Identification of 1RXS J165424.6-433758 as a Polar Cataclysmic Variable

  • B. O’Connor
  • , J. Brink
  • , D. A.H. Buckley
  • , K. Mukai
  • , C. Kouveliotou
  • , E. Göğüş
  • , S. B. Potter
  • , P. Woudt
  • , A. Lien
  • , A. Levan
  • , O. Kargaltsev
  • , M. G. Baring
  • , E. Bellm
  • , S. B. Cenko
  • , P. A. Evans
  • , J. Granot
  • , C. Hailey
  • , F. Harrison
  • , D. Hartmann
  • , A. J. van der Horst
  • D. Huppenkothen, L. Kaper, J. A. Kennea, P. O. Slane, D. Stern, E. Troja, R. A.M.J. Wijers, G. Younes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present the results of our X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical follow-up campaigns of 1RXS J165424.6-433758, an X-ray source detected with the Swift Deep Galactic Plane Survey. The source X-ray spectrum (Swift and NuSTAR) is described by thermal bremsstrahlung radiation with a temperature of kT = 10.1 ± 1.2 keV, yielding an X-ray (0.3-10 keV8) luminosity L X = (6.5 ± 0.8) × 1031 erg s−1 at a Gaia distance of 460 pc. Spectroscopy with the Southern African Large Telescope revealed a flat continuum dominated by emission features, demonstrating an inverse Balmer decrement, the λ4640 Bowen blend, almost a dozen He i lines, and He ii λ4541, λ4686, and λ5411. Our high-speed photometry demonstrates a preponderance of flickering and flaring episodes, and revealed the orbital period of the system, P orb = 2.87 hr, which fell well within the cataclysmic variable (CV) period gap between 2 and 3 hr. These features classify 1RXS J165424.6-433758 as a nearby polar magnetic CV.

Original languageEnglish
Article number89
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume957
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Nov 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

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