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We study the connection between the variations in the far-ultraviolet (FUV), near-ultraviolet (NUV), and X-ray band emission from NGC 4051 using 4 d long AstroSat observations performed during 5–9 June 2016. NGC 4051 showed rapid variability in all three bands with the strongest variability amplitude in the X-ray band (⁠|$F_{\mathrm{ var}} \sim 37~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠) and much weaker variability in the UV bands (⁠|$F_{\mathrm{ var}} \sim 3{\!-\!}5~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠). Cross-correlation analysis performed using interpolated cross-correlation functions and discrete cross-correlation functions revealed a robust correlation (∼0.75) between the UV and X-ray light curves. The variations in the X-ray band are found to lead those in the FUV and NUV bands by ∼7.4 ks and ∼24.2 ks, respectively. The UV lags favour the thermal disc reprocessing model. The FUV and NUV bands are strongly correlated (∼0.9) and the variations in the FUV band lead those in the NUV band by ∼13 ks. Comparison of the UV lags found using the AstroSat observations with those reported earlier and the theoretical model for thermal reverberation timelag suggests a possible change in either the geometry of the accretion disc/corona or the height of the corona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study accretion disc–corona connection in Seyfert 1 galaxies using simultaneous UV/X-ray observations of NGC 4593 (2016 July 14–18) and NGC 7469 (2017 October 15–19) performed with AstroSat. We use the X-ray (0.5–7.0 keV) data acquired with the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) and the UV (FUV: 130–180 nm, NUV: 200–300 nm) data obtained with the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT). We also use the contemporaneous Swift observations of NGC 4593 and demonstrate AstroSat 's capability for X-ray/UV correlation studies. We performed UV/X-ray cross-correlation analysis using the interpolated and the discrete cross-correlation functions and found similar results. In the case of NGC 4593, we found that the variations in the X-rays lead to those in the FUV and NUV bands by ∼38 ks and ∼44 ks, respectively. These UV lags favour the disc-reprocessing model; they are consistent with the previous results within uncertainties. In contrast, we found an opposite trend in NGC 7469 where the soft X-ray variations lag those in the FUV and NUV bands by ∼41 ks and ∼49 ks, respectively. The hard lags in NGC 7469 favour the thermal Comptonization model. Our results may provide direct observational evidence for the variable intrinsic UV emission from the accretion disk, which acts as the seed for thermal Comptonization in a hot corona in a lamp-post-like geometry. The non-detection of disk reverberation photons in NGC 7469, using AstroSat data, is most likely due to a high accretion rate resulting in a hot accretion disc and large intrinsic emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present optical photometric and spectroscopic observations, and an analysis of archival X-ray data of three polars: RX J0859.1+0537, RX J0749.1–0549, and RX J0649.8–0737. Optical light curves of these three polars reveal eclipse-like features that are deep, total, and variable in shape. The optical and X-ray modulations of RX J0859.1+0537, RX J0749.1–0549, and RX J0649.8–0737 are both found to occur at the orbital periods of 2.393 ± 0.003 h, 3.672 ± 0.001 h, and 4.347 ± 0.001 h, respectively. RX J0859.1+0537 is found to be a polar that lies in the region of the period gap, whereas RX J0749.1–0549 and RX J0649.8–0737 are found to be long-period polars above the period gap. The eclipse length is found to be 61 min for RX J0749.1–0549 in the R band, which is the highest among the long-period eclipsing polars. The radius of the eclipsed light source is found to be more than the actual size of the white dwarf for these three systems, indicating that the eclipsed component is not only the white dwarf but also appears to include the presence of an extended accretion region. Optical spectra of these systems show the presence of high-ionization emission lines along with the strong Balmer emission lines with an inverted Balmer decrement. Cyclotron harmonics are also detected in the optical spectra from which we infer magnetic field strength of the surface of the white dwarf to be 49 ± 2 MG, 43.5 ± 1.4 MG, and 44 ± 1 MG for RX J0859.1+0537, RX J0749.1–0549, and RX J0649.8–0737, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a multiwavelength temporal analysis of the blazar 3C 454.3 during the high γ -ray active period from May to December, 2014. Except for X-rays, the period is well sampled at near-infrared (NIR)-optical by the Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System (SMARTS) facility, and the source is detected continuously on daily time-scale in the Fermi-Large Area Telescope γ -ray band. The source exhibits diverse levels of variability with many flaring/active states in the continuously sampled γ -ray light curve which are also reflected in the NIR-optical light curves and the sparsely sampled X-ray light curve by the Swift-XRT. Multiband correlation analysis of this continuous segment during different activity periods shows a change of state from no lags between IR and γ -ray, optical and γ -ray, and IR and optical to a state where γ -ray lags the IR/optical by ~3 d. The results are consistent with the previous studies of the same during various γ -ray flaring and active episodes of the source. This consistency, in turn, suggests an extended localized emission region with almost similar conditions during various γ -ray activity states. On the other hand, the delay of γ -ray with respect to IR/optical and a trend similar to IR/optical in X-rays along with strong broadband correlations favour magnetic field related origin with X-ray and γ -ray being inverse Comptonization of IR/optical photons and external radiation field, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed study of a close pair of clusters of galaxies, A3532 and A3530, and their environments. The Chandra X-ray image of A3532 reveals the presence of substructures on scales of ~20" in its core. XMM-Newton maps of the clusters show excess X-ray emission from an overlapping region between them. Spectrally determined projected temperature and entropy maps do not show any signs of cluster scale mergers either in the overlapping region or in any of the clusters. In A3532, however, some signs of the presence of galaxy scale mergers are visible, e.g., anisotropic temperature variations in the projected thermodynamic maps, a wide-angle-tailed (WAT) radio source in the brighter nucleus of its dumbbell brightest cluster galaxy, and a candidate X-ray cavity coincident with the northwestern extension of theWAT source in the low-frequency radio observations. The northwestern extension in A3532 seems either a part of theWAT or an unrelated diffuse source in A3532 or in the background. There is an indication that the cool core in A3532 has been disrupted by the central activity of the galactic nucleus. A reanalysis of the redshift data reinforces the close proximity of the clusters. The excess emission in the overlapping region appears to be a result of tidal interactions as the two clusters approach each other for the first time. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of the excess being due to the chance superposition of their X-ray halos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from observations made with XMM–Newton, we present an X-ray analysis of two Wolf–Rayet (WR) binaries: V444 Cyg and CD Cru. The X-ray light curves show the phase-locked variability in both binaries, where the flux increased by a factor of ∼2 for V444 Cyg and ∼1.5 for CD Cru, from minimum to maximum. The maximum luminosities in the 0.3–7.5 keV energy band were found to be and for V444 Cyg and CD Cru, respectively. The X-ray spectra of these stars confirmed large extinction and revealed hot plasma with prominent emission-line features of highly ionized Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ca and Fe; these are found to be consistent with a two-temperature plasma model. At a temperature of ∼0.6 keV, the cooler plasma was found to be constant at all phases for both binaries, which could be the result of a distribution of small-scale shocks in radiation-driven outflows. The hot components in these binaries were found to be phase-dependent. They varied from 1.85 to 9.61 keV for V444 Cyg and from 1.63 to 4.27 keV for CD Cru. The absorption of the hard component varied with the orbital phase and was found to be maximum during the primary eclipse of V444 Cyg. The high plasma temperature and variability with orbital phase suggest that the hard-component emission is caused by a colliding wind shock between the binary components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray emission from the bright radio source 3C 84, associated with the Perseus cluster, is ascribed to the radio galaxy NGC 1275 residing at the centre of the cluster. Study of the correlated X-ray/gamma-ray emission from this active galaxy, and investigation of the possible disk-jet connection, are hampered because the X-ray emission, particularly in the soft X-ray band (2–10 keV), is overwhelmed by the cluster emission. Here we present a method to spectrally decouple the cluster and active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission in imaging X-ray detectors. We use three sets of simultaneous Niel Gehrels Swift XRT and NuStar data. These observations were made during the period 2015 November to 2017 February, when a huge increase in the gamma-ray emission was observed. We find that the gamma-ray emission shows a very high degree of variability (40%–50%) on time scales of 1–10 days, whereas the hard X-ray emission, associated with the AGN, shows a low variability (∼15%–30%), on various time scales in the range of 0.01–60 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from hard X-ray observations with RXTE of 5 Polar systems--V2301 Oph, V1432 Aql, EP Dra, GG Leo and V834 Cen, and an Intermediate Polar TV Col are presented. An improved ephemeris for V2301 Oph using mid-eclipse timings has been derived. V1432 Aql shows structured lightcurve containing several prominent peaks and dips. A likely eclipse of X-ray source in EP Dra is observed for the first time. The X-ray emission in EP Dra and GG Leo is found to be consistent with a single pole accretion. V834 Cen was observed to be bright during 1996-1998, but was ≥16 times fainter during 2002 observations. The power spectrum of TV Col shows a significant power at frequencies corresponding to the spin period (1910s) and the binary period (5.5hr) and their side-bands, thereby suggesting that both the stream-fed and disk-fed accretion components are present in TV Col. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Soft X-ray focusing Telescope (SXT) with an X-ray sensitive CCD camera at the focal plane is being developed for the ASTROSAT. Made from conical foil mirrors with a CCD detector in the focal plane, SXT will have a reflecting area of ∼200 cm² below 1.5 keV, angular resolution of ∼3' - 4'(FWHM) at 1.5 keV, energy bandwidth of 0.3 - 8 keV and energy resolution of about 150 eV. A brief description of the SXT design and development, and science expected from it after its launch is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]