No description available.

No description available.

Le domaine temporel est celui le moins exploré en astronomie [4]. À ce jour, les objets astronomiques connus variant avec les périodes les plus courtes sont les pulsars qui varient avec des périodes de quelques millisecondes. C'est pourquoi, une technique basée sur la théorie de Fourier est proposée pour détecter des objets qui varient avec des périodes extrêmement courtes (10* s et moins). Remarquez qu'il existe des indications que ces objets pourraient exister [10]. La distribution spectrale d'une source lumineuse variant avec une période très brève est donnée par la transformée de Fourier de la variation temporelle. Il en résulte que la distribution spectrale est modulée par une variation périodique fréquentielle. Durant la dernière décennie, des relevés {surveys) spectroscopiques ont été faits par le SDSS. La banque de données spectrales du SDSS-IIDR7 contient environ 2.5 millions de spectres, dont 700 000 étoiles, 1.4 million de galaxies et 200 000 quasars (et près de 100 000 spectres du ciel), lesquels sont accessibles au public. Pour analyser ces spectres, des techniques utilisant les transformées de Fourier et un logiciel de détection {Matlab) ont été développés. Comme le logiciel peut faire des fausses identifications, l'inspection visuelle des spectres extraits est requise. Les résultats obtenus (voir chapitre 4) montrent que pour certaines étoiles ordinaires, des modulations spectrales statistiquement significatives ont été découvertes. Pour les étoiles et les galaxies, les distributions statistiques obtenues sont compatibles avec celle de Rayleigh, mais pour les 23 quasars sortis les statistiques de petits nombres semblent biaiser cette compatibilité. Finalement, bien que la justification originale pour cette recherche consiste à découvrir des pulsateurs ultra-rapides, il n'en demeure pas moins qu'on peut également découvri

The launch of the Large Area Telescope (LAT), on board the Fermi spacecraft, has led to an astounding increase in the number of known y-ray pulsars. This wealth of new data has generated renewed interest in the field of pulsar astrophysics, with many of the established geometric models for y-ray emission coming under fresh scrutiny. In this work the outer gap (OG) and two-pole caustic (TPC) geometric -ray models are employed alongside a simple empirical radio model to obtain best-fit light curves by eye for six single-peak Fermi LAT pulsars first reported by Weltevrede et al. (2010). These best-fit solutions aim to reproduce both the shapes of the radio and y-ray light curves, and the radio-to- phase lag. A parameter study of the geometric models is also conducted, and the increased qualitative understanding of these models thus gained is then employed to obtain the best fits possible. The combination of radio and -ray models is found to be remarkably powerful in constraining the values of the geometric parameters of the individual pulsars: the inclination and observer angles. Generally the constraints implied by the radio model act perpendicularly to those implied by the y-ray models, thus yielding smaller solution contours. The constraints on the geometric parameters obtained for the six Fermi LAT pulsars in question agree quite well with those obtained by Weltevrede et al. (2010). This agreement is remarkable considering that the approach employed in this study is independent from the one employed by Weltevrede et al. (2010). The errors obtained in this study on the values of the inclination angle for each pulsar are generally smaller than those obtained by Weltevrede et al. (2010). As a secondary result, the value of the flux correction factor, which is a measure of how well the observed y-ray energy flux of the pulsar correlates with the overall y-ray energy flux, is constrained for each pulsar. / MSc (Space Physics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The launch of the Large Area Telescope (LAT), on board the Fermi spacecraft, has led to an astounding increase in the number of known y-ray pulsars. This wealth of new data has generated renewed interest in the field of pulsar astrophysics, with many of the established geometric models for y-ray emission coming under fresh scrutiny. In this work the outer gap (OG) and two-pole caustic (TPC) geometric -ray models are employed alongside a simple empirical radio model to obtain best-fit light curves by eye for six single-peak Fermi LAT pulsars first reported by Weltevrede et al. (2010). These best-fit solutions aim to reproduce both the shapes of the radio and y-ray light curves, and the radio-to- phase lag. A parameter study of the geometric models is also conducted, and the increased qualitative understanding of these models thus gained is then employed to obtain the best fits possible. The combination of radio and -ray models is found to be remarkably powerful in constraining the values of the geometric parameters of the individual pulsars: the inclination and observer angles. Generally the constraints implied by the radio model act perpendicularly to those implied by the y-ray models, thus yielding smaller solution contours. The constraints on the geometric parameters obtained for the six Fermi LAT pulsars in question agree quite well with those obtained by Weltevrede et al. (2010). This agreement is remarkable considering that the approach employed in this study is independent from the one employed by Weltevrede et al. (2010). The errors obtained in this study on the values of the inclination angle for each pulsar are generally smaller than those obtained by Weltevrede et al. (2010). As a secondary result, the value of the flux correction factor, which is a measure of how well the observed y-ray energy flux of the pulsar correlates with the overall y-ray energy flux, is constrained for each pulsar. / MSc (Space Physics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In this thesis the Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are studied, the brightest explosions in the universe. GRBs have been observed since year 1967, but there are several unsolved problems. In the first chapter there is an introduction to the issue of GRBs, and the history of observations are briefly described. The Fermi satellite, the latest satellite devoted to gamma-ray burst observations is described in chapter two. Characteristics of the Fermi instruments are also described. The observed data of GRBs are characterized in the third chapter. The distribution of GRB durations, distances, and spectral hardnesses are described. The characteristics of long and short GRBs (distance, isotropy of distribution, metalicity dependence, isotropic energy) are described. A chance of the appearance of a GRB in the Milky Way is discussed. New Fermi observations are described too. Fourth chapter is about models of GRBs. The fireball and canonball models are described. Fifth chapter is focused on the exposure function of CGRO-BATSE, Fermi-GBM, Swift. I have created the exposure function for GBM on Fermi satellite. It is quite difficult, and I have assumed some simplified hypotheses. Information of the satellite's position, position of detectors on the Fermi satellite, have been found on the Fermi web pages and in the article...

No description available.

Cette HDR est dédiée à l'études des binaires X et de leurs propriétés. Je me penche plus particulièrement sur l'étude d'une famille de systèmes récemment mise en avant par le satellite INTEGRAL et constitués d'une étoile à neutrons et d'une supergéante, où l'accrétion est "directe", et aborde ensuite mes travaux sur les microquasars. Dans ces derniers le système est composé d'un trou noir et d'une étoile de faible masse ; l'accrétion s'y fait via un disque. Dans ce document je présente tout d'abord les aspects purement astronomiques (astrométrie, caractérisation des sources) et progresse vers l'analyse physique de leurs émissions (spectrométrie, photométrie) après avoir discuté des résultats obtenus par une approche purement phénoménologique de ces populations de sources. Lors de l'approche physique je montre tout d'abord comment les rayons X peuvent permettre une radiographie du système, et les conclusions qu'il est possible d'obtenir sur l'environnement local du système : vent stellaire, cocon absorbant, interaction vent stellaire/émission X. Dans le cadre des microquasars les analyses systématiques de ces objets m'ont permis de contraindre certains liens entre phénomènes d'accrétion et d'éjection. Je présente ainsi les conclusions qu'il est possible de tirer des bases de données multi-longueurs d'onde. Je décris alors trois modèles théoriques concurrents et les confronte avec les résultats observationnels.

In this thesis, X-ray and optical observations of accretion powered pulsars are presented. By using archival RXTE observations we work on the X-ray spectral and pulse timing analysis of 4U 1538-52, 4U 1907+09, SMC X-1 to have more detailed information about their orbital and spin parameters. For 4U 1538-52 and SMC X-1, we determined new orbital epochs. By using long term pulse history of 4U 1907+09, we were able to work spin-down trend of the system and also calculate the change in the spin-down rate. Using Fermi/GBM observations we can monitor bright accreting pulsar systems. We are producing long term histories of pulse frequency and flux of 20 continuosly monitoring systems. Adding Swift/BAT observations to GBM observations, for 4U 1626-67, we did reveal the characteristics belong to spin-down trend before and spin-up behaviour after torque reversal seen in 2008 February. Two newly discovered IGRJ06074+2205 and IGRJ01583+6713 sources are identified as X-ray binary systems and we found parameters of them like distance, magnitudes, by using both optical photometric and spectroscopic observations.

It has been noted by several authors that General Relativistic frame dragging in rotating neutron stars is a first order effect which has to be included in a self-consistent model of pulsar magnetospheric structure and associated radiation and transport processes. To this end, I undertook the present study with the aim of investigating the effect of General Relativity (GR) on millisecond pulsar (MSP) visibility. I developed a numerical code for simulating a pulsar magnetosphere, incorporating the GR-corrected expressions for the electric potential and field. I included curvature radiation (CR) due to primary electrons accelerated above the stellar surface, as well as inverse Compton scattering (ICS) of thermal X-ray photons by these electrons. I then applied the model to PSR J0437-4715, a prime candidate for testing the GR-Electrodynamic theory, and examined its visibility for the H.E.S.S. telescope. I also considered the question of whether magnetic photon absorption would take place for this particular pulsar. In addition, I developed a classical model for comparison with the GR results. I found that the typical electron energies and associated CR photon energies are functions of position above the polar cap (PC). These energies are also quite smaller in the GR case than in the classical case due to the different functional forms of the GR and classical electric fields. I found the CR energy cut-off to be ~ 4 GeV compared to the well-known classical value of ~ 100 GeV. Since the H.E.S.S. energy threshold is ~ 100 GeV, it seems as though the CR component will not be visible, contrary to wide-held opinion. However, the ICS component seems to be well in excess of the H.E.S.S. energy threshold and is expected to be visible. I also found that no pair production will take place for PSR J0437-4715. Hopefully, forthcoming H.E.S.S. observations will provide validation of these results. KEY WORDS: General relativistic frame dragging, GR electrodynamics, millisecond pulsar visibility, non-thermal radiation processes, pair production, H.E.S.S., individual pulsars: PSR J0437-4715. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Physics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.