ASCA - VSNET multiwavelength campaign on 2000 May 11
ASCA - VSNET multiwavelength campaign on 2000 May 11
(CCD image by Denis Buczynski, taken on 2000 Mar. 30.83)
(CCD image by Yasuo Sano, taken on 2000 Apr. 8)
(close-up CCD image by Trondal and Granslo)
The RXTE All-Sky Monitor has detected X-ray emission from a new source, XTE J1118+480. The ASM position (equinox 2000.0, with a 90% confidence radius of 6') is centered at R.A. = 11h 18m 17s, Decl. = +48o 03'.0 The average X-ray intensity (2-12 keV) is 39(8) mCrab on March 29. Retrospective ASM analysis indicates that the X-ray flux has been slowly rising since March 5. Another modest outburst had pviously occurred during Jan 29 2000, peaking at 37(3) mCrab on Jan 6. The SIMBAD database lists only an unremarkable guide star (V~11) near the X-ray position. The source was confirmed in an 800 s RXTE pointed observation beginning on 23:14 UT March 29. Rapid flares (e.g. 10 s) were seen, reaching a factor of 5 above the baseline flux near 25 mCrab and suggesting a Galactic X-ray source. No pulsations were deteed. The X-ray spectrum does not vary appciably during intense flares. Preliminary spectral analysis indicates a power-law visible to 30 keV. The photon index is roughly 1.8, which is similar to Cyg X-1 in its hard state. The high galactic latitude (62o) and X-ray properties present a puzzling combination, and observations at other wavelengths are urgently needed.
We started CCD observation on the field of XTE J1118+480 at Kyoto from 17:00 (UT).
There is an object brighter than 15 mag located at 1' from RXTE detected position (R.A. = 11h 18m 17s, Decl. = +48o 03'.0). In the DSS images, there are only faint objects near the position of this possible optical counterpart of XTE J1118+480.
The follow-up observations are strongly urged.
Regards,
Makoto Uemura and Taichi Kato
I have observed the field of XTE1118+480 at 2000 March 30 20:43:04 UT with the 33cm F/3 automatic reflector+SXL8 CCD unfiltered+90s exp at Conder Brow Observatory (iau978) and have imaged a bright object at the the location indicated by Uemura in VSNET alert 4503 and have derived the follwing results:
XTE1118+480 12.91 GSC3451-1542 comparision star 12.8 GSC3451-974 check star 12.22Observations of this interesting object are continuing.
Best wishes
Denis.
Norwegian Astronomical Society - Variable Star Section
***** 1112+48 XTE J1118+480 *****
I have alerted Odd Trondal about this event, and he was able to
observe this new x-ray object, both visually and using CCD. His
visual observation - in VSNET format - is as follows:
Object YYMMDD(UT) Mag Obs Instrum. Note XTE_J1118+480 000330.867 12.5 TOL M610 Seq. revised GSCHe observed the object around 20h48m, and estimated it as 0.5 mag. brighter than GSC 3451-0938, which is at magnitude 12.91, according to Guide Star Catalogue. According to Brian Skiff [vsnet-alert 4506] the GSC are only about 0.1 mag. brighter than standard V in this field. Trondal's observed magnitude was thus 12.9+0.1-0.5=12.5.
According to his CCD images (using MX5_16), the object was located about 1'.5 SW from the position reported by RXTE. The RXTE position (2000.0) is RA = 11h18m17s, Decl.=+48o03'.0 (ref. [vsnet-alert 4501] and IUAC 7389).
This observation confirms the optical detections by Makoto Uemura and Taichi Kato [vsnet-alert 4503] and Denis Buczynski [vsnet-alert 4505].
---
Observer: TOL = O. Trondal (Oslo, Norway). Instrument: 61-cm f/4
reflector (M610). Clear sky.
Yours sincerely,
Bjorn H. Granslo
[NAS.VSS]
Dear all,
>There is an object brighter than 15 mag located at 1' from >RXTE detected position (R.A. = 11h 18m 17s, Decl. = +48o 03'.0). >In the DSS images, there are only faint objects near the position >of this possible optical counterpart of XTE J1118+480.
I have examined Kyoto image, then am awared that the position of this bright object is fairly close to:
USNO_A1.0 1350.08089912 11:18:10.826 +48:02:12.55 18.8r 20.1b = USNO_A2.0 1350.07924726 11:18:10.851 +48:02:12.78 18.8r 19.4bThere is no USNO star within 1' from this star, but on DSS R image (either generation), several fainter objects can be seen. More precise astrometry is in progress.
Sincerely Yours,
Hitoshi Yamaoka, Kyushu Univ., Japan
yamaoka@rc.kyushu-u.ac.jp
The astrometry of the bright (C about 13.0) object using seven GSC-ACT stars gave that R.A. = 11h18m10s.79, Decl. = +48o02'11".2 (equinox 2000.0). The accuracy for R.A. is about 0s.03 (standard deviation), besides the one for Decl. is slightly poor (sigma = 0".6).
It is strongly suggested that USNO_A1.0 1350.08089912 = USNO_A2.0 1350.07924726 is the precurser of XTE J1118+480. On DSS2 images, no other object can be seen within 10" from this USNO star.
Sincerely Yours,
Hitoshi Yamaoka, Kyushu Univ., Japan
yamaoka@rc.kyushu-u.ac.jp
This star is still about magnitude 13 - essentially equal in brightness to GSC 3451:938 on the monitor but no photometry yet - I just started imaging and will continue only for a short while.
===== Regards, Lew
Dear Colleagues:
Spectra obtained at the FLWO 60" with the FAST spectrograph of the optical counterpart to XTE J1118+48 show weak (~2 Angstrom equivalent width) H-alpha emission, which has a double peaked structure with a FWZI of ~70 Angstroms. There is a complex absorption structure immediately to the blue of the H-alpha emission.
Sincerely, Mike Garcia, Warren Brown, Mike Pahre, Jeff McClintock, Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Dear Colleagues:
We have submitted the following to the IAUC:
M. Garcia, W. Brown, M. Pahre, J. McClintock (Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, P. Callanan (University College, Cork), and P. Garnavich (Notre Dame) report:
Optical spectroscopy of XTE J1118+38 on the night of March 31 (UT) reveals a spectrum typical of an x-ray nova in outburst (ie, Shafer et al 1994 ApJ 434, 698). A series of spectra obtained with the FLWO 1.5m telescope and FAST spectrograph show H-alpha, H-beta, and HeII 468.6 nm emission with equivalent widths (nm) and FWHM (km/sec), accurate to 10%, of 0.19, 2200; 0.01, --; 0.12, 2690, respectively. The H-alpha FWHM we find in this x-ray nova is approximately equal to the largest seen in quiescent black-hole x-ray novae. The H-alpha line shows two blue-ward absorption features, and the H-beta line shows red-ward and blue-ward absorption features. The NaD 589.0 nm line has an equivalent width of 0.004 nm, indicating very low interstellar absorption. The column density out of the plane in this direction (Dickey & Lockman, 1990, ARAA. 28, p215) corresponds to an E(B-V)~0.024. Differential V-band photometry from the FLWO 1.2m telescope, relative to USNO A2.0 1350_08091237 with V=10.91, finds magnitudes of 12.80(0.1) and 13.05(0.1) on March 31.151 and 31.396, respectively. The surprisingly low x-ray to optical flux ratio (ie, V~13, Fx~40 mCrab, IAUC 7389) may be due to a nearly edge-on viewing angle.
Kesao Takamizawa (Nagano, Japan) reports the examination of his previous photographs has revealed that the optical counterpart of the X-ray transinet XTE J1118+480 was already active since January, which is very consisent with the reported source activity peaking on 2000 January 6 (IAUC 7389).
Photographic magnitude estimates by VSOLJ members
object YYYYMMDD(UT) mag code
XTEJ1118+480 19941104.804 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19941130.760 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19950226.587 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19951118.790 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19960309.503 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19970426.476 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19970528.562 <150p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19971026.779 <150p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19971109.759 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19980417.503 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19981024.804 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19981115.803 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19990112.700 <150p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19990404.485 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 19991207.774 <154p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000108.743 127p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000108.747 127p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000131.621 138p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000131.626 138p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000227.617 138p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000227.621 138p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000324.481 122p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000324.487 129p Tmz.VSOLJ
Observer's code:
Tmz: K.Takamizawa (Saku-machi,Nagano,Japan)
Inst.: 10cmR F4 twin patrol cameras T-Max400 120
Comparison stars mag.:GSC
The observations indicates the presence of a previously unrecognized outburst, with a sharp rise to Jan. 28.
Photographic magnitude estimates by VSOLJ members
object YYYYMMDD(UT) mag code
XTEJ1118+480 20000127.595 133p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000127.600 133p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000127.606 134p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000127.610 133p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000128.599 125p Tmz.VSOLJ
XTEJ1118+480 20000128.604 123p Tmz.VSOLJ
Observer's code:
Tmz: K.Takamizawa(Saku-machi,Nagano, Japan)
Inst.25cm F2.8 Baker-Schmidt camera T-Max400 120
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