The luminosity, and hence the distance, of a high-mass X-ray binary is acrucial parameter for inferring the emission mechanism and sourcegeometry. ASCA observations of the high-mass X-ray binaries OAO1657 - 415and 4Uvirgul1538-52 reveal dust-scattered haloes that appear to decay throughthe eclipse. However, these results are ambiguous due to the limitedspatial resolution of ASCA. We propose to track the spatial and spectralevolution of the haloes through X-ray eclipse with XMM-Newton. We plan to 1)determine the distances to the sources, 2) determine the spatialdistribution of the dust, and 3) determine the size distribution and densityof the grains.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2003-08-14T15:34:01Z/2003-08-15T14:02:30Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Dr Michael Audley, 2004, 'The Dust-Scattered X-Ray Haloes of OAO1657-415 and 4U 1538-52', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-jdqe8h2
