| Issue |
A&A
Volume 489, Number 2, October II 2008
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 657 - 667 | |
| Section | Stellar structure and evolution | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20079097 | |
| Published online | 30 July 2008 | |
INTEGRAL, XMM-Newton and ESO/NTT identification of AX J1749.1-2733: an obscured and probably distant Be/X-ray binary*
Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Université Paris Diderot, IRFU/Service d'Astrophysique, Bât. 709, CEA-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France e-mail: [juan-antonio.zurita-heras;sylvain.chaty]@cea.fr
Received:
19
November
2007
Accepted:
18
June
2008
Context. AX J1749.1-2733 is an unclassified transient X-ray source discovered during surveys by ASCA in 1993–1999. The transient behaviour and the short and bright flares of the source have led to the idea that it is part of the recently revealed subclass of supergiant fast X-ray transients.
Aims. A multi-wavelength study in NIR, optical, X-rays, and hard X-rays of AX J1749.1-2733 is undertaken in order to determine its nature.
Methods. Public INTEGRAL data and our target of opportunity observation with XMM-Newton were used to study the high-energy source through timing and spectral analysis. Multi-wavelength observations in optical and NIR with the ESO/NTT telescope were also performed to search for the counterpart.
Results. AX J1749.1-2733 is a new high-mass X-ray binary pulsar with an orbital period of 
days (or 
with 
) and a spin period of ~66 s, parameters typical of a Be/X-ray binary. The outbursts last ~12 d. A spin-down of
s yr -1 is also observed, very likely due to the propeller effect. The most accurate X-ray
position is RA (2000) 
and Dec 
. The high-energy broad-band
spectrum is well-fitted with an absorbed powerlaw and a high-energy cutoff with values 
cm-2,
, and 
keV. The only optical/NIR candidate counterpart within the X-ray error circle
has magnitudes of 
, 
, 
, 
, and 
, which points
towards a Be star located far away (>8.5 kpc) and highly absorbed (
cm-2). The average 22–50 keV luminosity is 0.4–
during the long outbursts and 
during the bright flare that occurred on MJD 52891 for an assumed distance of 8.5 kpc.
Key words: X-ray: binaries / X-rays: individuals: AX J1749.1-2733 / infrared: stars
Based on observations made with 1) INTEGRAL, an ESA project with instruments and science data centre funded by ESA member states (especially the PI countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain), Czech Republic and Poland, and with the participation of Russia and the USA; 2) XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA; and 3) ESO Telescopes at the La Silla or Paranal Observatories under programme ID 079.D-0432(A).
© ESO, 2008
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