Spectroscopic Detection of a 2.9-hour Orbit in a Long Period Radio Transient

TL;DR

This study presents the first phase-resolved optical spectroscopy of a long period radio transient, revealing a binary system with a white dwarf and M dwarf, and establishing a link between orbital period and radio emission.

Contribution

It provides the first spectroscopic detection of a 2.9-hour orbit in a long period radio transient, suggesting a new classification of LPTs based on binary system properties.

Findings

Detected radial velocity shifts indicating a binary orbit.

System is closer than previously thought at about 400 pc.

Radio pulses correlate with orbital phase, implying a binary origin.

Abstract

Long Period radio Transients (LPTs) are a mysterious new class of radio transients pulsating on periods of minutes to hours. So far, eight LPTs have been discovered predominantly at low Galactic latitudes, yet their nature remains unknown. Here, I present the first phase-resolved optical spectroscopy of the 2.9-h LPT GLEAM-X J0704-37, acquired with the 10-m Keck I telescope. Radial velocity (RV) shifts of $189\pm 3 \textrm{km s}^{-1}$ of an M5-type star in a binary system are detected on a period nearly equal to the radio period. Weak H$\alpha$ emission is also present, with some of it possibly originating from outside of the M dwarf. Based on the RV amplitude, and assuming a typical M dwarf mass, the companion mass must be $M \geq 0.22 M_\odot$. Calibrating the spectra with space-based \textit{Gaia} photometry reveals that the system is nearly four times closer than previously reported, at $d \approx 400$ pc, suggesting that more systems could be nearby and amenable to optical characterization. The optical spectrum between 3500-10,000 Angstrom is well modeled by a binary comprised of a massive white dwarf (WD; $T_\textrm{eff}\approx$7,300 K, $M\approx0.8-1.0M_\odot$) and M dwarf ($T_\textrm{eff}\approx$3,000 K, $M\approx0.14M_\odot$). Radio pulses arrive when the WD is at nearly maximum blueshift and the M dwarf at nearly maximum redshift, in contrast to what has been reported in a similar LPT, ILT J1101+5521. GLEAM-X J0704-37 is now the second LPT with an orbital period nearly equal to the radio period, hinting at two classes of LPTs: ``long LPTs'' ($P\gtrsim$78 min) associated with WD + M dwarf binary orbits, and ``short LPTs'' ($P\lesssim$78 min) related to WD or neutron star spins. This work demonstrates that precise localization of LPTs, which enables optical follow-up, will be key in uncovering the mechanism(s) that power this new class of phenomenon.