Swift , XMM - Newton , and NuSTAR Observations of PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States)
- Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom)
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082 (China)
- Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 396 Yangfangwang, Guandu District, Kunming 650216 (China)
- Institute of Particle Physics and Astronomy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)
We report our recent Swift , NuSTAR , and XMM - Newton X-ray and Lijiang optical observations on PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213, the γ -ray binary candidate with a period of 45–50 years. The coming periastron of the system was predicted to be in 2017 November, around which high-energy flares from keV to TeV are expected. Recent studies with Chandra and Swift X-ray observations taken in 2015/2016 showed that its X-ray emission has been brighter by a factors of ∼10 than that before 2013, probably revealing some ongoing activities between the pulsar wind and the stellar wind. Our new Swift /XRT lightcurve shows no strong evidence of a single vigorous brightening trend, but rather several strong X-ray flares on weekly to monthly timescales with a slowly brightening baseline, namely the low state. The NuSTAR and XMM - Newton observations taken during the flaring and the low states, respectively, show a denser environment and a softer power-law index during the flaring state, implying that the pulsar wind interacted with the stronger stellar winds of the companion to produce the flares. These precursors would be crucial in studying the predicted giant outburst from this extreme γ -ray binary during the periastron passage in late 2017.
- OSTI ID:
- 22663422
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 843, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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