Open AccessRX J0806+15: the shortest period binary?
Author(s) -
Ramsay Gavin,
Hakala Pasi,
Cropper Mark
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05471.x
Subject(s) - physics , orbital period , period (music) , rosat , astrophysics , neutron star , light curve , binary number , astronomy , stars , galaxy , arithmetic , mathematics , acoustics
The X‐ray source RX J0806+15 was discovered using ROSAT , and shows an X‐ray light curve with a prominent modulation on a period of 321.5 s. We present optical observations in which we report the detection of its optical counterpart. We find an optical period consistent with the X‐ray period. We do not find convincing evidence for a second period in the data: this implies the 321.5‐s period is the orbital period. As such it would be the shortest period stellar binary system yet known. We discuss the nature of this system. We conclude that an isolated neutron star and an intermediate polar interpretation is unlikely and that a double degenerate interpretation is the most likely.