Long-term OVRO monitoring of LS I +61º 303: confirmation of the two close periodicities

Abstract

Context. The gamma-ray binary LS I +61° 303 shows multiple periodicities. The timing analysis of 6.7 yr of GBI radio data and of 6 yr of Fermi-LAT GeV gamma-ray data both have found two close periodicities P_(1,GBI) = 26.49 ± 0.07 d, P_(2,GBI) = 26.92 ± 0.07 d and P_(1,γ) = 26.48 ± 0.08 d, P_(2,γ) = 26.99 ± 0.08 d. Aims. The system LS I +61°303 is the object of several continuous monitoring programs at low and high energies. The frequency difference between ν_1 and ν_2 of only 0.0006 d^(-1) requires long-term monitoring because the frequency resolution in timing analysis is related to the inverse of the overall time interval. The Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) 40 m telescope has been monitoring the source at 15 GHz for five years and overlaps with Fermi-LAT monitoring. The aim of this work is to establish whether the two frequencies are also resolved in the OVRO monitoring. Methods. We analysed OVRO data with the Lomb-Scargle method. We also updated the timing analysis of Fermi-LAT observations. Results. The periodograms of OVRO data confirm the two periodicities and . Conclusions. The three independent measurements of P_1 and P_2 with GBI, OVRO, and Fermi-LAT observations confirm that the periodicities are permanent features of the system LS I +61°303. The similar behaviours of the emission at high (GeV) and low (radio) energy when the compact object in LS I +61°303 is toward apastron suggest that the emission is caused by the same periodically (P_1) ejected population of electrons in a precessing (P_2) jet.

Files

Additional details