GX 9+9: Variability of the X-Ray Orbital Modulation

Harris, Robert J.; Levine, Alan M.; Durant, Martin; Kong, Albert K. H.; Charles, Phil; Shahbaz, Tariq
Referencia bibliográfica

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 696, Issue 2, pp. 1987-1997 (2009).

Fecha de publicación:
5
2009
Número de autores
6
Número de autores del IAC
2
Número de citas
6
Número de citas referidas
5
Descripción
Results of observations of the Galactic bulge X-ray source GX 9+9 by the All-Sky Monitor (ASM) and Proportional Counter Array (PCA) onboard the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer are presented. The ASM results show that the 4.19 hr X-ray periodicity first reported by Hertz and Wood in 1987 was weak or not detected for most of the mission prior to late 2004, but then became strong and remained strong for approximately two years after which it weakened considerably. When the modulation at the 4.19 hr period is strong, it appears in folded light curves as an intensity dip over lsim30% of a cycle and is distinctly nonsinusoidal. A number of PCA observations of GX 9+9 were performed before the appearance of strong modulation; two were performed in 2006 during the epoch of strong modulation. Data obtained from the earlier PCA observations yield, at best, limited evidence of the presence of phase-dependent intensity changes, while the data from the later observations confirm the presence of flux minima with depths and phases compatible with those apparent in folded ASM light curves. Light curves from a Chandra observation of GX 9+9 performed in the year 2000 prior to the start of strong modulation show the possible presence of shallow dips at the predicted times. Optical observations performed in 2006 while the X-ray modulation was strong do not show an increase in the degree of modulation at the 4.19 hr period. Implications of the changes in modulation strength in X-rays and other observational results are considered.
Proyectos relacionados
Agujero negro en erupción
Agujeros negros, estrellas de neutrones, enanas blancas y su entorno local
Los agujeros negros y estrellas de neutrones en binarias de rayos-X son laboratorios únicos para explorar la física de estos objetos compactos. No solo permiten confirmar la existencia de agujeros negros de origen estelar a través de mediciones dinámicas de sus masas, sino que también permiten investigar el comportamiento de la materia y la
Montserrat
Armas Padilla