Radio Emission from the Be/Black Hole Binary MWC 656
S. A. Dzib, M. Massi, F. Jaron
备注：
4 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, accepted in the Astronomy & Astrophysics letters. This new version contains language editor corrections and periastron phase updated
Context. MWC 656 is the recently discovered first binary system case composed of a Be-type star and an accreting black hole. Its low X-ray luminosity indicates that the system is in a quiescent X-ray state.
Aims. The aim of our investigation is to establish if the MWC 656 system has detectable radio emission and if the radio characteristics are consistent with those of quiescent black hole systems.
Methods. We used three archived VLA data sets, one hour each, at 3 GHz and seven new VLA observations, two hours each, at 10 GHz to produce very high sensitivity images, down to $\sim$1$\,μ$Jy.
Results. We detected the source twice in the new observations: in the first VLA run, at periastron passage, with a flux density of 14.2$\,\pm\,$2.9 $μ$Jy and by combining all together the other six VLA runs, with a flux density of $3.7 \pm 1.4$ $μ$Jy. The resulting combined map of the archived observations has the sensitivity of $1 σ= 6.6\, μJy$ but no radio emission is there detected.
Conclusions. The radio and X-ray luminosities agree with the behaviour of accreting binary black holes in the hard and quiescent state. In particular, MWC 656 in the $L_X$, $L_R$ plane occupies the same region as A0620$-$00 and XTE J1118+480, the faintest known black holes up to now.
MWC 656 is the first known Be/black hole (BH) binary system. Be/BH binaries are important in the context of binary system evolution and sources of detectable gravitational waves because they are possible precursors of coalescing neutron star/BH binaries. X-ray observations conducted in 2013 revealed that MWC 656 is a quiescent high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB), opening the possibility to explore X-ray/radio correlations and the accretion/ejection coupling down to low luminosities for BH HMXBs. Here we report on a deep joint Chandra/VLA observation of MWC 656 (and contemporaneous optical data) cond…
We find that the formation of MWC 656 (the first Be binary containing a black hole) involves a common envelope phase and a supernova explosion. This result supports the idea that a rapidly rotating Be star can emerge out of a common envelope phase, which is very intriguing because this evolutionary stage is thought to be too fast to lead to significant accretion and spin up of the B star. We predict $\sim 10-100$ of B BH binaries to currently reside in the Galactic disk, among which around $1/3$ contain a Be star, but there is only a small chance to observe a system with parameters resembling …
We present new spectroscopic observations of the Be/black hole binary MWC 656 obtained during the period 2015 - 2021. We measure the equivalent width of H$α$ (EW$_α$), H$β$ ($EW_β$), and the distance between the peaks of H$α$ ($ΔV_α$), H$β$ ($ΔV_β$), and FeII ($ΔV_{FeII}$) lines. Combining new and old data, we find that: - the density of the circumstellar disc of MWC 656 ($ΔV_α$ versus $EW_α$ diagram) is similar to the Be stars. For the Be stars we find the relation $ΔV_β= 0.999 ΔV_α+ 62.4$ km s$^{-1}$, and the position of MWC~656 corresponds to the average behaviour of the Be stars. This mean…
The AGILE satellite discovered the transient source AGL J2241+4454 in 2010 which triggered the study of the associated field allowing for the discovery of the first Be/black hole binary system: MWC 656. This binary was suggested to be the counterpart of AGL J2241+4454, but this is still not a firm association. In this work we explore the archival AGILE and Fermi/LAT data in order to find more transient events originating in the field of AGL J2241+4454 and address the possibility to link them to the accretion/ejection processes of MWC 656. We found a total of 9 other transient events with AGILE…
H_alpha observations of the Be/X-ray binary MWC 656
Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences（保加利亚科学院天文台与国家天文研究所）；Department of Applied Physics, Technical University of Sofia（索非亚理工大学应用物理系）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shumen University "Episkop Konstantin Preslavski"（舒门大学“主教康斯坦丁·普雷斯拉夫斯基”物理与天文学系）；Departamento de Física, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Jaén, Universidad de Jaén（哈恩大学哈恩高等理工学院物理系）；Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University（利物浦约翰摩尔斯大学天体物理研究所）；Office of the Vice Chancellor, Botswana International University of Science and Technology（博茨瓦纳国际科学与技术大学副校长办公室）
How are accretion discs affected by their outflows? To address this question for white dwarfs accreting from cool giants, we performed optical, radio, X-ray, and ultraviolet observations of the outflow-driving symbiotic star MWC 560 (=V694 Mon) during its 2016 optical high state. We tracked multi-wavelength changes that signalled an abrupt increase in outflow power at the initiation of a months-long outflow fast state, just as the optical flux peaked: (1) an abrupt doubling of Balmer absorption velocities; (2) the onset of a $20$ $μ$Jy/month increase in radio flux; and (3) an order-of-magnitud…
Context: MWC 656 has recently been established as the first observationally detected high-mass X-ray binary system containing a Be star and a black hole (BH). The system has been associated with a gamma-ray flaring event detected by the AGILE satellite in July 2010. Aims: Our aim is to evaluate if the MWC 656 gamma-ray emission extends to very high energy (VHE > 100 GeV) gamma rays. Methods. We have observed MWC 656 with the MAGIC telescopes for $\sim$23 hours during two observation periods: between May and June 2012 and June 2013. During the last period, observations were performed contempora…
Ultraviolet spectroscopy reveals a hot and luminous companion to the Be star+black hole candidate MWC 656
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie（马克斯·普朗克天文学研究所）；Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie, Universität Heidelberg（海德堡大学物理与天文学院）；Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Astronomisches Rechen-Institut（海德堡大学天文学中心，天文计算研究所）；Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology（加州理工学院天文学系）；Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Wissenschaftliches Rechnen, Universität Heidelberg（海德堡大学跨学科科学计算中心）；Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam（阿姆斯特丹大学安东·潘内科克天文学研究所）；Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University（佐治亚州立大学高分辨率天文学中心及物理与天文学系）；Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)（奥地利科学技术研究所）；European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere（欧洲南方天文台）
Here we report our first spectral observations of Be/X-ray and gamma-ray binaries obtained with the new Echelle spectrograph of the National Astronomical Observatory Rozhen. For four objects (LSI+61303, gamma Cas, MWC 148, 4U 2206+54), we report the parameters and estimate the sizes of their circumstellar discs using different emission lines (H-alpha, H-beta, H-gamma, HeI and FeII). For MWC 148, we find that the compact object goes deeply through the disc. The flank inflections of H-alpha can be connected with inner ring formed at the periastron passage or radiation transfer effects. We point …
HESS J0632+057 is an unidentified gamma-ray source located in the Monoceros region, probably associated with the massive Be star MWC 148. H.E.S.S. and VERITAS observations in the very high energy (VHE) range combined with Swift X-ray data indicate that this object is a new member of the elusive gamma-ray binary class. We present here results of VHE gamma-ray observations from VERITAS and HESS at energies above 100 GeV taken over more than six years. The observations confirm HESS J0632+057 as a point-like VHE source with a significance of more than 12 standard deviations. The VHE gamma-ray resu…
MWC 656 (= HD 215227) was recently discovered to be the first binary system composed of a Be star and a black hole (BH). We observed it with \textit{XMM-Newton}, and detected a faint X-ray source compatible with the position of the optical star, thus proving it to be the first Be/BH X-ray binary. The spectrum analysis requires a model fit with two components, a black body plus a power law, with $k_{\rm B}T = 0.07^{+0.04}_{-0.03}$~keV and a photon index $Γ= 1.0\pm0.8$, respectively. The non-thermal component dominates above $\simeq$0.8 keV. The obtained total flux is $F(0.3$--$5.5~{\rm keV}) = …
The few known gamma-ray binary systems are all associated with variable radio and X-ray emission. The TeV source HESS J0632+057, apparently associated with the Be star MWC148, is plausibly a new member of this class. Following the identification of a variable X-ray counterpart to the TeV source we conducted GMRT and VLA observations in June-September 2008 to search for the radio counterpart of this object. A point-like radio source at the position of the star is detected in both 1280 MHz GMRT and 5 GHz VLA observations, with an average spectral index, alpha, of ~0.6. In the VLA data there is s…
HESS J0632+057 has been recently identified as a new gamma-ray binary system. The source, located in the Monoceros region and associated with the massive Be star MWC 148, shows variability from radio to very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays, displaying a maximum of its non-thermal emission about 100 days after periastron passage (at orbital phases close to 0.3). We present here the results obtained with the VERITAS and H.E.S.S Cherenkov telescopes spanning a wide time interval from 2004 to 2012. The source is detected at TeV gamma-rays at a high significance level at orbital phase 0.3. We also rep…
The variable gamma-ray source HESS J0632+057 is an excellent candidate for a gamma-ray binary. The putative binary system was discovered as a point-like VHE gamma-ray source by HESS. Later measurements by VERITAS yielding no detection, provided evidence for variable emission in the gamma-ray domain. A variable X-ray source as well as a Be star (MWC 148) are found at the location of the gamma-ray source. Recently a periodic X-ray outburst occurring about every 320 days was reported by Swift (ATel 3152). The putative binary system was observed by the MAGIC stereo system in 2010 and 2011. Our mea…
We explore the possibility that radio loud gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) result from the collapse of massive stars in interacting binary systems, while radio quiet GRBs are produced by the collapse of single massive stars. A binary collapsar system can have the necessary angular momentum and energy budget to explain the longer prompt gamma-ray durations and higher isotropic energies seen in the the radio loud sub-sample of long GRBs. Additionally binary systems can lead to rich and extended circumstellar environments that allow for the presence of the long-lived radio afterglows seen in the radio lo…
Galactic transients, X-ray and gamma-ray binaries provide a proper environment for particle acceleration. This leads to the production of gamma rays with energies reaching the GeV-TeV regime. MAGIC has carried out deep observations of different transient and variable stellar objects of which we highlight 4 of them here: LSI+61 303, MWC 656, Cygnus X-1 and SN 2014J. We present the results of those observations, including long-term monitoring of Cygnus X-1 and LSI+61 303 (7 and 8 years, respectively). The former is one of the brightest X-ray sources and best studied microquasars across a broad r…
Context. After the detection of a 321-days periodicity in X-rays, HESS J0632+057 can be robustly considered a new member of the selected group of gamma-ray binaries. These sources are known to show extended radio structure at scales of milliarcseconds (mas). Aims. We present the expected extended radio emission on mas scales from HESS J0632+057. Methods. We observed HESS J0632+057 with the European VLBI Network (EVN) at 1.6 GHz in two epochs: during the January/February 2011 X-ray outburst and 30 days later. Results. The VLBI image obtained during the outburst shows a compact ~0.4 mJy radio so…
The presence and detectability of coherent radio emission from compact binary mergers (containing at least one neutron star) remains poorly constrained due to large uncertainties in the models. These compact binary mergers may initially be detected as Short Gamma-ray Bursts (SGRBs) or via their gravitational wave emission. Several radio facilities have developed rapid response modes enabling them to trigger on these events and search for this emission. For this paper, we constrain this coherent radio emission using the deepest available constraints for GRB 150424A, which were obtained via a tr…
We present the results of a weekly monitoring of the new black hole candidate X-ray binary MAXI J1631-472 carried out with the MeerKAT radio interferometer, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, and the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) instrument, during its 2018-2019 outburst. The source exhibits a number of X-ray states, in particular both high- and low-luminosity hard states bracketed by extended soft states. Radio flaring is observed shortly after a transition from hard/intermediate states to the soft state. This is broadly in agreement with existing empirical models, but its extended d…
LS I +61${^\circ}$303 is a $γ$-ray emitting X-ray binary with periodic radio outbursts with time scales of one month. Previous observations have revealed microflares superimposed on these large outbursts with periods ranging from a few minutes to hours. This makes LS I +61${^\circ}$303, along with Cyg X-1, the only TeV emitting X-ray binary exhibiting radio microflares. To further investigate these microflaring activity in LS I +61${^\circ}$303 we observed the source with the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope at 4.85, 8.35, and 10.45 GHz and performed timing analysis on the obtained data. Radio…
It is proposed that sources of repeating fast radio bursts with detected periodicity are magnetars with extremely short initial spin periods at the protoneutron star stage, formed in binaries after tidal synchronization of their progenitor cores on late stages of thermonuclear burning in very close systems with orbital periods about a few days. This formation channel is in several respects different from evolution of progenitors of normal magnetars, and thus, it explains some differences between repeating and non-repeating sources of FRBs.
HESS J0632+057 is one of only two unidentified high energy gamma-ray sources which appear to be point-like in nature. It is possibly associated with the massive star MWC 148 and has been suggested to resemble known TeV binary systems like LS I +61 303 or LS 5039. These binaries are rare and extreme (only three TeV binaries are known to date), and their gamma-ray emission mechanism has not been understood. HESS J0632+057 was observed by VERITAS, an array of four 12 m imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Based on these observations we present evidence for variability…
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are extragalactic, bright pulses of emission at radio frequency with milliseconds duration. Observationally, FRBs can be divided into two classes, repeating FRBs and non-repeating FRBs. At present, twenty repeating FRBs have been discovered with unknown physical origins. Localization of the first repeating FRB 121102 and discovery of an associated persistent radio source support that FRBs are powered by young millisecond magnetars, which could be formed by core-collapses of massive stars or binary neutron stars mergers. These two formation channels can be distinguished…
Binary neutron star (BNS) mergers are one of the proposed origins for both repeating and non-repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs), which associates FRBs with gravitational waves and short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In this work, we explore detectability of radio afterglows from BNS mergers and compare it to the observed radio limits on FRB afterglows. We calculate the afterglow flux powered by the two components: a relativistic jet and a slower isotropic ejecta, and quantify the detection probability as a function of the source redshift, observing time, and flux sensitivity. The model parameter di…
The high-mass X-ray binary LS I +61°303 exhibits variability in its radio and X-ray emissions, ranging from minute to hour time-scales. At such short time-scales, not much is known about the possible correlations between these two emissions from this source, which might offer hints to their origin. Here, we study the relationship between these emissions using simultaneous X-ray and radio monitoring. We present new radio observations using the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager Large Array telescope at two frequency bands, 13-15.5 and 15.5-18 GHz. We also describe new X-ray observations performed usi…
We present the results of our long term radio monitoring campaign at 1.3GHz (MeerKAT) and 15.5GHz (Arcminute Microkelvin Imager - Large Array, AMI-LA) for the outburst of the recently discovered neutron star X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814. Throughout the outburst, we observe radio emission consistent with a quasi-persistent, self-absorbed jet. In addition, we see two flares at MJD 58427 and 58530. The second flare allows us to place constraints on the magnetic field and minimum energy of the jet at 0.2G and 5x10^37erg, respectively. We use the multi-frequency radio data in conjunction with da…
We report the discovery of radio emission from the accreting X-ray pulsar and symbiotic X-ray binary GX 1+4 with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. This is the first radio detection of such a system, wherein a strongly magnetized neutron star accretes from the stellar wind of an M-type giant companion. We measure a $9$ GHz radio flux density of $105.3 \pm 7.3$ $μ$Jy, but cannot place meaningful constraints on the spectral index due to a limited frequency range. We consider several emission mechanisms that could be responsible for the observed radio source. We conclude that the observed prope…
In order to test the recently proposed classification of the radio/X-ray states of the X-ray binary Cyg X-3, we present an analysis of the radio data available for the system at much higher spatial resolutions than used for defining the states. The radio data set consists of archival VLBA data at 5 or 15 GHz and new e-EVN data at 5 GHz. We also present 5 GHz MERLIN observations of an outburst of Cyg X-3. In the X-ray regime we use quasi-simultaneous with radio, monitoring and pointed RXTE observations. We find that when the radio emission from both jet and core is globally considered, the beha…
The detection of gravitational waves from a neutron star merger, GW170817, marked the dawn of a new era in time-domain astronomy. Monitoring of the radio emission produced by the merger, including high-resolution radio imaging, enabled measurements of merger properties including the energetics and inclination angle. In this work we compare the capabilities of current and future gravitational wave facilities to the sensitivity of radio facilities to quantify the prospects for detecting the radio afterglows of gravitational wave events. We consider three observing strategies to identify future m…
High-mass binary systems involve extreme environments that produce non-thermal emission from radio to gamma rays. Only three types of these systems are known to emit persistent gamma-ray emission: colliding-wind binaries, high-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray binaries. This thesis is focused on the radio emission of high-mass binary systems through interferometric observations, and we have explored several of these sources with low- and high-frequency radio observations, and very high-resolution VLBI ones. We have studied two gamma-ray binaries, LS 5039 and LS I +61 303, at low frequencies. W…
Electromagnetic (EM) follow-up of gravitational wave (GW) candidates is important for verifying their astrophysical nature and studying their physical properties. While the next generation of GW detectors will have improved sensitivities to make the first detection of GW events, their ability to localize these events will remain poor during the early days of their operation. This makes EM follow-up challenging for most telescopes. Many new low frequency radio instruments have come online recently or will come online over the next few years, and their wide fields of view allow them to cover lar…
Motivated by the recent discovery of the binary neutron-star (BNS) merger GW170817, we determine the optimal observational setup for detecting and characterizing radio counterparts of nearby ($d_L\sim40$\,Mpc) BNS mergers. We simulate GW170817-like radio transients, and radio afterglows generated by fast jets with isotropic energy $E_{\rm iso}\sim 10^{50}$\,erg, expanding in a low-density interstellar medium (ISM; $n_{\rm ISM}=10^{-4}-10^{-2}$\,cm$^{-3}$), observed from different viewing angles (from slightly off-axis to largely off-axis). We then determine the optimal timing of GHz radio obse…
We present the results of modelling of the radio spectrum evolution and dispersion measure variations of PSR B1259-63, a pulsar in a binary system with Be star LS 2883. We base our model on a hypothesis that the observed variations of the spectrum are caused by thermal free-free absorption occurring in the pulsar surroundings. We reproduce the observed pulsar spectral shapes in order to examine the influence of the stellar wind of LS 2883 and the equatorial disc on the pulsar's radiation. The simulations of the pulsar's radio emission and its consequent free-free absorption give us an insight …
On 2014 April 23, the Swift satellite detected a gamma-ray superflare from the nearby star system DG CVn. This system comprises a M-dwarf binary with extreme properties: it is very young and at least one of the components is a very rapid rotator. The gamma-ray superflare is one of only a handful detected by Swift in a decade. As part of our AMI-LA Rapid Response Mode, ALARRM, we automatically slewed to this target, were taking data at 15 GHz within six minutes of the burst, and detected a bright (~100 mJy) radio flare. This is the earliest detection of bright, prompt, radio emission from a hig…
We present radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations which reveal that the binary millisecond pulsar / low-mass X-ray binary transition system PSR J1023+0038 has undergone a transformation in state. Whereas until recently the system harbored a bright millisecond radio pulsar, the radio pulsations at frequencies between 300 to 5000 MHz have now become undetectable. Concurrent with this radio disappearance, the gamma-ray flux of the system has quintupled. We conclude that, though the radio pulsar is currently not detectable, the pulsar mechanism is still active and the pulsar wind, as well as a n…
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are bright radio transients with short durations and extremely high brightness temperatures, and their physical origins are still unknown. Recently, a repeating source, FRB 20200120E, was found in a globular cluster in the very nearby M81 galaxy. The associated globular cluster has an age of $\sim9.13~{\rm Gyr}$, and hosts an old population of stars. In this work, we consider that an FRB source is in a close binary system with a low-mass main sequence star as its companion. Due to the large burst energy of the FRB, when the companion star stops the FRB, its surface wou…
PSR J1713+0747 is a binary system comprising millisecond radio pulsar with a spin period of 4.57 ms, and a low-mass white dwarf (WD) companion orbiting the pulsar with a period of 67.8 days. Using the general relativistic Shapiro delay, the masses of the WD and pulsar components were previously found to be $0.28\pm 0.03 M_{\odot}$ and $1.3\pm 0.2 M_{\odot}$ (68% confidence), respectively. Standard binary evolution theory suggests that PSR J1713+0747 evolved from a low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB). Here, we test this hypothesis. We used a binary evolution code and a WD evolution code to calculate e…
The frequency dependent eclipses of the radio emission from millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in compact binary systems provide an opportunity to understand the eclipse mechanism and to determine the nature of the eclipsing medium. We combine multifrequency observations from the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) and model the broadband radio spectrum in the optically thick to thin transition regime to constrain the eclipse mechanism. The best-fit model to the eclipse phase spectra favors synchrotron absorption by relativistic electrons. We are able to strongly constrain the frequency o…
Radio timing observations of a millisecond pulsar in orbit around the Galactic centre black hole (BH) or a BH at the centre of globular clusters could answer foundational questions in astrophysics and fundamental physics. Pulsar radio astronomy typically employs the post-Keplerian approximation to determine the system parameters. However, in the strong gravitational field around the central BH, higher order relativistic effects may become important. We compare the pulsar timing delays given by the post-Keplerian approximation with those given by a relativistic timing model. We find significant…
We investigate the birthrate problem for low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) and millisecond radio pulsars (MRPs) in this paper. We consider intermediate-mass and low-mss X-ray binaries (I/LMXBs) as the progenitors of MRPs, and calculate their evolutionary response to the cosmic star formation rate (SFR) both semi-analytically and numerically. With typical value (~1 Gyr) of the LMXB lifetime, one may expect comparable birthrates of LMXBs and MRPs, but the calculated number of LMXBs is an order of magnitude higher than observed in the Galaxy. Instead, we suggest that the birthrate problem could be …
Millisecond radio pulsars acquire their rapid rotation rates through mass and angular momentum transfer in a low-mass X-ray binary system. Recent studies of PSR J1824-2452I and PSR J1023+0038 have observationally demonstrated this link, and they have also shown that such systems can repeatedly transition back-and-forth between the radio millisecond pulsar and low-mass X-ray binary states. This also suggests that a fraction of such systems are not newly born radio millisecond pulsars but are rather suspended in a back-and-forth state switching phase, perhaps for giga-years. XSS J12270-4859 has …
The quasar J1918+4937 was recently suggested to harbour a milliparsec-separation binary supermassive black hole (SMBH), based upon modeling the narrow spike in its high-cadence Kepler optical light curve. Known binary SMBHs are extremely rare, and the tight constraints on the physical and geometric parameters of this object are unique. The high-resolution radio images of J1918+4937 obtained with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) indicate a rich one-sided jet structure extending to 80 milliarcseconds. Here we analyse simultaneously-made sensitive 1.7- and 5-GHz archive VLBI images as wel…
In this work, we propose an accreting stellar binary model for understanding the active periodic fast radio bursts (FRBs). The system consists of a stellar compact object (CO) and a donor star (DS) companion in an eccentric orbit, where the DS fills its own Roche lobe near the periastron. The CO accretes the material from the DS and then drive relativistic magnetic blobs. The interaction between the magnetic blobs and the stellar wind of the DS produces a pair of shocks. We find that both of the reverse shock and the forward shock are likely to produce FRBs via synchrotron maser mechanism. We …
Centaurus X-4 (Cen X-4) is a relatively nearby neutron star low-mass X-ray binary that showed outbursts in 1969 and 1979, but has not shown a full outburst since. Due to its proximity and sustained period of quiescence, it is a prime target to study the coupling between accretion and jet ejection in quiescent neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries. Here, we present four MeerKAT radio observations at 1.3 GHz of Cen X-4, combined with NICER and Swift X-ray monitoring. During the first and most sensitive observation, Cen X-4 was in a fully quiescent X-ray state. The three later and shorter observat…
The persistently bright ultra-compact neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1820$-$30 displays a $\sim$170 d accretion cycle, evolving between phases of high and low X-ray modes, where the 3 -- 10 keV X-ray flux changes by a factor of up to $\approx 8$. The source is generally in a soft X-ray spectral state, but may transition to a harder state in the low X-ray mode. Here, we present new and archival radio observations of 4U 1820$-$30 during its high and low X-ray modes. For radio observations taken within a low mode, we observed a flat radio spectrum consistent with 4U 1820$-$30 launching a c…
PSR B1259-63 is a 48 ms pulsar in a highly eccentric 3.4 year orbit around the young massive star LS 2883. During the periastron passage the system displays transient non-thermal unpulsed emission from radio to very high energy gamma rays. It is one of the three galactic binary systems clearly detected at TeV energies, together with LS 5039 and LS I +61 303. We observed PSR B1259-63 after the 2007 periastron passage with the Australian Long Baseline Array at 2.3 GHz to trace the milliarcsecond (mas) structure of the source at three different epochs. We have discovered extended and variable rad…
Detection of an Extremely Luminous Radio Counterpart to the Be/X-ray Binary A0538-66
University of Oxford（牛津大学）；University of Cape Town（开普敦大学）；SKA Observatory（平方公里阵列射电望远镜天文台）；Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, Universiteit van Amsterdam（阿姆斯特丹大学安东·潘内克天文研究所）；Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)（意大利国家天体物理研究所）；South African Astronomical Observatory（南非天文台）
We report results from a Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) monitoring campaign on the black hole X-ray binary V404 Cygni during its 2015 June outburst. The GMRT observations were carried out at observing frequencies of 1280, 610, 325 and 235 MHz, and extended from June 26.89 UT (a day after the strongest radio/X-ray outburst) to July 12.93 UT. We find the low-frequency radio emission of V404 Cygni to be extremely bright and fast-decaying in the outburst phase, with an inverted spectrum below 1.5 GHz and an intermediate X-ray state. The radio emission settles to a weak, quiescent state $\a…
Weakly accreting black hole X-ray binaries launch compact radio jets that persist even in the quiescent spectral state, at X-ray luminosities <1e-5 of the Eddington luminosity. However, radio continuum emission has been detected from only a few of these quiescent systems, and little is known about their radio variability. Jet variability can lead to misclassification of accreting compact objects in quiescence, and affects the detectability of black hole X-ray binaries in next-generation radio surveys. Here we present the results of a radio monitoring campaign of A0620-00, one of the best-studi…
Recent observations of repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) suggest that some FRBs reside in an environment consistent with that of binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. The bursting rate for repeaters could be very high and the emission site is likely from a magnetosphere. We discuss a hypothesis of producing abundant repeating FRBs in BNS systems. Decades to centuries before a BNS system coalesces, the magnetospheres of the two neutron stars start to interact relentlessly. Abrupt magnetic reconnection accelerates particles, which emit coherent radio waves in bunches via curvature radiation. FRBs …
We present new optical spectroscopy of the gamma-ray binary LS 5039. Our data show evidence for sub-orbital modulation in the radial velocities with amplitude ~7 km/s and period ~Porb/4. This short-term oscillation is stable over at least 7 years and it is likely triggered by non-radial oscillations of the O6.5V optical star. We also present the results of a spectroscopic campaign on MWC 148, the optical counterpart of the new gamma-ray binary candidate HESS J0632+067. Long-term variations in the Halpha and Hbeta emission line parameters are clearly detected which, if modulated with the binary…
Following the historical observations of GW170817 and its multi-wavelength afterglow, more radio afterglows from neutron star mergers are expected in the future as counterparts to gravitational wave inspiral signals. We wish to describe these events using our current knowledge of the population of neutron star mergers coming from gamma-ray burst science, and taking into account the sensitivities of current and future gravitational wave and radio detectors. We combine analytical models for the merger gravitational wave and radio afterglow signals to a population model prescribing the energetics…
