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
Scaringi S
(2008)
ISINA: INTEGRAL Source Identification Network Algorithm ?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Molina M
(2008)
A broad-band spectral analysis of eight radio-loud type 1 active galactic nuclei selected in the hard X-ray band
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
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
Maccarone T
(2009)
Constraints on black hole accretion in V Puppis
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Schurch M
(2007)
Optical follow-up of new Small Magellanic Cloud wing Be/X-ray binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pretorius M
(2008)
An Ha-selected sample of cataclysmic variables - I. Observations of newly discovered systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Landi R
(2007)
HESS J1616-508: likely to be powered by PSR J1617-5055 HESS J1616-508: likely powered by PSR J1617-5055
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
Soria R
(2006)
An ultraluminous X-ray microquasar in NGC 5408?
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
Coe M
(2006)
A 0535+26: back in business
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Munoz-Darias T
(2007)
Echoes from the companion star in Sco X-1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
Miller-Jones J
(2007)
Evidence for deceleration in the radio jets of GRS 1915+105?
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
Summons D
(2007)
Timing evidence in determining the accretion state of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Blustin A
(2008)
Properties of X-ray-selected broad absorption-line quasars ?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
Page M
(2006)
X-ray spectra of sources in the 13HXMM-Newton/Chandra deep field
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
Landi R
(2009)
INTEGRAL /IBIS and Swift /XRT observations of hard cataclysmic variables
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Clark J
(2007)
On the circumstellar environment of SS433 Circumstellar environment of SS433
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
Körding E
(2007)
Measuring the accretion rate and kinetic luminosity functions of supermassive black holes Accretion rate and kinetic luminosity functions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pretorius M
(2007)
The influence of selection effects on the observed cataclysmic variable population: modelling and application to the Palomar-Green sample
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
Körding E
(2007)
The variability plane of accreting compact objects The variability plane
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
Hardcastle M
(2007)
Hot and cold gas accretion and feedback in radio-loud active galaxies
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
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
Jetha N
(2007)
Erratum: Active galactic nuclei heating in the centres of galaxy groups: a statistical study
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pope E
(2006)
Heating rate profiles in galaxy clusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Fender R
(2009)
An anticorrelation between X-ray luminosity and Ha equivalent width in X-ray binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kaiser C
(2008)
Erratum: Luminosity function, sizes and FR dichotomy of radio-loud AGN
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Tudose V
(2008)
A decade of radio imaging the relativistic outflow in the peculiar X-ray binary Circinus X-1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dunn R
(2008)
Studying the X-ray hysteresis in GX 339-4: the disc and iron line over one decade
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
Malizia A
(2008)
First high-energy observations of narrow-line Seyfert 1s with INTEGRAL /IBIS
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
Schurch M
(2009)
High-mass X-ray binary SXP18.3 undergoes the longest type II outburst ever seen in the Small Magellanic Cloud
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Wang Y
(2008)
Cosmological evolution of the Fanaroff-Riley type II source population
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Seymour N
(2008)
The star formation history of the Universe as revealed by deep radio observations
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
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
Knigge C
(2006)
The donor stars of cataclysmic variables
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society