INTEGRAL observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud
Abstract
The first INTEGRAL observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud (carried out in 2003) are reported in which two sources are clearly detected. The first source, SMC X-1, shows a hard X-ray eclipse and measurements of its pulse period indicate a continuation of the long-term spin-up now covering ~30 years. The second source is likely to be a high mass X-ray binary, and shows a potential periodicity of 6.8s in the IBIS lightcurve. An exact X-ray or optical counterpart cannot be designated, but a number of proposed counterparts are discussed. One of these possible counterparts shows a strong coherent optical modulation at ~2.7d, which, together with the measured hard X-ray pulse period, would lead to this INTEGRAL source being classified as the fourth known high mass Roche lobe overflow system.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0709.0633,
title = {INTEGRAL observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud},
author = {V. A. McBride and M. J. Coe and A. J. Bird and A. J. Dean and A. B. Hill and K. E. McGowan and M. P. E. Schurch and A. Udalski and I. Soszynski and M. Finger and C. A. Wilson and R. H. D. Corbet and I. Negueruela},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0709.0633},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
Accepted for publication in MNRAS