Evolution of the periodicities in 2S 0114+650

Abstract

We have analysed nine years of data from the All Sky Monitor on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer for 2S 0114+650 to study the evolution of its spin, binary and super-orbital periods. The spin history of the neutron star in this system exhibits torque reversals lasting ~1 yr. The newly discovered super-orbital period has remained stable over the 9-yr span, making 2S 0114+650 the fourth known system to exhibit stable super-orbital modulation. We compare its super-orbital period evolution with those of the other three such systems.