INTEGRAL long-term monitoring results on persistently bright NS LMXBs
Kuulkers, E.; Farinelli, R.; Paizis, A.; Vilhu, O.; Savolainen, P.; Hannikainen, D. C.
Finland, Italy, Spain
Abstract
We present long-term spectral and timing results from an INTEGRAL monitoring program of persistently bright neutron star Low-Mass X-ray Binaries, i.e. the three bright Atoll sources GX 3+1, GX 9+1 and GX 9+9, and the Z sources GX 5-1, GX 17+2, GX 340+0 and GX 349+2. From the available observing periods between 2003 and 2009, each lasting ~2 months, we have selected a few sample periods for each source, and analyzed all JEM-X and IBIS/ISGRI data with offsets <4 degrees. We seek an explanation for the dichotomy between the hard X-ray tails or lack thereof in the (otherwise very similar) X-ray spectra of Z sources and bright Atolls, respectively.