The variable radio jet of the accreting neutron star the Rapid Burster
May 30, 202415 pages
Published in:
- Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc. 533 (2024) 1, 756-770
- Published: Aug 7, 2024
e-Print:
- 2405.19827 [astro-ph.HE]
View in:
Citations per year
Abstract: (Oxford University Press)
The Rapid Burster is a unique neutron star low-mass X-ray binary system, showing both thermonuclear v-I and accretion-driven Type-II X-ray bursts. Recent studies have demonstrated how coordinated observations of X-ray and radio variability can constrain jet properties of accreting neutron stars – particularly when the X-ray variability is dominated by discrete changes. We present a simultaneous very large array, Swift, and INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory observing campaign of the Rapid Burster to investigate whether its jet responds to Type-II bursts. We observe the radio counterpart of the X-ray binary at its faintest-detected radio luminosity, while the X-ray observations reveal prolific, fast X-ray bursting. A time-resolved analysis reveals that the radio counterpart varies significantly between observing scans, displaying a fractional variability of || per cent. The radio faintness of the system prevents the robust identification of a causal relation between individual Type-II bursts and the evolution of the radio jet. However, based on a comparison of its low-radio luminosity with archival Rapid Burster observations and other accreting neutron stars, and on a qualitative assessment of the X-ray and radio light curves, we explore the presence of a tentative connection between bursts and jet: i.e. the Type-II bursts may weaken or strengthen the jet. The former of those two scenarios would fit with magnetorotational jet models; we discuss three lines of future research to establish this potential relation between Type-II bursts and jets more confidently.Note:
- Resubmitted to MNRAS after very minor revisions
- accretion, accretion discs
- stars: individual (MXB 1730−335)
- stars: neutron
- X-rays: binaries
- X-rays: bursts
- radio continuum: transients
References(177)
Figures(8)