GRO J1008−57: an (almost) predictable transient X-ray binary

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https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2013/07/aa21203-13/aa21203-13.html

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https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321203
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/29614

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UMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST) / Center for Research and Exploration in Space Sciences & Technology II (CRSST II)
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UMBC Physics Department

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4656-6881

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2013-07-08

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journal articles
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Kühnel, M., S. Müller, I. Kreykenbohm, F. Fürst, K. Pottschmidt, R. E. Rothschild, I. Caballero, et al. “GRO J1008−57: An (Almost) Predictable Transient X-Ray Binary.” Astronomy & Astrophysics 555 (July 1, 2013): A95. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321203.

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Abstract

A study of archival RXTE, Swift, and Suzaku pointed observations of the transient high-mass X-ray binary GRO J1008−57 is presented. A new orbital ephemeris based on pulse arrival-timing shows the times of maximum luminosities during outbursts of GRO J1008−57 to be close to periastron at orbital phase − 0.03. This makes the source one of a few for which outburst dates can be predicted with very high precision. Spectra of the source in 2005, 2007, and 2011 can be well described by a simple power law with high-energy cutoff and an additional black body at lower energies. The photon index of the power law and the black-body flux only depend on the 15–50 keV source flux. No apparent hysteresis effects are seen. These correlations allow us to predict the evolution of the pulsar’s X-ray spectral shape over all outbursts as a function of just one parameter, the source’s flux. If modified by an additional soft component, this prediction even holds during GRO J1008−57’s 2012 type II outburst.