High Energy Astrophysics at Southampton
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: Sch of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
On the smallest scales we are interested in why pulsars seem to favour the low neutral hydrogen environments in the SMC. We are also interested in the products of stellar collisions and near misses in the high density environment of globular clusters, and in studying the compact objects (ie black holes, neutron stars, or white dwarfs) in our Galaxy which are strong emitter of optical light from hydgrogen atoms. Some galactic X-ray binary sources, which consist of black hole of similar mass to our sun together with a more normal star have, as well as accretion discs, through which matter spirals onto the black hole, strong jets. We want to understand the relationship between the emission from jets and from the hot X-ray emitting coronae and to find out how the jet might emerge from the corona. In some cases the disappearance of the inner disc is followed by ejection of material along the jet and we shall determine whether such behaviour is typical in Active Galaxies, ie galaxies whose emission is powered material falling onto (ie being accreted) by a massive black hole. In the 20-100 keV band where absorption of photons by cold gas is unimportant, and so we obtain a very clear view, we are surveying the Galactic Plane with INTEGRAL to determine an unbiased census of compact objects. As time goes on, we will extend that survey to the extragalactic sky. We study the X-ray variability of Active Galaxies to determine how they relate to galactic X-ray binaries sources and whether characteristic timescales reflect only mass or another parameter such as accretion rate. We are interested in the binary populations of nearby galaxies and in the so-called `ultra luminous X-ray sources (ULXs)'. ULXs may be the long sought after black holes with masses intermediate between those of galactic binaries and Active Galaxies and so are very important for testing mass-based scaling relationships. We are interested in how the emission in different wavebands (Gamma-ray, X-ray, optical/IR, radio) in binaries and Active Galaxies is related and what is the dependence on mass. We are interested how the jet emission from Active Galaxies heats clusters of galaxies. On the largest scales, we are interested in whether the different faint source populations which we see in the radio, X-ray and IR bands are just different manifestations of the same underlying phenomenon and how massive black hole growth might be related to growth of the galaxy in which the black hole lives. We are also building detailed theoretical models, using computers, to explain the complicated variability which we see in the sky at high energies.
Organisations
Publications
Russell D
(2006)
Global optical/infrared???X-ray correlations in X-ray binaries: quantifying disc and jet contributions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Casares J
(2006)
Detection of the irradiated donor in the LMXBs 4U 1636-536 (=V801 Ara) and 4U 1735-444 (=V926 Sco)
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sguera V
(2006)
INTEGRAL and Swift observations of the supergiant fast X-ray transient AX J1845.0-0433 = IGR J18450-0435
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Hardcastle M
(2006)
The X-ray nuclei of intermediate-redshift radio sources X-ray nuclei of radio sources
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kording E
(2006)
Accretion states and radio loudness in active galactic nuclei: analogies with X-ray binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
McBride V
(2006)
Study of the cyclotron feature in MXB 0656-072
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Migliari S
(2006)
Spitzer Reveals Infrared Optically Thin Synchrotron Emission from the Compact Jet of the Neutron Star X-Ray Binary 4U 0614+091
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hynes R
(2006)
Multiwavelength Observations of EXO 0748-676. I. Reprocessing of X-Ray Bursts
in The Astrophysical Journal
Pretorius M
(2006)
Discovery of a new cataclysmic variable through optical variability and X-ray emission
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Walter R
(2006)
XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL observations of new absorbed supergiant high-mass X-ray binaries
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Knigge C
(2006)
A Blue Straggler Binary with Three Progenitors in the Core of a Globular Cluster?
in The Astrophysical Journal
Soria R
(2006)
An ultraluminous X-ray microquasar in NGC 5408?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coe M
(2006)
A 0535+26: back in business
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Capitanio F
(2006)
Spectral States of the X-Ray Binary IGR J17091-3624 Observed by INTEGRAL and RXTE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Boutloukos S
(2006)
Discovery of Twin kHz QPOs in the Peculiar X-Ray Binary Circinus X-1
in The Astrophysical Journal
Gänsicke B
(2006)
Ultraviolet Studies of Interacting Binaries
in Astrophysics and Space Science
Croston J
(2006)
An improved deprojection and PSF-deconvolution technique for galaxy-cluster X-ray surface-brightness profiles
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Masetti N
(2006)
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy V. Identification and properties of 21 southern hard X-ray sources
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bazzano A
(2006)
INTEGRAL IBIS Census of the Sky Beyond 100 keV
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kong A
(2006)
Simultaneous X-ray/optical observations of GX 9+9 (4U 1728-16)
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gallo E
(2006)
A radio-emitting outflow in the quiescent state of A0620-00: implications for modelling low-luminosity black hole binaries Radio outflow of A0620-00
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
O'Donoghue D
(2006)
First science with the Southern African Large Telescope: peering at the accreting polar caps of the eclipsing polar SDSS J015543.40+002807.2
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Papadakis I
(2006)
XMM-Newton observation of the NLS1 galaxy Ark 564 I. Spectral analysis of the time-average spectrum
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Page M
(2006)
X-ray spectra of sources in the 13HXMM-Newton/Chandra deep field
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Villata M
(2006)
The unprecedented optical outburst of the quasar 3C 454.3 The WEBT campaign of 2004-2005
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Best P
(2006)
AGN-controlled cooling in elliptical galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Miller J
(2006)
Simultaneous Chandra and RXTE Spectroscopy of the Microquasar H1743-322: Clues to Disk Wind and Jet Formation from a Variable Ionized Outflow
in The Astrophysical Journal
Pratt G
(2006)
Temperature profiles of a representative sample of nearby X-ray galaxy clusters
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
McHardy IM
(2006)
Active galactic nuclei as scaled-up Galactic black holes.
in Nature
Pope E
(2006)
Heating rate profiles in galaxy clusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Masetti N
(2006)
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy IV. A study of six new hard X-ray sources
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Arevalo P
(2006)
Spectral-timing evidence for a very high state in the narrow-line Seyfert 1 Ark 564
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gäansicke B
(2006)
Ultraviolet Studies Of Interacting Binaries
in Astrophysics and Space Science
Barlow E
(2006)
20-100 keV properties of cataclysmic variables detected in the INTEGRAL/IBIS survey
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Knigge C
(2006)
The donor stars of cataclysmic variables
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kording E
(2006)
Jet-dominated advective systems: radio and X-ray luminosity dependence on the accretion rate
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Fender R
(2006)
A transient relativistic radio jet from Cygnus X-1 Cygnus X-1 transient jet
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sguera V
(2006)
Unveiling Supergiant Fast X-Ray Transient Sources with INTEGRAL
in The Astrophysical Journal
Molina M
(2006)
INTEGRAL observations of active galactic nuclei obscured by the Galactic plane
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Miller-Jones J
(2006)
Opening angles, Lorentz factors and confinement of X-ray binary jets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Tudose V
(2006)
The large-scale jet-powered radio nebula of Circinus X-1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Landi R
(2006)
Swift XRT Follow-up Observations of TeV Sources of the HESS Inner Galaxy Survey
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wijnands R
(2006)
The XMM-Newton / Chandra monitoring campaign of the Galactic center region Description of the program and preliminary results
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Belloni T
(2006)
INTEGRAL/RXTE high-energy observation of a state transition of GX 339-4
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Masetti N
(2006)
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy III. Observations of seven southern sources
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Witham A
(2006)
The properties of cataclysmic variables in photometric Ha surveys Properties of CVs in Ha surveys
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Miller J
(2006)
A Long, Hard Look at the Low/Hard State in Accreting Black Holes
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kaiser C
(2006)
The flat synchrotron spectra of partially self-absorbed jets revisited
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Türler M
(2006)
A historic jet-emission minimum reveals hidden spectral features in 3C 273
in Astronomy & Astrophysics