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

Abstract

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 approximately 1600 yr. This allows us to constrain the jet power to be between 3e35 erg/s and 2e37 erg/s, 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.

5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters

References in corpus (7)

• Innovations in the Analysis of Chandra-ACIS Observations
• Detection of the radial velocity curve of the B5-A0 supergiant companion star of Cir X-1?
• The large-scale jet-powered radio nebula of Circinus X-1
• Evidence for a parsec scale X-ray jet from the accreting neutron star Circinus X-1
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• The Variable Warm Absorber in Circinus X-1
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