2FGL J0846.0+2820: A new neutron star binary with a giant secondary and variable γ\gamma-ray emission

We present optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the likely stellar counterpart to the unassociated \emph{Fermi}-Large Area Telescope (LAT) $\gamma$-ray source 2FGL J0846.0+2820, selected for study based on positional coincidences of optical variables with unassociated LAT sources. Using optical spectroscopy from the SOAR telescope, we have identified a late-G giant in an eccentric ($e$ = 0.06) 8.133 day orbit with an invisible primary. Modeling the spectroscopy and photometry together lead us to infer a heavy neutron star primary of $\sim 2 M_{\odot}$ and a partially stripped giant secondary of $\sim 0.8 M_{\odot}$. H$\alpha$ emission is observed in some of the spectra, perhaps consistent with the presence of a faint accretion disk. We find the $\gamma$-ray flux of 2FGL J0846.0+2820 dropped substantially in mid-2009, accompanied by an increased variation in the optical brightness, and since then it has not been detected by \emph{Fermi}. The long period and giant secondary are reminiscent of the $\gamma$-ray bright binary 1FGL J1417.7--4407, which hosts a millisecond pulsar apparently in the final stages of the pulsar recycling process. The discovery of 2FGL J0846.0+2820 suggests the identification of a new subclass of millisecond pulsar binaries that are the likely progenitors of typical field millisecond pulsars.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap

A new γ-ray loud, eclipsing low-mass X-ray binary

We report the discovery of an eclipsing low-mass X-ray binary at the center of the 3FGL error ellipse of the unassociated Fermi/Large Area Telescope γ-ray source 3FGL J0427.9–6704. Photometry from OGLE and the SMARTS 1.3 m telescope and spectroscopy from the SOAR telescope have allowed us to classify the system as an eclipsing low-mass X-ray binary (P = 8.8 hr) with a main-sequence donor and a neutron-star accretor. Broad double-peaked H and He emission lines suggest the ongoing presence of an accretion disk. Remarkably, the system shows separate sets of absorption lines associated with the accretion disk and the secondary, and we use their radial velocities to find evidence for a massive (~1.8–1.9 M⊙) neutron-star primary. In addition to a total X-ray eclipse with a duration of ~2200 s observed with NuSTAR, the X-ray light curve also shows properties similar to those observed among known transitional millisecond pulsars: short-term variability, a hard power-law spectrum (Γ ~ 1.7), and a comparable 0.5–10 keV luminosity (~2.4 x 10^(33) erg s^(−1)). We find tentative evidence for a partial (~60%) γ-ray eclipse at the same phase as the X-ray eclipse, suggesting the γ-ray emission may not be confined to the immediate region of the compact object. The favorable inclination of this binary is promising for future efforts to determine the origin of γ-rays among accreting neutron stars

The MAVERIC Survey: A Red Straggler Binary with an Invisible Companion in the Galactic Globular Cluster M10

We present the discovery and characterization of a radio-bright binary in the Galactic globular cluster M10. First identified in deep radio continuum data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, M10-VLA1 has a flux density of 27 ± 4 μJy at 7.4 GHz and a flat-to-inverted radio spectrum. Chandra imaging shows an X-ray source with L X ≈ 1031 erg s−1 matching the location of the radio source. This places M10-VLA1 within the scatter of the radio-X-ray luminosity correlation for quiescent stellar-mass black holes, and a black hole X-ray binary is a viable explanation for this system. The radio and X-ray properties of the source disfavor, but do not rule out, identification as an accreting neutron star or white dwarf system. Optical imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope and spectroscopy from the SOAR telescope show that the system has an orbital period of 3.339 days and an unusual "red straggler" component: an evolved star found redward of the M10 red giant branch. These data also show UV/optical variability and double-peaked Hα emission characteristic of an accretion disk. However, SOAR spectroscopic monitoring reveals that the velocity semi-amplitude of the red straggler is low. We conclude that M10-VLA1 is most likely either a quiescent black hole X-ray binary with a rather face-on (i < 4°) orientation or an unusual flaring RS Canum Venaticorum variable-type active binary, and discuss future observations that could distinguish between these possibilities

The MAVERIC Survey: Radio Catalogs and Source Counts from Deep Very Large Array Imaging of 25 Galactic Globular Clusters

International audienceThe MAVERIC survey is the first deep radio continuum imaging survey of Milky Way globular clusters, with a central goal of finding and classifying accreting compact binaries, including stellar-mass black holes. Here we present radio source catalogs for 25 clusters with ultra-deep Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations. The median observing time was 10 hr per cluster, resulting in typical rms sensitivities of 2.3 and 2.1 μJy per beam at central frequencies of 5.0 and 7.2 GHz, respectively. We detect nearly 1300 sources in our survey at 5σ, and while many of these are likely to be background sources, we also find strong evidence for an excess of radio sources in some clusters. The radio spectral index distribution of sources in the cluster cores differs from the background, and shows a bimodal distribution. We tentatively classify the steep-spectrum sources (those much brighter at 5.0 GHz) as millisecond pulsars and the flat-spectrum sources as compact or other kinds of binaries. These provisional classifications will be solidified with the future addition of X-ray and optical data. The outer regions of our images represent a deep, relatively wide-field (∼0.4 deg2) and high-resolution C band background survey, and we present source counts calculated for this area. We also release radio continuum images for these 25 clusters to the community