Discovery of the INTEGRAL X/γ-ray transient IGR J00291+5934: A Comptonised accreting ms pulsar?
Rodriguez, J.;
Walter, R.;
Eckert, D.;
Mowlavi, N.;
Capitanio, F.;
Ubertini, P.;
Produit, N.;
Courvoisier, T. J. -L.;
Falanga, M.;
Shaw, S. E.;
Ebisawa, K.
Switzerland, France, Italy
Abstract
We report the discovery of a high-energy transient with the IBIS/ISGRI detector on board the INTEGRAL observatory. The source, namely IGR J00291+5934, was first detected on 2nd December 2004 in the routine monitoring of the IBIS/ISGRI 20-60 keV images. The observations were conducted during Galactic Plane Scans, which are a key part of the INTEGRAL Core Programme observations. After verifying the basic source behaviour, the discovery was announced on 3rd December. The transient shows a hard Comptonised spectrum, with peak energy release at about 20 keV and a total luminosity of ~0.9 × 1036 erg s-1 in the 5-100 keV range, assuming a distance of 3 kpc. Following the INTEGRAL announcement of the discovery of IGR J00291+5934, a number of observations were made by other instruments. We summarise the results of those observations and, together with the INTEGRAL data, identifiy IGR J00291+5934 as the 6th member of a class of accreting X-ray millisecond pulsars.
2005
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Astronomy and Astrophysics
INTEGRAL
27
