Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Scientific paper
2009-05-15
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
7 pages, 3 figures, accepted by A&A on August 23, 2009
Scientific paper
An X-ray monitoring campaign with Chandra and Swift confirms that 1RXS J171824.2-402934 is accreting at the lowest rate among the known persistently accreting low-mass X-ray binaries. A thermonuclear X-ray burst was detected with the all-sky monitor on RXTE. This is only the second such burst seen in 1RXS J171824.2-402934 in more than 20 Ms of observations done over 19 years. The low burst recurrence rate is in line with the low accretion rate. The persistent nature and low accretion rate can be reconciled within accretion disk theory if the binary system is ultracompact. An unprecedentedly short orbital period of less than approximately 7 minutes would be implied. An ultracompact nature, together with the properties of the type I X-ray burst, suggests, in turn, that helium-rich material is accreted. Optical follow-up of the Chandra error region does not reveal an unambiguous counterpart.
Bassa Cees G.
in 't Zand J. M. J.
Jonker Peter G.
Levine Alan M.
Markwardt Craig B.
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