History of Turn-Ons - the irregular 35-day clock - of Hercules X-1

Abstract

Hercules X-1 and Centaurus X-3 are the first ever detected - and as such identified - binary X-ray pulsars. Here we concern ourselves with the 35-day flux modulation of Her X-1, immediately found at its discovery, together with the binary period of 1.7 days and the pulsation with 1.24 s. The 35-day flux modulation shows two flux maxima, the so-called Main-On and the Short-On (with reduced flux). As noticed early on, the period, or the length of the cycle, is variable. The system constitutes an irregular clock, with a more or less stable mean period of near 34.85 d. We consider the repeated rapid increases of the flux from the off-state to the Main-On (the socalled Turn-Ons) as the best timing marker to study this clock. Here we present a complete list of Turn-On times over 55 years, from the discovery of Her X-1 to today (2026), based on historic work from the literature and on observational data provided by five monitoring instruments. We identify to following basic features of the irregular 35-day clock: The Turn-Ons show preference to occur at orbital phases 0.25 and 0.75. The duration of the 35-day cycle clusters around three discrete values - 20.0, 20.5 and 21.0 orbital cycles with a dominant peak at 20.5 Porb (57%). The long-term trend in the 35-day period duration is seen in the O-C (Observed minus Calculated) diagram. There are two sections, separated by the long Anomalous Low of 1999/200 (AL3), which can be modeled by parabolic functions with a smooth evolution of the 35-day period. A medium-term variation is observed in the form of Anomalous Lows, an essential shut-off (at least of soft) X-rays. We find an apparent underlying period of 5.4 yr. There are short-term (hundreds of days) variations (in part quasi-periodic) overlaid to the long-term trend. Straight ups and downs in the O-C diagram, demonstrating rather rapid 35 day period changes.