High-speed Keck II and RXTE spectroscopy of Cygnus X-2 - I. Three X-ray components revealed by correlated variability

Journal article

We have performed simultaneous X-ray and optical spectroscopic observations of the low-mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-2. We have used a new data system attached to the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (LRIS) instrument on Keck II to obtain spectra with a mean time resolution of 72.075 ms, simultaneous with pointed X-ray observations using the Proportional Counter Array (PCA) onboard RKTE. In this paper, we have analysed the variability in both wavebands on time-scales of 16 s. During our observations Cygnus X-2 covered all three branches of the Z-curve, allowing us to study how the changes in X-ray spectral state affect the optical emission. As the optical flux rises, the X-ray intensity first rises on the horizontal branch (0 < S z < 1) but then falls on the normal branch (1 < S z < 2) and flaring branch (2 < S z < 3), where S z is a rank number characterizing the position on the Z-curve. This linear increase in the optical flux with S z indicates the optical flux is a good predictor of the accretion rate (possibly normalized by its own long-term average) inferred from the Z-state S z. We have used this correlation to decompose the total X-ray count rate into three distinct spectral components.

Authors: O'Brien, K; Horne, K; Gomer, R; Oke, J; van der Klis, M

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Volume: 350
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 587-595
• Publication date: 2004-05-11
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07667.x
• EISSN: 1365-2966
• ISSN: 0035-8711
• Language: English
• Keywords: X-rays : binaries; binaries : close; stars : individual : Cyg X-2