H-alpha Emission Variability in the gamma-ray Binary LS I +61 303
arXiv:1009.2173 · doi:10.1088/0004-637X/724/1/379
Abstract
LS I +61 303 is an exceptionally rare example of a high mass X-ray binary (HMXB) that also exhibits MeV-TeV emission, making it one of only a handful of "gamma-ray binaries". Here we present H-alpha spectra that show strong variability during the 26.5 day orbital period and over decadal time scales. We detect evidence of a spiral density wave in the Be circumstellar disk over part of the orbit. The H-alpha line profile also exhibits a dramatic emission burst shortly before apastron, observed as a redshifted shoulder in the line profile, as the compact source moves almost directly away from the observer. We investigate several possible origins for this red shoulder, including an accretion disk, mass transfer stream, and a compact pulsar wind nebula that forms via a shock between the Be star's wind and the relativistic pulsar wind.
Accepted to ApJ
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Cited by in corpus (12)
- Gamma-ray binaries and related systems
- On the binary nature of the gamma-ray sources AGL J2241+4454 (=MWC 656) and HESS J0632+057 (=MWC 148)
- Associating long-term gamma-ray variability with the superorbital period of LS I 61 303
- Unveiling the super-orbital modulation of LS I +61 303 in X-rays
- Superorbital modulation of X-ray emission from gamma-ray binary LSI +61 303
- On the origin of correlated X-ray/VHE emission from LS I +61 303
- A Radio Pulsar Search of the Gamma-ray Binaries LS I +61 303 and LS 5039
- H-alpha observations of the gamma-ray-emitting Be/X-ray binary LSI+61303: orbital modulation, disk truncation, and long-term variability
- Optical spectroscopy of Be/gamma-ray binaries
- Connection between orbital modulation of H-alpha and gamma-rays in the Be/X-ray binary LSI+61303
- Optical and Near-Infrared Monitoring of Gamma-ray Binaries Hosting Be Stars
- Discovery of faint double-peak Halpha emission in the halo of low redshift galaxies