Bibcode
DOI
Wang, Zhongxiang; Chakrabarty, Deepto; Roche, Paul; Charles, Philip A.; Kuulkers, Erik; Shahbaz, Tariq; Simpson, Chris; Forbes, Duncan A.; Helsdon, Stephen F.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 563, Issue 1, pp. L61-L64.
Advertised on:
12
2001
Journal
Citations
53
Refereed citations
42
Description
We present multiband optical/IR photometry of V4580 Sgr, the optical
counterpart of the accretion-powered millisecond pulsar SAX
J1808.4-3658, taken during the 1998 X-ray outburst of the system. The
optical flux is consistent with emission from an X-ray-heated accretion
disk. Self-consistent modeling of the X-ray and optical emission during
the outburst yields a best-fit extinction of
AV=0.68+0.37-0.15 and an inclination of
cosi=0.65+0.23-0.33 (90% confidence), assuming a
distance of 2.5 kpc. This inclination range requires that the stellar
companion of the pulsar has extremely low mass, Mc=0.05-0.10
Msolar. Some of the IR observations are inconsistent with
disk emission and are too bright to be from either the disk or the
companion, even in the presence of X-ray heating.