Of the 200+ galactic sources observed by INTEGRAL a consistent fraction of thepoint sources have not been associated with previously indentified objects.Follow up studies have identified that a significant number of these sources arehighly obscured, HMXBs with a neutron star companion. Understanding the detailedmechanics of these systems and their place in the general picture of binary starevolution are the dual objectives of this proposal. We request observing time toexploit the powerful spectroscopic, imaging and timing capabilitie of XMM tofind counterparts for 7 unidentified, persistent INTEGRAL sources discovered bythe IBIS/ISGRI instrument, which are clustered in the Crux spiral arm tangentand are HMXB candidates. Thus identify the nature of the underlying system.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2006-06-24T07:18:22Z/2007-02-19T19:16:15Z
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, Prof Anthony Dean, 2008, 'Unveiling the underlying nature of the new class of HMXBs discovered by INTEGRAL', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-a6cykew
