π Aquarii is another γ Cassiopeiae object

Abstract

The γ Cas category is a subgroup of Be stars displaying a strong, hard, and variable thermal X-ray emission. An XMM-Newton observation of π Aqr reveals spectral and temporal characteristics that clearly make this Be star another member of the γ Cas category. Furthermore, π Aqr is a binary but, contrary to γ Cas, the nature of the companion to the Be star is known; it is a non-degenerate (stellar) object and its small separation from the Be star does not leave much room for a putative compact object close to the Be disk. This renders the accretion scenario difficult to apply in this system, and, hence, this discovery favors a disk-related origin for the γ Cas phenomenon.

Based on observations collected with the ESA science mission XMM-Newton, an ESA Science Mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA).