The radio counterpart of the likely TeV binary HESSJ0632+057
Abstract
The few known γ-ray binary systems are all associated with variable radio and X-ray emission. The TeV source HESSJ0632+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 Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) and Very Large Array (VLA) observations in 2008 June-September 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, α, of ~0.6. In the VLA data there is significant flux variability on ~month time-scales around the mean flux density of ~0.3mJy. These radio properties (and the overall spectral energy distribution) are consistent with an interpretation of HESSJ0632+057 as a lower power analogue of the established γ-ray binary systems.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- October 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15272.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0906.3411
- Bibcode:
- 2009MNRAS.399..317S
- Keywords:
-
- radio continuum: stars;
- X-rays: binaries;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in MNRAS (7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table)