ALBERT

Description: Recent Rosat position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) observations demonstrate the presence of a compact source of hard X-ray emission centers on the peculiar star, eta Carinae. These observations show a change in the hard band counting rate of a factor of 2 in a 4-month interval. The Rosat high resolution imager (HRI) observations which span the PSPC observations also reveal a variable source of X-ray emission centered in eta Carinae. Therefore, the strong variability which is a characteristic of eta Carinae in radio, infrared and visible wavebands is also observed at X-ray energies. The X-ray light curve of eta Carinae is examined using data from various astronomical data bases.

Description: Eta Carinae may be the most massive and luminous star in the Galaxy and is suspected to be a massive, colliding wind binary system. The CHANDRA X-ray observatory has obtained a calibrated, high-resolution X-ray spectrum of the star uncontaminated by the nearby extended soft X-ray emission. Our 89 ksec CHANDRA observation with the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) shows that the hot gas near the star is non-isothermal. The temperature distribution may represent the emission on either side of the colliding wind bow shock, effectively 'resolving' the shock. If so, the pre-shock wind velocities are approximately 700 and 1800 km/s in our analysis, and these velocities may be interpreted as the terminal velocities of the winds from 71 Carinae and from the hidden companion star. The forbidden-to-intercombination line ratios for the He-like ions of S, Si, and Fe are large, indicating that the line forming region lies far from the stellar photosphere. The iron fluorescent line at 1.93 angstroms, first detected by ASCA, is clearly resolved from the thermal iron line in the CHANDRA grating spectrum. The Fe fluorescent line is weaker in our CHANDRA observation than in any of the ASCA spectra. The CHANDRA observation also provides the first high-time resolution lightcurve of the uncontaminated stellar X-ray emission from 77 Carinae and shows that there is no significant, coherent variability during the CHANDRA observation. The 77 Carinae CHANDRA grating spectrum is unlike recently published X-ray grating spectra of single massive stars in significant ways and is generally consistent with colliding wind emission in a massive binary.

Description: The Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observed three active galaxies during its in-orbit verification phase: NGC 4151; NGC 4945, and MCG 8-11-11. All three were detected from 2 keV to more than 100 keV by a combination of the proportional counter array (PCA) and the high energy X-ray timing experiment (HEXTE). The PCA contains five, xenon/methane, multilayer, multiwire, gas proportional counters covering the 2 to 60 keV range, while HEXTE is an array of eight NaI/CsI phoswich scintillation counters covering the 15 to 250 keV range. The three active galaxies represent the classes of Seyfert 1, Seyfert 2 and intermediate Seyfert galaxies. The results of the fitting of various models containing partial covering fractions, Compton reflection components and high energy spectral breaks are discussed.

Description: The X-ray transient XTE J1908+094 was serendipitously discovered during RXTE ToO observations of SGR 1900+14 in February 2002. Following the discovery, RXTE routinely monitored the region. At the onset, the source was found in a spectrally low/hard state lasting for approximately 40 days, followed by a quick transition to the highhoft state. At the highest X-ray intensity level (seen on 2002 April 6), the source flux (2-10 keV) reached approximately 105 mCrab, then decayed rapidly. Overall outburst characteristics resemble the transient behavior of galactic black hole candidates. Here, we present the long term light curves, and detailed spectral and timing investigations of XTE J1098+094 using the RXTE/PCA data. We also report the results of Chandra ACIS observations which were performed during the decay phase.

Description: We report on observations of SGR 1900+14 made with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and BeppoSAX during the April 2001 burst activation of the source. Using these data, we measure the spindown torque on the star and confirm earlier findings that the torque and burst activity are not directly correlated. We compare the X-ray pulse profile to the gamma-ray profile during the April 18 intermediate flare and show that (i) their shapes are similar and (ii) the gamma-ray profile aligns closely in phase with the X-ray pulsations. The good phase alignment of the gamma-ray and X-ray profiles suggests that there was no rapid spindown following this flare, in contrast to the August 27 giant flare. The absence of rapid spindown in the hours following the April 18 flare suggests that there was no significant outflow of material as was believed to be present following the August 27 flare. Finally, we discuss how these observations further constrain magnetic field reconfiguration models for the large flares of SGRs.

Description: The supermassive and luminous star Eta Carinae undergoes strong X-ray variations every 5.5 years when its 2-10 keV X-ray emission brightens rapidly with wild fluctuations before dropping by a factor of 100 to a minimum lasting 3 months. The most recent X-ray "eclipse" began in June 2003 and during this time Eta Carinae was intensely observed throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. Here we report the first results of frequent monitoring of the 2-10 keV band X-ray emission by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer along wit high resolution X-ray spectra obtained with the transmission gratings on the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We compare these observations to those results obtained during the previous X-ray eclipse in 1998, and interpret the variations in the X-ray brightness, in the amount of absorption, in the X-ray emission measure and in the K-shell emission lines in terms of a colliding wind binary model.

Description: We discuss recent X-ray spectral variability of the supermassive star Eta Car in the interval since the last X-ray eclipse in 1998. We concentrate on the interval just prior to the next X-ray eclipse which is expected to occur in June 2003. We compare the X-ray behavior during the 2001-2003 cycle with the previous cycle (1996-1998) and note similarities and differences in the temporal X-ray behavior. We also compare a recent X-ray observation of Eta Car obtained with the Chandra high energy transmission grating in October 2002 with an earlier observation from Nov 2002, and interpret these results in terms of the proposed colliding wind binary model for the star. In addition we discuss planned observations for the upcoming X-ray eclipse.

Description: We report the discovery by the RXTE PCA of a second transient accreting millisecond pulsar, XTE J1751-305, during regular monitoring observations of the galactic bulge region. The pulsar has a spin frequency of 435 Hz, making it one of the fastest pulsars. The pulsations contain the signature of orbital Doppler modulation, which implies an orbital period of 42 minutes, the shortest orbital period of any known radio or X-ray millisecond pulsar. The mass function, f(sub x) = (1.278 +/- 0.003) x 10 (exp -6) solar mass, yields a minimum mass for the companion of between 0.013 and 0.0017 solar mass depending on the mass of the neutron star. No eclipses were detected. A previous X-ray outburst in June, 1998, was discovered in archival All-Sky Monitor data. Assuming mass transfer in this binary system is driven by gravitational radiation, we constrain the orbital inclination to be in the range 30 deg-85 deg and the companion mass to be 0.013-0.035 solar mass. The companion is most likely a heated helium dwarf. We also present results from the Chandra HRC-S observations which provide the best known position of XTE J1751-305.

Description: The original Table 1 ("Timing Parameters of XTE J1751-305") contains one error. The epoch of pulsar mean longitude 90deg is incorrect due to a numerical conversion error in the preparation of the original table text. A corrected version of Table 1 is shown. For reference, the epoch of the ascending node is also included. The correct value was used in all of the analysis leading up to the paper. As T(sub 90) is a purely fiducial reference time, the scientific conclusions of the paper are unchanged.

Description: Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) observations of the bright supernova remnant Cas A have revealed a hard power law component above 10 keV in addition to two thermal components inferred from ASCA measurements of the many line centroids from low-Z elements. The power law can be shown to be consistent with synchrotron emission from radio to hard x-rays by electrons of up to 4 x 10(exp 13) eV. Measurement of the 1157 keV line by CGRO (Compton Gamma Ray Observatory) from SC-44 in the chain of decay of Ti-44 predicts that the two Ti-44 lines at 68 and 78 keV should appear at the CGRO intensity. RXTE has placed upper limits on such lines that are marginally consistent with the CGRO measurement. Implications of these results on sites for cosmic ray acceleration and nucleosynthesis are discussed.