X-Ray and Optical Observations of A 0535+26

Details X-Ray and Optical Observations of A 0535+26 X-Ray and Optical Observations of A 0535+26

2011-09-19

arxiv.org/abs/1109.3924v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

29, 10 figures, 1 table, submitted to ApJ

Scientific paper

We present recent contemporaneous X-ray and optical observations of the Be/X-ray binary system A 0535+26 with the Fermi/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and several ground-based observatories. These new observations are put into the context of the rich historical data and discussed in terms of the neutron star Be-disk interaction. The Be circumstellar disk was exceptionally large just before the 2009 December giant outburst, which may explain the origin of the unusual recent X-ray activity of this source. We found a peculiar evolution of the pulse profile during this giant outburst, with the two main components evolving in opposite ways with energy. A hard 30-70 mHz X-ray QPO was detected with GBM during this 2009 December giant outburst. It becomes stronger with increasing energy and disappears at energies below 25 keV. In the long-term a strong optical/X-ray correlation was found for this system, however in the medium-term the H{\alpha} EW and the V-band brightness showed an anti-correlation after \sim2002 August. Each giant X-ray outburst occurred during a decline phase of the optical brightness, while the H{\alpha} showed a strong emission. In late 2010 and before the 2011 February outburst, rapid V/R variations are observed in the strength of the two peaks of the H{\alpha} line. These had a period of \sim25 days and we suggest the presence of a global one-armed oscillation to explain this scenario. A general pattern might be inferred, where the disk becomes weaker and shows V/R variability beginning \sim6 months following a giant outburst.

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