Tracking the Neutron Star ULX NGC 7793 P13 with XMM-Newton to Measure its Orbit
Abstract
Following a series of remarkable discoveries, we now know that someof the most luminous members of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX)population are actually powered by apparently super-Eddington neutron staraccretors. Three such systems are currently known: M82 X-2, NGC 7793 P13,and NGC 5907 ULX1. Here we propose two short XMM-Newton observationsof P13 to follow-up on our successful campaign in AO 16, to track theevolution of the pulse period, to confirm the orbital ephemeris, and tomonitor the X-ray spectrum. P13 is the ideal source for this program, asit is the ULX pulsar in which the pulsations are most clearly detected andthe only one for which the companion star is well known, allowing us tofully quantify the orbit and measure the inclination through X-ray timing.
- Publication:
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XMM-Newton Proposal
- Pub Date:
- October 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017xmm..prop..119F