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.

Publications

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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

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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

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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

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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

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McBride V (2006) Study of the cyclotron feature in MXB 0656-072 in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Soria R (2006) An ultraluminous X-ray microquasar in NGC 5408? in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Coe M (2006) A 0535+26: back in business in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Boutloukos S (2006) Discovery of Twin kHz QPOs in the Peculiar X-Ray Binary Circinus X-1 in The Astrophysical Journal

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Gänsicke B (2006) Ultraviolet Studies of Interacting Binaries in Astrophysics and Space Science

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Bazzano A (2006) INTEGRAL IBIS Census of the Sky Beyond 100 keV in The Astrophysical Journal

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Kong A (2006) Simultaneous X-ray/optical observations of GX 9+9 (4U 1728-16) in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Page M (2006) X-ray spectra of sources in the 13HXMM-Newton/Chandra deep field in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Best P (2006) AGN-controlled cooling in elliptical galaxies in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Pope E (2006) Heating rate profiles in galaxy clusters in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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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

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Gäansicke B (2006) Ultraviolet Studies Of Interacting Binaries in Astrophysics and Space Science

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Barlow E (2006) 20-100 keV properties of cataclysmic variables detected in the INTEGRAL/IBIS survey in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Knigge C (2006) The donor stars of cataclysmic variables in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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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

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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

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Sguera V (2006) Unveiling Supergiant Fast X-Ray Transient Sources with INTEGRAL in The Astrophysical Journal

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Molina M (2006) INTEGRAL observations of active galactic nuclei obscured by the Galactic plane in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Miller-Jones J (2006) Opening angles, Lorentz factors and confinement of X-ray binary jets in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Tudose V (2006) The large-scale jet-powered radio nebula of Circinus X-1 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Belloni T (2006) INTEGRAL/RXTE high-energy observation of a state transition of GX 339-4 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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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

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Miller J (2006) A Long, Hard Look at the Low/Hard State in Accreting Black Holes in The Astrophysical Journal

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Kaiser C (2006) The flat synchrotron spectra of partially self-absorbed jets revisited in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society