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A connection between the X-ray spectral branches and the radio brightness in GX17 + 2

Nature volume 336, pages 146–148 (1988)Cite this article

Abstract

GX17 + 2 (4U 1813 – 14) is a bright X-ray binary1,2 in which matter is accreting on to a neutron star from a nearby companion. X-ray bursts, which are due to thermonuclear flashes on the surface of the neutron star3, are sometimes observed4–6, as well as quasiperiodic oscillations in the X-ray flux. The frequencies of the quasiperiodic oscillations depend on the spectral state of the source7–13, which manifests itself as three distinct spectral 'branches' in an X-ray colour–colour diagram. GX17 + 2 is also a variable radio source14–20; there is no believable optical counterpart21–23. We report here on simultaneous X-ray and radio observations which showed a connection between the spectral branches and the radio brightness. The 6-cm and 20-cm flux density increased by factors of 30 ± 5 and 40 ± 10, respectively, as the X-ray state changed from the so-called 'flaring branch' to the 'horizontal branch'. We suspect that this X-ray/radio connection is common among bright low-mass X-ray binaries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Space Research, Room 37-627, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA

    Wim Penninx & Walter H. G. Lewin

  2. Astronomical Institute 'Anton Pannekoek', University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 15, 1018, WB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Wim Penninx & Jan van Paradijs

  3. Center for High-Energy Astrophysics, NIKHEF-H, Kruislaan 409, 1098, SL, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Wim Penninx & Jan van Paradijs

  4. Kapteyn Laboratorium, PO Box 800, 9700, AV, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Albert A. Zijlstra

  5. Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa-ken, 229, Japan

    Kazuhisa Mitsuda

  6. EXOSAT Observatory, Astrophysics Division, Space Science Department of the European Space Agency, Postbus 299, 2200, AG, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

    Michiel van der Klis

Authors
  1. Wim Penninx
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  2. Walter H. G. Lewin
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  3. Albert A. Zijlstra
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  4. Kazuhisa Mitsuda
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  5. Jan van Paradijs
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  6. Michiel van der Klis
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Penninx, W., Lewin, W., Zijlstra, A. et al. A connection between the X-ray spectral branches and the radio brightness in GX17 + 2. Nature 336, 146–148 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/336146a0

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