THE XMM-NEWTON/EPIC X-RAY LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS OF WR 6

R Ignace; K. G Gayley; W.-R Hamann; L. M Oskinova; D. P Huenemoerder; A. M. T Pollock; M McFall

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/775/1/29

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THE XMM-NEWTON/EPIC X-RAY LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS OF WR 6

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

THE XMM-NEWTON/EPIC X-RAY LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS OF WR 6

R Ignace, K. G Gayley, W.-R Hamann, L. M Oskinova, D. P Huenemoerder, A. M. T Pollock and M McFall

The Astrophysical journal, Vol.775(1), pp.1-12

09/20/2013

DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/775/1/29

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Abstract

We obtained four pointings of over 100 ks each of the well-studied Wolf-Rayet star WR 6 with the XMM-Newton satellite. With a first paper emphasizing the results of spectral analysis, this follow-up highlights the X-ray variability clearly detected in all four pointings. However, phased light curves fail to confirm obvious cyclic behavior on the well-established 3.766 day period widely found at longer wavelengths. The data are of such quality that we were able to conduct a search for event clustering in the arrival times of X-ray photons. However, we fail to detect any such clustering. One possibility is that X-rays are generated in a stationary shock structure. In this context we favor a corotating interaction region (CIR) and present a phenomenological model for X-rays from a CIR structure. We show that a CIR has the potential to account simultaneously for the X-ray variability and constraints provided by the spectral analysis. Ultimately, the viability of the CIR model will require both intermittent long-term X-ray monitoring of WR 6 and better physical models of CIR X-ray production at large radii in stellar winds.

ASTROPHYSICS

ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY

COSMIC PHOTONS

COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES

LIMITING VALUES

SATELLITES

STELLAR WINDS

VISIBLE RADIATION

WOLF-RAYET STARS

X RADIATION

Details

Title: Subtitle: THE XMM-NEWTON/EPIC X-RAY LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS OF WR 6
Creators: R Ignace - East Tennessee State University
K. G Gayley - University of Iowa
W.-R Hamann - Institute for Physics and Astronomy, University Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany
L. M Oskinova - Institute for Physics and Astronomy, University Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany
D. P Huenemoerder - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A. M. T Pollock - European Space Astronomy Centre
M McFall - Ohio State University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: The Astrophysical journal, Vol.775(1), pp.1-12
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/775/1/29
ISSN: 0004-637X
eISSN: 1538-4357
Publisher: Institute of Physics (IOP)
Language: English
Date published: 09/20/2013
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199786402771

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