showing 45 related works from this author
Long-term optical and X-ray variability of the Be/X-ray binary H 1145-619: Discovery of an ongoing retrograde density wave
2017
Multiwavelength monitoring of Be/X-ray binaries is crucial to understand the mechanisms producing their outbursts. H 1145-619 is one of these systems, which has recently displayed X-ray activity. We investigate the correlation between the optical emission and the X-ray activity to predict the occurrence of new X-ray outbursts from the inferred state of the circumstellar disc. We have performed a multiwavelength study of H 1145-619 from 1973 to 2017 and present here a global analysis of its variability over the last 40 years. We have used optical spectra from the SAAO, SMARTS and SALT telescopes and optical photometry from INTEGRAL/OMC and ASAS. We also used X-ray observations from INTEGRAL/…
Accreting magnetars: a new type of high-mass X-ray binaries?
2012
The discovery of very slow pulsations (Pspin=5560s) has solved the long-standing question of the nature of the compact object in the high-mass X-ray binary 4U 2206+54 but has posed new ones. According to spin evolutionary models in close binary systems, such slow pulsations require a neutron star magnetic field strength larger that the quantum critical value, suggesting the presence of a magnetar. We present the first XMM-Newton observations of 4U 2206+54 and investigate its spin evolution. We find that the observed spin-down rate agrees with the magnetar scenario. We analyse ISGRI/INTEGRAL observations of 4U 2206+54 to search for the previously suggested cyclotron resonance scattering feat…
Simultaneous uvbyβ Photometry and Hα Spectroscopy of Be Stars in Open Clusters
1994
The usual methods of spectral clasification, equivalent widths of Balmer lines or photometric calibrations are not suitable for the determination of the astrophysical parameters of the underlying star in Be-type objects. The spectrum is distorted by the circumstellar envelope lines, while the contribution of the envelope continuum radiation contaminates the photometric indices.
Long-term optical/IR variability of the Be/X-ray binary LS V +44 17/RX J0440.9+4431
2005
We present the first long-term study of the optical counterpart to the X-ray pulsar LS V +44 17/RX J0440.9+4431. The results of our photometric and spectroscopic analysis show that LS V +44 17/RX J0440.9+4431 contains a moderately reddened, E(B-V)=0.65+-0.05, B0.2V star located at about 3.3 kpc. The Ha line consistently shows a double-peak profile varying from symmetric shape to completely distorted on one side (V/R phases). A correlation between the equivalent width of the Ha line and the infrared magnitudes is seen: as the EW(Ha) decreases the IR magnitudes become fainter. This long-term optical/IR variability is attributed to structural changes in the Be star's circumstellar disc. The ob…
Models and Astrophysical Parameters of High Mass X-ray Binaries
1996
The objective of this work is the High Mass X-ray Binaries. These systems consist of a neutron star orbiting around a star of spectral type OB. According to the luminosity class of the optical companion they split into Supergiant X-ray binaries and Be/X-ray systems. In both systems the high energy radiation is due to the accretion phenomenum, but in the first case the accreted metter comes from the strong stellar wind of the primary and in the second case it comes from the circumstellar envelope surrounding the Be star equator. In this work I concentrate on the optical and infrared bands of the electromagnetic spectrum although a discussion of the X-ray characteristics for some systems is a…
A 0535+26: Back in business
2006
In May/June 2005, after 10 years of inactivity, the Be/X-ray binary system A 0535+26 underwent a major X-ray outburst. In this paper data are presented from 10 years of optical, IR and X-ray monitoring showing the behaviour of the system during the quiescent epoch and the lead up to the new outburst. The results show the system going through a period when the Be star in the system had a minimal circumstellar disk and then a dramatic disk recovery leading, presumably, to the latest flare up of X-ray emission. The data are interpreted in terms of the state of the disk and its interaction with the neutron star companion.
Orbital X‐Ray Variability of the Microquasar LS 5039
2005
The properties of the orbit and the donor star in the high mass X-ray binary microquasar LS 5039 indicate that accretion processes should mainly occur via a radiatively driven wind. In such a scenario, significant X-ray variability would be expected due to the eccentricity of the orbit. The source has been observed at X-rays by several missions, although with a poor coverage that prevents to reach any conclusion about orbital variability. Therefore, we conducted RossiXTE observations of the microquasar system LS 5039 covering a full orbital period of 4 days. Individual observations are well fitted with an absorbed power-law plus a Gaussian at 6.7 keV, to account for iron line emission that …
INTEGRAL long-term monitoring of the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transient XTE J1739-302
2008
In the past few years, a new class of High Mass X-Ray Binaries (HMXRB) has been claimed to exist, the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transients (SFXT). These are X-ray binary systems with a compact companion orbiting a supergiant star which show very short and bright outbursts in a series of activity periods overimposed on longer quiescent periods. Only very recently the first attempts to model the behaviour of these sources have been published, some of them within the framework of accretion from clumpy stellar winds.Our goal is to analyze the properties of XTE J1739-302/IGR J17391-3021 within the context of the clumpy structure of the supergiant wind. We have used INTEGRAL and RXTE/PCA observations…
Multiwavelength observations of the Be/X-ray binary 4U1145-619
1997
We report optical and infrared observations of the massive X-ray binary system 4U1145-619 (V801 Cen) which show that the circumstellar disc of the Be star component is in decline. Infrared J,H,K,L magnitudes of V801Cen have been monitored from 1993 March to 1996 April. H alpha spectra have been obtained throughout the same period. We find that both the infrared excess and the Balmer emission have been in decline throughout the period of observations. A 13 year optical and X-ray history of the source has been collated, revealing a possible correlation between the optical and X-ray activity. In addition, we have used u,v,b,y,beta indices, corrected for both circumstellar and interstellar effe…
Optical counterpart to Swift J0243.6+6124
2020
Context. Swift J0243.6+6124 is a unique system. It is the first and only ultra-luminous X-ray source in our Galaxy. It is the first and only high-mass Be X-ray pulsar showing radio jet emission. It was discovered during a giant X-ray outburst in October 2017. While there are numerous studies in the X-ray band, very little is known about the optical counterpart. Aims. Our aim is to characterize the variability timescales in the optical and infrared bands in order to understand the nature of this intriguing system. Methods. We performed optical spectroscopic observations to determine the spectral type. Long-term photometric light curves together with the equivalent width of the Hα line were u…
Discovery of a quasi-periodic oscillation in the X-ray pulsar 1A 1118-615: correlated spectral and aperiodic variability
2010
Aims. Our goal is to investigate the X-ray timing and spectral variability of the high-mass X-ray binary 1A 1118-615 during a type-II outburst. Methods. We performed a detailed color, spectral, and timing analysis of a giant outburst from 1A 1118-615 using RXTE data. Results. We report the discovery of a variable quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in the power spectral density of 1A 1118-615, with a centroid frequency of ∼0.08 Hz. The centroid frequency of the QPO correlates with the X-ray flux, as expected according to the most accredited models for QPO production. For energies above ∼4 keV, the QPO rms variability decreases as the energy increases. Pulse profiles display an energy dependenc…
JEM-X observations of the Be/X-ray binary EXO 2030+375
2003
We have used data from the Joint European Monitor (JEM-X) to perform an X-ray spectral and timing analysis of the 42-s transient pulsar EXO 2030+375 during an X-ray outburst. X-ray pulsations are clearly detected with an average pulse period of 41:66 +- 0:05 s and an average pulse fraction of 60%. The profile of the energy spectrum did not change appreciably throughout the X-ray outburst, although the source shows a slightly softer spectrum during periastron passage in the energy range 9–25 keV. The 5–25 keV X-ray luminosity changed by a factor of 2 throughout the observations, reaching a maximum value of 3x10^36 erg s^−1. These observations allowed us to verify the in-flight instrumental p…
Four colour photometry of late-type binary systems
1997
This paper presents rst complete uvby light curves of the late-type detached eclipsing binary ZZ UMa (G0V + G8V, P =2 : d 2993). This binary system has been observed during eight campaigns at the Calar Alto Observatory (Almeria, Spain)and at the Sierra Nevada Observatory (Granada, Spain). 294 points distributed over the binary period and covering both eclipses are given. The comparison stars used to calculate the dierential light curves (SAO 15242 and SAO 15251) were conrmed as being good reference stars with constant flux. These observations are part of a 6 year uvby and H monitor- ing program of low mass eclipsing binaries whose main objective is to provide accurate absolute astrophysical…
Non-radial pulsations in the Be/X binaries 4U0115+63 and SAXJ2103.5+4545
2010
The discovery of non-radial pulsations (NRP) in the Be/X binaries of the Magellanic Clouds (MC, eg. Fabrycky 2005, Coe et al. 2005, Schmidtke & Cowley 2005) provided a new approach to understand these complex systems, and, at the same time, favoured the synergy between two different fields: stellar pulsations and X-ray binaries. This breakthrough was possible thanks to the MACHO and OGLE surveys. However, in our Galaxy, only two Be/X have been reported to show NRP: GROJ2058+42 (Kiziloglu et al. 2007) and LSI+61 235 (Sarty et al. 2009). Our objective is to study the short-term variability of Galactic Be/X binaries, compare them to the Be/X of the MC and to the isolated Galactic Be observ…
INTEGRAL observations of the peculiar BeX System SAX J2103.5+4545
2004
We present an INTEGRAL data analysis of the X-ray transient \object{SAX J2103.5+4545} during two outbursts detected in December 2002. The INTEGRAL coordinates and error circle agree with the position of the recently proposed optical counterpart. A power-law plus cut-off model provided a good fit to the 4-150 keV spectrum yielding a photon index of 1.0+-0.1, a cut-off energy E_cut=7.6+-2.0 keV and a folding energy E_fold=30.9+-2.5 keV. The X-ray luminosity in the 4-150 keV energy range was found to be 6.0x10^36 erg/s, assuming a distance of 6.5 kpc. This luminosity, together with the derived photon index, indicate that the source is in a bright state. A 354.9$+-0.5 second pulse period is mea…
Multiwavelength monitoring of BD+53°2790 , the optical counterpart to 4U 2206+54
2005
We present the results of our long-term monitoring of BD+53 2790, the optical counterpart to the X-ray source 4U~2206+54. Unlike previous studies that classify the source as a Be/X-ray binary, we find that its optical and infrared properties differ from those of typical Be stars: the variability of the V/R ratio is not cyclical; there are variations in the shape and strength of the H$\alpha$ emission line on timescales less than 1 day; and no correlation between the EW and the IR magnitudes or colors is seen. Our observations suggest that BD+53 2790 is very likely a peculiar O9.5V star. In spite of exhaustive searches we cannot find any significant modulation in any emission line parameter …
Highly Magnetized Accreting Pulsars: Are There Accreting Magnetars?
2014
2S 0114+650, GX 301-2, IGR J16358-4726, X Per, 4U 2206+54, SXP 1062, and 3A 1954+319 are thought to possess high magnetic elds. They have recently been named accreting magnetars, or highly magnetized accreting pulsars. In this work their properties are reviewed. Within the context of their observational properties (mainly from INTEGRAL data), and the recent models of accretion onto highly magnetized neutron stars, their similarities and dierences are analyzed. The aim is to find a common framework to understand the evolution (in terms of past and present history) of these sources, and to establish the basis of a possible new kind of accreting sources. Two of these sources, namely X Per and …
Does GRS 1915+105 exhibit "canonical" black-hole states?
2003
We have analysed RXTE data of the superluminal source GRS 1915+105 in order to investigate if, despite its extreme variability, it also exhibits the canonical source states that characterise other black-hole candidates. The phenomenology of GRS 1915+105 has been described in terms of three states (named A, B and C) based on their hardness ratios and position in the colour-colour diagram. We have investigated the connection between these states and the canonical behaviour and found that the shape of the power spectral continuum and the values of the best-fit model parameters to the noise components in all three states indicate that the source shows properties similar to the canonical very hi…
Aperiodic variability of low-mass X-ray binaries at very low frequencies
2003
We have obtained discrete Fourier power spectra of a sample of persistent low-mass neutron-star X-ray binaries using long-term light curves from the All Sky Monitor on board the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. Our aim is to investigate their aperiodic variability at frequencies in the range 1 x 10^{-7}-5 x 10^{-6} Hz and compare their properties with those of the black-hole source Cyg X-1. We find that the classification scheme that divides LMXBs into Z and atoll sources blurs at very low frequencies. Based on the long-term (~ years) pattern of variability and the results of power-law fits (P ~ v^{-a}) to the 1 x 10^{-7}-5 x 10^{-6} Hz power density spectra, low-mass neutron-star binaries fall…
Energy and time-lag spectra of galactic black-hole X-ray sources in the low/hard state
2003
Most, probably all, accreting binaries that are believed to contain a black-hole emit radio waves when they are in the low/hard state. Whenever this radio emission has been resolved, a jet-like structure has become apparent. We propose that Compton upscattering of low-energy photons in the jet can explain both the energy spectra and the time lags versus Fourier frequency observed in the low/hard state of black-hole systems. The soft photons originate in the inner part of the accretion disk. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations of Compton upscattering in a jet and have found that for a rather wide range of values of the parameters we can obtain power-law high-energy X-ray spectra with p…
Be stars in open clusters. I. uvby $ ^{\bf \beta}$ photometry
1996
We present uvby β photometry for Be stars in eight open clusters and two OB associations. It is shown that Be stars occupy anomalous positions in the photometric diagrams, which can be explained in terms of the circumstellar continuum radiation contribution to the photometric indices. In the - M V plane Be stars appear redder than the non emission B stars, due to the additional reddening caused by the hydrogen free-bound and free-free recombination in the circumstellar envelope. In the c 0 - M V plane the earlier Be stars present lower c 0 values than absorption-line B stars, which is caused by emission in the Balmer discontinuity, while the later Be stars deviate towards higher c 0 values,…
Discovery of slow X-ray pulsations in the high-mass X-ray binary 4U 2206+54
2008
Context. The source 4U 2206+54 is one of the most enigmatic high-mass X-ray binaries. In spite of intensive searches, X-ray pul- sations have not been detected in the time range 10−3–103 s. A cyclotron line at ∼30 keV has been suggested by various authors but never detected with significance. The stellar wind of the optical companion is abnormally slow. The orbital period, initially reported to be 9.6 days, disappeared and a new periodicity of 19.25 days emerged. Aims. The main objective of our RXTE monitoring of 4U 2206+54 is to study the X-ray orbital variability of the spectral and timing parameters. The new long and uninterrupted RXTE observations allow us to search for long (∼1 h) puls…
On the radio emitting high mass X-ray binary LS 5039
2001
We present new optical - near-IR spectroscopic and photometric observations of the newly discovered galactic microquasar LS 5039, which indicate a classification for the mass donor in the system of O6.5V((f)). Optical spectroscopy and photometry shows no variability over a timescale of years, and we find no evidence of modulation by, or emission from the compact companion in these data. However significant photometric variability (~0.4 mag) is present in the H and K bands between 1995-2000. Such variability has been observed in other radio bright X-ray binaries where it has been attributed to synchrotron emission from the jet. However, given the non-thermal spectral index of the radio emiss…
Long-term variability of the Be/X-ray binary EXO 2030+375
1998
We present a multi-wavelength study of the Be/X-ray binary system EXO 2030+375. We report that the Be companion is currently in a low-activity phase as indicated by the notable decrease of the infrared and optical emission. If this trend continues the source will lose its circumstellar envelope. Infrared spectroscopy in the IJHK bands is presented for the first time, along with optical and X-ray observations. These infrared spectra agree with the optical companion being an early-type (B0) main-sequence star. When active EXO 2030+375 shows an X-ray outburst at each periastron passage of the neutron star. In addition to the maximum X-ray luminosity displayed at orbital phase ∼0.0, we find a s…
Long-term X-ray variability of the microquasar system LS 5039/RX J1826.2−1450
2003
We report on the results of the spectral and timing analysis of a BeppoSAX observation of the microquasar system LS 5039/RX J1826.2-1450. The source was found in a low-flux state with Fx(1-10 keV)= 4.7 x 10^{-12} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1}, which represents almost one order of magnitude lower than a previous RXTE observation 2.5 years before. The 0.1--10 keV spectrum is described by an absorbed power-law continuum with photon-number spectral index Gamma=1.8+-0.2 and hydrogen column density of NH=1.0^{+0.4}_{-0.3} x 10^{22} cm^{-2}. According to the orbital parameters of the system the BeppoSAX observation covers the time of an X-ray eclipse should one occur. However, the 1.6-10 keV light curve does…
Long-term optical variability of high-mass X-ray binaries. II. Spectroscopy
2016
We present the results of our monitoring program to study the long-term variability of the Halpha line in high-mass X-ray binaries. We have carried out the most complete optical spectroscopic study of the global properties of high-mass X-ray binaries so far with the analysis of more than 1100 spectra of 20 sources. Our aim is to characterise the optical variability timescales and study the interaction between the neutron star and the accreting material. Our results can be summarised as follows: i) we find that Be/X-ray binaries with narrow orbits are more variable than systems with long orbital periods, ii) we show that a Keplerian distribution of the gas particles provides a good descripti…
Low Energy Gamma Ray Imager (LEGRI)
1995
The Low Energy Gamma Ray Imager (LEGRI) will be one of the three instruments carried by the first MINISAT mission. LEGRI aims to demonstrate the technological feasibility of a new generation of low energy gamma-ray telescopes with imaging, medium resolution spectroscopy and high continuum sensitivity in the 20-200 keV spectral region, based on HgI2 solid state detector technology.
Correlated optical/X-ray variability in the high-mass X-ray binary SAX J2103.5+4545
2009
SAX J2103.5+4545 is the Be/X-ray binary with the shortest orbital period. It shows extended bright and faint X-ray states that last for a few hundred days. The main objective of this work is to investigate the relationship between the X-ray and optical variability and to characterise the spectral and timing properties of the bright and faint states. We have found a correlation between the spectral and temporal parameters that fit the energy and power spectra. Softer energy spectra correspond to softer power spectra. That is to say, when the energy spectrum is soft the power at high frequencies is suppressed. We also present the results of our monitoring of the Halpha line of the optical cou…
Spectroscopic Observations of the Delta Scorpii Binary during Its Recent Periastron Passage
2001
The bright star delta Sco has been considered a typical B0-type object for many years. Spectra of the star published prior to 1990 showed no evidence of emission, but only of short-term line profile variations attributed to nonradial pulsations. Speckle interferometric observations show that delta Sco is a binary system with a highly-eccentric orbit and a period of 10.6 years. Weak emission in the H-alpha line was detected in its spectrum for the first time during a periastron passage in 1990. Shortly before the next periastron passage in the summer of 2000, the binary entered a strong H-alpha emission and enhanced mass loss phase. We monitored the spectroscopic development of the Be outbur…
The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing
2014
The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) was studied within ESA M3 Cosmic Vision framework and participated in the final down-selection for a launch slot in 2022-2024. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument, LOFT will study the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions, such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions of accretion flows close to black holes and neutron stars, and the supra-nuclear densities in the interior of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, 10 m 2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1 deg collimated field of view) and a WideFi…
Further evidence for the presence of a neutron star in 4U 2206+54. INTEGRAL and VLA observations
2005
The majority of High Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) behave as X-ray pulsars, revealing that they contain a magnetised neutron star. Among the four HMXBs not showing pulsations, and that do not show the characteristics of accreting black holes, there is the unusual HMXB 4U 2206+54. Here we present contemporaneous high-energy and radio observations of this system conducted with INTEGRAL and the VLA in order to unveil its nature. The high-energy spectra show clear indications of the presence of an absorption feature at ~32 keV. This is the third high-energy observatory which reveals marginal evidence of this feature, giving strong support to the existence of a cyclotron resonance scattering featu…
The Absolute Flux Calibration of the UVBY Photometric System
1996
We present the absolute flux calibration for the uvby photometric system passbands, derived from homogeneous spectroscopic and photometric standard star lists, and referred to the Vega absolute flux calibration of Hayes (1985).
Multi-frequency observations of SWIFT J1626.6-5156
2011
SWIFT J1626.6-5156 is an X-ray pulsar that was discovered in December 2005 during an X-ray outburst. Although the X-ray data suggest that the system is a high-mass X-ray binary, very little information exists on the nature of the optical counterpart. We have analysed all RXTE observations since its discovery, archived optical spectroscopic and photometric data and obtained for the first time near-IR spectra. The K-band spectrum shows HeI 20581 A and HI 21660 A (Brackett-gamma) in emission, which confine the spectral type of the companion to be earlier than B2.5. The H-band spectrum exhibits the HI Br-18-11 recombination series in emission. The most prominent feature of the optical band spec…
Wind accretion in the massive X-ray binary 4U 2206+54: abnormally slow wind and a moderately eccentric orbit
2006
Massive X-ray binaries are usually classified depending on the properties of the donor star in classical, supergiant and Be X-ray binaries. The massive X-ray binary 4U 2206+54 does not fit in any of these groups, and deserves a detailed study to understand how the transfer of matter and the accretion on to the compact object take place. To this end we study an IUE spectrum of the donor and obtain a wind terminal velocity (v_inf) of ~350 km/s, which is abnormally slow for its spectral type. We also analyse here more than 9 years of available RXTE/ASM data. We study the long-term X-ray variability of the source and find it to be similar to that observed in the wind-fed supergiant system Vela …
The Be/X-ray binary LS 992/RX J0812.4-3114: Physical parameters and long-term variability
2000
We present the first long-term optical and infrared study of the optical counterpart to the source RX J0812.4-3114, an X-ray pulsar with a Be type companion. During the period covered by the observations the profile of some Balmer lines changed from absorption to emission and back again to absorption. Contemporaneously, the infrared magnitudes varied by more than 0.8 mag. This long-term variability is interpreted as the formation and subsequent dissipation of the Be star's disc. The building up of the disc ended up in an active X-ray state characterised by regular outbursts occurring at 80 day intervals. The overall duration of the formation/dissipation of the disc is found to be < 4.3 year…
New insights into the Be/X-ray binary system MXB 0656-072
2012
The X-ray transient MXB 0656-072 is a poorly studied member of high-mass X-ray binaries. Based on the transient nature of the X-ray emission, the detection of pulsations, and the early-type companion, it has been classified as a Be X-ray binary (Be/XRB). However, the flaring activity covering a large fraction of a giant outburst is somehow peculiar. Our goal is to investigate the multiwavelength variability of the high-mass X-ray binary MXB 0656-072. We carried out optical spectroscopy and analysed all RXTE archive data, performing a detailed X-ray-colour, spectral, and timing analysis of both normal (type-I) and giant (type-II) outbursts from MXB 0656-072 This is the first detailed analysi…
Correlated X-ray spectral and timing variability of the Be/X-ray binary V0332+53/BQ Camelopardalis during a type II outburst
2005
We have used INTEGRAL & RXTE data to investigate the timing properties of the source in correlation with its spectral states as defined by different positions in the colour-colour diagram. The source shows two distinct branches in the colour-colour diagram that resemble those of the Z sources. The hard branch (similar to the horizontal branch of Z sources) is characterised by a low-amplitude change of the hard colour compared to the change in the soft colour. In the soft branch (analogue to the normal branch) the amplitude of variability of the hard colour is about three times larger than that of the soft colour. As the count rate decreases the source moves up gradually through the soft…
Timing Properties and Spectral States in Aquila X‐1
2003
We have analyzed five X-ray outbursts of the neutron-star soft X-ray transient Aql X-1 and investigated the timing properties of the source in correlation with its spectral states as defined by different positions in the color-color and hardness-intensity diagrams. The hard color and the source count rate serve as the distinguishing parameters giving rise to three spectral states: a low-intensity hard state, an intermediate state and a high-intensity soft state. These states are respectively identified with the extreme island, island and banana states that characterize the atoll sources. The large amount of data analyzed allowed us to perform for the first time a detailed timing analysis of…
The long time-scale X-ray variability of the radio-quiet quasar PG 0804+761
2003
We present the results from a study of the timing properties and the energy spectrum of the radio-quiet quasar PG0804+761, based on monitoring RXTE PCA observations that lasted for a year. This is a systematic study of the X-ray variations on time scales of weeks/months of the most luminous radio-quiet quasar studied so far. We detect significant variations in the 2-10 keV band of an average amplitude of ~15%. The excess variance of the light curve is smaller than that of Seyfert galaxies, entirely consistent with the relationship between variability amplitude and luminosity defined from the Seyfert data alone. The power spectrum of the source follows a power-like form of slope ~ -1. Howeve…
Discovery of the optical counterpart to the X-ray pulsar SAX J2103.5+4545
2004
We report optical and infrared photometric and spectroscopic observations that identify the counterpart to the 358.6-s X-ray transient pulsar SAX J2103.5+4545 with a moderately reddened V=14.2 B0Ve star. This identification makes SAX J2103.5+4545 the Be/X-ray binary with the shortest orbital period known, Porb= 12.7 days. The amount of absorption to the system has been estimated to be Av=4.2+-0.3, which for such an early-type star implies a distance of about 6.5 kpc. The optical spectra reveal major and rapid changes in the strength and shape of the Halpha line. The Halpha line was initially observed as a double peak profile with the ratio of the intensities of the blue over the red peak gr…
Long-term variability of high-mass X-ray binaries. I.Photometry
2015
We present photometric observations of the field around the optical counterparts of high-mass X-ray binaries. Our aim is to study the long-term photometric variability in correlation with their X-ray activity and derive a set of secondary standard stars that can be used for time series analysis. We find that the donors in Be/X-ray binaries exhibit larger amplitude changes in the magnitudes and colours than those hosting a supergiant companion. The amplitude of variability increases with wavelength in Be/X-ray binaries and remains fairly constant in supergiant systems. When time scales of years are considered, a good correlation between the X-ray and optical variability is observed. The X-ra…
Energy and time-lag spectra of black-hole systems in the low state
2003
Most, probably all, accreting binaries that are believed to contain a black-hole emit radio waves when they are in the low/hard state. Whenever this radio emission has been resolved, a jet-like structure has become apparent. We propose that Compton upscattering of low-energy photons in the jet can explain both the energy spectra and the time lags versus Fourier frequency observed in the low/hard state of black-hole systems. The soft photons originate in the inner part of the accretion disk. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations of Compton upscattering in a jet and have found that for a rather wide range of values of the parameters we can obtain power-law high-energy X-ray spectra with p…
Observatory science with eXTP
2019
Disponible preprint en: arXiv:1812.04023v1 [astro-ph.HE] [v1] Mon, 10 Dec 2018 19:00:52 UTC (4,376 KB)
Comparison of the H-alpha circumstellar disks in Be/X-ray binaries and Be stars
2000
We present a comparative study of the circumstellar disks in Be/X-ray binaries and isolated Be stars based upon the H-alpha emission line. From this comparison it follows that the overall structure of the disks in the Be/X-ray binaries is similar to the disks of other Be stars, i.e. they are axisymmetric and rotationally supported. The factors for the line broadening (rotation and temperature) in the disks of the Be stars and the Be/X-ray binaries seem to be identical. However, we do detect some intriguing differences between the envelopes. On average, the circumstellar disks of the Be/X-ray binaries are twice as dense as the disks of the isolated Be stars. The different distribution of the…
Patterns of variability in Be/X-ray pulsars during giant outbursts
2012
The discovery of source states in the X-ray emission of black-hole binaries and neutron-star low-mass X-ray binaries constituted a major step forward in the understanding of the physics of accretion onto compact objects. While there are numerous studies on the correlated timing and spectral variability of these systems, very little work has been done on high-mass X-ray binaries, the third major type of X-ray binaries. The main goal of this work is to investigate whether Be accreting X-ray pulsars display source states and characterise those states through their spectral and timing properties. We have made a systematic study of the power spectra, energy spectra and X-ray hardness-intensity d…