A Dragon Out of Breath? Monitoring High-velocity Outflows from the High-mass Gamma-Ray Binary LS 2883/PSR B1259-63 During the 2017-2021 Binary Cycle

Observations of the high-mass gamma-ray binary LS 2883/PSR B1259-63 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory during the 2011-2014 and 2014-2017 binary cycles have shown X-ray-emitting clumps, presumably ejected from the binary during periastron passages. These clumps traveled at projected velocities of similar to 0.1c and have shown evidence of being accelerated. The clumps also evolved in shape, size, and flux. We monitored this binary with Chandra during the 2017-2021 binary cycle to search for additional X-ray-emitting ejections. While we find evidence of extended emission in two of the six observations, it is unlike the clumps observed in the previous three binary cycles. More specifically, the extended emission is not well localized, and no bright clump is observed moving away from the binary. It is still unclear what caused the lack of X-ray-emitting clump in this orbital cycle, but it may be due to changes in the decretion disk of the Be star.

Automated summary

Observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory have found X-ray-emitting clumps ejected from the high-mass gamma-ray binary LS 2883/PSR B1259-63 during previous binary cycles, but no similar clumps were observed in the most recent cycle, potentially due to changes in the decretion disk of the Be star.