Investigating the mini and giant radio flare episodes of Cygnus X-3

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dc.contributor.authorEgron, E.
dc.contributor.authorPellizzoni, A.
dc.contributor.authorRighini, S.
dc.contributor.authorGiroletti, M.
dc.contributor.authorKoljonen, K.
dc.contributor.authorPottschmidt, Katja
dc.contributor.authorTrushkin, S.
dc.contributor.authorLobina, J.
dc.contributor.authorPilia, M.
dc.contributor.authorWilms, J.
dc.contributor.authorCorbel, S.
dc.contributor.authorGrinberg, V.
dc.contributor.authorLoru, S.
dc.contributor.authorTrois, A.
dc.contributor.authorRodriguez, J.
dc.contributor.authorLähteenmäki, A.
dc.contributor.authorTornikoski, M.
dc.contributor.authorEnestam, S.
dc.contributor.authorJärvelä, E.
dc.date.accessioned2020-12-09T17:48:16Z
dc.date.available2020-12-09T17:48:16Z
dc.date.issued2020-12-29
dc.description.abstractThe microquasar Cygnus X-3 underwent a giant radio flare in April 2017, reaching a maximum flux of ∼16.5 Jy at 8.5 GHz. We present results from a long monitoring campaign carried out with Medicina at 8.5, 18.6 and 24.1 GHz, in parallel to the Metsähovi radio telescope at 37 GHz, from 4 to 11 April 2017. We observe a spectral steepening from α=0.2 to 0.5 (with Sν∝ν−α) within 6 h around the epoch of the peak maximum of the flare, and rapid changes in the spectral slope in the following days during brief enhanced emission episodes while the general trend of the radio flux density indicated the decay of the giant flare. We further study the radio orbital modulation of Cyg X-3 emission associated with the 2017 giant flare and with six mini-flares observed in 1983, 1985, 1994, 1995, 2002 and 2016. The enhanced emission episodes observed during the decline of the giant flare at 8.5 GHz coincide with the orbital phase ϕ∼0.5 (orbital inferior conjunction). On the other hand the light curves of the mini-flares observed at 15−22 GHz peak at ϕ∼0, except for the 2016 light curve which is shifted of 0.5 w.r.t. the other ones. We attribute the apparent phase shift to the variable location of the emitting region along the bent jet. This might be explained by the different accretion states of the flaring episodes (the 2016 mini-flare occurred in the hypersoft X-ray state).en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipWe thank the referee for her/his constructive suggestions, which improved the discussion of the paper. Based on observations with the Medicina telescope operated by INAF - Istituto di Radioastronomia. We thank A. Zanichelli for promptly scheduling the Medicina observations. The Sardinia Radio Telescope is funded by the Department of University and Research (MIUR), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (RAS), and is operated as a National Facility by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). The Torun radio telescope is operated by Torun Centre for Astronomy of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun (Poland) and supported by the PolishMinistry of Science andHigher Education SpUBgrant. S.C. acknowledges the financial support from the UnivEarthS Labex program of Sorbonne Paris Cit´e (ANR-10-LABX-0023 and ANR-11- IDEX-0005-02). V.G. is supported through the Margarethe von Wrangell fellowship by the European Social Fund and the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-W¨urttemberg. JR ackowledges partial funding from the French space agency (CNES).en_US
dc.description.urihttps://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/abc5b1en_US
dc.format.extent9 pagesen_US
dc.genrejournal articlesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2blxk-b5t6
dc.identifier.citationEgron, E. et al. “Investigating the Mini and Giant Radio Flare Episodes of Cygnus X-3”, The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 906, no. 1, 2021. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abc5b1.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/20213
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abc5b1
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherAAS
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Faculty Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Physics Department
dc.rightsThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
dc.titleInvestigating the mini and giant radio flare episodes of Cygnus X-3en_US
dc.typeTexten_US
dcterms.creatorhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4656-6881

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