Evidence for a parsec scale X-ray jet from the accreting neutron star Circinus X-1

Abstract

We analyzed the zero-order image of a 50 ks Chandra gratings observation of Circinus X-1, taken in 2005 during the source's low-flux state. Circinus X-1 is an accreting neutron star that exhibits ultra-relativistic arcsecond-scale radio jets and diffuse arcminute-scale radio jets and lobes. The image shows a clear excess along the general direction of the north-western counter-jet, coincident with the radio emission, suggesting that it originates either in the jet itself or in the shock the jet is driving into its environment. This makes Circinus X-1 the first neutron star for which an extended X-ray jet has been detected. The kinetic jet power we infer is significantly larger than the minimum power required for the jet to inflate the large scale radio nebula.

Added journal reference, corrected on reference and typo in labels for Fig. 1; 5 pages, 3 figures, ApJ Letter, in press

References in corpus (2)

• Detection of the radial velocity curve of the B5-A0 supergiant companion star of Cir X-1?
• The large-scale jet-powered radio nebula of Circinus X-1

Cited by in corpus (9)

• A new radio census of neutron star X-ray binaries
• Modeling the kinematics of the decelerating jets from the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1348$-$630
• The Variable Warm Absorber in Circinus X-1
• A decade of radio imaging the relativistic outflow in the peculiar X-ray binary Circinus X-1
• Shell-Shocked: The Interstellar Medium Near Cygnus X-1
• X-Ray Polarized View on the Accretion Geometry in the X-Ray Binary Circinus X-1
• The twisted jets of Circinus X-1
• Beyond XSPEC: Towards Highly Configurable Analysis
• A search for signatures of interactions of X-ray binary outflows with their environments with ALMA