Related papers: Doppler tomography of the transient X-ray binary C…
We present high and intermediate resolution spectroscopy of the X-ray nova Centaurus X-4 during its quiescent phase. Our analysis of the absorption features supports a K3-K5V spectral classification for the companion star, which contributes…
We present a study of the neutron star X-Ray Transient Cen X-4. Our aim is to look for any evidence of irradiation of the companion with a detailed analysis of its radial velocity curve, relative contribution of the donor star and Doppler…
We present VLT low resolution spectroscopy of the neutron star X-ray transient XTE J2123-058 during its quiescent state. Our data reveal the presence of a K7V companion which contributes 77 % to the total flux at 6300 A and orbits the…
We accurately determine the fundamental system parameters of the neutron-star X-ray transient Cen X-4 solely using phase-resolved high-resolution UVES spectroscopy. We first determine the radial-velocity curve of the secondary star and then…
Using phase resolved spectroscopic observations obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph on ESO's Kueyen Very Large Telescope supplemented by spectroscopic observations obtained with the Boller and Chivens Spectrograph…
We present phase resolved optical spectroscopy and X-ray timing of the neutron star X-ray binary EXO 0748-676 after the source returned to quiescence in the fall of 2008. The X-ray light curve displays eclipses consistent in orbital period,…
Quiescent emission from the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary Cen X-4 is seen to be variable on timescales from hundreds of seconds to years, suggesting that at least in this object, low-level accretion is important during quiescence. Here…
The low-mass X-ray binary Cen X-4 is the brightest and closest (<1.2 kpc) quiescent neutron star transient. Previous 0.5-10 keV X-ray observations of Cen X-4 in quiescence identified two spectral components: soft thermal emission from the…
Cen X-4 is one of the best studied low-mass neutron star transients in quiescence. Thanks to XMM-Newton large throughput, Cen X-4 was observed at the highest signal to noise ever. This allowed us to disclose rapid (>100 s), large (45+/-7…
We report the discovery of an optical counterpart to a quiescent neutron star in the globular cluster Omega Centauri (NGC 5139). The star was found as part of our wide-field imaging study of Omega Cen using the Advanced Camera for Surveys…
We obtained UV spectra of X-ray binary Scorpius X-1 in the 900-1200 A range with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer over the full 0.79 day binary orbit. The strongest emission lines are the doublet of O VI at 1032,1038 A and the C…
We explore, using an exact cooling code, the thermal evolution of a neutron star undergoing episodes of intense accretion, alternated by long periods of quiescence (e.g. Soft X-Ray Transients). We find that the soft component of the…
We present new optical and infrared (IR) observations of Cir X-1 taken near apastron. Both sets of spectra show asymmetric emission lines. Archival optical observations show that an asymmetric H-alpha emission line has been in evidence for…
In 1998 we made UV spectroscopic observations with HST/STIS of A0620-00 and Cen X-4, which are two X-ray novae (aka soft X-ray transients). These binary systems are similar in all respects except that the former contains a black hole and…
Using the Chandra/ACIS-I detector, we have identified an X-ray source (CXOU 132619.7-472910.8) in the globular cluster NGC 5139 with a thermal spectrum identical to that observed from transiently accreting neutron stars in quiescence. The…
We report on spectral and intensity variability analysis from a Chandra/ACIS-S observation of the transient, type-I X-ray bursting low-mass X-ray binary Cen X-4. The quiescent X-ray spectrum during this observation is statistically…
The globular cluster NGC 6440 is known to harbor a bright neutron-star X-ray transient. We observed the globular cluster with Chandra on two occasions when the bright transient was in its quiescent state in July 2000 and June 2003 (both…
We conducted the first long-term (60 days), multiwavelength (optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray) simultaneous monitoring of Cen X-4 with daily Swift observations from June to August 2012, with the goal of understanding variability in the low…
We report on BeppoSAX and Chandra observations of three Hard X-Ray Transients in quiescence containing fast spinning (P<5 s) neutron stars: A 0538-66, 4U 0115+63 and V 0332+53. These observations allowed us to study these transients at the…
We report on XMM-Newton observations performed on 2001 September 13-14 of the neutron star X-ray transient KS 1731-260 in quiescence. The source was detected at an unabsorbed 0.5-10 keV flux of only 4 - 8 x 10^{-14} erg/s, depending on the…