Parsec-scale Bipolar X-ray Shocks Produced by Powerful Jets from the Neutron Star Circinus X-1

• Published in: Astrophysical journal. Letters 2010-08, Vol.719 (2), p.L194-L198
• Main Authors: Sell, P. H, Heinz, S, Calvelo, D. E, Tudose, V, Soleri, P, Fender, R. P, Jonker, P. G, Schulz, N. S, Brandt, W. N, Nowak, M. A, Wijnands, R, van der Klis, M, Casella, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; COSMIC RADIO SOURCES; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; EMISSION; GALAXIES; IONIZING RADIATIONS; MORPHOLOGY; NEUTRON STARS; RADIATIONS; RADIO GALAXIES; RESOLUTION; SPECTRA; STARS; X RADIATION
• ISSN: 2041-8205; 2041-8213
• DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/719/2/L194

We report the discovery of multi-scale X-ray jets from the accreting neutron star X-ray binary, Circinus X-1. The bipolar outflows show wide opening angles and are spatially coincident with the radio jets seen in new high-resolution radio images of the region. The morphology of the emission regions suggests that the jets from Circinus X-1 are running into a terminal shock with the interstellar medium, as is seen in powerful radio galaxies. This and other observations indicate that the jets have a wide opening angle, suggesting that the jets are either not very well collimated or precessing. We interpret the spectra from the shocks as cooled synchrotron emission and derive a cooling age of {approx}1600 yr. This allows us to constrain the jet power to be 3 x 10{sup 35} erg s{sup -1} {approx}< P{sub jet} {approx}< 2 x 10{sup 37} erg s{sup -1}, making this one of a few microquasars with a direct measurement of its jet power and the only known microquasar that exhibits stationary large-scale X-ray emission.