The Discovery of 8.9 Second Pulsations from the Variable X-Ray Source 2E 0050.1-7247 in the Small Magellanic Cloud
Abstract
During a systematic search for periodic signals in a sample of ROSAT PSPC light curves, we discovered ~8.9 s X-ray pulsations in 2E 0050.1-7247, a variable X-ray source in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The source was detected several times between 1979 and 1993 at luminosity levels ranging from ~5 × 1034 ergs s-1 up to 1.4 × 1036 ergs s-1 with both the Einstein IPC and ROSAT PSPC. The X-ray energy spectrum is consistent with a power-law spectrum that steepens as the source luminosity decreases. We revealed a pronounced Hα activity from at least two B stars in the X-ray error circles. These results strongly suggest that the X-ray pulsar 2E 0050.1-7247 is in a Be-type massive binary.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- August 1997
- DOI:
- 10.1086/310779
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/9705105
- Bibcode:
- 1997ApJ...484L.141I
- Keywords:
-
- STARS: BINARIES: GENERAL;
- STARS: EMISSION-LINE;
- BE;
- STARS: PULSARS: INDIVIDUAL ALPHANUMERIC: 2E 0050.1-;
- 247;
- STARS: ROTATION;
- X-RAYS: STARS;
- Stars: Binaries: General;
- Stars: Pulsars: Individual: Alphanumeric: 2E 0050.1-7247;
- Stars: Emission-Line;
- Be;
- Stars: Rotation;
- X-Rays: Stars;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 13 pages plus 3 postscript figures, AAS style LaTeX file Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters