The Peculiar X-ray Transient IGR J16358-4726
Abstract
The new transient IGR J16358-4726 was discovered on 2003 March 19 with INTEGRAL. We detected the source serendipitously during our 2003 March 24 observation of SGR 1627-47 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory at the 1.7 x 10-10 ergs s-1 cm-2 flux level (2-10 keV) with a very high absorption column (NH=3.3 x 1023 cm-2) and a hard power law spectrum of index 0.5 ± 0.1. We discovered a very strong flux modulation with a period of 5880 ± 50 s and peak-to-peak pulse fraction of 70 ± 6% (2-10 keV), clearly visible in the x-ray data. The nature of IGR J16357-4726 remains unresolved. The only neutron star systems known with similar spin periods are low luminosity persistent wind-fed pulsars; if this is a spin period, this transient is a new kind of object. If this is an orbital period, then the system could be a compact Low Mass X-ray Binary.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003AAS...203.3103P