The Be Star HD 215227: A Candidate Gamma-ray Binary

TL;DR

This paper investigates the Be star HD 215227, proposing it as a potential optical counterpart to a gamma-ray source, highlighting its binary nature, variability, and possible ejection from the Galactic plane.

Contribution

It presents new spectroscopic and photometric data supporting HD 215227 as a gamma-ray binary candidate, a novel identification in this class.

Findings

Detected 60.37-day variability likely due to orbital modulation

Estimated distance of 2.6 kpc and high Galactic latitude suggest supernova ejection

Morphological and variability similarities to other Be binaries

Abstract

The emission-line Be star HD 215227 lies within the positional error circle of the newly identified gamma-ray source AGL J2241+4454. We present new blue spectra of the star, and we point out the morphological and variability similarities to other Be binaries. An analysis of the available optical photometry indicates a variation with a period of 60.37 +/- 0.04 d, which may correspond to an orbital modulation of the flux from the disk surrounding the Be star. The distance to the star of 2.6 kpc and its relatively large Galactic latitude suggest that the binary was ejected from the plane by a supernova explosion that created the neutron star or black hole companion. The binary and runaway properties of HD 215227 make it an attractive candidate as the optical counterpart of AGL J2241+4454 and as a new member of the small class of gamma-ray emitting binaries.