Hard X-ray emission from Starburst Galaxies with the NuSTAR Mission

ORAL

Abstract

Launched in mid-2012, NuSTAR is the first focusing hard X-ray (E\textgreater 10 keV) astronomical observatory. Hard X-ray emission from star-forming galaxies arises from a population of neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes, however few starburst galaxies have been detected above 10 keV. Here we present an overview of a program to survey six normal/starburst galaxies at hard X-ray energies. As of early 2013, only the NuSTAR-Chandra-VLBA multiwavelength campaign on NGC 253 has been performed, consisting of three observational periods. The monitoring was designed to (1) sensitively isolate the locations of X-ray binaries, (2) determine the nature of the accreting compact objects via their 0.5-30 keV spectral properties, and (3) identify interesting flaring X-ray/radio sources as they make spectral state transitions due to variability in their accretion. We will also discuss upcoming observations of the rest of the sample.

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Authors

  • Ann Hornschemeier

    NASA GSFC

  • Megan Argo

    ASTRON

  • Keith Bechtol

    KICP, University of Chicago

  • Steve Boggs

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Finn Christensen

    DTU Space

  • William Craig

    University of California, Berkeley

  • Charles Hailey

    Columbia University

  • Fiona Harrison

    Cal Inst of Tech (Caltech), California Institute of Technology

  • Bret Lehmer

    Johns Hopkins University

  • J.-C. Leyder

    NASA GSFC/USRA

  • Thomas Maccarone

    Texas Tech University

  • Andrew Ptak

    NASA GSFC

  • Daniel Stern

    NASA JPL

  • Tonia Venters

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, NASA GSFC

  • Daniel Wik

    NASA GSFC

  • Andreas Zezas

    Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

  • William Zhang

    NASA GSFC