A Multiwavelength Study of 1WGA J1346.5-6255: A New γ Cas Analog Unrelated to the Background Supernova Remnant G309.2-00.6
Abstract
1WGA J1346.5-6255 is a ROSAT X-ray source found within the radio lobes of the supernova remnant (SNR) G309.2-00.6. It appears to coincide with the bright and early-type star HD 119682, in the galactic open cluster NGC 5281. Its radio morphology, consisting of two brightened and distorted arcs of emission on opposite sides of the 1WGA J1346.5-6255 source and of a jetlike feature and break in the shell, suggest that 1WGA J1346.5-6255/G309.2-00.6 is a young analog of the microquasar powering the W50 nebula SS 433. This motivated us to study this source at X-ray and optical wavelengths. We present new Chandra observations of 1WGA J1346.5-6255, archival XMM-Newton observations of G309.2-00.6, and optical spectroscopic observations of HD 119682, to search for X-ray jets from 1WGA J1346.5-6255, study its association with the SNR, and test for whether HD 119682 represents its optical counterpart. We find no evidence for jets from 1WGA J1346.5-6255 down to an unabsorbed flux of 2.6×10-13 ergs cm-2 s (0.5-7.5 keV), we rule out its association with G309.2-00.6, and we confirm that HD 119682 is its optical counterpart. We derive a distance of 1.2+/-0.3 kpc, consistent with the distance estimate to NGC 5281 (1.3+/-0.3 kpc), and much smaller than the distance derived to G309.2-00.6. We discuss the nature of the source, unveil that HD 119682 is a Be star, and suggest it is a new member of the recently proposed group of γ Cas analogs. The Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray light curves show variability on timescales of hundreds of seconds, and the presence of a possible period of ~1500 s that could be the rotational period of an accreting neutron star or white dwarf in this γ Cas analog.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- April 2007
- DOI:
- 10.1086/512055
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0607551
- Bibcode:
- 2007ApJ...659..407S
- Keywords:
-
- ISM: Abundances;
- ISM: individual (G309.2-00.6);
- open clusters and associations: individual (NGC 5281);
- Stars: Emission-Line;
- Be;
- stars: individual (HD 119682);
- X-rays: individual (1RXS J134633.6-625528);
- X-rays: individual (1WGA J1346.5-6255);
- X-rays: individual (SNR G309.2-00.6);
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 28 pages using emulateapj.cls -- including 3 tables and 16 figures (figs 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15 are in color). Fig. 3's resolution is reduced for astro-ph submission only. The original version can be downloaded from http://www.physics.umanitoba.ca/~samar/ms-1WGAJ1346.5-6255.pdf Submitted July 19 (2006), accepted Dec 26 (2006). Minor revisions following referee's report. To appear in the Astrophysical Journal, April 2007