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We report the results of intensive X-ray, UV, and optical monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4593 with Swift. There is no intrinsic flux-related spectral change in any variable component with small apparent variations being due to contamination by a constant hard (reflection) component in the X-rays and the red host galaxy in the UV/optical. Relative to the shortest wavelength band, UVW 2, the lags of the other UV/optical bands mostly agree with the predictions of reprocessing of high energy emission by an accretion disc. The U -band lag is, however, larger than expected, probably because of reprocessed Balmer continuum emission from the distant broad line region (BLR). The UVW 2 band is well correlated with the X-rays but lags by ∼6× more than expected if the UVW 2 results only from reprocessing of X-rays by the disc. However, if the light curves are filtered to remove variations on time-scales >5 d, the lag approaches the expectation from disc reprocessing. memecho analysis shows that direct X-rays can be the driver of most of the UV/optical variations if the response functions have tails up to 10 d, from BLR reprocessing, together with strong peaks at short lag (<1 d) from disc reprocessing. For the 5 AGN monitored so far, the observed UVW 2 to V -band lags are $$\rm{\, \stackrel{\lt }{_\sim }}2$$ of disc reprocessing expectations and vary little between AGN. However, the X-ray to UVW 2 lags greatly exceed disc reprocessing expectations and differ between AGN. The two most absorbed AGN have the largest excesses, so absorption and scattering may affect these lags, but there is no simple relationship between excess and absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of neutron stars in at least three ultraluminous X-ray sources is now firmly established and offers an unambiguous view of super-critical accretion. All three systems show long-time-scale periods (60-80 d) in the X-rays and/or optical, two of which are known to be super-orbital in nature. Should the flow be classically super critical, i.e. the Eddington limit is reached locally in the disc (implying surface dipole fields that are sub-magnetar in strength), then the large scale-height flow can precess through the Lense-Thirring effect which could provide an explanation for the observed super-orbital periods. By connecting the details of the Lense-Thirring effect with the observed pulsar spin period, we are able to infer the moment of inertia and therefore equation of state of the neutron star without relying on the inclination of or distance to the system. We apply our technique to the case of NGC 7793 P13 and demonstrate that stronger magnetic fields imply stiffer equations of state.We discuss the caveats and uncertainties, many of which can be addressed through forthcoming radiative magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) simulations and their connection to observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the potential of the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) to improve our understanding of the low-fluence regime for explosive transients, such as Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs). We probe the nature of the so-called 'WEAK' INTEGRAL triggers, when the gamma-ray instruments record intensity spikes that are below the usual STRONG significance thresholds. In a targeted Swift follow-up campaign, we observed 15 WEAK triggers. We find six of these can be classified as GRBs. This includes GRB 150305A, a GRB discovered from our campaign alone. We also identified a source coincident with one trigger, IGRW151019, as a candidate active galactic nucleus. We show that real events such as GRBs exist within the INTEGRAL Burst Alert System (IBAS) WEAK trigger population. A comparison of the fluence distributions of the full INTEGRAL IBAS and Swift-BAT GRB samples showed that the two are similar. We also find correlations between the prompt gamma-ray and X-ray properties of the two samples, supporting previous investigations. We find that both satellites reach similar, low fluence levels regularly, although Swift is more sensitive to short, low-fluence GRBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the detection of a bright, short, structured X-ray burst coming from the supernova remnant RCW 103 on 2016 June 22 caught by the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) monitor, and on the follow-up campaign made with Swift/X-ray Telescope, Swift/UV/Optical Telescope, and the optical/near-infrared (NIR) Gamma-Ray burst Optical and Near-infrared Detector. The characteristics of this flash, such as duration and spectral shape, are consistent with typical short bursts observed from soft gamma repeaters. The BAT error circle at 68 per cent confidence range encloses the point-like X-ray source at the centre of the nebula, 1E 161348-5055. Its nature has been long debated due to a periodicity of 6.67 h in X-rays, which could indicate either an extremely slow pulsating neutron star, or the orbital period of a very compact X-ray binary system. We found that 20 min before the BAT trigger, the soft X-ray emission of 1E 161348-5055 was a factor of ~100 higher than measured 2 yr earlier, indicating that an outburst had already started. By comparing the spectral and timing characteristics of the source in the 2 yr before the outburst and after the BAT event, we find that, besides a change in luminosity and spectral shape, also the 6.67 h pulsed profile has significantly changed with a clear phase shift with respect to its low-flux profile. The UV/optical/NIR observations did not reveal any counterpart at the position of 1E 161348-5055. Based on these findings, we associate the BAT burst with 1E 161348-5055, we classify it as a magnetar, and pinpoint the 6.67 h periodicity as the magnetar spin period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During its first observing run, in late 2015, the advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitationalwave Observatory facility announced three gravitational wave (GW) triggers to electromagnetic follow-up partners. Two of these have since been confirmed as being of astrophysical origin: both are binary black hole mergers at ~500 Mpc; the other trigger was later found not to be astrophysical. In this paper, we report on the Swift follow-up observations of the second and third triggers, including details of 21 X-ray sources detected; none of which can be associated with the GW event. We also consider the challenges that the next GW observing run will bring as the sensitivity and hence typical distance of GW events will increase. We discuss how to effectively use galaxy catalogues to prioritize areas for follow-up, especially in the presence of distance estimates from the GW data. We also consider two galaxy catalogues and suggest that the high completeness at larger distances of the 2MASS Photometric Redshift catalogue makes it very well suited to optimize Swift follow-up observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GRB 130427A was the brightest gamma-ray burst detected in the last 30 yr. With an equivalent isotropic energy output of 8.5 × 1053 erg and redshift z = 0.34, it uniquely combined very high energetics with a relative proximity to Earth. As a consequence, its X-ray afterglow has been detected by sensitive X-ray observatories such as XMM-Newton and Chandra for a record-breaking baseline longer than 80 million seconds. We present the X-ray light curve of this event over such an interval. The light curve shows a simple power-law decay with a slope α = 1.309 ± 0.007 over more than three decades in time (47 ks-83 Ms).We discuss the consequences of this result for a few models proposed so far to interpret GRB 130427A, and more in general the significance of this outcome in the context of the standard forward shock model. We find that this model has difficulty in explaining our data, in both cases of constant density and stellar-wind circumburst media, and requires far-fetched values for the physical parameters involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the wealth of ~24 yr multiband data, we present an in-depth study of the star-spot cycles, surface differential rotations (SDR), optical flares, evolution of star-spot distributions, and coronal activities on the surface of young, single, main-sequence, ultrafast rotator LO Peg. From the long-term V-band photometry, we derive rotational period of LO Peg to be 0.4231 ± 0.0001 d. Using the seasonal variations on the rotational period, the SDR pattern is investigated, and shows a solar-like pattern of SDR. A cyclic pattern with period of ~2.7 yr appears to be present in rotational period variation. During the observations, 20 optical flares are detected with a flare frequency of ~1 flare per two days and with flare energy of ~1031-34 erg. The surface coverage of cool spots is found to be in the range of ~9-26 per cent. It appears that the high- and low-latitude spots are interchanging their positions. Quasi-simultaneous observations in X-ray, UV, and optical photometric bands show a signature of an excess of X-ray and UV activities in spotted regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide important information about the early Universe such as the rates of stellar collapsars and mergers, the metallicity content, constraints on the re-ionization period, and probes of the Hubble expansion. Rapid selection of high-z candidates from GRB samples reported in real time by dedicated space missions such as Swift is the key to identifying the most distant bursts before the optical afterglow becomes too dim to warrant a good spectrum. Here, we introduce 'machine-z', a redshift prediction algorithm and a 'high-z' classifier for Swift GRBs based on machine learning. Our method relies exclusively on canonical data commonly available within the first few hours after the GRB trigger. Using a sample of 284 bursts with measured redshifts, we trained a randomized ensemble of decision trees (random forest) to perform both regression and classification. Cross-validated performance studies show that the correlation coefficient between machine-z predictions and the true redshift is nearly 0.6. At the same time, our high-z classifier can achieve 80 per cent recall of true high-redshift bursts, while incurring a false positive rate of 20 per cent. With 40 per cent false positive rate the classifier can achieve ~100 per cent recall. The most reliable selection of high-redshift GRBs is obtained by combining predictions from both the high-z classifier and the machine-z regressor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most exciting near-term prospects in physics is the potential discovery of gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors. To maximize both the confidence of the detection and the science return, it is essential to identify an electromagnetic counterpart. This is not trivial, as the events are expected to be poorly localized, particularly in the near-term, with error regions covering hundreds or even thousands of square degrees. In this paper, we discuss the prospects for finding an X-ray counterpart to a gravitational wave trigger with the Swift X-ray Telescope, using the assumption that the trigger is caused by a binary neutron star merger which also produces a short gamma-ray burst. We show that it is beneficial to target galaxies within theGWerror region, highlighting the need for substantially complete galaxy catalogues out to distances of 300 Mpc. We also show that nearby, on-axis short GRBs are either extremely rare, or are systematically less luminous than those detected to date. We consider the prospects for detecting afterglow emission from an off-axis GRB which triggered the GW facilities, finding that the detectability, and the best time to look, are strongly dependent on the characteristics of the burst such as circumburst density and our viewing angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present optical and near-infrared (NIR) photometry of 28 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Swift satellite and rapidly observed by the Reionization and Transients Infrared/Optical (RATIR) camera. We compare the optical flux at fiducial times of 5.5 and 11 h after the high-energy trigger to that in the X-ray regime to quantify optical darkness. 46 ± 9 per cent (13/28) of all bursts in our sample and 55 ± 10 per cent (13/26) of long GRBs are optically dark, which is statistically consistently with previous studies. Fitting RATIR optical and NIR spectral energy distributions of 19 GRBs, most (6/7) optically dark GRBs either occur at high redshift (z > 4.5) or have a high dust content in their host galaxies (AV > 0.3). Performing Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, we compare the RATIR sample to those previously presented in the literature, finding our distributions of redshift, optical darkness, host dust extinction and X-ray-derived column density to be consistent. The one reported discrepancy is with host galaxy dust content in the BAT6 sample, which appears inconsistent with our sample and other previous literature. Comparing X-ray-derived host galaxy hydrogen column densities to host galaxy dust extinction, we find that GRBs tend to occur in host galaxies with a higher metal-to-dust ratio than our own Galaxy, more akin to the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Finally, to mitigate time evolution of optical darkness, we measure βOX,rest at a fixed rest-frame time, trest = 1.5 h and fixed rest-frame energies in the X-ray and optical regimes. Choosing to evaluate optical flux at λrest = 0.25 μm, we remove high redshift as a source of optical darkness, demonstrating that optical darkness must result from either high redshift, dust content in the host galaxy along the GRB sight line, or a combination of the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 2011 March and 2014 August Swift responded to 20 triggers from the IceCube neutrino observatory, observing the IceCube 50 per cent confidence error circle in X-rays, typically within 5 h of the trigger. No confirmed counterpart has been detected. We describe the Swift follow-up strategy and data analysis and present the results of the campaign. We discuss the challenges of distinguishing the X-ray counterpart to a neutrino trigger from serendipitous uncatalogued X-ray sources in the error circle, and consider the implications of our results for future strategies for multimessenger astronomy, with particular reference to the follow-up of gravitational wave triggers from the advanced-era detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are one of the most tantalizing mysteries of the radio sky; their progenitors and origins remain unknown and until now no rapid multiwavelength follow-up of an FRB has been possible. New instrumentation has decreased the time between observation and discovery from years to seconds, and enables polarimetry to be performed on FRBs for the first time. We have discovered an FRB (FRB 140514) in real-time on 2014 May 14 at 17:14:11.06 UTC at the Parkes radio telescope and triggered follow-up at other wavelengths within hours of the event. FRB 140514 was found with a dispersion measure (DM) of 562.7(6) cm-3 pc, giving an upper limit on source redshift of z ≲ 0.5. FRB 140514 was found to be 21 ± 7 per cent (3s) circularly polarized on the leading edge with a 1σ upper limit on linear polarization <10 per cent. We conclude that this polarization is intrinsic to the FRB. If there was any intrinsic linear polarization, as might be expected from coherent emission, then it may have been depolarized by Faraday rotation caused by passing through strong magnetic fields and/or high-density environments. FRB 140514 was discovered during a campaign to re-observe known FRB fields, and lies close to a previous discovery, FRB 110220; based on the difference in DMs of these bursts and time-on-sky arguments, we attribute the proximity to sampling bias and conclude that they are distinct objects. Follow-up conducted by 12 telescopes observing from X-ray to radio wavelengths was unable to identify a variable multiwavelength counterpart, allowing us to rule out models in which FRBs originate from nearby (z < 0.3) supernovae and long duration gamma-ray bursts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have selected SDSS J222032.50+002537.5 and SDSS J142048.01+120545.9 as best blazar candidates out of a complete sample of extremely radio-loud quasars at z > 4, with highly massive black holes. We observed them and a third serendipitous candidate with similar features (PMN J2134-0419) in the X-rays with the Swift/XRT telescope, to confirm their blazar nature. We observed strong and hard X-ray fluxes (i.e. αX∼<0.6, where F(ν)∝ν-αX in the 0.3-10 keV observed energy range, ∼1-40 keV rest frame) in all three cases. This allowed us to classify our candidates as real blazars, being characterized by large Lorentz factors (∼13) and very small viewing angles (∼3°). All three sources have black hole masses exceeding 109 M⊙ and their classification provides intriguing constraints on supermassive black hole formation and evolution models. We confirm our earlier suggestion that there are different formation epochs of extremely massive black holes hosted in jetted (z ∼ 4) and non-jetted systems (z ∼ 2.5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comprehensive statistical analysis of Swift X-ray light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) collecting data from more than 650 GRBs discovered by Swift and other facilities. The unprecedented sample size allows us to constrain the rest-frame X-ray properties of GRBs from a statistical perspective, with particular reference to intrinsic time-scales and the energetics of the different light-curve phases in a common rest-frame 0.3-30 keV energy band. Temporal variability episodes are also studied and their properties constrained. Two fundamental questions drive this effort: (i) Does the X-ray emission retain any kind of 'memory' of the prompt Ɣ-ray phase? (ii) Where is the dividing line between long and short GRB X-ray properties? We show that short GRBs decay faster, are less luminous and less energetic than long GRBs in the X-rays, but are interestingly characterized by similar intrinsic absorption. We furthermore reveal the existence of a number of statistically significant relations that link the X-ray to prompt Ɣ-ray parameters in long GRBs; short GRBs are outliers of the majority of these two-parameter relations. However and more importantly, we report on the existence of a universal three-parameter scaling that links the X-ray and the Ɣ-ray energy to the prompt spectral peak energy of both long and short GRBs: EX,iso Ey,iso1.00±0.06 ∞ /Epk0.60±0.10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The radio-loud quasar SDSS J102623.61+254259.5, at a redshift z = 5.3, is one of the most distant radio-loud objects. Since its radio flux exceeds 100 mJy at a few GHz, it is also one of the most powerful radio-loud sources. We propose that this source is a blazar, i.e. we are seeing its jet at a small viewing angle. This claim is based on the spectral energy distribution of this source, and especially on its strong and hard X-ray spectrum, as seen by Swift, very typical of powerful blazars. Observations by the Gamma-Ray Burst Optical/Near-Infrared Detector (GROND) and by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE) allow us to establish the thermal nature of the emission in the near-IR-optical band. Assuming that this is produced by a standard accretion disc, we derive that it emits a luminosity of Ld≃ 9 × 1046 erg s−1 and that the black hole has a mass between 2 and 5 billion solar masses. This poses interesting constraints on the mass function of heavy (>109 M⊙) black holes at high redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We report on the Swift monitoring of the candidate supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) IGR J16418−4532, for which both orbital and spin periods are known (∼3.7 d and ∼1250 s, respectively). Our observations, for a total of ∼43 ks, span over three orbital periods and represent the most intense and complete sampling of the light curve of this source with a sensitive X-ray instrument. With this unique set of observations, we can address the nature of this transient. By applying the clumpy wind model for blue supergiants to the observed X-ray light curve, and assuming a circular orbit, the X-ray emission from this source can be explained in terms of the accretion from a spherically symmetric clumpy wind, composed of clumps with different masses, ranging from ∼5 × 1016 to 1021 g. Our data suggest, based on the X-ray behaviour, that this is an intermediate SFXT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Spectral lag, which is defined as the difference in time of arrival of high- and low-energy photons, is a common feature in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Previous investigations have shown a correlation between this lag and the isotropic peak luminosity for long duration bursts. However, most of the previous investigations used lags extracted in the observer frame only. In this work (based on a sample of 43 Swift long GRBs with known redshifts), we present an analysis of the lag-luminosity relation in the GRB source frame. Our analysis indicates a higher degree of correlation −0.82 ± 0.05 (chance probability of ∼5.5 × 10−5) between the spectral lag and the isotropic peak luminosity, Liso, with a best-fitting power-law index of −1.2 ± 0.2, such that Liso ∝ lag−1.2. In addition, there is an anticorrelation between the source-frame spectral lag and the source-frame peak energy of the burst spectrum, Epk(1 + z). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We present the first systematic study of X-ray flare candidates in short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) exploiting the large 6-year Swift data base with the aim to constrain the physical nature of such fluctuations. We find that flare candidates appear in different types of SGRB host galaxy environments and show no clear correlation with the X-ray afterglow lifetime; flare candidates are detected both in SGRBs with a bright extended emission in the soft γ-rays and in SGRBs which do not show such component. We furthermore show that SGRB X-ray flare candidates only partially share the set of observational properties of long GRB (LGRB) flares. In particular, the main parameter driving the duration evolution of X-ray variability episodes in both classes is found to be the elapsed time from the explosion, with very limited dependence on the different progenitors, environments, central engine lifetimes, prompt variability time-scales and energy budgets. On the contrary, SGRB flare candidates significantly differ from LGRB flares in terms of peak luminosity, isotropic energy, flare-to-prompt luminosity ratio and relative variability flux. However, these differences disappear when the central engine time-scales and energy budget are accounted for, suggesting that (i) flare candidates and prompt pulses in SGRBs likely have a common origin; (ii) similar dissipation and/or emission mechanisms are responsible for the prompt and flare emission in LGRBs and SGRBs, with SGRBs being less energetic albeit faster evolving versions of the long class. Finally, we show that in strict analogy to the SGRB prompt emission, flares candidates fall off the lag-luminosity relation defined by LGRBs, thus strengthening the SGRB flare-prompt pulse connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied power density spectra (PDS) of 206 long gamma-ray bursts. We fitted the PDS with a simple power law and extracted the exponent of the power law (α) and the noise-crossing threshold frequency ( f). We find that the distribution of the extracted α peaks around −1.4 and that of f around 1 Hz. In addition, based on a subset of 58 bursts with known redshifts, we show that the redshift-corrected threshold frequency is positively correlated with the isotropic peak luminosity. The correlation coefficient is . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swift observed an outburst from the supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) AX J0536 on 2010 June 5, and followed it with X-ray Telescope (XRT) for 11 d. The X-ray light curve shows an initial flare followed by a decay and subsequent increase, as often seen in other SFXTs, and a dynamical range of ∼1600. Our observations allow us to analyse the simultaneous broad-band (0.3-100 keV) spectrum of this source, for the first time down to 0.3 keV, which can be fitted well with models usually adopted to describe the emission from accreting neutron stars in high-mass X-ray binaries, and is characterized by a high absorption (), a flat power law () and a high-energy cut-off. All of these properties resemble those of the prototype of the class, IGR J2619, which underwent an outburst on 2010 March 4, whose observations we also discuss. We show how well AX J0536 fits in the SFXT class, based on its observed properties during the 2010 outburst, its large dynamical range in X-ray luminosity, the similarity of the light curve (length and shape) to those of the other SFXTs observed by Swift and the X-ray broad-band spectral properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the release of the first-year Fermi catalogue, the number of blazars detected above 100 MeV lying at high redshift has been largely increased. There are 28 blazars at in the 'clean' sample. All of them are flat spectrum radio quasars. We study and model their overall spectral energy distribution in order to find the physical parameters of the jet-emitting region, and for all of them, we estimate their black hole masses and accretion rates. We then compare the jet with the accretion disc properties, setting these sources in the broader context of all the other bright γ-ray or hard X-ray blazars. We confirm that the jet power correlates with the accretion luminosity. We find that the high-energy emission peak shifts to smaller frequencies as the observed luminosity increases, according to the blazar sequence, making the hard X-ray band the most suitable for searching the most-luminous and distant blazars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results based on 2 yr of intense Swift monitoring of three supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs), IGR J 16479−4514, XTE J 1739−302 and IGR J 17544−2619, which we started in 2007 October. Our out-of-outburst intensity-based X-ray (0.3-10 keV) spectroscopy yields absorbed power laws characterized by hard photon indices ( Γ∼ 1 -2). The broad-band (0.3-150 keV) spectra of these sources, obtained while they were undergoing new outbursts observed during the second year of monitoring, can be fitted well with models typically used to describe the X-ray emission from accreting neutron stars in high-mass X-ray binaries. We obtain an assessment of how long each source spends in each state using a systematic monitoring with a sensitive instrument. By considering our monitoring as a casual sampling of the X-ray light curves, we can infer that the time these sources spend in bright outbursts is between 3 and 5 per cent of the total. The most probable X-ray flux for these sources is ∼ (1 -2) × 10−11 erg cm−2 s−1 (2-10 keV, unabsorbed), corresponding to luminosities of the order of a few 1033 to a few 1034 erg s−1 (two orders of magnitude lower than the bright outbursts). In particular, the duty-cycle of inactivity is ∼19, 39 and 55 per cent (∼5 per cent uncertainty) for IGR J 16479−4514, XTE J 1739−302 and IGR J 17544−2619, respectively. We present a complete list of BAT onboard detections, which further confirm the continued activity of these sources. This demonstrates that true quiescence is a rare state and that these transients accrete matter throughout their life at different rates. Variability in the X-ray flux is observed at all time-scales and intensity ranges we can probe. Superimposed on the day-to-day variability is intraday flaring, which involves flux variations up to one order of magnitude that can occur down to time-scales as short as ∼1 ks, and which can be naturally explained by the accretion of single clumps composing the donor wind with masses Mcl∼ (0.3 -2) × 1019 g. Thanks to the Swift observations, the general picture we obtain is that, despite individual differences, common X-ray characteristics of this class are now well defined, such as outburst lengths well in excess of hours, with a multiple peaked structure, and a high dynamic range (including bright outbursts), up to approximately four orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the detailed study of the 2008 October outburst from the anomalous X-ray pulsar 1E 5408 discovered through the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) detection of soft gamma-ray repeater like short X-ray bursts on 2008 October 3. The Swift/X-ray Telescope (XRT) started observing the source after less than 100 s since the BAT trigger, when the flux ( in the 2-10 keV range) was >50 times higher than its quiescent level. Swift monitored the outbursting activity of 1E 5408 on a daily basis for approximately three weeks. This strategy allowed us to find a phase-coherent solution for the source pulsations after the burst, which, besides P and , requires a positive term (spin-down increase). The time evolution of the pulse shape is complex and variable, with the pulsed fraction increasing from 20 to 50 per cent within the Swift observational window. The XRT spectra can be fitted well by means of a single component, either a power law (PL) or a blackbody. During the very initial phases of the outburst the spectrum is hard, with a PL photon index (or ), which steepens to (or ) within one day from the BAT trigger, though the two components are likely present simultaneously during the first-day spectra. An INTEGRAL observation carried out five days after the trigger provided an upper limit of to the emission of 1E 5408 in the 18-60 keV band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IGR J18483−0311 is an X-ray pulsar with transient X-ray activity, belonging to the new class of high-mass X-ray binaries called supergiant fast X-ray transients. This system is one of the two members of this class, together with IGR J11215−5952, where both the orbital (18.52 d) and spin period (21 s) are known. We report on the first complete monitoring of the X-ray activity along an entire orbital period of a supergiant fast X-ray transient. These Swift observations, lasting 28 d, cover more than one entire orbital phase consecutively. They are a unique data set, which allows us to constrain the different mechanisms proposed to explain the nature of this new class of X-ray transients. We applied the new clumpy wind model for blue supergiants developed by Ducci et al. to the observed X-ray light curve. Assuming an eccentricity of , the X-ray emission from this source can be explained in terms of the accretion from a spherically symmetric clumpy wind, composed of clumps with different masses, ranging from 1018 g to g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed study of GRB 090111, focusing on its extra soft power-law photon index at the very steep-decay phase emission (power-law index , steeper than 96 per cent of gamma-ray bursts detected by Swift) and the following peculiar X-ray rebrightening. Our spectral analysis supports the hypothesis of a comoving band spectrum with the peak of the spectrum evolving with time to lower values: a period of higher temporal variability in the 1–2 keV light curve ends when the evolves outside the energy band. The X-ray rebrightening shows extreme temporal properties when compared to a homogeneous sample of 82 early flares detected by Swift. While an internal origin cannot be excluded, we show these properties to be consistent with the energy injection in refreshed shocks produced by slow shells colliding with the fastest ones from behind, well after the internal shocks that are believed to give rise to the prompt emission have ceased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Supergiant Fast X-ray Transient (SFXT) SAX J1818.6−1703 underwent an outburst on 2009 May 6 and was observed with Swift. We report on these observations which, for the first time, allow us to study the broad-band spectrum from soft to hard X-rays of this source. No X-ray spectral information was available on this source before the Swift monitoring. The spectrum can be deconvolved well with models usually adopted to describe the emission from HMXB X-ray pulsars, and is characterized by a very high absorption, a flat power law (photon index ∼0.1–0.5) and a cut-off at about 7–12 keV. Alternatively, the SAX J1818.6−1703 emission can be described with a Comptonized emission from a cold and optically thick corona, with an electron temperature keV, a hot seed photon temperature, kT0, of 1.3–1.4 keV and an optical depth for the Comptonizing plasma, τ, of about 10. The 1–100 keV luminosity at the peak of the flare is (assuming the optical counterpart distance of 2.5 kpc). These properties of SAX J1818.6−1703 resemble those of the prototype of the SFXT class, XTE J1739–302. The monitoring with Swift/XRT reveals an outburst duration of about 5 d, similar to other members of the class of SFXTs, confirming SAX J1818.6−1703 as a member of this class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of Swift has allowed, for the first time, the possibility to give supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs), the new class of high-mass X-ray binaries discovered by the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, non-serendipitous attention throughout most phases of their life. In this paper, we present our results based on the first year of intense Swift monitoring of four SFXTs, IGR J16479−4514, XTE J1739−302, IGR J17544−2619 and AX J1841.0−0536. We obtain the first assessment of how long each source spends in each state using a systematic monitoring with a sensitive instrument. The duty-cycle of inactivity is ∼17, 28, 39 and 55 per cent (∼5 per cent uncertainty), for IGR J16479−4514, AX J1841.0−0536, XTE J1739–302 and IGR J17544−2619, respectively, so that true quiescence, which is below our detection ability even with the exposures we collected in 1 yr, is a rare state, when compared with estimates from less sensitive instruments. This demonstrates that these transients accrete matter throughout their lifetime at different rates. AX J1841.0−0536 is the only source which has not undergone a bright outburst during our monitoring campaign. Although individual sources behave somewhat differently, common X-ray characteristics of this class are emerging, such as outburst lengths well in excess of hours, with a multiple peaked structure. A high dynamic range (including bright outbursts) of ∼4 orders of magnitude has been observed in IGR J17544−2619 and XTE J1739−302, of ∼3 in IGR J16479−4514 and of about 2 in AX J1841.0−0536 (this lowest range is due to the lack of bright flares). We also present a complete list of Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on-board detections, which complements our previous work, and further confirms the continuous activity of these sources. We performed out-of-outburst intensity-based spectroscopy. In particular, spectral fits with an absorbed blackbody always result in blackbody radii of a few hundred metres, consistent with being emitted from a small portion of the neutron star surface, very likely the neutron star polar caps. We used the whole BAT data set, since the beginning of the mission, to search for periodicities due to orbital motion and found for IGR J16479−4514, confirming previous findings. We also present the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) data of these sources; we show the UVOT light curves of AX J1841.0−0536 and the ones of XTE J1739−302 before, during and after the outbursts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a homogeneous X-ray analysis of all 318 gamma-ray bursts detected by the X-ray telescope (XRT) on the Swift satellite up to 2008 July 23; this represents the largest sample of X-ray GRB data published to date. In Sections 2–3 , we detail the methods which the Swift-XRT team has developed to produce the enhanced positions, light curves, hardness ratios and spectra presented in this paper. Software using these methods continues to create such products for all new GRBs observed by the Swift-XRT. We also detail web-based tools allowing users to create these products for any object observed by the XRT, not just GRBs. In Sections 4–6 , we present the results of our analysis of GRBs, including probability distribution functions of the temporal and spectral properties of the sample. We demonstrate evidence for a consistent underlying behaviour which can produce a range of light-curve morphologies, and attempt to interpret this behaviour in the framework of external forward shock emission. We find several difficulties, in particular that reconciliation of our data with the forward shock model requires energy injection to continue for days to weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on new X-ray outbursts observed with Swift from three Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients (SFXTs): XTE J1739−302, IGR J17544−2619 and IGR J08408−4503. XTE J1739−302 underwent a new outburst on 2008 August 13, IGR J17544−2619 on 2008 September 4 and IGR J08408−4503 on 2008 September 21. While the XTE J1739−302 and IGR J08408−4503 bright emission triggered the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope, IGR J17544−2619 did not, thus we could perform a spectral investigation only of the spectrum below 10 keV. The broad-band spectra from XTE J1739−302 and IGR J08408−4503 were compatible with the X-ray spectral shape displayed during the previous flares. A variable absorbing column density during the flare was observed in XTE J1739−302 for the first time. The broad-band spectrum of IGR J08408−4503 requires the presence of two distinct photon populations, a cold one (∼0.3 keV) most likely from a thermal halo around the neutron star and a hotter one (1.4–1.8 keV) from the accreting column. The outburst from XTE J1739−302 could be monitored with a very good sampling, thus revealing a shape which can be explained with a second wind component in this SFXT, in analogy to what we have suggested in the periodic SFXT IGR J11215−5952. The outburst recurrence time-scale in IGR J17544−2619 during our monitoring campaign with Swift suggests a long orbital period of ∼150 d (in a highly eccentric orbit), compatible with what previously observed with INTEGRAL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on X-ray and soft γ-ray observations of the black hole candidate GX 339−4 during its 2007 outburst, performed with the RXTE and INTEGRAL satellites. The hardness–intensity diagram of all RXTE/PCA data combined shows a q-shaped track similar to that observed in previous outbursts. The evolution in the diagram suggested that a transition from hard- to soft-intermediate state occurred, simultaneously with INTEGRAL observations performed in March. The transition is confirmed by the timing analysis presented in this work, which reveals that a weak type-A quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) replaces a strong type-C QPO. At the same time, spectral analysis shows that the flux of the high-energy component shows a significant decrease in its flux. However, we observe a delay (roughly one day) between variations of the spectral parameters of the high-energy component and changes in the flux and timing properties. The changes in the high-energy component can be explained either in terms of the high-energy cut-off or in terms of variations in the reflection component. We compare our results with those from a similar transition during the 2004 outburst of GX . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IGR is a supergiant fast X–ray transient discovered in 2006 with a confirmed association with a O8.5Ib(f) supergiant star, HD 74194. We report on the analysis of two outbursts caught by Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on 2006 October 4 and 2008 July 5, and followed up at softer energies with Swift/X-ray Telescope (XRT). The 2008 XRT light curve shows a multiple-peaked structure with an initial bright flare that reached a flux of (2–10 keV), followed by two equally bright flares within 75 ks. The spectral characteristics of the flares differ dramatically, with most of the difference, as derived via time-resolved spectroscopy, being due to absorbing column variations. We observe a gradual decrease in the NH, derived with a fit using absorbed power-law model, as time passes. We interpret these NH variations as due to an ionization effect produced by the first flare, resulting in a significant decrease in the measured column density towards the source. The durations of the flares as well as the times of the outbursts suggest that the orbital period is ∼35 d, if the flaring activity is interpreted within the framework of the Sidoli et al. model with the outbursts triggered by the neutron star passage inside an equatorial wind inclined with respect to the orbital plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008 May, the soft gamma-ray repeater (SGR) SGR 1627−41 resumed its bursting activity after nearly a decade of quiescence. After detection of a bright burst, Swift pointed its X-ray telescope in the direction of the source in less than five hours and followed it for over five weeks. In this Letter, we present an analysis of the data from these Swift observations and an XMM–Newton one performed when SGR 1627−41 was still in a quiescent state. The analysis of the bursts detected with Swift/Burst Alert Telescope shows that their temporal and spectral properties are similar to those found in previous observations of SGR 1627−41 and other SGRs. The maximum peak luminosity of the bursts was . Our data show that the outburst was accompanied by a fast flux enhancement and by a hardening of the spectrum with respect to the persistent emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GRB 061007 was the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) to be detected by Swift and was accompanied by an exceptionally luminous afterglow that had a V-band magnitude <11.1 at 80 s after the prompt emission. From the start of the Swift observations the afterglow decayed as a power law with a slope of in the X-ray and in the UV/optical, up to the point that it was no longer detected above background in the optical or X-ray bands. The brightness of this GRB and the similarity in the decay rate of the X-ray, optical and γ-ray emission from 100 s after the trigger distinguish this burst from others and present a challenge to the fireball model. The lack of a cooling or jet break in the afterglow up to constrains any model that can produce the large luminosity observed in GRB 061007, which we found to require either an excessively large kinetic energy or highly collimated outflow. Analysis of the multiwavelength spectral and high-resolution temporal data taken with Swift suggests an early time jet break to be a more plausible scenario than a highly energetic GRB. This must have occurred within 80 s of the prompt emission, which places an upper limit on the jet opening angle of . Such a highly collimated outflow resolves the energy budget problem presented in a spherical emission model, reducing the isotropic-equivalent energy of this burst to , consistent with other GRBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates GRB 050802, one of the best examples of a Swift gamma-ray burst afterglow that shows a break in the X-ray light curve, while the optical counterpart decays as a single power law. This burst has an optically bright afterglow of 16.5 mag, detected throughout the 170–650 nm spectral range of the Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT) onboard Swift. Observations began with the X-ray Telescope and UVOT telescopes 286 s after the initial trigger and continued for 1.2 × 106 s. The X-ray light curve consists of three power-law segments: a rise until 420 s, followed by a slow decay with until 5000 s, after which, the light curve decays faster with a slope of . The optical light curve decays as a single power law with throughout the observation. The X-ray data on their own are consistent with the break at 5000 s being due to the end of energy injection. Modelling the optical to X-ray spectral energy distribution, we find that the optical afterglow cannot be produced by the same component as the X-ray emission at late times, ruling out a single-component afterglow. We therefore considered two-component jet models and find that the X-ray and optical emission is best reproduced by a model in which both components are energy injected for the duration of the observed afterglow and the X-ray break at 5000 s is due to a jet break in the narrow component. This bright, well-observed burst is likely a guide for interpreting the surprising finding of Swift that bursts seldom display achromatic jet breaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the origin of the GRB 060912A, which has observational properties that make its classification as either a long or short burst ambiguous. Short-duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are thought to have typically lower energies than long-duration bursts, can be found in galaxies with populations of all ages and are likely to originate from different progenitors to the long-duration bursts. However, it has become clear that duration alone is insufficient to make a distinction between the two populations in many cases, leading to a desire to find additional discriminators of burst type. GRB 060912A had a duration of 6 s and occurred only ∼10 arcsec from a bright, low-redshift ( z= 0.0936) elliptical galaxy, suggesting that this may have been the host, which would favour it being a short burst. However, our deep optical imaging and spectroscopy of the location of GRB 060912A using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) shows that GRB 060912A more likely originates in a distant star-forming galaxy at z= 0.937, and is most likely a long burst. This demonstrates the risk in identifying bright, nearby galaxies as the hosts of given gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) without further supporting evidence. Further, it implies that, in the absence of secure identifications, ‘host’ type, or more broadly discriminators that rely on galaxy redshifts, may not be good indicators of the true nature of any given GRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results of S w ift optical, ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray observations of the afterglow of GRB 050801. The source is visible over the full optical, UV and X-ray energy range of the S w ift Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope and X-ray telescope instruments. Both optical and X-ray light curves exhibit a broad plateau during the first few hundred seconds after the γ-ray event. We investigate the multiwavelength spectral and timing properties of the afterglow, and we suggest that the behaviour at early times is compatible with an energy injection by a newly born magnetar with a period of a few tenths of a millisecond, which keeps the forward shock refreshed over this short interval by irradiation. Reverse shock emission is not observed. Its suppression might be due to GRB ejecta being permeated by high magnetic fields, as expected for outflows powered by a magnetar. Finally, the multiwavelength study allows a determination of the burst redshift, . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swift satellite has enabled us to follow the evolution of gamma-ray burst (GRB) fireballs from the prompt γ-ray emission to the afterglow phase. The early-time X-ray and optical data for GRBs obtained by telescopes aboard the Swift satellite show that the source for prompt γ-ray emission, the emission that heralds these bursts, is short lived, and is distinct from the source for the long-lived afterglow emission that follows the initial burst. Using these data we determine the distance of the γ-ray source from the centre of the explosion. We find this distance to be 1015–1016 cm for most bursts, and show that this is within a factor of about 10 of the radius of the shock heated circumstellar medium (CSM) producing the X-ray photons. Furthermore, using the early γ-ray, X-ray and optical data we show that the prompt gamma-ray emission cannot be produced in internal shocks nor can it be produced in the external shock; in a more general sense γ-ray generation mechanisms based on shock physics have problems explaining the GRB data for ten Swift bursts analyzed in this work. A magnetic field dominated outflow model for GRBs has a number of attractive features, although evidence in its favour is inconclusive. Finally, the X-ray and optical data allow us to provide an upper limit on the density of the CSM of about 10 protons cm−3 at a distance of from the centre of explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of X-ray and optical observations of GRB 050712 performed by Swift. The X-ray light curve of this burst exhibits episodes of flares in the first 1000 s, the same epoch at which the UVOT detected an optical counterpart. A shallow X-ray decay, with a decay slope of , followed and lasted ∼70 ks. This behaviour can be explained in terms of activity of the gamma-ray burst ‘inner engine’, with the possibility that the last flare is caused by the interaction of the ejecta with the surrounding medium. We also find interesting spectral parameters for the X-ray emission. In particular, data suggest the presence of an intrinsic absorption in the first 1000 s, which can be explained if circumburst medium clouds lie along the line of sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power-law decay of the X-ray emission of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows 050319, 050401, 050607, 050713A, 050802 and 050922C exhibits a steepening at about 1–4 h after the burst which, surprisingly, is not accompanied by a break in the optical emission. If it is assumed that both the optical and X-ray afterglows arise from the same outflow then, in the framework of the standard forward shock model, the chromaticity of the X-ray light-curve breaks indicates that they do not arise solely from a mechanism related to the outflow dynamics (e.g. energy injection) or the angular distribution of the blast-wave kinetic energy (structured outflows or jets). The lack of a spectral evolution accompanying the X-ray light-curve break shows that these breaks do not arise from the passage of a spectral break (e.g. the cooling frequency) either. Under these circumstances, the decoupling of the X-ray and optical decays requires that the microphysical parameters for the electron and magnetic energies in the forward shock evolve in time, whether the X-ray afterglow is synchrotron or inverse-Compton emission. For a steady evolution of these parameters with the Lorentz factor of the forward shock and an X-ray light curve arising cessation of energy injection into the blast wave, the optical and X-ray properties of the above six Swift afterglows require a circumburst medium with a r−2 radial stratification, as expected for a massive star origin for long GRBs. Alternatively, the chromatic X-ray light-curve breaks may indicate that the optical and X-ray emissions arise from different outflows. Neither feature (evolution of microphysical parameters or the different origin of the optical and X-ray emissions) was clearly required by pre-Swift afterglows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The X-ray light curves of nine Swift XRT afterglows (050126, 050128, 050219A, 050315, 050318, 050319, 050401, 050408 and 050505) display a complex behaviour: a steep decay until ∼400 s, followed by a significantly slower fall-off, which at 0.2–2 day after the burst evolves into a decay. We consider three possible models for the geometry of relativistic blast-waves (spherical outflows, non-spreading jets and spreading jets), two possible dynamical regimes for the forward shock (adiabatic and fully radiative), and we take into account a possible angular structure of the outflow and delayed energy injection in the blast-wave to identify the models which reconcile the X-ray light-curve decay with the slope of the X-ray continuum for each of the above three afterglow phases. By piecing together the various models for each phase in a way that makes physical sense, we identify possible models for the entire X-ray afterglow. The major conclusion of this work is that a long-lived episode of energy injection in the blast-wave, during which the shock energy increases at , is required for five afterglows and could be at work in the other four as well. For some afterglows, there may be other mechanisms that can explain the fast falling-off X-ray light curve (e.g. the large-angle gamma-ray burst emission), the 400 s to 5 h slow decay (e.g. a structured outflow), or the steepening at 0.2–2 day (e.g. a jet-break, a collimated outflow transiting from a wind with a r−3 radial density profile to a homogeneous or outward-increasing density region). Optical observations in conjunction with the X-ray can distinguish among these various models. Our simple tests allow the determination of the location of the cooling frequency relative to the X-ray domain and, thus, of the index of the electron power-law distribution with energy in the blast-wave. The resulting indices are clearly inconsistent with a universal value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from the Swift satellite have enabled us for the first time to provide a complete picture of the gamma-ray (γ-ray) burst emission mechanism and its relationship with the early afterglow emissions. We show that γ-ray photons for two bursts, 050126 and 050219A, for which we have carried out detailed analysis were produced as a result of the synchrotron self-Compton process in the material ejected in the explosion when it was heated to a mildly relativistic temperature at a distance from the centre of explosion of order the deceleration radius. Both of these bursts exhibit rapidly declining early X-ray afterglow light curves; this emission is from the same source that produced the γ-ray burst. The technique that we exploit to determine this is very general and makes no assumption about any particular model for γ-ray generation except that the basic radiation mechanism is some combination of synchrotron and inverse Compton processes in a relativistic outflow. For GRB 050219A we can rule out the possibility that energy from the explosion is carried outward by magnetic fields, and that the dissipation of this field produced the γ-ray burst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Swift observations of the black hole X-ray transient, GRO J1655−40, during the recent outburst. With its multiwavelength capabilities and flexible scheduling, Swift is extremely well suited for monitoring the spectral evolution of such an event. GRO J1655−40 was observed on 20 occasions and data were obtained by all instruments for the majority of epochs. X-ray spectroscopy revealed spectral shapes consistent with the ‘canonical’ low/hard, high/soft and very high states at various epochs. The soft X-ray source (0.3–10 keV) rose from quiescence and entered the low/hard state, when an iron emission line was detected. The soft X-ray source then softened and decayed, before beginning a slow rebrightening and then spending ∼3 weeks in the very high state. The hard X-rays (14–150 keV) behaved similarly but their peaks preceded those of the soft X-rays by up to a few days; in addition, the average hard X-ray flux remained approximately constant during the slow soft X-ray rebrightening, increasing suddenly as the source entered the very high state. These observations indicate (and confirm previous suggestions) that the low/hard state is key to improving our understanding of the outburst trigger and mechanism. The optical/ultraviolet light curve behaved very differently from that of the X-rays; this might suggest that the soft X-ray light curve is actually a composite of the two known spectral components, one gradually increasing with the optical/ultraviolet emission (accretion disc) and the other following the behaviour of the hard X-rays (jet and/or corona). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of the analysis of γ-ray and X-ray data of GRB 050401 taken with the Swift satellite, together with a series of ground-based follow-up optical observations. The Swift X-ray light curve shows a clear break at about 4900 s after the γ-ray burst (GRB). The decay indices before and after the break are consistent with a scenario of continuous injection of radiation from the ‘central engine’ of the GRB to the fireball. Alternatively, this behaviour could result if ejecta are released with a range of Lorentz factors, with the slower shells catching up the faster at the afterglow shock position. The two scenarios are observationally indistinguishable. The GRB 050401 afterglow is quite bright in the X-ray band, but weak in the optical, with an optical to X-ray flux ratio similar to those of ‘dark bursts’. We detect a significant amount of absorption in the X-ray spectrum, with at a redshift of , which is typical of a dense circumburst medium. Such high column density implies an unrealistic optical extinction of 30 mag if we adopt a Galactic extinction law, which would not be consistent with the optical detection of the afterglow. This suggests that the extinction law is different from the Galactic one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GRB 050223 was discovered by the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer on 2005 February 23 and was the first gamma-ray burst (GRB) to be observed by both Swift and XMM–Newton. At the time of writing (2005 May), it has one of the faintest GRB afterglows ever observed. The spacecraft could not slew immediately to the burst, so the first X-ray and optical observations occurred approximately 45 min after the trigger. Although no optical emission was found by any instrument, both Swift and XMM–Newton detected the fading X-ray afterglow. Combined data from both of these observatories show the afterglow to be fading monotonically as over a time-frame between 45 min and 27 h post-burst. Spectral analysis, allowed largely by the higher throughput of XMM–Newton, implies a power law with a slope of and shows no evidence for absorption above the Galactic column of . From the X-ray decay and spectral slopes, a low electron power-law index of is derived; the slopes also imply that a jet-break has not occurred up to 27 h after the burst. The faintness of GRB 050223 may be due to a large jet opening or viewing angle or a high redshift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]