Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2000-11-05
Astron.Astrophys. 372 (2001) 138-144
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
8 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A Main Journal
Scientific paper
10.1051/0004-6361:20010434
We report the discovery of a new class of low frequency quasi--periodic variations of the X-ray flux in the X-ray bursters 4U1608-52 and 4U1636-536. We also report an occasional detection of a similar QPO in Aql X-1. The QPOs, associated with flux variations at the level of percents, are observed at a frequency of 7-9 mHz. While usually the relative amplitude of flux variations increases with energy, the newly discovered QPOs are limited to the softest energies (1-5 keV). The observations of 4U1608-52 suggest that these QPOs are present only when the source X-ray luminosity is within a rather narrow range and they disappear after X-ray bursts. Approximately at the same level of the source luminosity, type I X-ray bursts cease to exist. Judging from this complex of properties, we speculate that a special mode of nuclear burning at the neutron star surface is responsible for the observed flux variations. Alternatively, some instabilities in the accretion disk may be responsible for these QPOs.
Churazov Eugene
Gilfanov Marat
Revnivtsev Mike
Sunyaev Rachid
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