Cygnus X-3's Little Friend
Abstract
Using the unique X-ray imaging capabilities of the Chandra observatory, a 2006 observation of Cygnus X-3 has provided insight into a singular feature associated with this well-known microquasar. This extended emission, located ~16 arcseconds from Cygnus X-3, varies in flux and orbital phase (shifted by 0.56 in phase) with Cygnus X-3, acting like a celestial X-ray "mirror". The feature's spectrum, flux and time variations allow us to determine the location, size, density, and mass of the scatterer. We find that the scatterer is a Bok globule located along our line of sight, and discuss its relationship to Cygnus X-3. This is the first time such a feature has been identified with the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1211.2252,
title = {Cygnus X-3's Little Friend},
author = {Michael L. McCollough and Randall K. Smith and Lynne Valencic},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1211.2252},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
35 pages, 14 figures, 1 movie, accepted for publication by ApJ