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Name:Matthew Schurch


Institution:University of Cape Town


Country:South Africa




Title:Quasi Periodic Variations in Long Period Be X-ray Binaries




Abstract:I shall discuss a recent timing study of two Be X-ray binaries (BeXRBs) found in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC).  These two long period pulsars (SXP726 and SXP756) show extremely different outburst histories in both their optical and X-ray histories.  I shall present timing results based on the OGLE I-band data for these two pulsars spanning approximately 10 years.  This analysis has revealed short period quasi-periodic variations (QPV) in both light curves of the order 1-2 weeks.  These QPVs are not the orbital periods, but are related to the the passage of the neutron stars through periastron which in turn creates a hot spot or over density in the circumstellar disks surrounding the central Be stars. These are not the first systems to present such variations but they are the longest QPVs to be found in BeXRBs.








            

            
            

              

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