A New Orbital Ephemeris and Reinterpretation of Spectroscopic Data for the Supersoft X-ray Binary RX J0513.9-6951

Abstract

We have analyzed nearly eight years of MACHO optical photometry of the supersoft X-ray binary RX J0513.9-6951 and derived a revised orbital period and ephemeris. Previously published velocities are reinterpreted using the new ephemeris. We show that the spectroscopic characteristics of the system depend strongly on whether the system is in a high or low optical state. We also discuss the properties of the source's high/low optical states and its long-term light curve. Evidence for a 83.3-day periodicity in the photometry is presented.

16 pages, including 1 table, 5 figures. To appear in AJ

References in corpus (3)

• Calibration of the MACHO Photometry Database
• Six supersoft X-ray binaries: system parameters and twin-jet outflows
• FUV Spectroscopy of the Supersoft X-ray Binary RX J0513.9-6951

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• Optical and X-ray Properties of CAL 83: I. Quasi-periodic Optical and Supersoft Variability
• FUV Spectroscopy of the Supersoft X-ray Binary RX J0513.9-6951
• XMM Spectroscopy of the Transient Supersoft Source RX J0513.9-6951: probing the dynamic white dwarf photosphere
• Variability in the cycle length of the supersoft source RX J0513.9-6951
• A robust model for the origin of optical quasi-periodic variability in supersoft X-ray sources
• Multiwavelength modeling the SED of Luminous Supersoft X-ray Sources in Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud