2012MNRAS.419.2695R

We report on the Swift monitoring of the candidate supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) IGR J16418-4532, for which both orbital and spin periods are known ( ∼ 3.7 d and ∼ 1250 s, respectively). Our observations, for a total of ∼ 43 ks, span over three orbital periods and represent the most intense and complete sampling of the light curve of this source with a sensitive X-ray instrument. With this unique set of observations, we can address the nature of this transient. By applying the clumpy wind model for blue supergiants to the observed X-ray light curve, and assuming a circular orbit, the X-ray emission from this source can be explained in terms of the accretion from a spherically symmetric clumpy wind, composed of clumps with different masses, ranging from ∼ 5 {x} 10¹⁶ to 10²¹ g. Our data suggest, based on the X-ray behaviour, that this is an intermediate SFXT. A new automatic method to identify galaxy mergers - I. Description and application to the Space Telescope A901/902 Galaxy Evolution Survey