2S1553-542: a Be/X-ray binary pulsar on the far side of the Galaxy

Abstract

We report the results of a comprehensive analysis of X-ray (Chandra and Swift observatories), optical (Southern African Large Telescope, SALT) and near-infrared (the VVV survey) observations of the Be/X-ray binary pulsar 2S1553-542. Accurate coordinates for the X-ray source are determined and are used to identify the faint optical/infrared counterpart for the first time. Using VVV and SALTICAM photometry, we have constructed the spectral energy distribution (SED) for this star and found a moderate NIR excess that is typical for Be stars and arises due to the presence of circumstellar material (disk). A comparison of the SED with those of known Be/X-ray binaries has allowed us to estimate the spectral type of the companion star as B1-2V and the distance to the system as $>15$ kpc. This distance estimation is supported by the X-ray data and makes 2S1553-542 one of the most distant X-ray binaries within the Milky Way, residing on the far side in the Scutum-Centaurus arm or even further.

8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

References in corpus (5)

• Catalogue of high-mass X-ray binaries in the Galaxy ($4^{th}$ edition)
• A catalogue of low-mass X-ray binaries in the Galaxy, LMC, and SMC (Fourth edition)
• First science with SALT: peering at the accreting polar caps of the eclipsing polar SDSS J015543.40+002807.2
• Accurate early positions for Swift GRBS: enhancing X-ray positions with UVOT astrometry
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Cited by in corpus (11)

• A catalogue of high-mass X-ray binaries in the Galaxy: from the INTEGRAL to the Gaia era
• Correlation between the luminosity and spin-period changes during outbursts of 12 Be binary pulsars observed by the MAXI/GSC and the Fermi/GBM
• A polarimetrically oriented X-ray stare at the accreting pulsar EXO 2030+375
• Radius of the neutron star magnetosphere during disk accretion
• GROJ1750-27: a neutron star far behind the Galactic Center switching into the propeller regime
• Catalog of the Galactic population of X-ray pulsars in High-mass X-ray binary systems
• Accreting on the edge: a luminosity-dependent cyclotron line in the Be/X-ray Binary 2S 1553-542 accompanied by accretion regimes transition
• Identification of an X-ray Pulsar in the BeXRB system IGR J18219$-$1347
• Spectral properties of the Be/X-ray pulsar 2S 1553-542 during Type II outbursts
• Temporal and spectral study of the X-ray pulsar 2S 1553-542 during the 2021 outburst
• Monte-Carlo simulations on possible collimation effects of outflows to fan-beamed emission of ultraluminous accreting X-ray pulsars