Detection of X-rays from the jet-driving symbiotic star Hen 3-1341

TL;DR

This study reports the detection of X-ray emission from the symbiotic star Hen 3-1341 during quiescence, suggesting long-lasting jet-medium interactions, with spectral analysis indicating plasma or blackbody emission, and highlights the need for further observations.

Contribution

First detection of X-ray emission from Hen 3-1341 during quiescence, providing insights into jet interactions and accretion processes in symbiotic binaries.

Findings

X-ray emission detected during quiescence with spectral fits to plasma or blackbody models

No significant X-ray or UV variability observed during the observations

Interaction of residual jets with the interstellar medium may cause observed X-ray emission

Abstract

Hen 3-1341 is a symbiotic binary system consisting of a white dwarf and a red giant star that is one of about ten symbiotics that show hints of jets. The bipolar jets have been detected through displaced components of emission lines during its outburst from 1998 to 2004. These components disappeared when Hen 3-1341 reached quiescence. On February 23, 2012, Hen 3-1341 started a new outburst with the emergence of new bipolar jets on March 3, 2012. We observed Hen 3-1341 during quiescence with XMM-Newton in March 2010 with an effective exposure time of 46.8 ks and with Swift on March 8-11, 2012 as ToO observations with an effective exposure time of 10 ks in order to probe the interaction of the jet with the ambient medium and also the accretion onto the white dwarf. We fitted the XMM-Newton X-ray spectra with XSPEC and examined the X-ray and UV light curves. We report the detection of X-ray emission during quiescence from Hen 3-1341 with XMM-Newton. The spectrum can be fitted with an absorbed one-temperature plasma or an absorbed blackbody. We did not detect Hen 3-1341 during our short Swift exposure. Neither periodic or aperiodic X-ray nor UV variability were found. Our XMM-Newton data suggest that interaction of the residual jet with the interstellar medium might survive for a long time after outbursts and might be responsible for the observed X-ray emission during quiescence. Additional data are strongly needed to confirm these suggestions.