Support ATel At Patreon

[ Previous | Next | ADS ]

Superburst in 4U1608-52

ATel #482; R. Remillard and E. Morgan (MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research) for the ASM team at MIT and NASA/GSFC
on 5 May 2005; 17:42 UT
Credential Certification: Ron Remillard (rr@space.mit.edu)

Subjects: X-ray, Neutron Star

Referred to by ATel #: 483, 3183

The light curve of "x1608-522" from the RXTE All-Sky Monitor on 2005 May 5 reveals a likely superburst lasting many hours. The ASM flux (2-12 keV) had been roughly steady during the last few days, ending with the measurement of 0.34 (03) Crab on MJD 53495.03995. The next measurement shows an abrupt increase to 1.25 (0.03) Crab on MJD 53495.10365, increasing to 1.50 (04) Crab on 53495.10476. Thereafter, the flux decays on a slower timescale, reaching 0.60 Crab at MJD 53495.62. The temporal profile and timescales of this event are strikingly similar to superbursts seen in other sources (see Kuulkers et al. 2002, A&A, 382, 503, and Strohmayer & Bildsten astro-ph/0301544).