Astron. Astrophys. 349, 495-504 (1999)

An X-ray study of the dipping low mass X-ray binary XB 1323-619

M. Bauciska-Church ¹, M.J. Church ¹, T. Oosterbroek ², A. Segreto ³, R. Morley ¹ and A.N. Parmar <sup>2

1</sup> School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
² Astrophysics Division, Space Science Department of ESA, ESTEC, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
³ Instituto IFCAI, via La Malfa 153, I-90146 Palermo, Italy

Received 4 March 1999 / Accepted 25 June 1999

Abstract

During a BeppoSAX observation of the low-mass X-ray binary dip source XB 1323-619 a total of 10 type I X-ray bursts and parts of 12 intensity dips were observed. During non-bursting, non-dipping intervals, the 1.0-150 keV BeppoSAX spectrum can be modelled by a cutoff power-law with a photon index of , a cutoff energy of keV together with a blackbody with kT of keV contributing 15% of the 2-10 keV flux. Absorption equivalent to  atom cm^-2 is required. The dips repeat with a period of  hr and span 40% of the orbital cycle. During dips the maximum reduction in 2-10 keV intensity is 65%. The spectral changes during dips are complex and cannot be modelled by a simple absorber because of the clear presence of part of the non-dip spectrum which is not absorbed. Spectral evolution in dipping can be well modelled by progressive covering of the cutoff power-law component which must be extended, plus rapid absorption of the point-source blackbody. One of the bursts is double and 4 of the bursts occurred during dipping intervals. These bursts have 2-10 keV peak count rates reduced by only 22% on average from those occurring outside the dips, and are not heavily absorbed. One explanation for this lack of absorption is that the bursts temporarily ionize the absorbing material responsible for the dips.

Key words: X-rays: stars stars: individual: XB 1323-619 stars: neutron stars: binaries: close accretion, accretion disks

Send offprint requests to: M. Bauciska-Church (mbc@star.sr.bham.ac.uk)

SIMBAD Objects

Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Observations
  • 2.1. BeppoSAX
  • 2.2. ASCA
• 3. Results
  • 3.1. The X-ray lightcurve
  • 3.2. X-ray spectra
  • 3.3. ASCA spectrum
  • 3.4. High energy variations
• 4. X-ray bursts
• 5. Discussion
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 1999

Online publication: September 2, 1999
helpdesk.link@springer.de