Issue |
A&A
Volume 374, Number 3, August II 2001
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 1009 - 1016 | |
Section | Interstellar and circumstellar matter | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20010773 | |
Published online | 15 August 2001 |
The discovery and study of the optical counterparts of the transient X-ray pulsars RX J0052.1-7319 and XTE J0111.2-7317 in the SMC *
1
Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Bianchi 46, 23807 Merate (LC), Italy
2
Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Université, 67000 Strasbourg, France
3
Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, 00040 Monteporzio Catone, Roma, Italy
4
Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere, 00133 Roma, Italy
5
Università "La Sapienza" , Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy
Corresponding author: S. Covino, covino@merate.mi.astro.it
Received:
3
April
2001
Accepted:
23
May
2001
We report on the discovery and confirmation of the optical counterparts of the two
transient X-ray pulsars, RX J0052.1-7319 and
XTE J0111.2-7317. In the narrow (~ radius) X-ray
error circle of RX J0052.1-7319 we found a
(
)
09.5IIIe (a classification as a B0Ve star is also possible, since the
luminosity class depends on the uncertainty on the adopted reddening).
Medium resolution spectra for this object show Balmer lines in emission with
an equivalent width of H
Å.
In the X-ray error box of XTE J0111.2-7317 we found a
relatively bright object (
,
) which has been classified as
a B0.5-B1Ve star and that was later confirmed by Coe et al. (2000) as the most
plausible counterpart for XTE J0111.2-7317. Also in this case we easily detect Balmer emission lines
with an Hα equivalent width of about -21 Å. There is also evidence
for the presence of a surrounding nebula, possibly a supernova remnant.
A further bright B0Ve star was found just outside the X-ray error circle of
XTE J0111.2-7317. We discuss the implication of these results in
the light of the current knowledge of Be/X-ray binary systems in the
Magellanic Clouds and within our Galaxy.
Key words: pulsars: individual (RX J0052.1-7319, XTE J0111.2-7317) / stars: neutron / X / ray: stars
© ESO, 2001
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.