First detection of phase-dependent colliding wind X-ray emission outside the Milky Way


Yael Naze (1), Michael F. Corcoran (2), Gloria Koenisgberger (3), Anthony F.J. Moffat (4)

(1) : IAGL, Univ. Liege, Belgium
(2) : GSFC, USA
(3) : UNAM, Mexico
(4) : Univ. Montreal, Canada

After having reported the detection of X-rays emitted by the peculiar system HD5980, we assess here the origin of this high-energy emission from additional X-ray observations obtained with XMM-Newton. This research provides the first detection of apparently periodic X-ray emission from hot gas produced by the collision of winds in an evolved massive binary outside the Milky Way. It also provides the first X-ray monitoring of a Luminous Blue Variable only years after its eruption and shows that the dominant source of the X-rays is not associated with the ejecta.

Reference: accepted by ApJ (letters)
Status: Manuscript has been accepted

Weblink: http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0702403

Comments: a small movie showing the evolution of the X-ray luminosity from the system is also available.

Email: naze@astro.ulg.ac.be