The X-ray Nebula around the Recurrent Nova T Pyxidis
S. Balman (METU),  S. Starrfield (Arizona State U.),  J. J. Drake (CfA),  M. Bode (LJMU),  J.-U. Ness (ESA/ESAC), M. Hernanz  (CSIC-IEEC),  J. Krautter (Heidelberg)
We resolved and detected an X-ray nebulosity around the recurrent nova T Pyx using a 100 ksec observation with the ACIS-S detector on board the Chandra Observatory during the quiescent phase of the nova. The observations were obtained as three separate pointings on 31 December 2011, 02 February 2011 and 5 February 2011. The resolved nebula shows sub-structure, but overall has an elliptical shape with an inner semi-major axis of 0.45 arc sec and outer semi-major axis of 0.87 arc sec which may indicate a torus-like shell formation around the nova. There is also a conical elongation towards the south about 1.85 arc sec in extent. This structure may be reminicent of a bipolar outflow from the nova. The count rate of the extended emission is 0.0025+/-0.0010 c/s and the central source is ~ 0.003 c/s over the 0.2-9.0 keV energy range. The spectrum of the X-ray nebula is best fitted with a double MEKAL model of 0.3-0.9 keV and 1.4-3.2 keV with two different neutral hydrogen column densities as (0.2-0.9)e-22 cm^-2 and (10-25)e-22 cm^-2 for the two different temperature components, respectively. We calculate an absorbed X-ray flux of (2.0-4.0)e-14 erg cm^-2 s^-1 with a luminosity of (0.3-3.0)e+32 erg s^-1 for the X-ray nebula. The central source spectrum can be fitted by a single MEKAL model with a temperature ~ 9.2 keV yielding a luminosity of (3.0-7.4)e+31 erg s^-1. We detect orbital modulations in the X-ray light curve. Our results are currently being prepared for a refereed publication. We thank the Chandra Observatory for their assistance in obtaining the T Pyx observations.
x-ray,cataclysmic variable,nova,variables