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J. J. M. in 't Zand

Publications and source records attributed to J. J. M. in 't Zand.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

BeppoSAX-WFC catalog of fast X-ray transients

We performed a search for fast X-ray transients (FXTs), with durations longer than one second and less than one day, through data of the Wide Field Camera (WFC) instrument onboard the BeppoSAX X-ray observatory collected between June 1996 and April 2002. (..) We focused our search on gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), X-ray flashes (XRFs), X-ray flares from high-mass X-ray binaries and stellar flares, while Type-I and II X-ray bursts from Galactic neutron stars were excluded. 149 such fast transient events were detected. 63 of these are new to the literature. 38 flares are identified with 22 nearby stars. Three stars have never been seen flaring before in X-rays or optical (NLTT 51688, GR Dra and UCAC4 255-003783). We find that the MeV transient GRO J1753+57 is most likely the same object as GR Dra rather than an AGN as previously thought. Eleven flares were detected from known high-mass X-ray binaries with irregular wind accretion (four of which are of the subclass of supergiant fast X-ray transients). 100 GRBs were identified of which 24 have not been published before. We classify 37% of the X-ray detected GRBs as XRFs with relatively large X-ray to gamma-ray flux ratio, gamma-rays being measured with the BeppoSAX Gamma Ray Burst Monitor. The duration/spectral hardness distribution of all FXTs is bimodal, separating the group roughly in transients shorter and longer than 1 ksec and with relatively hard and soft spectra, respectively. We identify the 'short' FXTs as GRBs and XRFs and the `long' FXTs as flares from nearby late-type stars and X-ray binaries. The BeppoSAX-WFC FXT sample is found to be consistent with the one observed by Einstein Probe, when the sensitivity of the two instruments is taken into account.

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Simulations of a 2 x 1.5D coded aperture camera for X-ray astronomy

The concept of two perpendicular one-dimensional coded aperture cameras, necessitated by the imaging capability of the detector, finds its application in the design of the Wide Field Monitor (WFM). This instrument has the future goal to monitor the variable X-ray sky for transient activity. Characteristic of each camera is a fine angular resolution in one direction (typically 5 arcmin) and a coarse one in the other (5 degrees). The coarse perpendicular resolution makes the camera so-called '1.5D'. The WFM has been studied for a number of space-borne X-ray observatory concepts: LOFT, eXTP, Strobe-X, ARCO and now LEM-X. We here report on a study of two decoding algorithms for this instrument and its imaging performance. Detector responses to the X-ray sky are simulated, including the signal processing by the front-end and back-end electronics. The decoding algorithms are the iterative removal of sources (IROS), in combination with cross correlation, and the maximum likelihood method (MLM). IROS is most suited for the determination of the point source configuration of the observed sky and MLM for the optimum determination of the source fluxes. (..) the WFM is a high performance monitoring instrument with straightforward and proven technology that enables the identification of new cosmic X-ray sources, for instance X-ray novae, gamma-ray bursts and electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events from merging compact objects, and the detection of unusual and interesting behavior of persistent cosmic X-ray sources, such as accretion disk state changes.

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On the Origin of Spectral Features Observed during Thermonuclear X-ray Bursts and in the Aftermath Emission of a Long Burst from 4U 1820-30

We study 15 thermonuclear X-ray bursts from 4U 1820--30 observed with the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). We find evidence of a narrow emission line at 1.0 keV and three absorption lines at 1.7, 3.0, and 3.75 keV, primarily around the photospheric radius expansion phase of most bursts. The 1.0 keV emission line remains constant, while the absorption features, attributed to wind-ejected species, are stable but show slight energy shifts, likely due to combined effects of Doppler and gravitational redshifts. We also examine with NICER the ``aftermath'' of a long X-ray burst (a candidate superburst observed by MAXI) on 2021 August 23 and 24. The aftermath emission recovers within half a day from a flux depression. During this recovery phase, we detect two emission lines at 0.7 and 1 keV, along with three absorption lines whose energies decreased to 1.57, 2.64, and 3.64 keV. Given the nature of the helium white-dwarf companion, these absorption lines during the aftermath may originate from an accretion flow, but only if the accretion environment is significantly contaminated by nuclear ashes from the superburst. This provides evidence of temporary metal enhancement in the accreted material due to strong wind loss. Moreover, we suggest that the absorption features observed during the short X-ray bursts and in the superburst aftermath share a common origin in heavy nuclear ashes enriched with elements like Si, Ar, Ca, or Ti, either from the burst wind or from an accretion flow contaminated by the burst wind.

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Enhanced optical activity 12 days before X-ray activity, and a 4 day X-ray delay during outburst rise, in a low-mass X-ray binary

X-ray transients, such as accreting neutron stars, periodically undergo outbursts, thought to be caused by a thermal-viscous instability in the accretion disk. Usually outbursts of accreting neutron stars are identified when the accretion disk has undergone an instability, and the persistent X-ray flux has risen to a threshold detectable by all sky monitors on X-ray space observatories. Here we present the earliest known combined optical, UV, and X-ray monitoring observations of the outburst onset of an accreting neutron star low mass X-ray binary system. We observed a significant, continuing increase in the optical i'-band magnitude starting on July 25, 12 days before the first X-ray detection with Swift/XRT and NICER (August 6), during the onset of the 2019 outburst of SAX J1808.4-3658. We also observed a 4 day optical to X-ray rise delay, and a 2 day UV to X-ray delay, at the onset of the outburst. We present the multiwavelength observations that were obtained, discussing the theory of outbursts in X-ray transients, including the disk instability model, and the implications of the delay. This work is an important confirmation of the delay in optical to X-ray emission during the onset of outbursts in low mass X-ray binaries, which has only previously been measured with less sensitive all sky monitors. We find observational evidence that the outburst is triggered by ionisation of hydrogen in the disk.

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The Multi-INstrument Burst ARchive (MINBAR)

We present the largest sample of type-I (thermonuclear) X-ray bursts yet assembled, comprising 7083 bursts from 85 bursting sources. The sample is drawn from observations with Xenon-filled proportional counters on the long-duration satellites RXTE, BeppoSAX and INTEGRAL, between 1996 February 8, and 2012 May 3. The burst sources were drawn from a comprehensive catalog of 115 burst sources, assembled from earlier catalogs and the literature. We carried out a consistent analysis for each burst lightcurve (normalised to the relative instrumental effective area), and provide measurements of rise time, peak intensity, burst timescale, and fluence. For bursts observed with the RXTE/PCA and BeppoSAX/WFC we also provide time-resolved spectroscopy, including estimates of bolometric peak flux and fluence, and spectral parameters at the peak of the burst. For 950 bursts observed with the PCA from sources with previously detected burst oscillations, we include an analysis of the high-time resolution data, providing information on the detectability and amplitude of the oscillations, as well as where in the burst they are found. We also present analysis of 118848 observations of the burst sources within the sample timeframe. We extracted 3-25 keV X-ray spectra from most observations, and (for observations meeting our signal-to-noise criterion), we provide measurements of the flux, spectral colours, and for selected sources, the position on the colour-colour diagram, for the best-fit spectral model. We present a description of the sample, a summary of the science investigations completed to date, and suggestions for further studies.

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The Swift Bulge Survey: optical and near-IR follow-up featuring a likely symbiotic X-ray binary & a focused wind CV

The nature of very faint X-ray transients (VFXTs) - transient X-ray sources that peak at luminosities $L_X\lesssim10^{36} {\rm erg s^{-1}}$ - is poorly understood. The faint and often short-lived outbursts make characterising VFXTs and their multi-wavelength counterparts difficult. In 2017 April we initiated the Swift Bulge Survey, a shallow X-ray survey of $\sim$16 square degrees around the Galactic centre with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The survey has been designed to detect new and known VFXTs, with follow-up programmes arranged to study their multi-wavelength counterparts. Here we detail the optical and near-infrared follow-up of four sources detected in the first year of the Swift Bulge Survey. The known neutron star binary IGR J17445-2747 has a K4III donor, indicating a potential symbiotic X-ray binary nature and the first such source to show X-ray bursts. We also find one nearby M-dwarf (1SXPS J174215.0-291453) and one system without a clear near-IR counterpart (Swift J175233.9-290952). Finally, 3XMM J174417.2-293944 has a subgiant donor, an 8.7 d orbital period, and a likely white dwarf accretor; we argue that this is the first detection of a white dwarf accreting from a gravitationally focused wind. A key finding of our follow-up campaign is that binaries containing (sub)giant stars may make a substantial contribution to the VFXT population.

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NICER observes a secondary peak in the decay of a thermonuclear burst from 4U 1608-52

We report for the first time below 1.5 keV, the detection of a secondary peak in an Eddington-limited thermonuclear X-ray burst observed by the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) from the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1608-52. Our time-resolved spectroscopy of the burst is consistent with a model consisting of a varying-temperature blackbody, and an evolving persistent flux contribution, likely attributed to the accretion process. The dip in the burst intensity before the secondary peak is also visible in the bolometric flux. Prior to the dip, the blackbody temperature reached a maximum of $\approx3$ keV. Our analysis suggests that the dip and secondary peak are not related to photospheric expansion, varying circumstellar absorption, or scattering. Instead, we discuss the observation in the context of hydrodynamical instabilities, thermonuclear flame spreading models, and re-burning in the cooling tail of the burst.

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NICER Discovers Spectral Lines During Photospheric Radius Expansion Bursts from 4U 1820-30: Evidence for Burst-driven Winds

We report the discovery with the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) of narrow emission and absorption lines during photospheric radius expansion (PRE) X-ray bursts from the ultracompact binary 4U 1820-30. NICER observed the source in 2017 August accumulating about 60 ks of exposure. Five thermonuclear X-ray bursts were detected of which four showed clear signs of PRE. We extracted spectra during the PRE phases and fit each to a model that includes a comptonized component to describe the accretion-driven emission, and a black body for the burst thermal radiation. The temperature and spherical emitting radius of the fitted black body are used to assess the strength of PRE in each burst. The two strongest PRE bursts (burst pair 1) had black body temperatures of approximately 0.6 keV and emitting radii of 100 km (at a distance of 8.4 kpc). The other two bursts (burst pair 2) had higher temperatures (~0.67 keV) and smaller radii (75 km). All of the PRE bursts show evidence of narrow line emission near 1 keV. By co-adding the PRE phase spectra of burst pairs 1 and, separately, 2 we find, in both co-added spectra, significant, narrow, spectral features near 1.0 (emission), 1.7 and 3.0 keV (both in absorption). Remarkably, all the fitted line centroids in the co-added spectrum of burst pair 1 appear systematically blue-shifted by a factor of $1.046 \pm 0.006$ compared to the centroids of pair 2, strongly indicative of a gravitational red-shift, a wind-induced blue-shift, or more likely some combination of both effects. The observed shifts are consistent with this scenario in that the stronger PRE bursts in pair 1 reach larger photospheric radii, and thus have weaker gravitational red-shifts, and they generate faster outflows, yielding higher blue-shifts. We discuss possible elemental identifications for the observed features in the context of recent burst-driven wind models.

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XMMU J181227.8-181234: a new ultracompact X-ray binary candidate

We report the discovery of Type I (thermonuclear) X-ray bursts from the transient source XMMU J181227.8-181234 = XTE J1812-182. We found 7 X-ray bursts in Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations during the 2008 outburst, confirming the source as a neutron star low mass X-ray binary. Based on the measured burst fluence and the average recurrence time of 1.4$^{+0.9}_{-0.5}$ hr, we deduce that the source is accreting almost pure helium ($X \leq 0.1$) fuel. Two bursts occurred just 18 minutes apart; the first short waiting time bursts observed in a source accreting hydrogen-poor fuel. Taking into consideration the effects on the burst and persistent flux due to the inferred system inclination of $30\pm{10}$ degrees, we estimate the distance to be $14\pm{2}$ kpc, where we report the statistical uncertainty but note that there could be up to $20\%$ variation in the distance due to systematic effects discussed in the paper. The corresponding maximum accretion rate is $0.30\pm0.05$ times the Eddington limit. Based on the low hydrogen content of the accreted fuel and the short average recurrence time, we classify the source as a transient ultracompact low-mass X-ray binary.

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Searching for the most powerful thermonuclear X-ray bursts with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

We searched for thermonuclear X-ray bursts from Galactic neutron stars in all event mode data of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory collected until March 31, 2018. In particular, we are interested in the intermediate-duration bursts (shell flashes fueled by thick helium piles) with the ill-understood phenomenon of strong flux fluctuations. Nine such bursts have been discussed in the literature to date. Swift is particularly suitable for finding additional examples. We find and list a total of 134 X-ray bursts; 44 are detected with BAT only, 41 with XRT only, and 49 with both. Twenty-eight bursts involve automatic slews. We find 12 intermediate-duration bursts, all detected in observations involving automatic slews. Five show remarkably long Eddington-limited phases in excess of 200 s. Five show fluctuations during the decay phase; four of which are first discussed in the present study. We discuss the general properties of the fluctuations, considering also 7 literature cases. In general two types of fluctuations are observed: fast ones, with a typical timescale of 1 s and up and downward fluctuations of up to 70%, and slow ones, with a typical timescale of 1 min and only downward fluctuations of up to 90%. The latter look like partial eclipses because the burst decay remains visible in the residual emission. We revisit the interpretation of this phenomenon in the context of the new data set and find that it has not changed fundamentally despite the expanded data set. It is thought to be due to a disturbance of the accretion disk by outflowing matter and photons, causing obscuration and reflection due to Thompson scattering in an orbiting highly ionized cloud or structure above or below the disk. We discuss in detail the most pronounced burster SAX J1712.6-3739. One of the bursts from this source is unusual in that it lasts longer than 5600 s, but does not appear to be a superburst.

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NICER Detection of Strong Photospheric Expansion during a Thermonuclear X-Ray Burst from 4U 1820-30

The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) on the International Space Station (ISS) observed strong photospheric expansion of the neutron star in 4U 1820-30 during a Type I X-ray burst. A thermonuclear helium flash in the star's envelope powered a burst that reached the Eddington limit. Radiation pressure pushed the photosphere out to ~200 km, while the blackbody temperature dropped to 0.45 keV. Previous observations of similar bursts were performed with instruments that are sensitive only above 3 keV, and the burst signal was weak at low temperatures. NICER's 0.2-12 keV passband enables the first complete detailed observation of strong expansion bursts. The strong expansion lasted only 0.6 s, and was followed by moderate expansion with a 20 km apparent radius, before the photosphere finally settled back down at 3 s after the burst onset. In addition to thermal emission from the neutron star, the NICER spectra reveal a second component that is well fit by optically thick Comptonization. During the strong expansion, this component is six times brighter than prior to the burst, and it accounts for 71% of the flux. In the moderate expansion phase, the Comptonization flux drops, while the thermal component brightens, and the total flux remains constant at the Eddington limit. We speculate that the thermal emission is reprocessed in the accretion environment to form the Comptonization component, and that changes in the covering fraction of the star explain the evolution of the relative contributions to the total flux.

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Neutron star cooling and the rp process in thermonuclear X-ray bursts

When the upper layer of an accreting neutron star experiences a thermonuclear runaway of helium and hydrogen, it exhibits an X-ray burst of a few keV with a cool-down phase of typically 1~minute. When there is a surplus of hydrogen, hydrogen fusion is expected to simmer during that same minute due to the rp process, which consists of rapid proton captures and slow beta-decays of proton-rich isotopes. We have analyzed the high-quality light curves of 1254 X-ray bursts, obtained with the Proportional Counter Array on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer between 1996 and 2012, to systematically study the cooling and rp process. This is a follow-up of a study on a selection of 37 bursts from systems that lack hydrogen and show only cooling during the bursts. We find that the bolometric light curves are well described by the combination of a power law and a one-sided Gaussian. The power-law decay index is between 1.3 and 2.1 and similar to that for the 37-bursts sample. There are individual bursters with a narrower range. The Gaussian is detected in half of all bursts, with a typical standard deviation of 50~s and a fluence ranging up to 60% of the total fluence. The Gaussian appears consistent with being due to the rp process. The Gaussian fluence fraction suggests that the layer where the rp process is active is underabundant in H by a factor of at least five with respect to cosmic abundances. Ninety-four percent of all bursts from ultracompact X-ray binaries lack the Gaussian component, and the remaining 6% are marginal detections. This is consistent with a hydrogen deficiency in these binaries. We find no clear correlation between the power law and Gaussian light-curve components.

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Chandra spectroscopy of Rapid Burster type-I X-ray bursts

We observed the Rapid Burster with Chandra when it was in the 'banana' state that usually precedes the type-II X-ray bursting 'island' state for which the source is particularly known. We employed the High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer in combination with the ACIS-S detector in continuous clocking mode. The observation yielded 20 thermonuclear type-I X-ray bursts emitted from the neutron star surface with recurrence times between 0.9 and 1.2 hr, and an e-folding decay time scale of 1 min. We searched for narrow spectral features in the burst emission that could constrain the composition of the ashes of the nuclear burning and the compactness of the neutron star, but found none. The upper limit on the equivalent width of narrow absorption lines between 2 and 6 keV is between 5 and 20 eV (single trial 3 sigma confidence level) and on those of absorption edges between 150 and 400 eV. The latter numbers are comparable to the levels predicted by Weinberg, Bildsten & Schatz (2006) for Eddington-limited thermonuclear bursts.

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X-ray Reflection and An Exceptionally Long Thermonuclear Helium Burst from IGR J17062-6143

Thermonuclear X-ray bursts from accreting neutron stars power brief but strong irradiation of their surroundings, providing a unique way to study accretion physics. We analyze MAXI/GSC and Swift/XRT spectra of a day-long flash observed from IGR J17062-6143 in 2015. It is a rare case of recurring bursts at a low accretion luminosity of 0.15% Eddington. Spectra from MAXI, Chandra, and NuSTAR observations taken between the 2015 burst and the previous one in 2012 are used to determine the accretion column. We find it to be consistent with the burst ignition column of 5x10^10 g cm^-2, which indicates that it is likely powered by burning in a deep helium layer. The burst flux is observed for over a day, and decays as a straight power law: F~t^-1.15. The burst and persistent spectra are well described by thermal emission from the neutron star, Comptonization of this emission in a hot optically thin medium surrounding the star, and reflection off the photoionized accretion disk. At the burst peak, the Comptonized component disappears, when the burst may dissipate the Comptonizing gas, and it returns in the burst tail. The reflection signal suggests that the inner disk is truncated at ~100 gravitational radii before the burst, but may move closer to the star during the burst. At the end of the burst, the flux drops below the burst cooling trend for 2 days, before returning to the pre-burst level.

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A strongly truncated inner accretion disk in the Rapid Burster

The neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) the Rapid Burster (RB; MXB 1730-335) uniquely shows both Type-I and Type-II X-ray bursts. The origin of the latter is ill-understood but has been linked to magnetospheric gating of the accretion flow. We present a spectral analysis of simultaneous Swift, NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observations of the RB during its 2015 outburst. Although a broad Fe-K line has been observed before, the high quality of our observations allows us to model this line using relativistic reflection models for the first time. We find that the disk is strongly truncated at $41.8^{+6.7}_{-5.3}$ gravitational radii ($\sim 87$ km), which supports magnetospheric Type-II burst models and strongly disfavors models involving instabilities at the innermost stable circular orbit. Assuming that the RB magnetic field indeed truncates the disk, we find $B = (6.2 \pm 1.5) \times 10^8$ G, larger than typically inferred for NS LMXBs. In addition, we find a low inclination ($i = 29\pm2^{\rm o}$). Finally, we comment on the origin of the Comptonized and thermal components in the RB spectrum.

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eXTP -- enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry Mission

eXTP is a science mission designed to study the state of matter under extreme conditions of density, gravity and magnetism. Primary targets include isolated and binary neutron stars, strong magnetic field systems like magnetars, and stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. The mission carries a unique and unprecedented suite of state-of-the-art scientific instruments enabling for the first time ever the simultaneous spectral-timing-polarimetry studies of cosmic sources in the energy range from 0.5-30 keV (and beyond). Key elements of the payload are: the Spectroscopic Focusing Array (SFA) - a set of 11 X-ray optics for a total effective area of about 0.9 m^2 and 0.6 m^2 at 2 keV and 6 keV respectively, equipped with Silicon Drift Detectors offering <180 eV spectral resolution; the Large Area Detector (LAD) - a deployable set of 640 Silicon Drift Detectors, for a total effective area of about 3.4 m^2, between 6 and 10 keV, and spectral resolution <250 eV; the Polarimetry Focusing Array (PFA) - a set of 2 X-ray telescope, for a total effective area of 250 cm^2 at 2 keV, equipped with imaging gas pixel photoelectric polarimeters; the Wide Field Monitor (WFM) - a set of 3 coded mask wide field units, equipped with position-sensitive Silicon Drift Detectors, each covering a 90 degrees x 90 degrees FoV. The eXTP international consortium includes mostly major institutions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Universities in China, as well as major institutions in several European countries and the United States. The predecessor of eXTP, the XTP mission concept, has been selected and funded as one of the so-called background missions in the Strategic Priority Space Science Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences since 2011. The strong European participation has significantly enhanced the scientific capabilities of eXTP. The planned launch date of the mission is earlier than 2025.

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A Soft X-Ray Spectral Episode for the Clocked Burster, GS 1826-24 as Measured by Swift and NuSTAR

We report on NuSTAR and Swift observations of a soft state of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary GS 1826-24, commonly known as the "clocked" burster. The transition to the soft state was recorded in 2014 June through an increase of the 2-20 keV source intensity measured by MAXI, simultaneous with a decrease of the 15-50 keV intensity measured by Swift/BAT. The episode lasted approximately two months, after which the source returned to its usual hard state. We analyze the broad-band spectrum measured by Swift/XRT and NuSTAR, and estimate the accretion rate during the soft episode to be about 13% of Eddington, within the range of previous observations. However, the best fit spectral model, adopting the double Comptonization used previously, exhibits significantly softer components. We detect seven type-I X-ray bursts, all significantly weaker (and with shorter rise and decay times) than observed previously. The burst profiles and recurrence times vary significantly, ruling out the regular bursts that are typical for this source. One burst exhibited photospheric radius expansion, and we estimate the source distance at about (5.7 / xi_b^1/2) kpc, where xi_b parameterizes the possible anisotropy of the burst emission. Interpreting the soft state as a transition from an optically thin inner flow to an optically thick flow passing through a boundary layer, as is commonly observed in similar systems, is contradicted by the lower optical depth measured for the double Comptonization model we find for this soft state. The effect of a change in disk geometry on the burst behavior remains unclear.

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Discovery of GRS 1915+105 variability patterns in the Rapid Burster

We report the discovery of two new types of variability in the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary MXB 1730-335 (the 'Rapid Burster'). In one observation in 1999, it exhibits a large-amplitude quasi-periodic oscillation with a period of about 7 min. In another observation in 2008, it exhibits two 4-min long 75 per cent deep dips 44 min apart. These two kinds of variability are very similar to the so-called $ρ$ or 'heartbeat' variability and the $θ$ variability, respectively, seen in the black hole low-mass X-ray binaries GRS 1915+105 and IGR J17091-3624. This shows that these types of behavior are unrelated to a black hole nature of the accretor. Our findings also show that these kinds of behaviour need not take place at near-Eddington accretion rates. We speculate that they may rather be related to the presence of a relatively wide orbit with an orbital period in excess of a few days and about the relation between these instabilities and the type II bursts.

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