119390755
The X-Ray Position and Infrared Counterpart of the Eclipsing X-Ray Pulsar OAO 1657–415
We have measured the precise position of the 38 s eclipsing X-ray pulsar OAO 1657-415 with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory: (J2000) = 17h00m4890, (J2000) = -4139216, error radius = 05. Based on the previously measured pulsar mass function and X-ray eclipse duration, this 10.4 day high-mass X-ray binary is believed to contain a B supergiant companion. Deep optical imaging of the field did not detect any stars at the Chandra source position, setting a limit of V > 23. However, near-infrared imaging revealed a relatively bright star (J = 14.1, H = 11.9, Ks = 10.7) coincident with the Chandra position, and we identify this star as the infrared counterpart of OAO 1657-415. The infrared colors and magnitudes and the optical nondetections for this star are all consistent with a highly reddened B supergiant (AV = 20.4
18351437
Search for the Optical Counterparts of Southern Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars and Radio-Quiet Neutron Stars in Young Supernova Remnants
We report on our search for the optical counterparts of the Southern Hemisphere anomalous X-ray pulsar 1E1048.1-5937 and the radio-quiet neutron stars in supernova remnants Puppis A, RCW 103, and PKS 1209-52. The observations were carried out with the new MIT/CfA MagIC camera on the Magellan-I 6.5 m telescope in Chile. We present deep multiband optical images of the X-ray error circles for each of these targets and discuss the resulting candidates and limits.
303237
Discovery of Pulsations in the X-Ray Transient 4U 1901+03
We describe observations of the 2003 outburst of the hard-spectrum X-ray transient 4U 1901+03 with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The outburst was first detected in 2003 February by the All-Sky Monitor and reached a peak 2.5-25 keV flux of 8 × 10-9 ergs cm-2 s-1 (around 240 mcrab). The only other known outburst occurred 32.2 yr earlier, likely the longest currently known recurrence time for any X-ray transient. Proportional Counter Array (PCA) observations over the 5 month duration of the 2003 outburst revealed a 2.763 s pulsar in a 22.58 days orbit. The detection of pulsations down to a flux of 3 × 10-11 ergs cm-2 s-1 (2.5-25 keV), along with the inferred long-term accretion rate of 8.1 × 10-11 M☉ yr-1 (assuming a distance of 10 kpc), suggests that the surface magnetic field strength is below ~5 × 1011 G. The corresponding cyclotron energy is thus below 4 keV, consistent with the nondetection of resonance features at high energies. Although we could not unambiguously identify the optical counterpart, the lack of a bright IR candidate within the 1' RXTE error circle rules out a supergiant mass donor. The neutron star in 4U 1901+03 probably accretes from the wind of a main-sequence OB star, like most other high-mass binary X-ray pulsars. The almost circular orbit (e = 0.036) confirms the system's membership in a growing class of wide, low-eccentricity systems in which the neutron stars may have received much smaller kicks as a result of their natal supernova explosions.
119218814
Infrared Observations of the Millisecond Pulsar Binary J1023+0038: Evidence for the Short-term Nature of Its Interacting Phase in 2000-2001
We report our multi-band infrared (IR) imaging of the transitional millisecond pulsar system J1023+0038, a rare pulsar binary known to have an accretion disk in 2000-2001. The observations were carried out with ground-based and space telescopes from near-IR to far-IRwavelengths. We detected the source in near-IR JH bands and Spitzer 3.6 and 4.5 mu m mid-IR channels. Combined with the previously reported optical spectrum of the source, the IR emission is found to arise from the companion star, with no excess emission detected in the wavelength range. Because our near-IR fluxes are nearly equal to those obtained by the 2MASS all-sky survey in 2000 February, the result indicates that the binary did not contain the accretion disk at the time, whose existence would have raised the near-IR fluxes to twice larger values. Our observations have thus established the short-term nature of the interacting phase seen in 2000-2001: the accretion disk existed for at most 2.5 yr. The binary was not detected by the WISE all-sky survey carried out in 2010 at its 12 and 22 mu m bands and our Herschel far-IR imaging at 70 and 160 mu m. Depending on the assumed properties of the dust, the resulting flux upper limits provide a constraint of <3 x 10(22)-3 x 10(25) g on the mass of the dust grains that possibly exist as the remnants of the previously seen accretion disk.
119069538
Search for gamma-ray emission from four accreting millisecond pulsars with Fermi/LAT
We report our search for -ray emission in the energy range from 100 MeV to 300 GeV from four Accreting Millisecond Pulsars (AMPs), SAX J1808.4 3658, IGR J00291+5934, XTE J1814 338, and XTE J0929 314. The data are from four-year observations carried out by Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi -ray Space Telescope. The AMPs were not detected, and their -ray luminosity upper limits we obtain are 5.1 × 10 33 ergs s −1 for SAX J1808.4 3658, 2.1 × 10 33 ergs s −1 for IGR J00291+5934, 1.2 × 10 34 ergs s −1 for XTE J1814 338, and 2.2 × 10 33 ergs s −1 for XTE J0929 314. We compare our results with -ray irradiation luminosities required for producing optical modulations seen from the companions in the AMPs, which has been suggested by Takata et al. (2012), and our upper limits have excluded -ray emission as the heating source in these systems except XTE J0929 314, the upper limit of which is not deep enough. Our results also do not support the model proposed by Takata et al. (2012) that relatively strong -ray emission could arise from the outer gap of a high-mass neutron star controlled by the photon-photon pair-creation for the AMPs. Two AMPs, SAX J1808.4 3658 and IGR J00291+5934, have the measurements of their spin-down rates, and we derive the upper limits of their -ray conversion efficiencies, which are 57% and 3%, respectively. We discuss the implications to the AMP systems by comparing the efficiency upper limit values with that of 20 -ray millisecond pulsars (MSP) detected by Fermi and the newly discovered transitional MSP binary J1023+0038. Subject headings: pulsars: general – stars: neutron – binaries: close – gamma rays: stars
14090535
An Accurate Determination of the Optical Periodic Modulation in the X-Ray Binary SAX J1808.4-3658
We report on optical imaging of the X-ray binary SAX J1808.4 – 3658 with the 8 m Gemini South Telescope. The binary, containing an accretion-powered millisecond pulsar, appears to have a large periodic modulation in its quiescent optical emission. In order to clarify the origin of this modulation, we obtained three time-resolved r'-band light curves (LCs) of the source over five days. The LCs can be described by a sinusoid, and the long time-span between them allows us to determine optical period P = 7251.9 s and phase 0.671 at MJD 54599.0 (TDB; phase 0.0 corresponds to the ascending node of the pulsar orbit), with uncertainties of 2.8 s and 0.008 (90% confidence), respectively. This periodicity is highly consistent with the X-ray orbital ephemeris. By considering this consistency and the sinusoidal shape of the LCs, we rule out the possibility of the modulation arising from the accretion disk. Our study supports the previous suggestion that the X-ray pulsar becomes rotationally powered in quiescence, with its energy output irradiating the companion star, causing the optical modulation. While it has also been suggested that the accretion disk would be evaporated by the pulsar, we argue that the disk exists and gives rise to the persistent optical emission. The existence of the disk can be verified by long-term, multiwavelength optical monitoring of the source in quiescence, as an increasing flux and spectral changes from the source would be expected based on the standard disk-instability model.
13852548
Optical/Infrared Observations of the Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 1E 1048.1-5937 During Its 2007 X-Ray Flare
We report on optical and infrared observations of the anomalous X-ray pulsar (AXP) 1E 1048.1–5937 made during its ongoing X-ray flare that started in 2007 March. We detected the source in the optical I and near-infrared Ks bands in two ground-based observations and obtained deep flux upper limits from four observations, including one with the Spitzer Space Telescope at 4.5 and 8.0 μm. The detections indicate that the source was approximately 1.3-1.6 mag brighter than in 2003-2006, when it was at the tail of a previous similar X-ray flare. Similar related flux variations have been seen in two other AXPs during their X-ray outbursts, suggesting common behavior for large X-ray flux variation events in AXPs. The Spitzer flux limits are sufficiently deep that we can exclude mid-infrared emission similar to that from the AXP 4U 0142+61, which has been interpreted as arising from a dust disk around the AXP. The optical/near-infrared emission from 1E 1048.1–5937 probably has a magnetospheric origin. The similarity in the flux spectra of 1E 1048.1–5937 and 4U 0142+61 challenges the dust disk model proposed for the latter.
119491970
Analysis of the vertices rho NN, rho Sigma Sigma and rho Xi Xi with light-cone QCD sum rules
In this article, we calculate the strong coupling constants of the {rho}NN, {rho}{sigma}{sigma}, and {rho}{xi}{xi} in the framework of the light-cone QCD sum rules approach. The strong coupling constants of the meson-baryon-baryon are the fundamental parameters in the one-boson exchange model which describes the baryon-baryon interactions successfully. The numerical values are in agreement with the existing calculations in part. The electric and magnetic F/(F+D) ratios deviate from the prediction of the vector meson dominance theory; the SU(3) symmetry breaking effects are very large.
11394439
Identifying topological order by entanglement entropy
Topological entanglement entropy provides a robust measure for detecting the long-range entanglement that characterizes quantum ground states displaying topological order. A new method for calculating this entropy isolates minimally entangled states from the ground states of a topological phase—offering a reliable test for identifying topological spin liquids.
15172685
SEARCH FOR MID-INFRARED FLUX VARIATIONS FROM THE ANOMALOUS X-RAY PULSAR 4U 0142+61
We report on our Spitzer observations of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61, made following a large X-ray burst that occurred on 2007 February 7. To search for mid-infrared flux variations, four imaging observations were carried out at 4.5 and 8.0 μm with the Infrared Array Camera from February 14 to 21. No significant flux variations were detected, and the average fluxes were 32.1 ± 2.0 μJy at 4.5 μm and 59.8 ± 8.5 μJy at 8.0 μm, consistent with those obtained in 2005. The nondetection of variability is interesting in light of reported rapid variability from this source in the near-infrared but consistent with the fact that the source already went back to its quiescent state before our observations began, as indicated by contemporaneous X-ray observations. In order to understand the origin of the near-infrared variability, frequent, simultaneous multiwavelength observations are needed.
21495965
Pressure-induced cubic to monoclinic phase transformation in erbium sesquioxide Er(2)O(3).
Cubic Er(2)O(3) was compressed in a symmetric diamond anvil cell at room temperature and studied in situ using energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction. A transition to a monoclinic phase began at 9.9 GPa and was complete at 16.3 GPa and was accompanied by a approximately 9% volume decrease. The monoclinic phase was stable up to at least 30 GPa and could be quenched to ambient conditions. The normalized lattice parameter compression data for both phases were fit to linear equations, and the volume compression data were fit to third-order Birch-Murnaghan equations of state. The zero-pressure isothermal bulk moduli (B(0)) and the first-pressure derivatives (B(0)') for the cubic and monoclinic phases were 200(6) GPa and 8.4 and also 202(2) GPa and 1.0, respectively. Ab initio density functional theory calculations were performed to determine optimized lattice parameters and atom positions for the cubic, monoclinic, and hexagonal phases of Er(2)O(3). The calculated X-ray spectra and predicted transition pressure are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental results.