Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jun 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005sptz.prop20224m&link_type=abstract
Spitzer Proposal ID #20224
Computer Science
Scientific paper
We propose 1.7 hours of Spitzer observations to obtain flux measurements of six ultracompact X-ray binaries. Spitzer is uniquely suited to this task, as it can obtain substantially better flux limits than radio observatories for flat spectrum synchrotron sources, and will suffer much less from contamination of the synchrotron emission by the accretion disk's emission than ground-based optical and infrared facilities. Using the ultracompact systems, which are known to have short orbital periods and hence very small accretion disks assures that even down to faint flux levels, the emission will still have to come from an emission region substantially larger than the binary separation (i.e. a jet). Since the black hole accretors which are well studied show flat optically thick synchrotron spectra which extend into the optical, we are optimistic that sensitive infrared observations have the potential also to make good measurements of accreting neutron stars' jets. The systems we propose to observe are all neutron star accretors, which, as a class, have much lower jet fluxes than black hole accretors. This reduced emission has hampered past efforts aimed at measuring quantitative relationships between the accretion disk emission, measured in the X-rays and the jet emission, usually measured in the radio. The survey we propose represents a pilot program to see if we can do better in the infrared than we have done in the past in the radio. If we are successful in detecting infrared jet emission from some or all of these sources, we will have proven that these systems have relatively flat spectra from radio through infrared, and will have the first epoch of a monitoring program that will help us to understand whether the neutron star accretors follow the same quantiative relationships between X-ray (i.e. accretion disk) and jet emission as do the black holes. This work would thus help us to understand the connection between the nature of the compact object and the production of relativistic jets.
Fender Rob
Gallo Elena
Maccarone Tom
Migliari Simone
Nelemans Gijs
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