Broadband X-Ray Properties of the Gamma-Ray Binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856
Abstract
We report on NuSTAR, XMM-Newton, and Swift observations of the gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856. We measure the orbital period to be 16.544 ± 0.008 days using Swift data spanning 1900 days. The orbital period is different from the 2011 gamma-ray measurement which was used in the previous X-ray study of An et al. using ∼400 days of Swift data, but is consistent with a new gamma-ray solution reported in 2014. The light curve folded on the new period is qualitatively similar to that reported previously, having a spike at phase 0 and broad sinusoidal modulation. The X-ray flux enhancement at phase 0 occurs more regularly in time than was previously suggested. A spiky structure at this phase seems to be a persistent feature, although there is some variability. Furthermore, we find that the source flux clearly correlates with the spectral hardness throughout all orbital phases, and that the broadband X-ray spectra measured with NuSTAR, XMM-Newton, and Swift are well fit with an unbroken power-law model. This spectrum suggests that the system may not be accretion-powered.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- June 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/806/2/166
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1505.02096
- Bibcode:
- 2015ApJ...806..166A
- Keywords:
-
- binaries: close;
- gamma rays: stars;
- stars: individual: 1FGL J1018.6–5856;
- X-rays: binaries;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 8 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ