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Dips and eclipses in the X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814 observed with NICER

Dips and eclipses in the X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814 observed with NICER
Dips and eclipses in the X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814 observed with NICER

We present the discovery of eclipses in the X-ray light curves of the X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814. From these, we find an orbital period of $P=76841.3-{-1.4}{+1.3}$ s (≈21.3 h) and an eclipse duration of $t-{\rm ec}=4098-{-18}{+17}$ s (≈1.14 h). We also find several absorption dips during the pre-eclipse phase. From the eclipse duration to orbital period ratio, the inclination of the binary orbit is constrained to i > 70°. The most likely range for the companion mass suggests that the inclination is likely to be closer to this value than 90. The eclipses are also consistent with earlier data, in which strong variability ('flares') and the long orbital period prevent clear detection of the period or eclipses. We also find that the bright flares occurred preferentially in the post-eclipse phase of the orbit, likely due to increased thickness at the disc-accretion stream interface preventing flares being visible during the pre-eclipse phase. This supports the notion that variable obscuration is responsible for the unusually strong variability in Swift J1858.6-0814.

astro-ph.HE
1365-2966
5600–5610
Buisson, D. J. K.
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Altamirano, D.
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Padilla, M. Armas
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Arzoumanian, Z.
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Bult, P.
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Segura, N. Castro
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Charles, P. A.
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Degenaar, N.
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Trigo, M. Díaz
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Eijnden, J. van den
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Fogantini, F.
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Gandhi, P.
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Gendreau, K.
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Hare, J.
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Homan, J.
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Knigge, C.
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Malacaria, C.
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Mendez, M.
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Darias, T. Muñoz
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Ng, M.
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Arabacı, M. Özbey
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Remillard, R.
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Strohmayer, T. E.
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Tombesi, F.
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Tomsick, J. A.
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Vincentelli, F.
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Walton, D. J.
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Buisson, D. J. K.
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Altamirano, D.
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Padilla, M. Armas
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Arzoumanian, Z.
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Bult, P.
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Segura, N. Castro
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Charles, P. A.
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Degenaar, N.
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Trigo, M. Díaz
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Eijnden, J. van den
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Fogantini, F.
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Gandhi, P.
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Gendreau, K.
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Hare, J.
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Homan, J.
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Knigge, C.
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Malacaria, C.
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Mendez, M.
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Darias, T. Muñoz
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Ng, M.
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Arabacı, M. Özbey
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Remillard, R.
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Strohmayer, T. E.
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Tombesi, F.
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Tomsick, J. A.
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Vincentelli, F.
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Walton, D. J.
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Buisson, D. J. K., Altamirano, D., Padilla, M. Armas, Arzoumanian, Z., Bult, P., Segura, N. Castro, Charles, P. A., Degenaar, N., Trigo, M. Díaz, Eijnden, J. van den, Fogantini, F., Gandhi, P., Gendreau, K., Hare, J., Homan, J., Knigge, C., Malacaria, C., Mendez, M., Darias, T. Muñoz, Ng, M., Arabacı, M. Özbey, Remillard, R., Strohmayer, T. E., Tombesi, F., Tomsick, J. A., Vincentelli, F. and Walton, D. J. (2021) Dips and eclipses in the X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814 observed with NICER. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 503 (4), 5600–5610. (doi:10.1093/mnras/stab863).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We present the discovery of eclipses in the X-ray light curves of the X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814. From these, we find an orbital period of $P=76841.3-{-1.4}{+1.3}$ s (≈21.3 h) and an eclipse duration of $t-{\rm ec}=4098-{-18}{+17}$ s (≈1.14 h). We also find several absorption dips during the pre-eclipse phase. From the eclipse duration to orbital period ratio, the inclination of the binary orbit is constrained to i > 70°. The most likely range for the companion mass suggests that the inclination is likely to be closer to this value than 90. The eclipses are also consistent with earlier data, in which strong variability ('flares') and the long orbital period prevent clear detection of the period or eclipses. We also find that the bright flares occurred preferentially in the post-eclipse phase of the orbit, likely due to increased thickness at the disc-accretion stream interface preventing flares being visible during the pre-eclipse phase. This supports the notion that variable obscuration is responsible for the unusually strong variability in Swift J1858.6-0814.

Text
2103.12787v1 - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 22 March 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 26 March 2021
Published date: 1 June 2021
Keywords: astro-ph.HE

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 448193
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/448193
ISSN: 1365-2966
PURE UUID: 6ca570dd-d58c-4ea5-9838-adfabf2c8fa2
ORCID for D. Altamirano: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3422-0074
ORCID for P. Gandhi: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3105-2615

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 14 Apr 2021 16:41
Last modified: 03 Sep 2024 01:49

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Contributors

Author: D. J. K. Buisson
Author: D. Altamirano ORCID iD
Author: M. Armas Padilla
Author: Z. Arzoumanian
Author: P. Bult
Author: N. Castro Segura
Author: P. A. Charles
Author: N. Degenaar
Author: M. Díaz Trigo
Author: J. van den Eijnden
Author: F. Fogantini
Author: P. Gandhi ORCID iD
Author: K. Gendreau
Author: J. Hare
Author: J. Homan
Author: C. Knigge
Author: C. Malacaria
Author: M. Mendez
Author: T. Muñoz Darias
Author: M. Ng
Author: M. Özbey Arabacı
Author: R. Remillard
Author: T. E. Strohmayer
Author: F. Tombesi
Author: J. A. Tomsick
Author: F. Vincentelli
Author: D. J. Walton

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