A Multi-Phase Suzaku Study of X-rays from tau Sco

TL;DR

This study used Suzaku X-ray observations to analyze the complex and unusual X-ray emission and variability of the magnetic massive star tau Sco, revealing small amplitude modulations that challenge existing models.

Contribution

First detailed phase-resolved X-ray spectral analysis of tau Sco, providing new constraints on its magnetic field and X-ray emission mechanisms.

Findings

Detected small amplitude X-ray variability at different phases

Observed a 4% count rate drop and a 3% increase at specific phases

Variability amplitude is much smaller than theoretical predictions

Abstract

We obtained relatively high signal-to-noise X-ray spectral data of the early massive star tau Sco (B0.2V) with the Suzaku XIS instrument. This source displays several unusual features that motivated our study: (a) redshifted absorption in UV P Cygni lines to approximately +250 km/s suggestive of infalling gas, (b) unusually hard X-ray emission requiring hot plasma at temperatures in excess of 10 MK whereas most massive stars show relatively soft X-rays at a few MK, and (c) a complex photospheric magnetic field of open and closed field lines. In an attempt to understand the hard component better, X-ray data were obtained at six roughly equally spaced phases within the same epoch of tau Sco's 41 day rotation period. The XIS instrument has three operable detectors: XIS1 is back illuminated with sensitivity down to 0.2 keV; XIS0 and XIS2 are front illuminated with sensivitity only down to 0.4 keV and have overall less effective area than XIS1. The XIS0 and XIS3 detectors show relatively little variability. In contrast, there is a 4sigma detection of a 4% drop in the count rate of the XIS1 detector at one rotational phase. In addition, all three detectors show a 3% increase in count rate at the same phase. The most optimistic prediction of X-ray variability allows for a 40% change in the count rate, particularly near phases where we have pointings. Observed modulations in the X-ray light curve on the rotation cycle is an order of magnitude smaller than this, which places new stringent constraints on future modeling of this interesting magnetic massive star.