Phase Coherent Timing of RX J0806.3+1527 with ROSAT and CHANDRA

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Abstract
RX J0806.3+1527 is an ultra-compact, double degenerate binary with the shortest known orbital period (321.5 s). Hakala et al. (2003) have recently reported new optical measurements of the orbital frequency of the source which indicate that the frequency has increased over the ~9 years since the earliest ROSAT observations. They find two candidate solutions for the long term change in the frequency; df/dt = 3 or 6 x 10E-16 Hz/s. Here we present the results of a phase coherent timing study of the archival ROSAT and Chandra data for RX J0806.3+1527 in the light of these new constraints. We find that the ROSAT -- Chandra timing data are consistent with both of the solutions reported by Hakala et al., but that the higher df/dt = 6.1 x 10E-16 Hz/s solution is favored at the ~97 % level. Such a large df/dt can be accomodated by an ~1 Msun detached double degenerate system powered in the X-ray by electrical energy (Wu et al. 2002). With such a large df/dt the system provides a unique opportunity to explore the interaction of gravitational radiation and electromagnetic torques on the evolution of an ultracompact binary.

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