Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Scientific paper
2009-03-24
Astrophys.J.697:L14-L17,2009
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Accepted for publication by the Astrophysical Journal Letters
Scientific paper
10.1088/0004-637X/697/1/L14
We present optical and infrared photometry of the low-mass X-ray binary EXO 0748-676 in quiescence for the first time in 24 years since it became X-ray active in 1985. We find the counterpart at average magnitudes of R=22.4 and J=21.3. We monitored the source approximately nightly through 2008 November to 2009 January. During this time there was considerable night-to-night optical variability but no long term trends were apparent. The night-to-night variability reveals a periodicity of P=0.159331+/-0.000012d, consistent with the X-ray orbital period to within 0.01%. This indicates that the quiescent optical modulation is indeed orbital in nature rather than a superhump. Interestingly, the modulation remains single-peaked with a deep minimum coincident with the times of X-ray eclipse, and there is no indication of a double-peaked ellipsoidal modulation. This indicates that even in `quiescence' emission from the accretion disk and/or X-ray heated inner face of the companion star dominate the optical emission, and implies that obtaining an accurate dynamical mass estimate in quiescence will be challenging.
Hynes Robert I.
Jones Erica D.
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