biology and biotechnology

BINARY X-RAY PULSARS

The MAXI team reported more than 20 outbursts. MAXI detected an outburst of GX 304−1 for
the first time in the last 30 years and another outburst 10 times bigger in 2010. The latter
outburst was quickly followed by a coordinated Suzaku satellite observation, which detected a
cyclotron resonance absorption line indicating the strongest magnetic field ever observed. The
Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Satellite has also been conducting coordinated observations following
the MAXI alerts. For example, Swift/XRT discovered X-ray pulsations in MAXI J1409− 619
(Kennea 2010).

STELLAR FLARE
The first unbiased survey of X-ray flares in stars and young stellar objects (YSO) is ongoing.
MAXI detected 23 flares from 12 stars in the first 2 years, proving that large X-ray flaring is
possible and providing a unified picture for star flaring.

ACTIVE GALACTICE NUCLEUS (AGN) AND THE TIDAL DISRUPTION OF A STAR BY A MASSIVE BLACK HOLE
MAXI monitored 3 X-ray flares from the blazer (a class of AGN) Markarian 421, and provided a
new insight on the origin of giant flares. MAXI and Swift also observed the instant that a
massive black hole swallowed a star for the first time in the world.

MAXI CATALOG
The MAXI team released a GSC source catalog for high Galactic-latitude sky sources, which
shows the member list of AGN in the X-ray sky drastically changed in the last 30 years (due to
time variability). The catalog was used to make a reliable luminosity function of AGN in our local
universe.

HYPERNOVA REMNANT
The MAXI Solid-state Slit Camera (MAX-SSC) revealed the existence of a hypernova remnant,
estimated to be 3 million years old and is believed to be the first in our galaxy.

Hypernov Remnant

The size of the hypernova remnant discovered by Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) looks 20 times bigger than the

full moon when viewed from the Earth. The right panel shows the all-sky X-ray image constructed from the 2.5 year

data of the MAXI X-ray CCD Camera (or Solid-state Slit Camera, SSC). SSC is sensitive to “soft” X-rays, which is

invisible to the other MAXI camera, GSC. Several extended regions are seen in the SSC image (right panel), but not in

the GSC image, above. One of the extended regions (enclosed in the rectangle) is the newly discovered hypernova.

JAXA image.

Full Moon

Mt. Fuji

When viewed from the Earth