127 research outputs found
A long-term optical and X-ray ephemeris of the polar EK Ursae Majoris
We searched for long-term period changes in the polar EK UMa using new
optical data and archival X-ray/EUV data. An optical ephemeris was derived from
data taken remotely with the MONET/N telescope and compared with the X-ray
ephemeris based on Einstein, Rosat, and EUVE data. A three-parameter fit to the
combined data sets yields the epoch, the period, and the phase offset between
the optical minima and the X-ray absorption dips. An added quadratic term is
insignificant and sets a limit to the period change. The derived linear
ephemeris is valid over 30 years and the common optical and X-ray period is
P=0.0795440225(24) days. There is no evidence of long-term O-C variations or a
period change over the past 17 years Delta P = -0.14+-0.50 ms. We suggest that
the observed period is the orbital period and that the system is tightly
synchronized. The limit on Delta P and the phase constancy of the bright part
of the light curve indicate that O-C variations of the type seen in the polars
DP Leo and HU Aqr or the pre-CV NN Ser do not seem to occur in EK UMa. The
X-ray dips lag the optical minima by 9.5+-0.7 deg in azimuth, providing some
insight into the accretion geometry.Comment: 4 pages, 2 Postscript figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy
& Astrophysic
Probing X-ray burst -- accretion disk interaction in low mass X-ray binaries through kilohertz quasiperiodic oscillations
The intense radiation flux of Type I X-ray bursts is expected to interact
with the accretion flow around neutron stars. High frequency quasiperiodic
oscillations (kHz QPOs), observed at frequencies matching orbital frequencies
at tens of gravitational radii, offer a unique probe of the innermost disk
regions. In this paper, we follow the lower kHz QPOs, in response to Type I
X-ray bursts, in two prototypical QPO sources, namely 4U 1636-536 and 4U
1608-522, as observed by the Proportional Counter Array of the Rossi X-ray
Timing Explorer. We have selected a sample of 15 bursts for which the kHz QPO
frequency can be tracked on timescales commensurable with the burst durations
(tens of seconds). We find evidence that the QPOs are affected for over ~200 s
during one exceptionally long burst and ~100 s during two others (although at a
less significant level), while the burst emission has already decayed to a
level that would enable the pre-burst QPO to be detected. On the other hand,
for most of our burst-kHz QPO sample, we show that the QPO is detected as soon
as the statistics allow and in the best cases, we are able to set an upper
limit of ~20 s on the recovery time of the QPO. This diversity of behavior
cannot be related to differences in burst peak luminosity. We discuss these
results in the framework of recent findings that accretion onto the neutron
star may be enhanced during Type I X-ray bursts. The subsequent disk depletion
could explain the disappearance of the QPO for ~100 s, as possibly observed in
two events. However, alternative scenarios would have to be invoked for
explaining the short recovery timescales inferred from most bursts. Clearly the
combination of fast timing and spectral information of Type I X-ray bursts
holds great potential in the study of the dynamics of the inner accretion flow
around neutron stars.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, appears in Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 567,
id.A80, published 07/201
Long Term X-ray Monitoring Of The TeV Binary LS I +61 303 with RXTE
We report on the results of a long term X-ray monitoring campaign of the
galactic binary LS I +61 303 performed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. This
dataset consists of 1 ks pointings taken every other day between 2007 August 28
until 2008 February 2. The observations covered six full cycles of the 26.496
day binary period and constitute the largest continuous X-ray monitoring
dataset on LS I +61 303 to date with this sensitivity. There is no
statistically strong detection of modulation of flux or photon index with
orbital phase; however, we do find a strong correlation between flux and photon
index, with the spectrum becoming harder at higher fluxes. The dataset contains
three large flaring episodes, the largest of these reaching a flux level of 7.2
(+0.1,-0.2)*10^-11 erg cm^-2 s^-1 in the 3-10 keV band, which is a factor of
three times larger than flux levels typically seen in the system. Analysis of
these flares shows the X-ray emission from LS I +61 303 changing by up to a
factor of six over timescales of several hundred seconds as well as doubling
times as fast as 2 seconds. This is the fastest variability ever observed from
LS I +61 303 at this wavelength and places constraints on the size of the X-ray
emitting region.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap
The giant planet orbiting the cataclysmic binary DP Leonis
Planets orbiting post-common envelope binaries provide fundamental
information on planet formation and evolution, especially for the yet nearly
unexplored class of circumbinary planets. We searched for such planets in \odp,
an eclipsing short-period binary, which shows long-term eclipse-time
variations. Using published, reanalysed, and new mid-eclipse times of the white
dwarf in DP\,Leo, obtained between 1979 and 2010, we find agreement with the
light-travel-time effect produced by a third body in an elliptical orbit. In
particular, the measured binary period in 2009/2010 and the implied radial
velocity coincide with the values predicted for the motion of the binary and
the third body around the common center of mass. The orbital period, semi-major
axis, and eccentricity of the third body are P_c = 28.0 +/- 2.0 yrs, a_c = 8.2
+/- 0.4 AU, and e_c = 0.39 +/- 0.13. Its mass of M_c sin(i_c) = 6.1 +/- 0.5 M_J
qualifies it as a giant planet. It formed either as a first generation object
in a protoplanetary disk around the original binary or as a second generation
object in a disk formed in the common envelope shed by the progenitor of the
white dwarf. Even a third generation origin in matter lost from the present
accreting binary can not be entirely excluded. We searched for, but found no
evidence for a fourth body.Comment: Accepted by A&
Observational evidence for matter propagation in accretion flows
We study simultaneous X-ray and optical observations of three intermediate
polars EX Hya, V1223 Sgr and TV Col with the aim to understand the propagation
of matter in their accretion flows. We show that in all cases the power spectra
of flux variability of binary systems in X-rays and in optical band are similar
to each other and the majority of X-ray and optical fluxes are correlated with
time lag <1 sec. These findings support the idea that optical emission of
accretion disks, in these binary systems,largely originates as reprocessing of
X-ray luminosity of their white dwarfs. In the best obtained dataset of EX Hya
we see that the optical lightcurve unambiguously contains some component, which
leads the X-ray emission by ~7 sec. We interpret this in the framework of the
model of propagating fluctuations and thus deduce the time of travel of the
matter from the innermost part of the truncated accretion disk to the white
dwarf surface. This value agrees very well with the time expected for matter
threaded onto the magnetosphere of the white dwarf to fall to its surface. The
datasets of V1223 Sgr and TV Col in general confirm these findings,but have
poorer quality.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Aperiodic optical variability of intermediate polars - cataclysmic variables with truncated accretion disks
We study the power spectra of the variability of seven intermediate polars
containing magnetized asynchronous accreting white dwarfs, XSS J00564+4548,IGR
J00234+6141, DO Dra, V1223 Sgr, IGR J15094-6649, IGR J16500-3307 and IGR
J17195-4100, in the optical band and demonstrate that their variability can be
well described by a model based on fluctuations propagating in a truncated
accretion disk. The power spectra have breaks at Fourier frequencies, which we
associate with the Keplerian frequency of the disk at the boundary of the white
dwarfs' magnetospheres. We propose that the properties of the optical power
spectra can be used to deduce the geometry of the inner parts of the accretion
disk, in particular: 1) truncation radii of the magnetically disrupted
accretion disks in intermediate polars, 2) the truncation radii of the
accretion disk in quiescent states of dwarf novaeComment: Accepted for publication in A&
First XMM-Newton observations of a cataclysmic variable II: the X-ray spectrum of OY Car
We present XMM-Newton X-ray spectra of the disc accreting cataclysmic
variable OY Car, which were obtained during the performance verification phase
of the mission. These data were taken 4 days after a short outburst. In the
EPIC spectra we find strong iron Kalpha emission with weaker iron Kbeta
emission together with silicon and sulphur lines. The spectra are best fitted
with a three temperature plasma model with a partial covering absorber.
Multiple temperature emission is confirmed by the emission lines seen in the
RGS spectrum and the H/He like intensity ratio for iron and sulphur which imply
temperatures of ~7keV and ~3keV respectively.Comment: Accepted by A&A for publication in the special issue on XMM results,
4 page
Irregular Mass Transfer in the Polars VV Puppis and V393 Pavonis during the Low State
The polars VV Pup and V393 Pav were observed with XMM-Newton during states of
low accretion rate with peak X-ray luminosities of ~1 x 10^30 and ~1 x 10^31
erg/s, respectively. In both polars, accretion onto the white dwarf was
extremely irregular, and the accretion rate varied by more than 1 order of
magnitude on timescales of ~1 hr. Our observations suggest that this type of
irregular accretion is a common phenomenon in polars during the low state. The
likely cause of the accretion rate fluctuations are coronal mass ejections or
solar flares on the companion star that intermittently increase the mass
transfer into the accretion stream. Our findings demonstrate that the companion
stars in cataclysmic variables possess highly active atmospheres.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 16 pages, 3 figure
VERITAS Observations of the gamma-Ray Binary LS I +61 303
LS I +61 303 is one of only a few high-mass X-ray binaries currently detected
at high significance in very high energy gamma-rays. The system was observed
over several orbital cycles (between September 2006 and February 2007) with the
VERITAS array of imaging air-Cherenkov telescopes. A signal of gamma-rays with
energies above 300 GeV is found with a statistical significance of 8.4 standard
deviations. The detected flux is measured to be strongly variable; the maximum
flux is found during most orbital cycles at apastron. The energy spectrum for
the period of maximum emission can be characterized by a power law with a
photon index of Gamma=2.40+-0.16_stat+-0.2_sys and a flux above 300 GeV
corresponding to 15-20% of the flux from the Crab Nebula.Comment: accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa
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