Physics
Scientific paper
Feb 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007noao.prop...92m&link_type=abstract
NOAO Proposal ID #2007A-0092
Physics
Scientific paper
GX 17+2 and GX 5-1 are Low Mass X-ray Binaries (LMXBs). LMXBs consist of a neutron star (or black hole) accreting material from a low mass star. Both GX 17+2 and GX 5-1 are also members of the subclass of ``Z-sources'', LMXBs that trace out a Z pattern in their X-ray color- color diagrams as the mass transfer rate fluctuates. While all Z sources are variable from the X-ray to the radio, GX 17+2 and GX 5-1 are unusual in that their K band emission varies by > 3 mag and > 1 mag respectively. The two most likely causes of this variability are a jet or large instabilities within their accretion disks. We propose a simple test of these two hypotheses using the KP2.1m SQIID and Andicam on the CTIO 1.3 m telescope. If the infrared variability arises from a jet it should be periodic, smoothly varying, and uncorrelated with the X- ray fluxes measured by the RXTE all-sky-monitor. If the infrared variability arises from an accretion disk instability, it should be non- periodic, highly non-uniform, but correlated with the X-ray emission. Longer term Andicam K-band measurements are requested to allow the duty cycle of these objects to be determined.
Bornak Jillian
Harrison Thomas
Hoffman Doug
McNamara Bernard
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