The Be X-ray pulsar (BeXRP) SXP 59 underwent a giant outburst in 2017 with a peak X-ray luminosity of 1.1 × 1038 erg s−1. We report on the X-ray behaviour of SXP 59 with the XMM–Newton and NuSTAR observations collected at the outburst peak, decay, and the low luminosity states. The pulse profiles are energy dependent, the pulse fraction increases with the photon energy and saturates at 65 per cent above 10 keV. It is difficult to constrain the change in the geometry of emitting region with the limited data. Nevertheless, because the pulse shape generally has a double-peaked profile at high luminosity and a single peak profile at low luminosity, we prefer the scenario that the source transited from the super-critical state to the sub-critical regime. This result would further imply that the neutron star (NS) in SXP 59 has a typical magnetic field. We confirm that the soft excess revealed below 2 keV is dominated by a cool thermal component. On the other hand, the NuSTAR spectra can be described as a combination of the non-thermal component from the accretion column, a hot blackbody emission, and an iron emission line. The temperature of the hot thermal component decreases with time, while its size remains constant (R ∼ 0.6 km). The existence of the hot blackbody at high luminosity cannot be explained with the present accretion theories for BeXRPs. It means that either more sophisticated spectral models are required to describe the X-ray spectra of luminous BeXRPs, or there is non-dipole magnetic field close to the NS surface.

3XMM J031820.8-663034, first detected byROSATin NGC 1313, is one of a few known transient ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). In this paper, we present decades of X-ray data of this source fromROSAT,XMM-Newton,Chandra, and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. We find that its X-ray emission experienced four outbursts since 1992, with a typical recurrent time ∼1800 days, an outburst duration ∼240–300 days, and a nearly constant peak X-ray luminosity ∼1.5 × 10³⁹erg s⁻¹. The upper limit of X-ray luminosity at the quiescent state is ∼5.6 × 10³⁶erg s⁻¹, and the total energy radiated during one outburst is ∼10⁴⁶erg. The spectra at the high luminosity states can be described with an absorbed disk blackbody, and the disk temperature increases with the X-ray luminosity. We compare its outburst properties with other known transient ULXs including ESO 243-49 HLX-1. As its peak luminosity only marginally puts it in the category of ULXs, we also compare it with normal transient black hole binaries. Our results suggest that the source is powered by an accreting massive stellar-mass black hole, and the outbursts are triggered by the thermal-viscous instability.

The Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy (LEIA) is the pathfinder of the wide-field X-ray telescope used in the Einstein Probe mission. In this study, we present an image of the Virgo Cluster taken by LEIA in the 0.5–4.5 keV band with an exposure time of ∼17.3 ks in the central region. This extended emission is generally consistent with the results obtained by ROSAT. However, the field is affected by bright point sources due to the instrument’s Point Spread Function (PSF) effect. Through fitting of the LEIA spectrum of the Virgo Cluster, we obtained a temperature of $2.1_{-0.1}^{+0.3}$ keV, which is consistent with the XMM-Newton results (∼2.3 keV). Above 1.6 keV, the spectrum is dominated by the X-ray background. In summary, this study validates LEIA’s extended source imaging and spectral resolution capabilities for the first time.

We study the structural and dynamical properties of A209 based on Chandra and XMM-Newton observations. We obtain detailed temperature, pressure, and entropy maps with the contour binning method, and find a hot region in the NW direction. The X-ray brightness residual map and corresponding temperature profiles reveal a possible shock front in the NW direction and a cold front feature in the SE direction. Combined with the galaxy luminosity density map we propose a weak merger scenario. A young sub-cluster passing from the SE to NW direction could explain the optical subpeak, the intracluster medium temperature map, the X-ray surface brightness excess, and the X-ray peak offset together.

We present deep X-ray observations of the nearby X-ray-luminous galaxy cluster Abell 1795 obtained with the Einstein Probe Follow-up X-ray Telescope ( EP-FXT ), with a total exposure time of ∼480 ks. Exploiting the large field of view and low particle background of EP-FXT , we directly measured the radial temperature profile of A1795 out to R ₂₀₀ with full azimuthal coverage, which was shown to increase in line with the radius within 6′ and then gradually decline toward larger radii. The surface-brightness residual map and 2D thermodynamic maps reveal a clockwise spiral structure extending from the cluster core towards the south-east, which traces low-temperature and low-entropy gas, which is also consistent with sloshing-induced cold fronts. In the north-west, the surface-brightness-enhanced region exhibits an arc-like high-temperature feature and both the temperature-derived and density-derived Mach numbers support the assumption that it is a weak shock. These substructures can be explained by a binary merger scenario: the perturbing subcluster induces sloshing during its first passage past the primary core and its subsequent return passage through the ICM might drive the shock towards the north-west. Our results indicate that relaxed galaxy clusters such as A1795 might still retain signatures of dynamical activity.

The Be X-ray pulsar (BeXRP) SXP 59 underwent a giant outburst in 2017 with a peak X-ray luminosity of $1.1\times10^{38}$ erg~s$^{-1}$. We report on the X-ray behaviour of SXP 59 with the XMM--Newton and NuSTAR observations collected at the outburst peak, decay, and the low luminosity states. The pulse profiles are energy dependent, the pulse fraction increases with the photon energy and saturates at $\sim$ 65% above 10 keV. It is difficult to constrain the change in the geometry of emitting region with the limited data. Nevertheless, because the pulse shape generally has a double-peaked profile at high luminosity and a single peak profile at low luminosity, we prefer the scenario that the source transited from the super-critical state to the sub-critical regime. This result would further imply that the neutron star (NS) in SXP 59 has a typical magnetic field. We confirm that the soft excess revealed below 2 keV is dominated by a cool thermal component. On the other hand, the NuSTAR spectra can be described as a combination of the non-thermal component from the accretion column, a hot blackbody emission, and an iron emission line. The temperature of the hot thermal component decreases with time, while its size remains constant ($R \sim 0.6$ km). The existence of the hot blackbody at high luminosity cannot be explained with the present accretion theories for BeXRPs. It means that either more sophisticated spectral models are required to describe the X-ray spectra of luminous BeXRPs, or there is non-dipole magnetic field close to the NS surface.