The Basics of X-Ray Timing.pptVIP

The Basics of X-Ray Timing GianLuca Israel - gianluca@mporzio.astro.it (INAF – OA Roma)? with thanks to Z. Arzoumanian, C. Markwardt, T. Strohmayer (lectures from previous X-ray school editions) What can Timing Tell Us? (or, why should I be interested?)? Timing = characteristic timescales = PHYSICS Timing measurements can be extremely precise!! Typical Sources of X-Ray Variability - Isolated pulsars (ms–10 s) - X-ray binary systems Accreting pulsars (ms–10000 s) Eclipses (10s min–days) Accretion disks (~ms–years) Transients orbital periods (days-months) - Flaring stars X-ray bursters - Cataclysmic Variables (s-days) - Magnetars (ms-s) - Pulsating (non-radial) WDs (min-days) There could be variable serendipitous sources in the field, especially in Chandra and XMM observations Example: Accreting Pulsar, orbit, tiME delays Example: QPOs from NS Binaries Example: Magnetar sub-ms QPOs Tips Pulsar (coherent pulsation) searches are most sensitive when no rebinning is done (ie., you want the maximum frequency resolution), and when the original sampling time is used (i.e. optimizing the signal power response). Always search in all serendipitous sources (Nph300) QPO searches need to be done with multiple rebinning scales. In general, you are most sensitive to a signal when your frequency resolution matches (approximately) the frequency width of the signal. CCF: it is worth using it to study the relation among different energies Cross-check with spectral information Beware of signals/effects introduced by - instrument, e.g., CCD read time - Pile-up (wash-out the signal) (check/add keyword TIMEDEL) - Orbital binary motion ( “ ) - Dead time - The use of uncorrect GTIs - Orbit of spacecraft (for single and merged simult. - Telescope motion (wobble,etc.) light curves) - Data gaps Estimating Variability for Proposals Step 3. Broadband feature(s) found? Plot PDS Use ?2 hypothesis testing to derive significance of features Rebin