A Multiwavelength View of $ρ$ Oph I: Resolving the X-ray Source Between A and B

Sean J. Gunderson; Jackson Codd; Walter W. Golay; David P. Huenemoerder; John M. Cannon; J. Alex Fluegel; Philip E. Griffin; Nathalie C. Haurberg; Richard Ignace; Alexandrea Moreno; Pragati Pradhan; Alexis Riggs; James Wetzel; Claude R. Canizares; the MACRO consortium

paper

A Multiwavelength View of $ρ$ Oph I: Resolving the X-ray Source Between A and B

arXiv:2509.26268

Abstract

We present a multiwavelength analysis of the central stellar pair of $ρ$ Oph, components A and B. Using recent high-resolution \textit{Chandra X-ray Observatory} observations, we demonstrate with high confidence that the dominant X-ray source is $ρ$ Oph B, while $ρ$ Oph A is comparatively X-ray faint. This result contrasts with earlier \textit{XMM-Newton} observations, which, due to limited spatial resolutions, attributed the X-ray emission to $ρ$ Oph A. An analysis of $ρ$ Oph B's X-ray light curves and spectra reveals properties more consistent with a cool star than a hot star. We therefore propose that $ρ$ Oph B is an Algol-like binary system, consisting of a B-type primary and an active, X-ray-emitting GK-type companion.

Accepted for publication in ApJ, 5 figures, 5 tables

A Multiwavelength View of ρ Oph I: Resolving the X-ray Source Between A and B

Abstract

A Multiwavelength View of $ρ$ Oph I: Resolving the X-ray Source Between A and B