The X-ray quiescence of Swift J195509.6+261406 (GRB 070610): an optical bursting X-ray binary?

Abstract

We report on a 63ks Chandra observation of the X-ray transient Swift J195509.6+261406 discovered as the afterglow of what was first believed to be a long duration Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB 070610). The outburst of this source was characterized by unique optical flares on timescales of second or less, morphologically similar to the short X-ray bursts usually observed from magnetars. Our Chandra observation was performed ~2 years after the discovery of the optical and X-ray flaring activity of this source, catching it in its quiescent state. We derive stringent upper limits on the quiescent emission of Swif J195509.6+261406 which argues against the possibility of this object being a typical magnetar. Our limits show that the most viable interpretation on the nature of this peculiar bursting source, is a binary system hosting a black hole or a neutron star with a low mass companion star (< 0.12 M_{\odot}), and with an orbital period smaller than a few hours.

5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

References in corpus (15)

• The strongest cosmic magnets: Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters and Anomalous X-ray Pulsars
• A low-magnetic-field Soft Gamma Repeater
• A Comprehensive Analysis of the Swift/XRT Data: II. Diverse Physical Origins of the Shallow Decay Segment
• 2D Cooling of Magnetized Neutron Stars
• Rapid optical and X-ray timing observations of GX 339-4: multi-component optical variability in the low/hard state
• Distances to Anomalous X-ray Pulsars using Red Clump Stars
• Exciting the Magnetosphere of the Magnetar CXOU J164710.2-455216 in Westerlund 1
• Superfluid Heat Conduction and the Cooling of Magnetized Neutron Stars
• From outburst to quiescence: the decay of the transient Anomalous X-ray Pulsar XTE J1810-197
• The cold neutron star in the soft X-ray transient 1H 1905+000
• Chandra and Swift observations of the quasi-persistent neutron star transient EXO 0748-676 back to quiescence
• GRB070610 : A Curious Galactic Transient
• The neutron star soft X-ray transient 1H1905+000 in quiescence
• ADAFs, accretion discs and outbursts in compact binaries
• Observations of the quiescent X-ray transients GRS 1124-684 (=GU Mus) and Cen X-4 (=V822 Cen) taken with ULTRACAM on the VLT

Cited by in corpus (13)

• SGRs and AXPs as rotation powered massive white dwarfs
• Gamma Ray Bursts in the Swift-Fermi Era
• The black hole candidate MAXIJ1659-152 in and towards quiescence in X-ray and radio
• A minor body falling onto a neutron star as an explanation for the unusual gamma-ray burst GRB 101225A
• The puzzling source IGR J17361-4441 in NGC 6388: a possible planetary tidal disruption event
• The X-ray properties of the black hole transient MAXI J1659-152 in quiescence
• Swift J1357.2-0933: the faintest black hole?
• Swift J174540.7-290015: a new accreting binary in the Galactic Center
• Variability of Optical Counterparts in the Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey
• Quiescent NIR and optical counterparts to candidate black hole X-ray binaries
• High Energy Transients
• Chandra X-ray and Gemini near-infrared observations of the eclipsing msec pulsar SWIFT J1749.4-2807 in quiescence
• The Timing Noise of Magnetars