Insights on the Optical and Infrared Nature of MAXI J0709-159: Implications for High-Mass X-ray Binaries

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Bhattacharyya, Suman, Blesson Mathew, Banerjee, Gourav, Sindhu, G, Muneer, S, S Pramod Kumar, Joshi, Santosh
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 20.04.2024
• Subjects: Binary stars; Color-magnitude diagram; Optical counterparts (astronomy); Optical properties; Physics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics; X ray binaries; X ray stars
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2404.13303

In our previous study (Bhattacharyya et al., 2022), HD~54786, the optical counterpart of the MAXI J0709-159 system, was identified to be an evolved star, departing from the main sequence, based on comparisons with non-X-ray binary systems. In this paper, using color-magnitude diagram (CMD) analysis for High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) and statistical t-tests, we found evidence supporting HD 54786's potential membership in both Be/X-ray binaries (BeXRBs) and supergaint X-ray binaries (SgXBs) populations of HMXBs. Hence, our study points towards dual optical characteristics of HD~54786, as an X-ray binary star and also belonging to a distinct evolutionary phase from BeXRB towards SgXB. Our further analysis suggests that MAXI J0709-159, associated with HD 54786, exhibits low-level activity during the current epoch and possesses a limited amount of circumstellar material. Although similarities with the previously studied BeXRB system LSI +61\(^{\circ}\) 235 (Coe et al., 1994) are noted, continued monitoring and data collection are essential to fully comprehend the complexities of MAXI J0709-159 and its evolutionary trajectory within the realm of HMXBs.