TV Cassiopeiae with Chandra and XMM–Newton X-ray Observations

Abstract

TV Cassiopeia (TV Cas) is a well-known eclipsing Algol-type binary comprising a B9V primary and F7 IV secondary in an orbit with a period of 1.81 days, together with a purported low-mass companion in a wide orbit. Despite the considerable attention TV Cas has received in optical and UV bands, no X-ray analysis has been reported. Chandra has detected TV Cas six times and XMM−Newton observed it twice, all serendipitously during observations of the starburst galaxy IC 10. We have put all the X-ray data together to investigate its coronal morphology and spectral properties. We use the X-ray light curves and eclipses to probe the emitting geometry and the X-ray spectra at different epochs to investigate the activity mechanisms and test speculation that TV Cas undergoes significant mass transfer episodes.

Keywords

• tv cas
• eclipsing binary
• orbital period variability