SRGA J181414.6-225604: A new Galactic symbiotic X-ray binary outburst triggered by an intense mass loss episode of a heavily obscured Mira variable

Abstract

We present the discovery and multi-wavelength characterization of SRGA J181414.6-225604, a Galactic hard X-ray transient discovered during the ongoing SRG/ART-XC sky survey. Using data from the Palomar Gattini-IR survey, we identify a spatially and temporally coincident variable infrared (IR) source, IRAS 18111-2257, and classify it as a very late-type (M7-M8), long period ($1502\pm 24$ days) and luminous ($M_K\approx -9.9\pm 0.2$) O-rich Mira donor star located at a distance of $\approx 14.6_{-2.3}^{+2.9}$ kpc. Combining multi-color photometric data over the last $\approx 25$ years, we show that the IR counterpart underwent a recent (starting $\approx 800$ days before the X-ray flare) enhanced mass loss (reaching $\approx 2.1\times 10^{-5}$ M${}_{\odot }$ yr${}^{-1}$) episode resulting in an expanding dust shell obscuring the underlying star. Multi-epoch follow-up from Swift, NICER and NuSTAR reveal a $\approx 200$ day long X-ray outburst reaching a peak luminosity of $L_X\approx 2.5\times 10^{36}$ erg s${}^{-1}$, characterized by a heavily absorbed ($N_{\mathrm{H}}\approx 6\times 10^{22}$ cm${}^{-2}$) X-ray spectrum consistent with an optically thick Comptonized plasma. The X-ray spectral and timing behavior suggest the presence of clumpy wind accretion together with a dense ionized nebula overabundant in silicate material surrounding the compact object. Together, we show that SRGA J181414.6-225604 is a new symbiotic X-ray binary in outburst, triggered by an intense dust formation episode of a highly evolved donor. Our results offer the first direct confirmation for the speculated connection between enhanced late-stage donor mass loss and active lifetimes of the symbiotic X-ray binaries.

32 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ

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