A New X-Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with the XMM-Newton Photon Imaging Cameras

Details A New X-Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with the XMM-Newton Photon Imaging Cameras A New X-Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with the XMM-Newton Photon Imaging Cameras

2002-07-29

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0207620v2

Astrophys.J.584:751-757,2003

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

18 pages, 6 color figures, final version, accepted on October 24, 2002, to appear in ApJ, v584 n2 ApJ February 20, 2003 issue

Scientific paper

10.1086/345749

Sgr A*, the compact radio source, believed to be the counterpart of the massive black hole at the galactic nucleus, was observed to undergo rapid and intense flaring activity in X-rays with Chandra in October 2000. We report here the detection with XMM-Newton EPIC cameras of the early phase of a similar X-ray flare from this source, which occurred on September 4, 2001. The source 2-10 keV luminosity increased by a factor about 20 to reach a level of 4 10^{34} erg s^{-1} in a time interval of about 900 s, just before the end of the observation. The data indicate that the source spectrum was hard during the flare. This XMM-Newton observation confirms the results obtained by Chandra and suggests that, in Sgr A*, rapid and intense X-ray flaring is not a rare event. This can constrain the emission mechanism models proposed for this source, and also implies that the crucial multiwavelength observation programs planned to explore the behaviour of the radio/sub-mm and hard X-ray/gamma-ray emissions during the X-ray flares, have a good chance of success.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

A New X-Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with the XMM-Newton Photon Imaging Cameras does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with A New X-Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with the XMM-Newton Photon Imaging Cameras, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A New X-Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with the XMM-Newton Photon Imaging Cameras will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-250752