Birth of a relativistic outflow in the unusual γ-ray transient Swift J164449.3+573451.

Active galactic nuclei, which are powered by long-term accretion onto central supermassive black holes, produce relativistic jets with lifetimes of at least one million years, and the observation of the birth of such a jet is therefore unlikely. Transient accretion onto a supermassive black hole, for example through the tidal disruption of a stray star, thus offers a rare opportunity to study the birth of a relativistic jet. On 25 March 2011, an unusual transient source (Swift J164449.3+573451) was found, potentially representing such an accretion event. Here we report observations spanning centimetre to millimetre wavelengths and covering the first month of evolution of a luminous radio transient associated with Swift J164449.3+573451. The radio transient coincides with the nucleus of an inactive galaxy. We conclude that we are seeing a newly formed relativistic outflow, launched by transient accretion onto a million-solar-mass black hole. A relativistic outflow is not predicted in this situation, but we show that the tidal disruption of a star naturally explains the observed high-energy properties and radio luminosity and the inferred rate of such events. The weaker beaming in the radio-frequency spectrum relative to γ-rays or X-rays suggests that radio searches may uncover similar events out to redshifts of z ≈ 6.

Extreme particle acceleration in the microquasar Cygnus X-3.

Super-massive black holes in active galaxies can accelerate particles to relativistic energies, producing jets with associated gamma-ray emission. Galactic 'microquasars', which are binary systems consisting of a neutron star or stellar-mass black hole accreting gas from a companion star, also produce relativistic jets, generally together with radio flares. Apart from an isolated event detected in Cygnus X-1, there has hitherto been no systematic evidence for the acceleration of particles to gigaelectronvolt or higher energies in a microquasar, with the consequence that we are as yet unsure about the mechanism of jet energization. Here we report four gamma-ray flares with energies above 100 MeV from the microquasar Cygnus X-3 (an exceptional X-ray binary that sporadically produces radio jets). There is a clear pattern of temporal correlations between the gamma-ray flares and transitional spectral states of the radio-frequency and X-ray emission. Particle acceleration occurred a few days before radio-jet ejections for two of the four flares, meaning that the process of jet formation implies the production of very energetic particles. In Cygnus X-3, particle energies during the flares can be thousands of times higher than during quiescent states.

Relativistic ejecta from X-ray flash XRF 060218 and the rate of cosmic explosions.

Over the past decade, long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)--including the subclass of X-ray flashes (XRFs)--have been revealed to be a rare variety of type Ibc supernova. Although all these events result from the death of massive stars, the electromagnetic luminosities of GRBs and XRFs exceed those of ordinary type Ibc supernovae by many orders of magnitude. The essential physical process that causes a dying star to produce a GRB or XRF, and not just a supernova, is still unknown. Here we report radio and X-ray observations of XRF 060218 (associated with supernova SN 2006aj), the second-nearest GRB identified until now. We show that this event is a hundred times less energetic but ten times more common than cosmological GRBs. Moreover, it is distinguished from ordinary type Ibc supernovae by the presence of 10(48) erg coupled to mildly relativistic ejecta, along with a central engine (an accretion-fed, rapidly rotating compact source) that produces X-rays for weeks after the explosion. This suggests that the production of relativistic ejecta is the key physical distinction between GRBs or XRFs and ordinary supernovae, while the nature of the central engine (black hole or magnetar) may distinguish typical bursts from low-luminosity, spherical events like XRF 060218.

A common origin for cosmic explosions inferred from calorimetry of GRB030329.

Past studies have suggested that long-duration gamma-ray bursts have a 'standard' energy of E(gamma) approximately 10(51) erg in the ultra-relativistic ejecta, after correcting for asymmetries in the explosion ('jets'). But a group of sub-energetic bursts, including the peculiar GRB980425 associated with the supernova SN1998bw (E(gamma) approximately 10(48) erg), has recently been identified. Here we report radio observations of GRB030329 that allow us to undertake calorimetry of the explosion. Our data require a two-component explosion: a narrow (5 degrees opening angle) ultra-relativistic component responsible for the gamma-rays and early afterglow, and a wide, mildly relativistic component that produces the radio and optical afterglow more than 1.5 days after the explosion. The total energy release, which is dominated by the wide component, is similar to that of other gamma-ray bursts, but the contribution of the gamma-rays is energetically minor. Given the firm link of GRB030329 with SN2003dh, our result indicates a common origin for cosmic explosions in which, for reasons not yet understood, the energy in the highest-velocity ejecta is extremely variable.

Changes in the concentration of cortisol in amniotic fluid after intra-amniotic prostaglandin for midtrimester abortion.

The effects of intra-amniotic prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and PGF2alpha on the concentration of cortisol in amniotic fluid and in maternal peripheral plasma of patients undergoing abortion between 16 and 23 weeks gestation have been examined. There was a significant (P less than 0-01) increase in the concentration of cortisol in amniotic fluid for hours after PGE2, but not after PGF2alpha. The concentration of cortisol in the maternal peripheral plasma increased in both groups with the progression of abortion, but the levels were not significantly correlated with those in amniotic fluid. These results suggest that by mid-pregnancy fetal cortisol production can be stimulated by PGE2 but the mechanism of this action remains to be elucidated.

PIP: The effects of intraamniotic prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and PGF2alpha on the concentrations of cortisol in amniotic fluid and in maternal peripheral plasma of patients undergoing abortion between weeks 16-23 have been examined. There was a significant (P0.01) increase in cortisol concentration in amniotic fluid 4 hours after PGE2, but not after PGF2alpha. The concentration of cortisol in maternal peripheral plasma increased in both groups with the progression of abortion, but levels were not significantly correlated with those in amniotic fluid. These results suggest that by midpregnancy, fetal cortisol production can be stimulated by PGE2 but the mechanism of this action remains to be elucidated.

Discovery of Circularly Polarized Radio Emission from SS 433.

We report the discovery of circularly polarized radio emission from the radio-jet X-ray binary SS 433 with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The flux density spectrum of the circular polarization, clearly detected at four frequencies between 1 and 9 GHz, is of the form V~nu-0.9+/-0.1. Multiple components in the source and a lack of very high spatial resolution do not allow a unique determination of the origin of the circular polarization or of the spectrum of fractional polarization. However, we argue that the emission is likely to arise in the inner regions of the binary, possibly via propagation-induced conversion of linear to circular polarization, and the fractional circular polarization of these regions may be as high as 10%. Observations such as these have the potential to help us investigate the composition, whether pairs or baryonic, of the ejecta from X-ray binaries.