148 research outputs found
XMM-Newton detects a relativistically broadened iron line in the spectrum of the ms X-ray pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658
We report on a 63-ks long XMM-Newton observation of the accreting millisecond
pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 during the latest X-ray outburst which started on
September 21st 2008. The pn spectrum shows a highly significant emission line
in the energy band where the iron K-alpha line is expected, and which we
identify as emission from neutral (or mildly ionized) iron. The line profile
appears to be quite broad (more than 1 keV FWHM) and asymmetric; the most
probable explanation for this profile is Doppler and relativistic broadening
from the inner accretion disc. From a fit with a diskline profile we find an
inner radius of the disc of 8.7^(+3.7)_(-2.7) R_g, corresponding to
18.0^(+7.6)_(-5.6) km for a 1.4 Msun neutron star. The disc therefore appears
truncated inside the corotation radius (31 km for SAX J1808.4-3658) in
agreement with the fact that the source was still showing pulsations during the
XMM-Newton observation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letters, typos
corrected, references adde
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
Disk reflection signatures in the spectrum of the bright Z-source GX 340+0
We present the preliminary results of a 50 ks long XMM-Newton observation of
the bright Z-source GX 340+0. In this Letter we focus on the study of a broad
asymmetric emission line in the Fe K alpha energy band, whose shape is clearly
resolved and compatible with a relativistically smeared profile arising from
reflection on a hot accretion disk extending close to the central accreting
neutron star. By combining temporal and spectral analysis, we are able to
follow the evolution of the source along its Horizontal Branch. However,
despite a significant change in the continuum emission and luminosity, the line
profile does not show any strong correlated variation. This broad line is
produced by recombination of highly ionized iron (Fe XXV) at an inferred inner
radius close to 13 gravitational radii while the fit requires a high value for
the outer disk radius. The inclination of the source is extremely well
constrained at 35 deg, while the emissivity index is -2.50.Comment: In press in ApJ
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&
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&
On the Change of the Inner Boundary of an Optically Thick Accretion Disk around White Dwarfs Using the Dwarf Nova SS Cyg as an Example
We present the results of our studies of the aperiodic optical flux
variability for SS Cyg, an accreting binary systemwith a white dwarf. The main
set of observational data presented here was obtained with the ANDOR/iXon
DU-888 photometer mounted on the RTT-150 telescope, which allowed a record(for
CCD photometers) time resolution up to 8 ms to be achieved. The power spectra
of the source's flux variability have revealed that the aperiodic variability
contains information about the inner boundary of the optically thick flow in
the binary system. We show that the inner boundary of the optically thick
accretion disk comes close to the white dwarf surface at the maximum of the
source's bolometric light curve, i.e., at the peak of the instantaneous
accretion rate onto the white dwarf, while the optically thick accretion disk
is truncated at distances 8.5e9 cm ~10 R_{WD} in the low state. We suggest that
the location of the inner boundary of the accretion disk in the binary can be
traced by studying the parameters of the power spectra for accreting white
dwarfs. In particular, this allows the mass of the accreting object to be
estimated.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, Published in Astronomy Letter
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
The XMM-Newton Optical/UV Monitor Telescope
The XMM-OM instrument extends the spectral coverage of the XMM-Newton observatory into the ultraviolet and optical range. It provides imaging and time-resolved data on targets simultaneously with observations in the EPIC and RGS. It also has the ability to track stars in its field of view, thus providing an improved post-facto aspect solution for the spacecraft. An overview of the XMM-OM and its operation is given, together with current information on the performance of the instrument
The variability plane of accreting compact objects
Recently, it has been shown that soft-state black hole X-ray binaries and
active galactic nuclei populate a plane in the space defined by the black hole
mass, accretion rate and characteristic frequency. We show that this plane can
be extended to hard-state objects if one allows a constant offset for the
frequencies in the soft and the hard state. During a state transition the
frequencies rapidly move from one scaling to the other depending on an
additional parameter, possibly the disk-fraction. The relationship between
frequency, mass and accretion rate can be further extended by including weakly
accreting neutron stars. We explore if the lower kHz QPOs of neutron stars and
the dwarf nova oscillations of white dwarfs can be included as well and discuss
the physical implications of the found correlation.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
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