Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
1996-12-23
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
15 pages plus 4 Postscript figures; AASTeX format; submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letters
Scientific paper
10.1086/310604
A highly coherent 523.92+-0.05 Hz periodic X-ray signal has been observed during a type I X-ray burst from the low-mass X-ray binary system KS 1731-260 with the PCA on RXTE. The spectral evolution of the burst indicates photospheric-radius expansion and contraction. The 524 Hz signal occurred at the end of the contraction phase, lasted for ~2 s, was highly coherent (Q >~ 900), and had a pulse fraction (ratio of sinusoidal amplitude to mean count rate) of 6.2+-0.6%. KS 1731-260 is one of only three systems that have exhibited high-coherence millisecond oscillations during X-ray bursts and the first reported where the pulsations are associated with photospheric contraction. These coherent signals may be interpreted as a direct indication of the neutron star spin.
Bradt Hale
Morgan Edward Harrington
Smith Alastair D.
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