Eclipse Timings of the LMXB XTE J1710-281: Orbital Period Glitches

TL;DR

This study analyzes 57 X-ray eclipses of the transient LMXB XTE J1710-281 to measure its orbital period, find constraints on its period evolution, and detect possible orbital period glitches over a multi-year span.

Contribution

First detailed eclipse timing analysis of XTE J1710-281 revealing stable orbital period and evidence of orbital period glitches, providing new insights into its orbital evolution.

Findings

Constant orbital period of 0.1367109674 days with tight constraints on period derivative.

Detection of two orbital period discontinuities indicating glitches.

Lower limits on orbital period change at different epochs.

Abstract

We present an X-ray eclipse timing analysis of the transient low mass X-ray binary XTE J1710-281. We report observations of 57 complete X-ray eclipses, made with the proportional counter array detectors aboard the RXTE satellite. Using the eclipse timing technique, we have derived a constant orbital period of 0.1367109674 (3) d, during the period from MJD 52132 upto MJD 54410; and 1{\sigma} limits of -1.6 $\times$ 10^ -12 d d-1 and 0.2 $\times$ 10^ -12 d d-1 , on the period derivative. This puts constraints on the minimum timescale of secular orbital period evolution of 2.34 $\times$ 10^8 yr for a period decay and 18.7 $\times$ 10^8 yr for a period increase. We also report detection of two instances of discontinuity in the mid-eclipse time, one before and one after the above MJD range. These results are interpreted as three distinct epochs of orbital period in XTE J1710-281. We have put lower limits of 1.4 ms and 0.9 ms on orbital period change at successive epochs.