The X-ray light curve of the massive colliding wind Wolf-Rayet + O binary WR21a

TL;DR

This study analyzes X-ray observations of the Wolf-Rayet + O binary WR21a, revealing orbital-phase-dependent emission variations, absorption effects, and possible wind-collision dynamics, contributing to understanding massive star interactions.

Contribution

It provides detailed X-ray monitoring of WR21a, highlighting the complex interplay of absorption, emission, and wind collision effects near periastron, with implications for stellar wind models.

Findings

X-ray emission increases before periastron following a 1/D trend

Absorption and emission decrease near periastron, suggesting wind collision effects

Hysteresis observed in the X-ray light curve post-periastron

Abstract

Our dedicated XMM-Newton monitoring, as well as archival Chandra and Swift datasets, were used to examine the behaviour of the WN5h+O3V binary WR21a at high energies. For most of the orbit, the X-ray emission exhibits few variations. However, an increase in strength of the emission is seen before periastron, following a 1/D relative trend, where D is the separation between both components. This increase is rapidly followed by a decline due to strong absorption as the Wolf-Rayet (WR) comes in front. The fitted local absorption value appears to be coherent with a mass-loss rate of about 1x10^{-5} M_sol/yr for the WR component. However, absorption is not the only parameter affecting the X-ray emission at periastron as even the hard X-ray emission decreases, suggesting a possible collapse of the colliding wind region near to or onto the photosphere of the companion just before or at periastron. An eclipse may appear as another potential scenario, but it would be in apparent contradiction with several lines of evidence, notably the width of the dip in the X-ray light curve and the absence of variations in the UV light curve. Afterwards, the emission slowly recovers, with a strong hysteresis effect. The observed behaviour is compatible with predictions from general wind-wind collision models although the absorption increase is too shallow.