D. K. Galloway, C. B. Markwardt, E. H. Morgan, D. Chakrabarty, T. E. Strohmayer
Published 2005-01-05, updated 2005-02-11Version 2
We report on observations of the sixth accretion-powered millisecond pulsar, IGR J00291+5934, with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. The source is a faint, recurrent X-ray transient initially identified by INTEGRAL. The 599 Hz (1.67 ms) pulsation had a fractional rms amplitude of 8% in the 2-20 keV range, and its shape was approximately sinusoidal. The pulses show an energy-dependent phase delay, with the 6-9 keV pulses arriving up to 85 us earlier than those at lower energies. No X-ray bursts, dips, or eclipses were detected. The neutron star is in a circular 2.46 hr orbit with a very low-mass donor, most likely a brown dwarf. The binary parameters of the system are similar to those of the first known accreting millisecond pulsar, SAX J1808.4-3658. Assuming that the mass transfer is driven by gravitational radiation and that the 2004 outburst fluence is typical, the 3-yr recurrence time implies a distance of at least 4 kpc.
Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted by ApJL. Minor changes following referees report; distance lower limit increased to 4 kpc due to improved estimate of outburst fluence. Uses emulateapj.cls
Journal: Astrophys.J. 622 (2005) L45-L48
X-ray Timing beyond the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
The orbital period of the recurrent X-ray transient in Terzan 6
First Results from the All-Sky Monitor on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
