X-ray bright sources in the Chandra Small Magellanic Cloud Wing Survey – detection of two new pulsars |
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| Authors: | K E McGowan M J Coe M Schurch V A McBride J L Galache W R T Edge R H D Corbet S Laycock A Udalski D A H Buckley |
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| Institution: | School of Physics and Astronomy, Southampton University, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ;Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;Universities Space Research Association, X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, Mail Code 662, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA;Warsaw University Observatory, Aleje Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warsaw, Poland;South African Astronomical Observatory, Observatory, 7935 Cape Town, South Africa;Southern African Large Telescope Foundation, Observatory, 7935 Cape Town, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | We investigate the X-ray and optical properties of a sample of X-ray bright sources from the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) Wing Survey. We have detected two new pulsars with pulse periods of 65.8 s (CXOU J010712.6?723533) and 700 s (CXOU J010206.6?714115), and present observations of two previously known pulsars RX J0057.3?7325 (SXP101) and SAX J0103.2?7209 (SXP348). Our analysis has led to three new optical identifications for the detected pulsars. We find long-term optical periods for two of the pulsars, CXOU J010206.6?714115 and SXP101, of 267 and 21.9 d, respectively. Spectral analysis of a subset of the sample shows that the pulsars have harder spectra than the other sources detected. By employing a quantile-based colour–colour analysis we are able to separate the detected pulsars from the rest of the sample. Using archival catalogues we have been able to identify counterparts for the majority of the sources in our sample. Combining this with our results from the temporal analysis of the Chandra data and archival optical data, the X-ray spectral analysis, and by determining the X-ray to optical flux ratios we present preliminary classifications for the sources. In addition to the four detected pulsars, our sample includes two candidate foreground stars, 12 probable active galactic nuclei, and five unclassified sources. |
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| Keywords: | X-rays: binaries stars: emission-line Be Magellanic Clouds |
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