A Multiwavelength View of $rho$ Oph I: Resolving the X-ray Source Between A and B
Sean J. Gunderson, Jackson Codd, Walter W. Golay, David P. Huenemoerder, John M. Cannon, J. Alex Fluegel, Philip E. Griffin, Nathalie C. Haurberg, Richard Ignace, Alexandrea Moreno, Pragati Pradhan, Alexis Riggs, James Wetzel, Claude R. Canizares, the MACRO consortium
arXiv:2509.26268v2 Announce Type: replace
Abstract: We present a multiwavelength analysis of the central stellar pair of $rho$ Oph, components A and B. Using recent high-resolution textit{Chandra X-ray Observatory} observations, we demonstrate with high confidence that the dominant X-ray source is $rho$ Oph B, while $rho$ Oph A is comparatively X-ray faint. This result contrasts with earlier textit{XMM-Newton} observations, which, due to limited spatial resolutions, attributed the X-ray emission to $rho$ Oph A. An analysis of $rho$ Oph B’s X-ray light curves and spectra reveals properties more consistent with a cool star than a hot star. We therefore propose that $rho$ Oph B is an Algol-like binary system, consisting of a B-type primary and an active, X-ray-emitting GK-type companion.arXiv:2509.26268v2 Announce Type: replace
Abstract: We present a multiwavelength analysis of the central stellar pair of $rho$ Oph, components A and B. Using recent high-resolution textit{Chandra X-ray Observatory} observations, we demonstrate with high confidence that the dominant X-ray source is $rho$ Oph B, while $rho$ Oph A is comparatively X-ray faint. This result contrasts with earlier textit{XMM-Newton} observations, which, due to limited spatial resolutions, attributed the X-ray emission to $rho$ Oph A. An analysis of $rho$ Oph B’s X-ray light curves and spectra reveals properties more consistent with a cool star than a hot star. We therefore propose that $rho$ Oph B is an Algol-like binary system, consisting of a B-type primary and an active, X-ray-emitting GK-type companion.

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