Multiwavelength observations of the Be star/X-ray binary EXO2030+375 during outburst

Norton, A. J.; Chakrabarty, D.; Coe, M. J.; Everall, C.; Finger, M. H.; Prince, T .A.; Roche, P.; Stollberg, M. T. and Wilson, R. B. (1994). Multiwavelength observations of the Be star/X-ray binary EXO2030+375 during outburst. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 271(4) p. 981.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/271.4.981

Abstract

We present the results from a campaign to monitor the behaviour of the Be star/Xray binary EXO2030+375 during an X-ray outburst. The BATSE all-sky monitor on board the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory satellite regularly detects pulsed emission from EXO2030+375 when the neutron star is near periastron. Ground-based optical spectroscopic data plus infrared photometric and polarimetric data were obtained simultaneously with these X-ray data during a typical outburst in 1993 June/July. Despite an increase in the pulsed X-ray flux by an order of magnitude, neither the infrared luminosity nor the equivalent width, strength or profile of the Hα emission line showed any significant, correlated changes. We conclude that (i) reprocessing of the X-ray flux in the Be star circumstellar envelope, (ii) gravitational disruption of that envelope by the neutron star and (iii) enhanced emission from an Hii region formed around the neutron star are all minimal effects and below our detection threshold. We have also detected significant linear polarization in the infrared flux from EXO2030+375, and we discuss whether or not some fraction of this is intrinsic to the source.

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