Jillian Bornak et al 2009 ApJ 701 L110 doi:10.1088/0004-637X/701/2/L110
Jillian Bornak1,5, Bernard J. McNamara1,5,6, Thomas E. Harrison1,5, Michael P. Rupen2, Reba M. Bandyopadhyay3,6 and Stefanie Wachter4
Show affiliationsThe low-mass X-ray binary and Z source GX 17+2 undergoes infrared K-band brightening episodes of at least 3.5 mag. The source of these episodes is not known. Prior published K-band magnitudes and new K-band measurements acquired between 2006 and 2008 suggest that the episodes last at least 4 hr and have a period of 3.01254 ± 0.00002 days. Future bright episodes can be predicted using the ephemeris JDmax(n) = 2454550.79829 + (3.01254 ± 0.00002)(n) days. A growing body of evidence suggests that the GX 17+2 could have a synchrotron jet, which could cause this activity.
ISM: jets and outflows; radiation mechanisms: non-thermal; stars: individual (GX 17+2); stars: neutron; X-rays: binaries
98.70.Qy X-ray sources; X-ray bursts
Issue 2 (2009 August 20)
Received 2009 March 4, accepted for publication 2009 July 21
Published 2009 August 7
Jillian Bornak et al 2009 ApJ 701 L110
G. Xu et al 2008 EPL 82 67002
S. Yashiro et al 2006 ApJ 650 L143
Akiji Yamamoto 2008 Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 9 013001
R. K. Honeycutt et al. 1998 The Astronomical Journal 115 2527
Zhangjin Chen et al 2007 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 40 2333
C Scholey et al 2005 J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 31 S1719
Colin J. Lonsdale et al. 2006 ApJ 647 185
Larry W Esposito 2002 Rep. Prog. Phys. 65 1741
S B Whitfield et al 1994 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 27 L359