An X-ray look at the first head-trail nebula in an X-ray binary
Abstract
Head-tail trails are a common feature in active galactic nuclei and pulsar bow-shocks. Heinz et al. (2008) suggested that also X-ray binaries, being jet sources moving with high velocities in dense media, can leave trails of highly ionized plasma that should be detectable at radio frequencies. During observations of faint-persistent X-ray binaries, we discovered an optical nebula around the X-ray binary SAX J1712.6-3739, consisting of a bow-shock ring-like nebula ``in front'' of the binary and two trails originating close to it. This is the first detection of such structure in a X-ray binary and it opens a new sub-field in the study of these objects. Observations with XMM-Newton and Chandra are now needed to investigate the properties of the surrounding nebula.
- Publication:
-
XMM-Newton Proposal
- Pub Date:
- October 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010xmm..prop..190S
- Keywords:
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- White Dwarf Binaries;
- Neutron Star Binaries;
- Cataclysmic Variables;
- ULXs;
- Black Holes;
- SAX J1712.6-373