Broadband X-ray data of five magnetars show that their hard X-ray pulses suffer periodic phase modulations, at a period ∼ 104 times their pulse period. The phenomenon is interpreted as a result of free precession of neutron stars that are prolately deformed to an asphericity of ∼ 10−4, by the magnetic stress of toroidal fields reaching ∼ 1016 G. The behavior is absent in their soft X-ray pulses, probably due to a higher emission symmetry. The ultra-high toroidal fields, considered common to magnetars, may persist longer than their dipole fields.

We report on the detection of long-term X-ray periodicity from the Be/X-ray binary pulsar X Persei. Based on over 23 years of X-ray data observed using RXTE/ASM, Swift/BAT and MAXI/GSC, we confirmed that X Persei exhibits quasi-periodic X-ray flares with a period of ∼7 years. The recurrence timescale corresponds to approximately 10 times its binary orbital period of 250 days. Spectral and hardness ratio changes were not detected along with long-term periodic activity. If we interpret the observed 7 year periodicity of X-ray band flux as a superorbital modulation, then this would be the first observation among the Be/X-ray binaries.

This paper describes some of the space science programs currently underway and planned in Japan.

This paper summarises Ginga X-ray observations of SN 1987 A.

We present the results of six Suzaku observations of the recurrent black hole transient 4U 1630–472 during its decline from its most recent outburst in 2006. All observations show the typical high/soft state spectral shape in the 2–50 keV band, roughly described by an optically thick disk spectrum in the soft energy band plus a weak power-law tail.

The disk temperature decreases from 1.4 keV to 1.2 keV as the flux decreases by a factor 2, consistent with a constant radius as expected for disk-dominated spectra. All the observations reveal significant absorption lines from highly ionized (H-like and He-like) iron Kα at 7.0 keV and 6.7 keV.

The energies of these absorption lines suggest a blue shift with an outflow velocity of ∼1000 km s−1. The H–like iron Kα equivalent width remains approximately constant at ∼30 eV over all the observations, while that of the He–like Kα line increases from 7 eV to 20 eV. Thus the ionization state of the material decreases, as expected from the decline in flux.

The data constrain the velocity dispersion of the absorber to 200–2000 km s−1, and the size of the plasma as ∼1010 cm assuming a source distance of 10 kpc.

Incorporating early data from the Suzaku satellite launched in July 2005, properties of Ultra-Luminous compact X-ray sources (ULXs) were studied in close comparison with those of Galactic and Magellanic black-hole binaries. Based on an analogy between these two types of X-ray sources, ULXs showing power-law type spectra are considered to host Comptonized accretion disks, while those with multicolor-disk type spectra are interpreted to harbor “slim” disks. The analogy also suggests that ULXs are radiating near their Eddington limits, and hence their central black holes are significantly more massive than the ordinary stellar-mass black holes contained in Galactic and Magellanic black-hole binaries. In this sense, ULXs can be regarded as intermediate-mass black holes.

Our observations of H2O masers have detected some high-velocity features and a secular velocity drift of the systemic features in the Seyfert 2 Galaxy IC 2560. The high-velocity features were blue- and red-shifted from the systemic velocity of 220-420 km s−1 and 210-350 km s−1, respectively. The velocity of the systemic features drifted at a secular rate of 2.62 km s−1 yr−1. Assuming the existence of a compact rotating disk as in NGC 4258, IC 2560 possesses a nuclear disk with inner and outer radii of 0.07 pc and 0.26 pc, respectively, and a confined mass of 2.8 × 106M⊙ at the center, making the central density > 2.1 × 109M⊙ pc−3. Such a dense object cannot be a cluster of stars, and this strongly suggests that the central mass is a super-massive black hole. Since the 2-10 keV luminosity of IC 2560 is 1 × 1041 erg s−1, the mass accretion rate of the suggested black hole must be 2 × 10−5M⊙ yr−1.

SN1993J is very unique object which was discovered in the nearby Sb galaxy M81 (NGC 3031) on March 28. The first detection of the radio emission was at 22.5 GHz by the VLA only 5 days after the optical outburst. Subsequently X-ray emission was detected by ROSAT and ASCA at 6 days and 8 days after the explosion respectively. These emissions are expected when the SN shock front sweeps out the circumstellar matter (CSM). The early detection of radio and X-ray emission implies the existence of high-density CSM in the vicinity of the supernova(e.g.).