The Discovery of the 2 Hour Modulated X-Ray Source EXO 033319-2554.2, an AM Herculis System
Abstract
The authors report the discovery of EXO 033319-2554.2, a soft X-ray source with 100% modulation of its soft X-ray flux, found during a systematic analysis of all of the EXOSAT soft X-ray data. The soft X-ray light curve, which has an on-off behavior, shows a period of 127.7±3.0 minutes. The bright part of the cycle lasts 0.55 in phase and is cut by an eclipse-like feature lasting 8 minutes. The optical counterpart has a magnitude of mv≈ 18.5. The characteristics of EXO 033319-2554.2 imply that it is an AM Her system. The companion star is probably responsible for the eclipse. Using the lengths of the bright phase and of the eclipse, the authors derive limits to the system geometry.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- May 1988
- DOI:
- 10.1086/185157
- Bibcode:
- 1988ApJ...328L..45O
- Keywords:
-
- Magnetic Stars;
- Stellar Mass Accretion;
- White Dwarf Stars;
- X Ray Binaries;
- X Ray Sources;
- Exosat Satellite;
- Modulation;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Astrophysics;
- STARS: ACCRETION;
- STARS: INDIVIDUAL ALPHANUMERIC: EXO 033319-2554.2;
- STARS: MAGNETIC;
- STARS: WHITE DWARFS;
- X-RAYS: BINARIES;
- X-RAYS: SOURCES