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
Miller-Jones J
(2008)
Zooming in on a sleeping giant: milliarcsecond High Sensitivity Array imaging of the black hole binary V404 Cyg in quiescence
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans D
(2008)
XMM-Newton Observations of the Nuclei of the Radio Galaxies 3C 305, DA 240, and 4C 73.08
in The Astrophysical Journal
Papadakis I
(2006)
XMM-Newton observation of the NLS1 galaxy Ark 564 I. Spectral analysis of the time-average spectrum
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Walter R
(2006)
XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL observations of new absorbed supergiant high-mass X-ray binaries
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
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
Page M
(2006)
X-ray spectra of sources in the 13HXMM-Newton/Chandra deep field
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
McGowan K
(2007)
X-ray bright sources in the Chandra Small Magellanic Cloud Wing Survey - detection of two new pulsars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Peacock M
(2009)
Wide Field CAMera survey of M31 globular clusters: low-mass X-ray binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Leigh N
(2007)
Where the Blue Stragglers Roam: Searching for a Link between Formation and Environment
in The Astrophysical Journal
Worrall D
(2008)
Where Centaurus A Gets Its X-Ray Knottiness
in The Astrophysical Journal
Masetti N
(2008)
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy VII. Identification of 20 Galactic and extragalactic hard X-ray sources
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Masetti N
(2008)
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy VI. A multi-observatory identification campaign
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
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
Masetti N
(2006)
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy III. Observations of seven southern sources
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Dieball A
(2007)
Unveiling the Core of the Globular Cluster M15 in the Ultraviolet
in The Astrophysical Journal
Sguera V
(2006)
Unveiling Supergiant Fast X-Ray Transient Sources with INTEGRAL
in The Astrophysical Journal
Gänsicke B
(2006)
Ultraviolet Studies of Interacting Binaries
in Astrophysics and Space Science
Gäansicke B
(2006)
Ultraviolet Studies Of Interacting Binaries
in Astrophysics and Space Science
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
Migliari S
(2007)
Tracing the Jet Contribution to the Mid-IR over the 2005 Outburst of GRO J1655-40 via Broadband Spectral Modeling
in The Astrophysical Journal
Summons D
(2007)
Timing evidence in determining the accretion state of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783
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
Wijnands R
(2006)
The XMM-Newton / Chandra monitoring campaign of the Galactic center region Description of the program and preliminary results
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
Detmers R
(2008)
The warm absorber in NGC 5548 The lean years
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Niemela V
(2008)
The very massive X-ray bright binary system Wack 2134 (= WR 21a) ?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Fender R
(2007)
The variable radio counterpart and possible large-scale jet of the new Z source XTE J1701-462
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Körding E
(2007)
The variability plane of accreting compact objects The variability plane
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
Lucas P
(2008)
The UKIDSS Galactic Plane Survey
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
Bird A
(2007)
The Third IBIS/ISGRI Soft Gamma-Ray Survey Catalog
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Seymour N
(2008)
The star formation history of the Universe as revealed by deep radio observations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gallo E
(2007)
The Spectral Energy Distribution of Quiescent Black Hole X-Ray Binaries: New Constraints from Spitzer
in The Astrophysical Journal
Pretorius M
(2007)
The space density of cataclysmic variables: constraints from the ROSAT North Ecliptic Pole survey Constraints on the space density of CVs
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
Dean A
(2008)
The properties of the putative pulsar associated with IGR J18135-1751/HESS J1813-178
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
Soldi S
(2008)
The multiwavelength variability of 3C 273
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bird J
(2008)
The Lifetime of FR II Sources in Groups and Clusters: Implications for Radio-Mode Feedback
in The Astrophysical Journal
Tudose V
(2006)
The large-scale jet-powered radio nebula of Circinus X-1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Russell D
(2007)
The jet-powered optical nebula of Cygnus X-1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Witham A
(2008)
The IPHAS catalogue of Ha emission-line sources in the northern Galactic plane
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Knigge C
(2008)
The intrinsic fraction of broad-absorption line quasars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hardcastle M
(2007)
The Interaction between Radio Lobes and Hot Gas in the Nearby Radio Galaxies 3C 285 and 3C 442A
in The Astrophysical Journal
Fiocchi M
(2008)
The INTEGRAL long monitoring of persistent ultra compact X-ray bursters
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Marscher AP
(2008)
The inner jet of an active galactic nucleus as revealed by a radio-to-gamma-ray outburst.
in Nature