SUPERORBITAL MODULATION OF X-RAY EMISSION FROM GAMMA-RAY BINARY LSI +61 303
- School of Physical Sciences, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (Ireland)
- ISDC Data Center for Astrophysics, Chemin d'Ecogia 16, 1290 Versoix (Switzerland)
- Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow 117997 (Russian Federation)
- Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, 14-b Metrolohichna Street, Kiev 03680 (Ukraine)
- Astrophysics, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom)
We report the discovery of a systematic constant time lag between the X-ray and radio flares of the gamma-ray binary LSI +61 303, persistent over a long, multi-year timescale. Using the data from the monitoring of the system by RXTE we show that the orbital phase of X-ray flares from the source varies from {phi}{sub X} {approx_equal} 0.35 to {phi}{sub X} {approx_equal} 0.75 on the superorbital 4.6 yr timescale. Simultaneous radio observations show that periodic radio flares always lag the X-ray flare by {Delta}{phi}{sub X-R} {approx_equal} 0.2. We propose that the constant phase lag corresponds to the time of flight of the high-energy particle-filled plasma blobs from inside the binary to the radio emission region at the distance of {approx}10 times the binary separation distance. We put forward a hypothesis that the X-ray bursts correspond to the moments of formation of plasma blobs inside the binary system.
- OSTI ID:
- 22048002
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 747, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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