An Extended and More Sensitive Search for Periodicities in RXTE/ASM X-ray Light Curves

TL;DR

This study enhances the detection sensitivity for periodic signals in RXTE/ASM X-ray data, identifying orbital periods of multiple X-ray binary systems through improved Fourier analysis methods over 14 years.

Contribution

It introduces more sensitive Fourier analysis techniques and applies them to a large dataset, discovering new orbital periods in X-ray binaries.

Findings

Detected orbital periods of 8 low-mass X-ray binaries.

Identified 10 high-mass X-ray binaries not previously reported.

Improved sensitivity over previous searches.

Abstract

We present the results of a systematic search in approximately 14 years of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer All-Sky Monitor data for evidence of periodicities not reported by Wen et al. (2006). Two variations of the commonly used Fourier analysis search method have been employed to achieve significant improvements in sensitivity. The use of these methods and the accumulation of additional data have resulted in the detection of the signatures of the orbital periods of eight low-mass X-ray binary systems and of ten high-mass X-ray binaries not listed in the tables of Wen et al.