Calculating the time lags over different timescales using the cross-correlation technique may lead to a biased estimate of small timescales.Given a timescale for lightcurve binning,we propose to subtract the local average instead of the global average during the cross-correlation,in order to filter variations on timescales larger than the bin size.The new method allows us to make an unbiased estimate of the time lags using RXTE/PCA data on timescales as small as-5 ms,where the Fourier technique becomes invalid.We calculate the time lag spectra of Cygnus X-1 at different spectral states with the new method,and find that the source appears to have similar X-ray lags on small timescales independent of its spectral states.
JIN Jing1,LU Yu2,3,QU JinLu2 & LI TiPei1,2 1 Department of Engineering Physics & Center for Astrophysics,Tsinghua University,Beijing 100084,China
The power spectral densities(PSDs)for a sample of active galactic nuclei(AGNs)are analyzed in both the frequency domain and the time domain.We find for each object that for broadband noise a character timescale-bifurcation timescale of Fourier and time-domain PSD exists in the 10 3 -10 6 s range, below which the time-domain power spectrum is systematically higher than the corresponding Fourier spectrum.The relationship between bifurcation timescale,AGN mass and luminosity is studied.Compared with the fact that similar phenomena have been found for Galactic black hole candidates(GBHs) with bifurcation timescale^0.1 s but not for accreting neutron stars,our finding indicates that AGNs and GBHs have common intrinsic nature in rapid X-ray variability with a character time parameter scaled with their masses.
Using the data taken from Tibet II High Density(HD) Array(1997 February-1999 September) and Tibet-III array(1999 November-2005 November),our previous northern sky survey for TeV γ-ray point sources has now been updated by a factor of 2.8 improved statistics.From 0.0° to 60.0° in declination(Dec) range,no new TeV γ-ray point sources with sufficiently high significance were identified while the well-known Crab Nebula and Mrk421 remain to be the brightest TeV γ-ray sources within the field of view of the Tibet air shower array.Based on the currently available data and at the 90% confidence level(C.L.),the flux upper limits for different power law index assumption are refiderived,which are approximately improved by 1.7 times as compared with our previous reported limits.
Recent studies of black hole and neutron star low mass X-ray binaries(LMXBs) show a positive correlation between the X-ray flux at which the low/hard(LH)-to-high/soft(HS) state transition occurs and the peak flux of the following HS state.By analyzing the data from the All Sky Monitor(ASM) onboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer(RXTE),we show that the HS state flux after the source reaches its HS flux peak still correlates with the transition flux during soft X-ray transient(SXT) outbursts.By studying large outbursts or flares of GX 339-4,Aql X-1 and 4U 1705-44,we have found that the correlation holds up to 250,40,and 50 d after the LH-to-HS state transition,respectively.These time scales correspond to the viscous time scale in a standard accretion disk around a stellar mass black hole or a neutron star at a radius of-104-5 Rg,indicating that the mass accretion rates in the accretion flow either correlate over a large range of radii at a given time or correlate over a long period of time at a given radius.If the accretion geometry is a two-flow geometry composed of a sub-Keplerian inflow or outflow and a disk flow in the LH state,the disk flow with a radius up to-105 Rg would have contributed to the nearly instantaneous non-thermal radiation directly or indirectly,and therefore affects the time when the state transition occurs.
To minimize instrumentally the induced systematic errors,cosmic microwave background(CMB)anisotropy experiments measure temperature differences across the sky using pairs of horn antennas, temperature map is recovered from temperature difference obtained in sky survey through a map-making procedure.To inspect and calibrate residual systematic errors in the recovered temperature maps is important as most previous studies of cosmology are based on these maps.By analyzing pixel-ring coupling and latitude dependence of CMB temperatures,we find notable systematic devia- tion from CMB Gaussianity in released Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe(WMAP)maps.The detected deviation cannot be explained by the best-fit LCDM cosmological model at a confidence level above 99%and cannot be ignored for a precision cosmology study.
LIU Hao 1,3 &LI TiPei 1,2 1Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics,Institute of High Energy Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China
A digitalized temperature map is recovered from the first light sky survey image published by the Planck team, from which an angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is derived. The amplitudes of the low multipoles (low-l) measured from the preliminary Planck power spectrum are significantly lower than those reported by the WMAP team. Possible systematical effects are far from enough to explain the observed low-l differences.
LIU Hao1 & LI TiPei1,2,3 1 Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
