized by several fast flares with a duration of typically a few tens of minutes. This kind of X-ray behaviour is very different from that seen in classical SGXBs, which are known to be persistent bright X-ray sources with X-ray luminosities always detectable in the range 1036-1038 erg s-1.
INTEGRAL results on 8 firm SFXTs as well as 6 candidates are presented in chapter 4 and chapter 5, respectively. The number of SFXTs discovered in only a few years is already comparable to that of persistent classical SGXBs discovered in ~ 40 years of X-ray astronomy. The class of SFXTs could be much larger than the 14 objects reported in this thesis. An entire population of still undetected SFXTs could be hidden in the Galaxy.
University of Southampton
Sguera, Vito
81cb9a79-82c6-4892-87b4-d6156dc0a16d
2007
Sguera, Vito
81cb9a79-82c6-4892-87b4-d6156dc0a16d
Sguera, Vito
(2007)
Fast transient sources observed with INTEGRAL.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
This thesis presents results on fast transient gamma-ray sources detected and studied with INTEGRAL. Fast transient events occur at unpredictable locations and times and it is very difficult to observe them using traditional narrow field of view (FOV) X-ray instruments. The IBIS instrument onboard INTEGRAL is particularly suited to the detection of fast transient events thanks to its large FOV and good sensitivity.
As result of a detailed study of a 3 year dataset of IBIS observations, designed to search for fast transient sources, this thesis shows that INTEGRAL is playing a key role in unveiling a new class of Supergiant High Mass X-ray Binaries (SGXBs) which have been named as Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients (SFXTs). Most of the time they are undetectable, with quiescent X-ray luminosities ≤1032-1033 erg s-1. Then occasionally they undergo fast X-ray transient activity lasting less than a day, typically a few hours, reaching peak luminosities of ~ 1036-1037 erg s-1. Their outbursts show complex time structures, being characterized by several fast flares with a duration of typically a few tens of minutes. This kind of X-ray behaviour is very different from that seen in classical SGXBs, which are known to be persistent bright X-ray sources with X-ray luminosities always detectable in the range 1036-1038 erg s-1.
INTEGRAL results on 8 firm SFXTs as well as 6 candidates are presented in chapter 4 and chapter 5, respectively. The number of SFXTs discovered in only a few years is already comparable to that of persistent classical SGXBs discovered in ~ 40 years of X-ray astronomy. The class of SFXTs could be much larger than the 14 objects reported in this thesis. An entire population of still undetected SFXTs could be hidden in the Galaxy.
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Published date: 2007
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Local EPrints ID: 466240
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/466240
PURE UUID: ea107985-d66a-4384-b8c2-3a864342b2a8
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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 04:54
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 20:35
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Author:
Vito Sguera
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