Astron. Astrophys. 361, 823-826 (2000)

A multi-frequency identification study of the SMC X-ray binary AX J0049-732

M.D. Filipovi ^1,2,3, W. Pietsch ¹ and F. Haberl <sup>1

1</sup> Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, 85740 Garching, Germany (fica, wnp, fwh@mpe.mpg.de)
² University of Western Sydney Nepean, P.O. Box 10, Kingswood NSW 2747, Australia
³ Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, P.O. Box 76, Epping NSW 2121, Australia

Received 11 October 1999 / Accepted 20 July 2000

Abstract

We present a high-resolution multi-frequency identification study of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) region around the newly discovered X-ray pulsar AX J0049-732. ROSAT PSPC images show three X-ray sources near the ASCA source position. We combine X-ray, radio-continuum and optical data to identify these sources. RX J0049.2-7311 and RX J0049.5-7310 did not show long-term time variability nor pulsations during the ROSAT observations and both are not detected in the radio. We identify RX J0049.5-7310 with an emission line star in the catalogue of Meyssonier & Azzopardi (1993). This catalogue contains several known Be/X-ray binaries strongly suggesting the ROSAT source as new Be/X-ray binary. RX J0049.5-7310 is therefore very likely the counterpart of the ASCA X-ray pulsar AX J0049-732. The third source RX J0049.1-7314 is associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) DEM S49 (B0047-735).

Key words: galaxies: Magellanic Clouds ISM: individual objects: AX J0049-732, SNR B0047-735 ISM: supernova remnants stars: binaries: general X-rays: galaxies

Send offprint requests to: M.D. Filipovi (fica@mpe.mpg.de)

SIMBAD Objects

Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Observations and data analysis
  • 2.1. X-ray data
  • 2.2. Radio-continuum data
• 3. Discussion
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 2000

Online publication: October 10, 2000
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