Discovery of long-term superorbital periodicities in the pseudo-transient LMXBs: IGR J17098-3628 and EXO0748-676

TL;DR

This study identifies long-term quasi-periodic superorbital modulations in two low mass X-ray binaries, suggesting intrinsic accretion disc properties and classifying IGR J17098-3628 as a pseudo-transient LMXB with a likely sub-1 day orbital period.

Contribution

It reports the discovery of superorbital periodicities in IGR J17098-3628 and EXO0748-676, proposing a common intrinsic disc property and classifying IGR J17098-3628 as a pseudo-transient LMXB.

Findings

IGR J17098-3628 shows a ~163-day quasi-periodic modulation.

EXO0748-676 exhibits a ~181-day superorbital modulation.

Both modulations are linked to accretion disc precession or warping.

Abstract

Long-term monitoring of the recently discovered X-ray transient, IGR J17098-3628, by the All Sky Monitor on board the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, has shown that it displays a long term (~163d) quasi-periodic modulation in the data spanning its "active" state (i.e. approximately MJD 53450-54200). Furthermore, this light-curve is not typical of "classical" soft X-ray transients, in that J17098-3628 has remained active since its initial discovery, and may be more akin to the pseudo-transient EXO0748-676, which is now classified as a persistent Low Mass X-ray Binary. However, EXO0748-676 recently entered a more active phase (since approximately MJD 53050), since when we find that it too displays a quasi-periodic modulation (~181d) in its light-curve. This must be a "superorbital" modulation, as the orbital period of EXO0748-676 is well established (3.8hrs), and hence we interpret both objects' long periods as representing some intrinsic properties of the accretion disc (such as coupled precessional and warping effects). By analogy, we therefore suggest that IGR J17098-3628 is another member of this class of pseudo-transient LMXBs and is likely to have a <1d orbital period.