Millisecond Dips in Sco X-1 are Likely the Result of High-Energy Particle Events

Abstract

Chang et al. (2006) reported millisecond duration dips in the X-ray intensity of Sco X-1 and attributed them to occultations of the source by small trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). We have found evidence that these dips are in fact not astronomical in origin, but rather the result of high-energy charged particle events in the RXTE PCA detectors.

Preliminary report, 5 pages, 1 figure; Version 2 has corrected identification of non-X-ray events in figure and text