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
Aharonian F
(2009)
DISCOVERY OF VERY HIGH ENERGY ?-RAY EMISSION FROM CENTAURUS A WITH H.E.S.S.
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aharonian F
(2009)
HESS upper limit on the very high energy ? -ray emission from the globular cluster 47 Tucanae
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
Arvalo P
(2008)
X-ray variability of the Seyfert 1 Markarian 335: power spectrum and time lags
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Arévalo P
(2008)
Correlated X-ray/optical variability in the quasar MR 2251-178
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Arévalo P
(2009)
Correlation and time delays of the X-ray and optical emission of the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 3783
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Arévalo P
(2008)
Fourier-resolved energy spectra of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Mkn 766
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Barlow E
(2006)
20-100 keV properties of cataclysmic variables detected in the INTEGRAL/IBIS survey
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Barnes A
(2007)
Kinematical studies of the low-mass X-ray binary GR Mus (XB 1254-690) GR Mus
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bassani L
(2007)
IGR J22517+2218=MG3 J225155+2217: A New Gamma-Ray Lighthouse in the Distant Universe
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bazzano A
(2006)
INTEGRAL IBIS Census of the Sky Beyond 100 keV
in The Astrophysical Journal
Belloni T
(2006)
INTEGRAL/RXTE high-energy observation of a state transition of GX 339-4
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Belsole E
(2007)
High-redshift Fanaroff-Riley type II radio sources: large-scale X-ray environment X-ray environment of high-redshift FR IIs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Best P
(2007)
On the prevalence of radio-loud active galactic nuclei in brightest cluster galaxies: implications for AGN heating of cooling flows
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Best P
(2006)
AGN-controlled cooling in elliptical galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Bird A
(2009)
Discovery of a 30-d period in the supergiant fast X-ray transient SAX J1818.6-1703
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Bird A
(2007)
The Third IBIS/ISGRI Soft Gamma-Ray Survey Catalog
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Bird J
(2008)
The Lifetime of FR II Sources in Groups and Clusters: Implications for Radio-Mode Feedback
in The Astrophysical Journal
Blustin A
(2008)
Properties of X-ray-selected broad absorption-line quasars ?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bothwell M
(2008)
Spectroscopic observations of the quiescent neutron star system 4U 2129+47 (=V1727 Cygni)
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Boutloukos S
(2007)
Erratum: "Discovery of Twin kHz QPOs in the Peculiar X-Ray Binary Circinus X-1" (ApJ, 653, 1453 [2006])
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
Breedt E
(2010)
Twelve years of X-ray and optical variability in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051 X-ray/optical variability in NGC 4051
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Breedt E
(2009)
Long-term optical and X-ray variability of the Seyfert galaxy Markarian 79
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Brocksopp C
(2007)
Three episodes of jet activity in the Fanaroff-Riley type II radio galaxy B0925+420 Three episodes of jet activity in B0925+420
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Brocksopp C
(2007)
A highly polarized radio jet during the 1998 outburst of the black hole transient XTE J1748-288
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Böhringer H
(2007)
The representative XMM-Newton cluster structure survey (REXCESS) of an X-ray luminosity selected galaxy cluster sample
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Caballero Garcia M
(2007)
The High-Energy Emission of GRO J1655-40 As Revealed with INTEGRAL Spectroscopy of the 2005 Outburst
in The Astrophysical Journal
Campana R
(2008)
X-ray observations of the Large Magellanic Cloud pulsar PSR B0540-69 and its pulsar wind nebula
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Capitanio F
(2009)
THE TWO INTEGRAL X-RAY TRANSIENTS IGR J17091-3624 AND IGR J17098-3628: A MULTIWAVELENGTH LONG-TERM CAMPAIGN
in The Astrophysical Journal
Capitanio F
(2006)
Spectral States of the X-Ray Binary IGR J17091-3624 Observed by INTEGRAL and RXTE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Casares J
(2009)
REFINED ORBITAL SOLUTION AND QUIESCENT VARIABILITY IN THE BLACK HOLE TRANSIENT GS 1354-64 (= BW Cir)
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
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
Charles P
(2008)
Observational properties of accretion discs: Precessing and warped?
in New Astronomy Reviews
Chatterjee R
(2008)
Correlated Multi-Wave Band Variability in the Blazar 3C 279 from 1996 to 2007
in The Astrophysical Journal
Chernyakova M
(2007)
2003-2005 INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton observations of 3C 273
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Clark J
(2007)
On the circumstellar environment of SS433 Circumstellar environment of SS433
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coe M
(2008)
An optical and X-ray study of the counterpart to the Small Magellanic Cloud X-ray binary pulsar system SXP327
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coe M
(2009)
An X-ray and optical study of the new SMC X-ray binary pulsar system SXP7.92 and its probable optical counterpart, AzV285
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coe M
(2007)
Now you see it, now you don't - the circumstellar disc in the GRO J1008-57 system
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
Cornelisse R
(2007)
A signature of the donor star in the extra-galactic X-ray binary LMC X-2
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cornelisse R
(2007)
A detection of the donor star of Aquila X-1 during its 2004 outburst?? A detection of the donor star of Aql X-1?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cornelisse R
(2007)
Optical spectroscopy of the low-mass X-ray binary GX 9+9 Optical spectroscopy of GX 9+9
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cornelisse R
(2009)
Phase-resolved spectroscopy of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 during the 2008 outburst
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Croston J
(2007)
Shock Heating in the Nearby Radio Galaxy NGC 3801
in The Astrophysical Journal
Croston J
(2008)
Galaxy-cluster gas-density distributions of the representative XMM-Newton cluster structure survey (REXCESS)
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Croston J
(2008)
An XMM-Newton study of the environments, particle content and impact of low-power radio galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society