No Arabic abstract
High-dispersion spectroscopic monitoring of HESS J0632+057 has been carried out over four orbital cycles in order to search for orbital modulation, covering the entire orbital phase. We have measured radial velocity of H$alpha$ emission line with the method introduced by Shafter et al. (1986), which has been successfully applied to some Be stars. The velocity is seen to increase much earlier than expected for the orbital period of 315 days, and much more steeply than expected at around apastron. The period of the H$alpha$ modulation is found to be as $308^{+26}_{-23}$ days. We have also analyzed Swift/XRT data from 2009 to 2015 to study the orbital modulation, selecting the data with good statistics ($geq$ 30 counts). With additional two-year data to the previous works, the orbital period has been updated to $313^{+11}_{-8}$ days, which is consistent with the previous X-ray periods and the spectroscopic one. The past XMM-Newton and Chandra observations prefer the period of 313 days. With the new period, assuming that H$alpha$ velocities accurately trace the motion of the Be star, we have derived a new set of the orbital parameters. In the new orbit, which is less eccentric ($e sim 0.6$), two outbursts occur after apastron, and just after periastron. Besides, the column density in bright phase ($4.7^{+0.9}_{-08}times10^{21};mathrm{cm^{-2}}$) is higher than in faint phase ($2.2pm0.5times10^{21};mathrm{cm^{-2}}$). These facts suggest that outbursts occur when the compact object passes nearby/through the Be disk. The mass function implies that mass of the compact object is less than 2.5 $mathrm{M_{sun}}$ assuming that the mass of the Be star is 13.2--18.2 $mathrm{M_{sun}}$ (Aragona at al. 2010) unless the inclination is extremely small. The photon index indicates that the spectra becomes softer when the system is bright. These suggest that the compact object is a pulsar.
We study changes in the $gamma$--ray intensity at very high energies observed from the $gamma$--ray binary HESS J0632+057. Publicly available data collected by Cherenkov telescopes were examined by means of a simple method utilizing solely the number of source and background events. Our results point to time variability in signal from the selected object consistent with periodic modulation of the source intensity.
HD 259440 is a B0pe star that was proposed as the optical counterpart to the gamma-ray source HESS J0632+057. Here we present optical spectra of HD 259440 acquired to investigate the stellar parameters, the properties of the Be star disk, and evidence of binarity in this system. Emission from the H-alpha line shows evidence of a spiral density wave in the nearly edge-on disk. We find a best fit stellar effective temperature of 27500-30000 K and a log surface gravity of 3.75-4.0, although our fits are somewhat ambiguous due to scattered light from the circumstellar disk. We derive a mass of 13.2-19.0 M_sun and a radius of 6.0-9.6 R_sun. By fitting the spectral energy distribution, we find a distance between 1.1-1.7 kpc. We do not detect any significant radial velocity shifts in our data, ruling out orbital periods shorter than one month. If HD 259440 is a binary, it is likely a long period (> 100 d) system.
We present the results of UBVRI polarimetry of the TeV gamma-ray binary HESS J0632+057 obtained on 2015 March 24 (JD 2457106) and 2015 December 12 (JD 2457369). The detected polarisation values of HESS J0632+057, just after periastron passage (March 24), are higher than all previously published values (p(V) ~ 4.2%) and the position angle (theta ~ 171-172 degrees) is also different by ~6-10 degrees from previously published values. The data obtained just before the subsequent periastron passage (December 12) show statistically lower polarisation in all photometric bands (p(V) ~ 3.9%) and a different position angle theta ~ 167-168 degrees. From observations of a nearby field star, the interstellar component of the measured polarisation was estimated as p_is(V) ~ 0.65% and theta_is ~ 153 degrees. This estimate was used with the previous V-band estimation by field-stars method (p(V) ~ 2% and theta_is ~ 165 degrees) of Yudin (2014) to identify the wavelength dependence of the intrinsic polarisation in HESS J0632+057. It was found that after subtraction of the interstellar component (for both p_is estimates), the wavelength dependence of the intrinsic polarisation in HESS J0632+057 is essentially flat. We propose that the formation of an additional source of polarisation or some perturbation of circumstellar material at this orbital phase can explain the changes in the level of polarisation in HESS J0632+057 close to periastron passage.
The variable gamma-ray source HESS J0632+057 is an excellent candidate for a gamma-ray binary. The putative binary system was discovered as a point-like VHE gamma-ray source by HESS. Later measurements by VERITAS yielding no detection, provided evidence for variable emission in the gamma-ray domain. A variable X-ray source as well as a Be star (MWC 148) are found at the location of the gamma-ray source. Recently a periodic X-ray outburst occurring about every 320 days was reported by Swift (ATel 3152). The putative binary system was observed by the MAGIC stereo system in 2010 and 2011. Our measurements demonstrate significant activity in the gamma-ray (E > 200 GeV) band in February 2011. Our detection of the system occurred during an X-ray outburst reported by Swift. Here we present the obtained light curve and spectrum during this outburst and put them into context with the X-ray measurements.
The High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) survey of the Galactic plane has established the existence of a substantial number (~40) of Galactic TeV gamma-ray sources, a large fraction of which remain unidentified. HESS J0632+057 is one of a small fraction of these objects which is point-like in nature(<2 rms), and is one of only two point-like sources that remain unidentified. Follow-up observations of this object with XMM-Newton have revealed an X-ray source coincident with the TeV source and with the massive star MWC 148, of the spectral type B0pe. This source exhibits a hard spectrum, consistent with an absorbed power law with Gamma = 1.26 +/- 0.04, and shows significant variability on hour timescales. We discuss this spatial coincidence and the implied spectral energy distribution of this object and argue that it is likely a new gamma-ray binary system with a close resemblance to the three known members of this class, and in particular to LS I +61 303. Further X-ray, radio and optical observations of this system are needed to firmly establish HESS J0632+057 as a new member of this rare class of Galactic objects.