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
Kaiser C
(2009)
Evolution of radio galaxies
in Astronomische Nachrichten
Kapinska A
(2009)
From observations to physics: Cosmological evolution of radio galaxies
in Astronomische Nachrichten
Papadakis I
(2008)
A correlation between the spectral and timing properties of AGN
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Landi R
(2008)
The AGN nature of three INTEGRAL sources: IGR J18249-3243, IGR J19443+2117, and IGR J22292+6647
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Fiocchi M
(2008)
The INTEGRAL long monitoring of persistent ultra compact X-ray bursters
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Sguera V
(2006)
INTEGRAL and Swift observations of the supergiant fast X-ray transient AX J1845.0-0433 = IGR J18450-0435
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bothwell M
(2008)
Spectroscopic observations of the quiescent neutron star system 4U 2129+47 (=V1727 Cygni)
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
McBride V
(2006)
Study of the cyclotron feature in MXB 0656-072
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
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
Masetti N
(2008)
High-redshift blazar identification for Swift J1656.3-3302
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
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
Masetti N
(2008)
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy VI. A multi-observatory identification campaign
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Chernyakova M
(2007)
2003-2005 INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton observations of 3C 273
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Papadakis I
(2006)
XMM-Newton observation of the NLS1 galaxy Ark 564 I. Spectral analysis of the time-average spectrum
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Villata M
(2006)
The unprecedented optical outburst of the quasar 3C 454.3 The WEBT campaign of 2004-2005
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
McBride V
(2007)
INTEGRAL detection of the pulsar wind nebula in PSR J1846-0258
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Cornelisse R
(2009)
Phase-resolved spectroscopy of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 during the 2008 outburst
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Pratt G
(2006)
Temperature profiles of a representative sample of nearby X-ray galaxy clusters
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Sguera V
(2008)
INTEGRAL and Swift/XRT observations of the SFXT IGR J16479-4514: from quiescence to fast flaring activity
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
McBride V
(2007)
On the cyclotron line in Cepheus X-4
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Aharonian F
(2009)
HESS upper limit on the very high energy ? -ray emission from the globular cluster 47 Tucanae
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Panessa F
(2008)
The broad-band XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL spectra of bright type 1 Seyfert galaxies
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