Rotationally modulated X-ray emission from the single O star ζ Ophiuchi

¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK
² Computer & Science Co., Ltd., 34 Westwood Road, Sheffield S11 7EY, UK

Corresponding author: L. M. Oskinova, lida@astro.gla.ac.uk

Received: 21 August 2001
Accepted: 31 August 2001

Abstract

Archived measurements by the X-ray Telescope on board the ASCA satellite of the single runaway O9.5V star, ζOphiuchi, are analysed. The data set is unique as it covers just more than one full rotational period of the star. We report a clearly detected periodic X-ray flux variability with amplitude ~20% in the ASCA passband (0.5-10 keV). The detected period possibly indicates a connection with the recurrence time () of the discrete absorption components (DACs) in UV spectra of the star, thought to be due to the presence of large scale structures in the stellar wind modulated by rotation. We attribute the X-ray fluctuation with an uneven distribution of X-ray absorbing material. We also report that an analysis of similar ASCA observations of ζPuppis failed to confirm earlier reported variability of X-rays from this star based on Rosat observations.