ABSTRACT
Accurate measurements of the masses of neutron stars are necessary to test binary evolution models, and to constrain the neutron star equation of state. In pulsar binaries with no measurable ...post-Keplerian parameters, this requires an accurate estimate of the binary system’s inclination and the radial velocity of the companion star by other means than pulsar timing. In this paper, we present the results of a new method for measuring this radial velocity using the binary synthesis code Icarus. This method relies on constructing a model spectrum of a tidally distorted, irradiated star as viewed for a given binary configuration. This method is applied to optical spectra of the newly discovered black widow PSR J1555–2908. By modeling the optical spectroscopy alongside optical photometry, we find that the radial velocity of the companion star is 397 ± 4 km s−1 (errors quoted at 95 per cent confidence interval), as well as a binary inclination of >75°. Combined with γ-ray pulsation timing information, this gives a neutron star mass of 1.67$^{+0.15}_{-0.09}$ M⊙ and a companion mass of 0.060$^{+0.005}_{-0.003}$ M⊙, placing PSR J1555–2908 at the observed upper limit of what is considered a black widow system.
Swift J1357.2-0933 is one of the shortest orbital period black hole X-ray transients. It exhibited deep optical dips together with an extremely broad H ... line during outburst. We present 10.4-m ...Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) time-resolved spectroscopy during quiescence searching for donor star absorption features. The large contribution of the accretion flow to the total luminosity prevents the direct detection of the companion. Nevertheless, we constrain the non-stellar contribution to be larger than ~80 per cent of the total optical light, which sets new lower limits to the distance (d > 2.29 kpc) and the height over the Galactic plane (z > 1.75 kpc). This places the system in the Galactic thick disc. We measure a modulation in the centroid of the H ... line with a period of P = 0.11 plus or minus 0.04 d which, combined with the recently presented full width at half-maximum-K... correlation, results in a massive black hole (M... > 9.3 M...) and an ...M2V companion star (M... ... 0.4 M...). We also present further evidence supporting a very high orbital inclination (i ... 80...). (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)
ABSTRACT
The systematic discovery of outflows in the optical spectra of low-mass X-ray binaries opened a new avenue for the study of the outburst evolution in these extreme systems. However, the ...efficient detection of such features in a continuously growing data base requires the development of new analysis techniques with a particular focus on scalability, adaptability, and automatization. In this pilot study, we explore the use of machine learning algorithms to perform the identification of outflows in spectral line profiles observed in the optical range. We train and test the classifier on a simulated data base constructed through a combination of disc emission line profiles and outflow signatures, emulating typical observations of low-mass X-ray binaries. The final, trained classifier is applied to two sets of spectra taken during two bright outbursts that were particularly well covered, those of V404 Cyg (2015) and MAXI J1820+070 (2018). The resulting classification gained by this novel approach is overall consistent with that obtained through traditional techniques, while simultaneously providing a number of key advantages over the latter, including the access to low-velocity outflows. This study sets the foundations for future studies on large samples of spectra from low-mass X-ray binaries and other compact binaries.
ABSTRACT
Binaries harbouring millisecond pulsars (MSPs) enable a unique path to determine neutron star (NS) masses: radio pulsations reveal the motion of the NS, while that of the companion can be ...characterized through studies in the optical range. PSR J1012+5307 is an MSP in a 14.5-h orbit with a helium-core white dwarf (WD) companion. In this work we present the analysis of an optical spectroscopic campaign, where the companion star absorption features reveal one of the lightest known WDs. We determine a WD radial velocity semi-amplitude of $K_2 = 218.9 \pm 2.2\, \rm km\, s^{-1}$, which combined with that of the pulsar derived from the precise radio timing, yields a mass ratio of q = 10.44 ± 0.11. We also attempt to infer the WD mass from observational constraints using new binary evolution models for extremely low-mass (ELM) WDs, but find that they cannot reproduce all observed parameters simultaneously. In particular, we cannot reconcile the radius predicted from binary evolution with the measurement from the photometric analysis ($R_{\rm WD}=0.047_{-0.002}^{+0.003}\, \mathrm{ R}_{\odot }$). Our limited understanding of ELM WD evolution, which results from binary interaction, therefore comes as the main factor limiting the precision with which we can measure the mass of the WD in this system. Our conservative WD mass estimate of $M_{\rm WD} = 0.165 \pm 0.015\, \mathrm{ M}_{\rm \odot }$, along with the mass ratio enables us to infer a pulsar mass of $M_{\rm NS} = 1.72 \pm 0.16\, \mathrm{ M}_{\rm \odot }$. This value is clearly above the canonical $\sim 1.4\, \mathrm{ M}_{\rm \odot }$, therefore adding PSR J1012+5307 to the growing list of massive MSPs.
Abstract
We present results of spectroscopic monitoring observations of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy F01004−2237. This galaxy was observed to undergo changes in its optical spectrum, detected by ...comparing a spectrum from 2015 with one from 2000. These changes were coincident with photometric brightening. The main changes detected in the optical spectrum are enhanced He
ii
λ
4686 emission and the appearance of He
i
λ
3898,
λ
5876 emission lines. The favored interpretation of these changes was that of a tidal disruption event (TDE) happening in 2010. However, subsequent work suggested that these changes are caused by another hitherto unknown effect related to variations in the accretion rate in the active galactic nucleus (AGN). Our optical spectroscopic monitoring observations show that the evolution of the He lines is in line with the evolution seen in TDEs and opposite of what is observed from reverberation-mapping studies of AGNs, renewing the discussion of the interpretation of the flare as a TDE.
ABSTRACT
We report the results of optical follow-up observations of 29 gravitational-wave (GW) triggers during the first half of the LIGO–Virgo Collaboration (LVC) O3 run with the Gravitational-wave ...Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) in its prototype 4-telescope configuration (GOTO-4). While no viable electromagnetic (EM) counterpart candidate was identified, we estimate our 3D (volumetric) coverage using test light curves of on- and off-axis gamma-ray bursts and kilonovae. In cases where the source region was observable immediately, GOTO-4 was able to respond to a GW alert in less than a minute. The average time of first observation was 8.79 h after receiving an alert (9.90 h after trigger). A mean of 732.3 square degrees were tiled per event, representing on average 45.3 per cent of the LVC probability map, or 70.3 per cent of the observable probability. This coverage will further improve as the facility scales up alongside the localization performance of the evolving GW detector network. Even in its 4-telescope prototype configuration, GOTO is capable of detecting AT2017gfo-like kilonovae beyond 200 Mpc in favourable observing conditions. We cannot currently place meaningful EM limits on the population of distant ($\hat{D}_L = 1.3$ Gpc) binary black hole mergers because our test models are too faint to recover at this distance. However, as GOTO is upgraded towards its full 32-telescope, 2 node (La Palma & Australia) configuration, it is expected to be sufficiently sensitive to cover the predicted O4 binary neutron star merger volume, and will be able to respond to both northern and southern triggers.
ABSTRACT
Over the past few years, ∼30 extragalactic fast X-ray transients (FXRTs) have been discovered, mainly in Chandra and XMM-Newton data. Their nature remains unclear, with proposed origins, ...including a double neutron star merger, a tidal disruption event involving an intermediate-mass black hole and a white dwarf, or a supernova shock breakout. A decisive differentiation between these three promising mechanisms for their origin requires an understanding of the FXRT energetics, environments, and/or host properties. We present optical observations obtained with the Very Large Telescope for the FXRTs XRT 000519 and XRT 110103 and Gran Telescopio Canarias observations for XRT 000519 designed to search for host galaxies of these FXRTs. In the gs, rs, and R-band images, we detect an extended source on the north-west side of the $\sim \, 1^{\prime \prime }$ (68 per cent confidence) error circle of the X-ray position of XRT 000519 with a Kron magnitude of gs = 26.29 ± 0.09 (AB magnitude). We discuss the XRT 000519 association with the probable host candidate for various possible distances, and we conclude that if XRT 000519 is associated with the host candidate a supernova shock breakout scenario is likely excluded. No host galaxy is found near XRT 110103 down to a limiting magnitude of R > 25.8.
We present 20 epochs of optical spectroscopy obtained with the GTC-10.4m telescope across the bright discovery outburst of the black hole candidate Swift J1727.8−162. The spectra cover the main ...accretion states and are characterised by the presence of hydrogen and helium emission lines, commonly observed in these objects. They show complex profiles, including double peaks, but also blue-shifted absorptions (with blue-edge velocities of 1150 km s
−1
), broad emission wings, and flat-top profiles, which are the usual signatures of accretion disc winds. Moreover, red-shifted absorptions accompanied by blue emission excesses suggest the presence of inflows in at least two epochs, although a disc origin cannot be ruled out. Using pre-outburst imaging from Pan-STARRS, we identify a candidate quiescent optical counterpart with a magnitude of
g
∼ 20.8. This implies an outburst optical amplitude of Δ
V
∼ 7.7, supporting an estimated orbital period of ∼7.6 h, which favours an early K-type companion star. Employing various empirical methods, we derive a distance to the source of
d
= 2.7 ± 0.3 kpc, corresponding to a Galactic plane elevation of
z
= 0.48 ± 0.05 kpc. Based on these findings, we propose that Swift J1727.8−162 is a nearby black hole X-ray transient that exhibited complex signatures of optical inflows and outflows throughout its discovery outburst.
Swift J1357.2-0933 is a black hole transient that is of particular interest due to the optical recurrent dips found during its first two outbursts (in 2011 and 2017), which lack an obvious X-ray ...equivalent. We present a study based on fast optical photometry during its two most recent outbursts, in 2019 and 2021. Our observations reveal that the optical dips were present in every observed outburst of the source, although they were shallower and showed longer recurrence periods in the two most recent and fainter events. We performed a global study of the dips properties in the four outbursts and found that they do not follow a common temporal evolution. In addition, we discovered a correlation with the X-ray and optical fluxes, with the dips being more profound and showing shorter recurrence periods for brighter stages. This trend seems to extend even to the faintest, quiescent states of the source. We discuss these results in the context of the possible connection between optical dips and outflows found in previous works.
ABSTRACT
MAXI J1305-704 has been proposed as a high-inclination candidate black hole X-ray binary in view of its X-ray properties and dipping behaviour during outburst. We present photometric and ...spectroscopic observations of the source in quiescence that allow us to reveal the ellipsoidal modulation of the companion star and absorption features consistent with those of an early K-type star ($T_{\rm eff}=4610^{+130}_{-160}\, {\rm K}$). The central wavelengths of the absorption lines vary periodically at $P_{\rm orb}=0.394\pm 0.004\, {\rm d}$ with an amplitude of $K_2=554\pm 8\, {\rm km \, s^{-1}}$. They imply a mass function for the compact object of $f(M_1)=6.9\pm 0.3\, {\rm M}_\odot$, confirming its black hole nature. The simultaneous absence of X-ray eclipses and the presence of dips set a conservative range of allowed inclinations $60\, {\rm deg}\lt i\lt 82\, {\rm deg}$, while modelling of optical light curves further constrain it to $i=72^{+5}_{-8}\, {\rm deg}$. The above parameters together set a black hole mass of $M_1= 8.9_{-1.0}^{+1.6}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ and a companion mass of $M_2= 0.43\pm 0.16\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$, much lower than that of a dwarf star of the observed spectral type, implying it is evolved. Estimates of the distance to the system ($d=7.5^{+1.8}_{-1.4}\, {\rm kpc}$) and space velocity ($v_{\rm space}=270\pm 60 \, {\rm km\, s^{-1}}$) place it in the Galactic thick disc and favour a significant natal kick during the formation of the BH if the supernova occurred in the Galactic Plane.
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