Published August 10, 2011 | Version v1
Journal article Metadata-only

A NEW TeV BINARY: THE DISCOVERY OF AN ORBITAL PERIOD IN HESS J0632+057

Creators

  • 1. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)
  • 2. Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 (United States)
  • 3. Max-Plank-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Saupferchekweg, Bothe-Labor, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)
  • 4. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)
  • 5. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
  • 6. Alder Planetarium, Chicago, IL 60605 (United States)

Description

HESS J0632+057 is a variable, point-like source of very high energy (>100 GeV) gamma rays located in the Galactic plane. It is positionally coincident with a Be star, it is a variable radio and X-ray source, has a hard X-ray spectrum, and has low radio flux. These properties suggest that the object may be a member of the rare class of TeV/X-ray binary systems. The definitive confirmation of this would be the detection of a periodic orbital modulation of the flux at any wavelength. We have obtained Swift X-Ray Telescope observations of the source from MJD 54857 to 55647 (2009 January-2011 March) to test the hypothesis that HESS J0632+057 is an X-ray/TeV binary. We show that these data exhibit flux modulation with a period of 321 ± 5 days and we evaluate the significance of this period by calculating the null hypothesis probability, allowing for stochastic flaring. This periodicity establishes the binary nature of HESS J0632+057.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/737/1/L11

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1088/2041-8205/737/1/L11;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Journal Volume
737
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
[5 p.]
ISSN
2041-8205

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
43040304
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
BINARY STARS; GAMMA RADIATION; HARD X RADIATION; X-RAY SOURCES
Descriptors DEC
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; IONIZING RADIATIONS; RADIATION SOURCES; RADIATIONS; STARS; X RADIATION