The Be/X-ray transient 4U0115+63/V635 Cassiopeiae : II. Outburst mechanisms

2001

We present multi-wavelength long-term monitoring observations of V635 Cas, the optical counterpart to the transient X-ray pulsar 4U0115+63. The evolution of emission lines and photometric magnitudes indicates that the Be star undergoes relatively fast ( ~3 - 5yr) quasi-cyclic activity, losing and reforming its circumstellar disc. We show that the general optical, infrared and X-ray behaviour can be explained by the dynamical evolution of the viscous circumstellar disc around the Be star. After each disc-loss episode, the disc starts reforming and grows until it reaches the radius at which the resonant interaction of the neutron star truncates it. At some point, the disc becomes unstable to …